TV Review: The Alienist: Angel of Darkness

July 13th 2020, 8:54am

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Plot: Sara Howard has opened her own private detective agency and is leading the charge on a brand-new case. She reunites with Dr. Kreizler, the formidable alienist, and John Moore, now a New York Times reporter, to find Ana Linares, the kidnapped infant daughter of the Spanish Consular. Their investigation leads them down a sinister path of murder and deceit, heading towards a dangerous and elusive killer.

Review: Back in 2018, Caleb Carr's novel The Alienist made it to the small screen after years in development. Telling a historical mystery tale against the backdrop of late 19th Century New York, the series was a dark journey into the early days of psychology with a trio of strong leads in Daniel Bruhl, Luke Evans, and Dakota Fanning. I gave the series a good review despite some uneven pacing and an underwhelming finale. But, Dr. Kreizler and his compatriots are back for another season of deduction and crime-solving, this time was an added focus on the suffrage movement of 1897. The result is a show that benefits from having already introduced all of these protagonists which gives the series much-needed room to focus on an equally disturbing investigation.

Picking up in 1897, a year after the events of the first season, we find Dr. Kreizler doing much of the same as he did before. Sara Howard (Fanning) has left the police department and opened a detective agency while John Moore (Evans) has left the New York Times and gotten a job as an actual reporter. All three are embroiled in a case of a woman who is accused of murdering her infant child. This eventually leads them to investigate the kidnapping of the baby of the Spanish consul as well as the nefarious dealings of a doctor at a hospital whose involvement is more than hinted at in the opening minutes of the premiere. While the first season was a fairly grisly affair replete with a Jack the Ripper style villain, the second season somehow feels more urgent and more intense.

This new season certainly feels like a better-constructed tale with Dakota Fanning given a lot more to do than last season. While the series is named after Daniel Bruhl's character, both Fanning and Luke Evans have a lot more material to sink their teeth into this time around. The story also makes far better use of the tumultuous setting with various factions crossing paths including the previously mentioned suffrage movement and the Spanish-American War which is hinted at as being on the brink. The New York City seen in this season looks similar to what we have seen in the short-lived The Knick. This season also shares some story elements with HBO's recent Perry Mason limited series as both stories traffic in dead infants to fuel a powerful season-long narrative.

Having seen the entirety of Angel of Darkness, I am much more satisfied with the story compared to the first season. There is somehow a bit more levity in this story despite the pitch-black subject matter. That may come from the more balanced storylines for all three primary characters as well as a roster of supporting roles that make excellent use of the diverse population of the city at the turn of the century. From Ted Levine's heavily accented former police commissioner to the heavily accented gangster Goo Goo Knox to the heavily accented…well, you get the idea. With prejudice and racism at the forefront, The Alienist doesn't shy away from showing all walks of life in a vivid representation of the turn of the 19th to 20th century.

The series also does a great job of mixing history with fiction. While the first season featured Teddy Roosevelt as a key character in his pre-Presidential days, this time we get William Randolph Hearst. Hearst and his newspaper empire are vital to this season's mystery and the underlying conspiracy that seems to connect the upper class of New York with the lowly crimes being investigated. The corruption that is rampant through The Alienist may seem a bit disillusioning at times but it also makes Bruhl, Fanning, and Evans shine all the brighter as beacons of hope. There are moments where the progressiveness of the main characters seems a bit preachy and forced, but that can be forgiven by how engaging this season's story can be.

The Alienist: Angel of Darkness is certainly not for everyone, especially with the gruesome tone of this season's investigations, but airing on TNT, it is far less graphic than other shows. Still, this is a dark tale that may not be the best show to watch while having dinner. It does not align itself with the traditional police procedural format you may be accustomed to but it does offer a very intense story with some quality acting from the leads. The first season was produced (and some episodes written) by Cary Fukunaga, so it is fair to look at this as something like True Detective: 1800s Edition, but The Alienist: Angel of Darkness is a very distinct look into a challenging era for America that gives us something different than other shows currently on the air.

The Alienst: Angel of Darkness premieres July 19th on TNT.