Maria and the Beast – Review
Penny Dreadful: City of Angels
More threads come together as the supernatural tightens its grip. It’s time for our Penny Dreadful: City of Angels episode 7 – Maria and the Beast review.
Synopsis
Molly (Kerry Bishe) visits Tiago (Daniel Zovatto) at his apartment as he wrestles with guilt over Diego’s (Adan Rocha) confession. Dottie (Lin Shaye) and Lewis (Nathan Lane) confront Brian (Kyle McArthur) for lying about his dueling allegiances. Elsa (Natalie Dormer) and Frank (Santino Barnard) move in with the Crafts, igniting fear in Tom (Julian Hilliard) and Maria (Adriana Barraza). Alex and Townsend (Michael Gladis) deliberate about how to defeat Councilwoman Beck (Christine Estabrook). Josefina’s (Jessica Garza) newfound faith puts her at odds with her family. Lewis enlists a reluctant Tiago to join his covert operations and Maria summons Santa Muerte (Lorenza Izzo), but an uninvited guest arrives with her.
Sister Molly
After a rough night, Tiago returns home to find Molly waiting on his doorstep. She offers to shave him, like she does those of her congregation who come to the soup kitchen, saying she has no pride in front of her flock. I truly feel for Molly. Her scenes with Tiago show that she wants nothing more than to be normal, to have a relationship with him. But everything else in both their lives is set strongly against that outcome. It’s interesting that she has gone to him considering in the previous episode she appeared to choose her ministry over her personal life.
Lewis’s Covert Operation
Goss (Thomas Kretschmann) meets with Brian, offering him dreams of a forward thinking utopia right there in the Hollywood Hills. Unbeknownst to them, they are being surveilled by Lewis who later presents the proof to Brian when he denies meeting with Goss. He and Dottie take Brian into their own sort of protective custody, while bringing Tiago in on the situation. Tiago ius reluctant, but Lewis calls in the favour he did by covering up Mateo’s involvement.
Dottie continues to surprise and impress me, her line about running guns during the Spanish-American war is delivered perfectly.
Brian’s denial of what the Nazi’s are really doing, won over by Goss’s propaganda, is chilling, and so timely. We must not believe everything we see/read.
Nothing like fairy stories
The battle between the supernatural forces of Santa Muerte and Magda is coming to the fore, with Maria’s family at the centre. But it’s also starting to affect her work life as Elsa and Frank move in with the Crafts.
Craft explains to Tom and Trevor that their mother has gone away “for her health”. He struggles to explain more and Maria intervenes, saying it’s like fairy stories. Even Hansel and Gretel, when they got lost, found their way home again. Tom considers this for a moment before replying, “only after they kill the witch”. Oh how right you are dear boy, how right you are.
Elsa and Frank arrive, and Tom is less than thrilled at their new housemates. Elsa is quick to make her mark, ousting Maria from her room to make room for Trevor so that Frank can share a room with Tom. She also pours poisoned words into Craft’s ear about Maria’s influence over the boys, suggesting if they are to learn a second language it should be German, not Spanish.
Frank’s chilling presence continues to unsettle Tom, especially when he introduces him to Friar Tuck, the hamster, and later when the demonic spawn wants to share a bed with Tom.
I really enjoyed the scene between Craft and Maria, it reminded me of the one between Maria and Lewis a few episodes ago. I hope that Maria will be able to help Craft and his boys escape Magda’s clutches.
“You’re going to make a racist demagogue without a single scruple President of the United States?”
Pretty sure the writers weren’t talking just about Townsend with that line from Councilwoman Beck. Her skirmish with Alex is fascinating as it actually seems to anger Alex. Of all of Magda’s incarnations, Alex seems to be the most human, the one who reacts with real emotion. Elsa’s “emotion” is all an act, designed to keep Craft doing her bidding. Rio hasn’t shown much in the way of emotion yet. But Alex, could she be the weak link?
Ball game’s called on account of apocalypse.
Kurt (Dominic Sherwood) informs on Townsend to Goss who questions whether his bodyguard’s allegiances are changing. Kurt does seem to be softening a little but he hides it well.
Outside Lewis tells Tiago a bit about his own family troubles. His distant cousin back in Rhineland Germany who was tortured and murdered for being a queer Jew by the invading Germans. He’s had enough of the Nazis insidiousness and plans to end it tonight by killing Goss when he leaves the restaurant. Tiago is right on board until…
The biggest shocker of the episode for me came towards the end when Molly’s mother joined Goss, Townsend and (most importantly) Alex for dinner. Up until now Molly and her mother seemed to be only connected to the bigger picture via the Vega family (Molly and Tiago, Molly and Josefina). Now it appears there is more to it. This had me speculating once more on what truly happened to Haslitt. Were he and his family killed in collaboration by Miss Amy and Goss? To eliminate both a threat to Molly’s committment to the church and to make way for Goss and the Nazi’s plans for LA?
Maria and the Beast
Josefina’s devotion to Sister Molly’s church causes her to clash with not only Mateo but her mother too. Josefina calls out her mother’s hypocrisy, saying that she has no right to criticise Josefina turning to Sister Molly when she herself would rather go to Santa Muerte than their family priest. Realising she is losing her family, Maria goes to pray to Santa Muerte to ask why Magda is set against them. The angel of Holy Death comes to visit but her sister comes too. Magda and the Old Coyote circle each other. Magda tries to tempt Maria to her side but Maria doesn’t fall for it. In her defiance battle lines are drawn.
That’s it for our Maria and the Beast review. What did you think of the episode Dreadfuls? Let us know below or via our social media feeds. We’ll be back on Sunday with a preview of the next episode.
