Epix
I am not ready for the first season of Pennyworth to come to an end, but here we are at the penultimate episode of the first season and it’s a doozy, from Alfred getting himself into a world of trouble while the nation itself is about to find out if the people want a monarchy or anarchy.
After Alfred brutally murdered Curzon in the last episode, Inspector Aziz was ready to go pretty leniently on Alfred if he’d do just one thing — give him the name of his accomplice, the woman who put a knife to Aziz’s throat. Surprisingly, Alfred refused on the grounds that (1) she wasn’t his accomplice and (2) she saved his life. What kind of thanks would that be to give her up for doing that for him? So Aziz had no choice but to send Alfred to prison. And because of the status of the victim, Alfie wasn’t even given a trial. It was just an admission of guilt and straight to the pokey for him. At least they gave him a chance to say goodbye to his parents, who had been at the police station since he was brought in.
Interestingly, since it was revealed that his Pop was a member of the Raven Society, I had assumed his Mum may have been too, especially since Mr. P had told her not to say anything to Alfred after he’d been hit in the head at the rally. Turns out, that was not the big secret they’re keeping from him. Alfie’s dad has cancer, and it’s killing his mom to not say anything, especially with her baby boy now heading to prison for seven years.
And while it looks like something out of a Charles Dickens novel, Alfred is somehow nattily dressed in a suit among all the squalor when Sandra comes to visit with a message from Bazza and Dave Boy — they’re going to break him out. Alfred tells Sandra to tell them they’re ‘fucking idiots’ (she does) and to not do anything. He’ll figure his own way out of this mess. And … he does, surprising his Mum at home who immediately blurts out that his dad his cancer. But they also know that Alfred wasn’t just released on his good behavior and fashion sense, he has to do something — kill Lord Harwood.
It’s unclear at this point if Harwood really has regained his sanity. Returning home for the first time since his ‘death’, his wife and butler seem terrified that he’s home. And Mrs. Harwood is even less thrilled that he’s got Bet and Peg with him (the glances the two gave each other as the butler trembled while pouring tea were priceless). For the record, Dr. Gaunt isn’t so sure having the Sykes sisters in tow is such a good idea either. But later, Mrs. H and the butler seem to have disappeared, along with all the frou-frou decorations that were added in her husband’s absence. Did he do away with them?
Harwood’s resurrection has sent shockwaves through the land, causing the Prime Minister to lose his majority and forcing a call for an election. In this version of England, certain radical groups are not allowed to vote but this time everyone who is eligible, no matter what their affiliation, will be able to cast a vote for the kind of government they want. Could this be a referendum on the monarchy? Harwood is certain the queen will be with him.
He also believes the No Names will uphold their truce as well, and schedules a signing meeting with himself and Mrs. Thwaite. Except she sends a surrogate, Thomas Wayne, to get the job done and Martha Kane insinuates herself into the matter as well. It seems Thomas is finally being honest with her about his CIA affiliation, and she is ready to get back to work, although she is concerned that the CIA is willing to back not just the queen, but the No Names and the Raven Society. Thomas tells her it doesn’t matter who is in power, the CIA is going to support them. Martha is also friends with Thwaite — who knew? — and she suggests to Thomas that Martha accompany him to the meeting.
Epix
And that’s a huge problem because this meeting is where Alfred is supposed to pay the piper and take out the targets from, apparently, both parties. There is no way Alfie is going to kill two people he knows, so instead he shoots at a tea cup which sends everyone scurrying. Realizing what Alfred is doing, Aziz sends in the reinforcements, but Alfred shoots at their radiators, allowing not only Thomas and Martha to escape, but Harwood and Peg as well (Bet wisely stayed in the car). But now Alfred has only one choice — he’s got to leave London or face going back to prison. His Mum is hysterical that he’s going to go to the West Indies, but he assures her he’ll probably only go as far as Wales … which seems to flabbergast his Pop as much as the West Indies shook his Mum. But Alfred is now on the run with the help of his mates Bazza and Dave Boy.
Harwood, meanwhile, wants the military on the side of the Ravens, promising them all the weapons they need to fight all the enemies he can produce. They’re on board if the queen is on board. The queen, however, is taking a break and doing a little hunting with her entourage. Thinking she’s about to shoot a deer, the sound that follows the shot is one of a wounded woman, but the queen is told the deer can sometimes make that sound so he goes to investigate. And he finds a woman with a very bad wound to her head. He cries out and another man goes in to see what happened, and he comes running back screaming about his face, covering his eyes and running smack into a tree, rendering him unconscious or dead. The queen and her two ladies in waiting are then confronted by … Bet and Peg, proving again that they are not the liability Mrs. Gaunt believes they are. And is their intention to kidnap the queen to get her on Harwood’s side? Seems a rather shaky plan at best. But we’ll find out in next week’s season finale.
What did you think of this episode? Sound off in the comments below!
Share this post
