Penny Dreadful: City of Angels

Lore & Background

The series is set in 1938 Los Angeles, a time and place deeply infused with Mexican-American folklore and social tension. The central conflict involves Santa Muerte, the caretaker of the dead, and her spiritual sister Magda, a demon who believes mankind is inherently evil. Magda takes various forms, including a political aide, a German housewife, and a pachuco gang member. Detective Tiago Vega, the first Mexican-American detective of the LAPD, and his veteran partner Lewis Michener investigate a gruesome murder case while navigating racial tensions, the looming threat of war, and Nazi conspiracies.

Reader's Guide

Penny Dreadful: City of Angels was ordered in November 2018 and premiered on April 26, 2020. Filming began in August 2019 in Los Angeles. The first season concluded on June 28, 2020, and the series was canceled in August 2020. On Rotten Tomatoes, the series has an approval rating of 74% based on 35 reviews, with a critical consensus noting 'twisty plotting and superb performances' but that the host of interesting characters would be better served if there were fewer of them. On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 60 out of 100, indicating mixed or average reviews. Natalie Dormer was nominated for Best Actress in a Horror Series at the 1st Critics' Choice Super Awards for her performance as Magda.

Did You Know?

• The series was canceled in August 2020 after one season.
• Paco Cabezas directed the first and second episodes after previously directing four episodes of Penny Dreadful.
• The series is set in 1938 Los Angeles, nearly 50 years after the original Penny Dreadful.

Narrative Framework & Setting

Penny Dreadful: City of Angels transplants the dark fantasy universe of its parent show into 1938 Los Angeles, a period the creators described as deeply steeped in Mexican-American folklore and social friction. Set roughly five decades after the events of the original series, the story unfolds during Hollywood's golden era, weaving together a gruesome murder investigation with a cosmic spiritual battle. At the heart of that conflict stand two opposing forces: Santa Muerte, a deity revered as a healer and safe guide to the afterlife, and Magda, a demoness who insists humanity is fundamentally wicked and seeks to demonstrate it. Detective Tiago Vega, the LAPD's first Mexican-American officer, and his veteran partner Lewis Michener find their case pulling them into the city's layered history. Racial animosity, the shadow of an approaching global war, and the machinations of Nazi operatives all conspire to complicate their pursuit of truth, making the show a layered tapestry of genre, history, and myth.

Cast & Character Ensemble

Natalie Dormer anchors the ensemble as Magda, a shapeshifting demon who assumes multiple human identities throughout the season. Her personas include Alex Malone, a political aide with a hidden past as a German Jew who pressures a city councilman toward collaboration with the Nazis; Elsa Branson, a German housewife who seduces a pediatrician; and Rio, a pachuco gang member who enters a polyamorous relationship with two other characters. Daniel Zovatto brings depth to Tiago Vega, the trailblazing first Mexican-American detective in the LAPD, while Nathan Lane plays his weathered partner Lewis Michener. The Vega family is portrayed by Adriana Barraza as the matriarch Maria, Johnathan Nieves as Mateo, and Adam Rodriguez as Raul. Rory Kinnear delivers a chilling performance as Peter Craft, a German pediatrician whose true identity ties him to the Krupp weapons dynasty and the local German-American Bund. Kerry Bishé rounds out the leads as the charismatic radio evangelist known as Sister Molly.

Production Timeline & Cancellation

John Logan created the series, and Showtime greenlit it in November 2018 as a spin-off of the original Penny Dreadful. Principal photography kicked off in August 2019 on location in Los Angeles. Paco Cabezas, who had previously helmed four episodes of the parent show including its series finale, directed the first two episodes of City of Angels. After a January 2020 announcement confirming the April 26 premiere date, the season aired through June 28, 2020. The window between the finale and the network's decision was brief: on August 21, 2020, Showtime announced the cancellation of the series after its single season. The show thus became a one-season entity, a fate shared by many prestige cable dramas of that era. Despite its short run, the production managed to assemble a large ensemble cast spanning recurring and guest roles, with actors ranging from Brad Garrett and Lin Shaye to Thomas Kretschmann and Amy Madigan contributing to the narrative's breadth.

Critical Reception & Award Recognition

Reviews for the lone season were decidedly mixed. Rotten Tomatoes tallied a 74 percent approval rating from 35 critics, with an average score of 6.7 out of 10. The site's consensus praised the twisty plotting and strong performances while noting the show would benefit from a tighter focus on its characters. Metacritic assigned a weighted score of 60 out of 100 from 16 reviews, landing in the mixed or average territory. Danette Chavez of The A.V. Club was more critical, arguing the series lacked specificity and cohesion across the many genres it attempted, calling it a hodgepodge that gave creator John Logan a way in but not a clear path forward. On the awards front, Natalie Dormer earned a nomination for Best Actress in a Horror Series at the inaugural Critics' Choice Super Awards, a recognition that underscored the strength of her multi-layered performance as Magda despite the show's brief and ultimately cancelled run.