Penny Dreadful: City of Angels may have been unrightfully canceled by Showtime, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the first [and only season]. Now, I know for those who are big fans of the original Penny Dreadful series that this “spin-off” show fell flat. Frankly, because it was a spin-off in name only, not in theme. I felt the same way about Netflix’s Ratched and how it felt nothing like One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
However, I really enjoyed Penny Dreadful: City of Angels. The first two episodes were quite slow, so I was not a fan from the jump. Thankfully, I stuck with it, which was a wise decision. The show stars Daniel Zovatto as the first Mexican-American police officer in Los Angeles in the 1930s. Detective Tiago Vega is stuck between a mostly racist police department, a very racist councilman, and his family, who don’t understand Tiago “picking” the police force over them. Tiago feels torn at all times – he wants to do good and he loves his family. He disagrees with some of the things he sees his brothers do, but he too experiences racism from his fellow officers.
The only one who treats him as an equal is Nathan Lane’s Lewis Michener. A Jewish detective who knows the unfortunate truths of how society treats those who aren’t the majority. On top of working alongside Tiago to solve a murder that has shook the town, Lewis is also trying to stop the growing Nazi presence in Los Angeles. A presence that almost every major leader in Los Angeles seems to be involved in. We also have Kerry Bishe, who I’ve loved from Halt and Catch Fire, as well as Argo. She plays the beautifully tragic Sister Molly. A figurehead in the religious community that her mother exploits for money and power. At the heart of it, Molly simply wants to be a person, and she gets that with Tiago. I always was a big fan of Bishe’s chemistry with her Halt co-star Scoot McNairy, but Zovatto and Bishe come as a close second.
At the epicenter of everything is Natalie Dormer as Magda, along with a bunch of other characters. Magda is a supernatural being who is the sister of Santa Muerte. Magda looks to incite anger and fear at every corner of the city. Whether she is inciting violence in the Mexican-American community or inspiring the Nazi party to take up arms, her sole mission is to show that deep down, human beings are violent and hateful creatures. There were so many times that she came in and broke up happy moments and happy families. I especially disliked her for what she tried to do to Adriana Barraza’s Maria Vega, who was such an underrated character in the series. 
Penny Dreadful: City of Angels felt so incredibly relevant to today’s events. There were so many powerful scenes in the show that make it an essential complement to the original Penny Dreadful. I was absolutely heartbroken when it was canceled because I know that the show was not done yet. It was not done with its mission to fight against real-life prejudice. And the fact that we won’t see Zovatto and Lane team up as Tiago and Lewis truly is heartbreaking. Plus, with Brad Garrett on their side, I felt they had a real chance against the Nazis. Do not let the comparisons to the original series keep you from experiencing one of the most engaging shows to come out this year.
Video Quality
Penny Dreadful: City of Angels comes to DVD with a 480p transfer that is quite beautiful for the format. While there is a MOD Blu-Ray available, this was not provided for review purposes. As it stands, this DVD offers up an pleasing amount of detail in character features and production design. Compression artifacts are present without being too overwhelming. Black levels are quite strong with only a minimal amount of blocking. Colors are nice and fairly vibrant, especially in the bustling nightlife in The Crimson Cat or in Magda’s trail of fire. Skin tones look natural, and there are some decent facial details present. This presentation is just about as good as a DVD can look.
Audio Quality
This DVD comes with a Dolby Digital 5.1 track that is pretty wonderful and expansive. Dialogue is rendered clearly with a focus in the center channel. Sound effects and the intense score never overpower the dialogue, avoiding any loss of information. The rear speakers create a dynamic atmosphere as the environmental sounds of a burgeoning Los Angeles envelops you at all of the appropriate times. The mix has a good sense of directionality so that nothing ever feels like it is coming from the wrong place. When Magda engages in some of her more supernatural tendencies, the mix kicks into overdrive a bit more. This mix brings the show to live beautifully.
Special Features
- Introduction To Penny Dreadful – City of Angels: A nearly three-minute look at the series with the cast and crew members in which we get a brief overview of the themes and characters from the show. Promotional in nature, but it gets you primed to delve into the show.
- The Many Faces of Magda: A two-minute look at the varying manifestations of Magda that Natalie Dormer gets to inhabit throughout the season. This is worth a watch to get a feel of which versions of the character thrills Dormer the most.
- The Dance of Penny Dreadful – City of Angels: A six-minute look at the world of the show with the cast and crew. This piece explores the nightlife at The Crimson Cat from the set decoration to the music and choreography. It is interesting to hear how the creative team was not bound by historical accuracy when it came to dancing, as they took inspiration from everywhere including Janet Jackson.
- The Devil Is In The Details Part I: A four-and-a-half-minute look at creating the authentic look of 1930s Los Angeles. The crew took great pains to make sure the environments were a reflection of the characters, such as the sparseness of Molly’s home.
- The Devil Is In The Details Part II: The exploration of the look of the show continues in this nearly five minute overview of the special effects and costumes. The most noteworthy insight shared is in regard to how the costume designer wanted Magda’s suit to look like tar dripping off her body.
Final Thoughts
Penny Dreadful: City of Angels was a show unfairly judged due to comparisons to a parent series to which it bears almost no resemblance. When judged independently, this new version from Showtime proves to be a thrilling season of television that offers up some incisive social commentary. While the show was not long for this world, you still have the opportunity to appreciate this lone season for the great work of art that it was. CBS Home Entertainment has delivered a DVD with a good A/V presentation and some worthwhile special features to round out the package. If you are a fan of any of the talent involved, or if you are just looking to catch a great new drama, give this one a shot. Recommended
Penny Dreadful: City of Angels – Season 1 is currently available to purchase on DVD and MOD Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the DVD.
Disclaimer: CBS Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
