The Alienist: Angel of Darkness Early Review

The original The Alienist limited series, based on the book series by Caleb Carr, lit up the screens back in early 2018 and became an award-nominated hit. Now over 2 years later, we are treated to a new Alienist limited series, The Alienist: Angel of Darkness, based on the sequel to Carr’s The Alienist. Moved up a week from its original TNT broadcast date, the series could not have come at a better time, reuniting is with these characters and giving us a new case to consume viewers thought just like the previous series, it will not be for the feint of heart. While seeing Dr. Kreizler (Brühl), John Moore (Evans), and Sara Howard (Fanning) once again is certainly enough to make this series worth checking out, it just didn’t have the same impact and was not quite as compelling this time around. Times have certainly changed for these characters but the more things change, the more they stay the same which couldn’t be more evident than when a new case calls them to duty.

Perhaps the biggest difference between The Alienist: Angel of Darkness and The Alienist, is this new series’ more character-centric approach that arguably served as more of a deeper dive into our three characters and their lives than the actual case itself. The climate has also changed in 1897 New York City with everyone seemingly more concerned with a potential war with Spain. Tensions were already at an all-time high across the country but a high-profile case close to home set the stage as a woman named Martha Napp (Hebe Beardsall), for which Dr. Kreizler shared a connection in being a defender of Napp who was adamant of her innocence, was questionably found guilty thanks to the overwhelming powers that be and later executed for the murder of her newborn son despite the fact that he was missing (Kreizler promised Napp that he would find him). Little did our three know, this was only the beginning.

This new series saw our characters in new places as Dr. Kreizler ran his own institute while Moore was now a journalist for the New York Times and Howard, a woman’s rights activist, took her fascination and the experience she gained in the previous series to form her own detective agency. While Kreizler had to defend his reputation and his institute, Moore’s attention was divided between his job and his fiancee Violet Hayward (Emily Barber) who just happened to be the daughter of the owner of the competition of the New York Times, William Randolph Hearst’s (Matt Letscher) New York Journal. Meanwhile Howard’s evolution from the previous series to now has been an interesting one with her becoming a stronger, more confident, and more assertive character who was fun to watch. Being a woman at that time still had its drawbacks but she made the best of it and made a name of herself that would only grow larger. In the end, Howard was the one who brought the team back together for a case involving a missing baby that obviously became something more.

Kreizler, Moore, and Howard’s investigation, along with Marcus (Douglas Smith) and Lucius Isaacson (Matthew Shear), inevitably ruffled some feathers with those aforementionned powers that be but nevertheless, they persisted though the tension here was lacking and also lacked overall. Though the case did have its twists and turns, occasionally weaving in the three’s own subplots to drive it forward, the story as a whole was rather predictable and not all that interesting or a surprise while the balance between the two simply wasn’t there. While Kreizler, Moore, and Howard’s subplots were still somewhat compelling to watch, they distracted too much from the case, taking away from its development which made it difficult to connect with it on a deeper level and only lessened its impact. Perhaps the biggest difference between Angel of Darkness and the first series was how the former saw its case move a lot faster which in the end, made it feel like more of an afterthought. This feeling continued all the way to a surprisingly anti-climactic finale that did have its moments before ending with a whimper.

When it didn’t seem there would ever be another series after the original The Alienist, it is reasonable to wonder if the series leaves the possibility to return for a third series. While a third series is possible, there’s only so far that these characters could go as Angel of Darkness leaves them in a satisfying position.

Easily, the best part of The Alienist: Angel of Darkness, was the great performances of Brühl, Evans, and Fanning as Kreizler, Moore, and Howard respectively along with their dynamite chemistry that they get to show off a little more this time around. The big draw for many audiences will be the chance to reunite with these characters and for that, they do not disappoint. While these characters have certainly seen some headways since the first series, they and their chemistry are further tested but overall, the subpar material makes the series dull at times though Brühl, Evans, and Fanning do their best to elevate it to the point of watchability. Fanning’s performance in particular stands out above the other two as Howard is given more to do, taking it all in stride.

At the end of the day, The Alienist: Angel of Darkness cannot live up to its predecessor but in its own right, is still a well-acted and serviceable thriller to get viewers through the remaining summer months and/or offer a decent binge session.

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.