If you want something done right, meaning oh-so-wrong, you’ve got to send in a demon. Showtime has released a new trailer for Penny Dreadful: City of Angels, which sees Natalie Dormer sowing anarchy through the streets of Los Angeles as one detective tries to save his home and his family.
Penny Dreadful: City of Angels is the spiritual successor to , which brought some of the most famous 19th-century fictional characters to Victorian-era London for murder and mystery. Showrunner John Logan has moved the franchise to 1930s Los Angeles during the construction of the Arroyo Seco Parkway. That time represented a huge shift in the city, changing the fabric of Los Angeles while displacing a lot of families, largely from black and brown communities. Co-star Lin Shaye previously told Gizmodo Logan was inspired to make the show after the election of now-impeached president Donald Trump.
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The trailer largely focuses on Tiago Vega (Daniel Zovatto), the LAPD’s first Latino detective. He’s trying to solve a grisly murder alongside his partner Lewis Michener (Nathan Lane) while his own family faces displacement from of the freeway construction. Tiago feels torn between two worlds; he’s made great strides in his career, but sees his loved ones being mistreated by the very power structure he’s become part of.
Meanwhile, Dormer’s character Magda, a shapeshifting demon, is out there causing societal rifts to collect wayward souls; she’ll be facing off against her sister, Santa Muerta (Lorenza Izzo). We also spend some time with Sister Molly (Kerry Bishé), a radio evangelist who represents the rise of the conservative Christian movement of the early 20th century.
Penny Dreadful: City of Angels debuts with its first episode, “Santa Muerta,” on April 27.