Penny Dreadful: City of Angels — Series 1 Episode 5 — Children of The Royal Sun — A Review

24th May, 2020.

It has to be said … I’m single … 

And trying to lose weight.

I even signed up — in January — for a weight loss class.

One with regular weigh-ins.

Which, of course, went to pot when Lockdown started … !

The sooner this is over?

The happier I’ll be!

~≈€≈~

Ate any rate.

AT any rate!!

At any rate, I’ve done it again: managed to catch another episode of Penny Dreadful: City of Angels first series.

My lord … but this series is maintaining the quality!

~≈€≈~

Episode 5 — Children of The Royal Sun — opens with the by now familiar summary every thing up to last week’s episode.

Then moves on … to a sleazy bar* somewhere in Los Angeles: where an unseen Magda (Natalie Dormer) turns into Elsa (Natalie Dormer) … who immediately attracts the attention of at least one punter …

The scene shifts … to Mateo (Johnathan Nieves), sobbing after having committed his first murder: but reassured by Rio (Natalie Dormer) that he has defended his family.

Mateo is promptly seduced by Rio … and by Fly Rico (Sebastian Chacon).

Meanwhile, Mateo’s brother, Detective Tiago Vega (Daniel Zovatto)?   is getting equally as involved with Sister Molly (Kerry Bishé) … who responds to his story of The scar on his chest with A tale of her own.

A completely different one to the version Molly later tells to Josefina (Jessica Garza), when Jessica seeks Molly’s help.

Outside of all this … ?

Outside of all this, Tiago and his police partner, Detective Lewis Michener (Nathan Lane), are still having the Hazlett case … 

And, on top of this, investigate the death of uniform officer Jim Reilly, who Mateo killed in the last episode.

They don’t know this … all they have been able to find out … ?

Is that Rico and Rio are implicated in Reilly’s death: and possibly going to start a race war …

With Councilman Townsend still plotting, with discontent in the LA barrios?

With Dr Craft (Rory Kinnear) burying the body of the man Elsa picked up … ?

Things are nasty … 

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Now … 

Cliques … 

For me to describe Children of The Royal Sun as the best episode of Penny Dreadful: City of Angels best episode yet?

Would be a clique.

Possibly.

Saying?   It’s an old truism to say the reason cliques become cliques, is because there’s an element of truth to them.

Children of The Royal Sun is the best episode of Penny Dreadful: City of Angels, thus far.

And it’s not not because of set pieces, either.

Children of The Royal Sun has no set piece dance routine to it, little — beyond a brief appearance by Magda, at the start — overt supernatural goings on … 

Although there’s plenty of sex, frankly: you may not want to show this episode to anyone under 18!

Where Children of The Royal Sun wins?

Is in sketching characters, extending plots, and frankly, on the character building.

For starters?   Natalie Dormer is putting the work in.

I suspect she — like a lot of British actors — is very talented … but her biggest talent is being unafraid of putting the hard work in.

She’s playing four characters, and, in making each of them distinct?   Is earning every last penny.

That’s typical of the entire cast, I suspect: Daniel Zovatto is also doing it as Detective Vega … 

As is Nathan Lane, as Lewis Michener.

I managed to catch an interview with Natalie Domer, on Youtube, recently: answering various fan questions.

One of which?   Was ‘who would you like to work with?’

Her answer was ‘Nathan Lane’: very specifically on stage.

I think I can see why.

There’s a scene between Lane, as Michener, and Maria Vega (Adriana Barraza), where they’re discussing Tiago.

Maria is telling Michener how proud she is of her son, Michener is telling Maria how pleased his is to be working with Tiago … 

And it’s done with minimal lines … minimal speaking: mostly with an as expressive a pair of faces as I could hope to see.

I don’t know how much influence this episode’s director — Roxanne Dawson, the woman most Star Trek fans will know as Star Trek: Voyager’s B’Elanna Torres — played.

I suspect it may have been a lot.

But … ?

My lord, we’ve seen acting from the pair of them.

And from Kerry Bishé, as Sister Molly.

Can I admit to a suspicion, there?

Sister Molly tells two different versions of the same story, two aspects of a tent show her mother ran, in Molly’s youth, blown over in hurricane season.

Two very different aspects of the same story.

I don’t know what you thought … but it struck me there’s something dishonest in Molly’s tale telling.

Is one or both of those tales, a lie?

Or neither?

Is Molly trying to manipulate Josefina?   Or Tiago?   She seemed suspicious, to me: as if she were as manipulative as Magda, herself.

There was also an incident in episode four: Molly is on stage, and, at one point?   Begins crying, screaming and seemingly speaking in tongues.

Whilst, in the wings?   Her mother, Adelaide (Amy Madigan), looks on in deep concern.

What is Molly up to?

I don’t know.

I suspect there’s a lot she could be: I’m wondering, is Molly another aspect of Magda?

Or something else, altogether?

Again, I don’t know.

I suspect you, me and everyone else will find out as the show progresses.

Frankly?

I can’t wait to find out.

I’ll see you next Sunday, for the next episode of Penny Dreadful: City of Angels.

*        One with men renting private dancers …