Advance Review: The Alienist: Angel Of Darkness Is Even Better Than The First Season

Season two of The Alienist: Angel Of Darkness premieres this Sunday, July 19, on TNT and fans are in for a dark treat. Season two opens with Sara Howard, who is trying to kick start her own investigating agency but does not seem to be having any luck. In a day where women are already treated as insubordinate, Sara is not only trying to change the narrative by attending protests against women suffrage but find her place amongst the top investigators in a job field dominated by men. As the episode plays out, our favorite characters find themselves in the middle of a dangerous plot, that included missing children and mothers put to their deaths because of the politics surrounding their disappearances.

If the last season felt even when it came to time focused on Dr. Kreizler, Sara Howard, and John Moore, this season’s focus is entirely on Sara, who is once again beautifully played by Dakota Fanning. The first three episodes rest on her shoulder’s with Daniel Brühl and Luke Evans acting, adding depth to help move the central story along. It is a nice change from last season, but the scenes between the three is missed. The trio has such wonderful chemistry, that it is hard to not miss it, but, once again, it is nice to see Fanning’s Howard take centerstage. That’s not too say that Brühl and Evans are not given their meatier parts. With Brühl ‘s Dr. Kreizler at ends with himself over whether or not he really is that good of an Alienist and Evans’ Moore trying to fight his feelings for Howard while also remaining unbiased in his writings, the two are tasked with some fun and intense stuff.

Unlike the last season, that relied too heavily on the guts and gore, this season is focused on the storytelling. One of the central plots of this season is the difficulties women faced during the early days of the feminist movement are only made worse by the wealthy men determined to rid themselves of the women that could take down their careers with unwanted pregnancies. Take that plot piece, the Spanish-American war looming on the horizon for all, the politics that seem to have their hand in ever decision are characters make, mix them with more horror inspired elements that will have fans sitting on the edge of their seats, and you get a very entertaining two-hour long premiere.

Grade: B+