S01.E03: Wicked Old World

[paigow]

AIRING MAY 10, 2020

Tiago and Molly try to escape their complicated lives; Lewis interrogates a young Cal-Tech student; Townsend and Alex's agenda is jeopardized by a councilwoman; Peter Craft discovers a dark truth at Elsa's home; Mateo visits a Chicano dance hall.

[Scarlett45]

This series is getting better and better. I loved the scene with the dance hall- such great choreography. Magda is a very good demon, she plays with what’s inside of everyone’s inner most desires and insecurities. Natalie Dormer is wearing some KILLER outfits in this series. I loved the red/cream zoot suit she wore at the dance hall, you know it kind of reminded me of “Who framed Roger Rabbit”(Style wise). 
 

The city council guy is gay huh? I don’t think his Nazi Co-Horts are going to be accepting of that. I had a feeling that was coming when Magda was taking to him about the bread basket, that or either a black family somewhere. 

[Broderbits]

13 hours ago, Scarlett45 said:

I don’t think his Nazi Co-Horts are going to be accepting of that.

They would be planning something bad for him no matter what; he's just a tool (in more ways than one). You can't talk to Nazis the way he did and get away with it for long.

I could watch a whole hour of the dancers, they were fantastic!

[paigow]

Lewis must be related to Jack Bauer... Torture always works...He is using his vacation days to kidnap Werner Von Braun???!!! In Germany??? I hope Indiana Jones is going too...

This series should be called:- Penny Dreadful: City Of Palpatines

Magda has unlimited [so far] ability to improvise when her pawns deviate from their role...

Edited May 11, 2020 by paigow

[DoctorAtomic]

I'm really digging Nathan Lane. You have to appreciate an actor that can do a good cry.

I liked the councilwoman sassing the transportation committee chair. (I'm still rough on names. It takes me a while.)

I didn't know Popeye was around back then.

Edited May 12, 2020 by DoctorAtomic

[Broderbits]

44 minutes ago, DoctorAtomic said:

I didn't know Popeye was around back then.

I think Popeye started in newspaper comics around 1929, and the cartoons in the 1930's.

Nathan Lane made me cry; he really is wonderful in this.

[DoctorAtomic]

23 hours ago, Scarlett45 said:

Magda is a very good demon, she plays with what’s inside of everyone’s inner most desires and insecurities.

She's playing the nazi doctor like a fiddle. 

I like the actors but a little too much time spent on Tiago and Molly for me. She gonna kill the mother though. I was surprised she didn't think the mother would have her followed. 

9 hours ago, Broderbits said:

They would be planning something bad for him no matter what; he's just a tool (in more ways than one). You can't talk to Nazis the way he did and get away with it for long.

"Would you like to rephrase that?" He is way way out of his league. 

I did like Magda telling off the nazis because she can quite back it up. 

I can't even imagine throwing a woman around that as part of a dance. Did people know how to actually dance back then?

Edited May 12, 2020 by DoctorAtomic

[DoctorAtomic]

22 hours ago, Scarlett45 said:

I loved the red/cream zoot suit she wore at the dance hall, you know it kind of reminded me of “Who framed Roger Rabbit”(Style wise). 

I had a huge laugh at the way they shot the reveal with her hat and how she pivoted her head. The show needs to have a little moment of fun here and there given how heavy the material is. I like her 'spanish' accent best out of all the characters. 

I wonder if she's got to have like this massive day planner - ooh, shit, I have to get to the club, but I need to pick up my hat first!

I'm still kind of calling bs on the cop. He's a cut out and way too over the top. Really, you're going to come in with 10 guys and arrest like 50 people? And, say you do. How you going to get them there? Where you going to put them? 

So I'm wondering if Magda has particular interest Tiago because he was touched by Santa Muerte? She whispered in the brother's ear at the riot, and now the other one is running with the gang. 

[Scarlett45]

9 hours ago, Broderbits said:

Nathan Lane made me cry; he really is wonderful in this.

When he tore his shirt color my heart broke. The grief was palpable. 

 

9 hours ago, DoctorAtomic said:

So I'm wondering if Magda has particular interest Tiago because he was touched by Santa Muerte? She whispered in the brother's ear at the riot, and now the other one is running with the gang

I think so. He may be one of the people on earth she can’t get to. 

[DoctorAtomic]

So she's chipping away by slowly separating his family. 

[Broderbits]

13 hours ago, DoctorAtomic said:

I can't even imagine throwing a woman around that as part of a dance. Did people know how to actually dance back then?

And how! Ever seen the movie "Idlewild"?

[DoctorAtomic]

I mean, they obviously played up the dancing to make the delineation of the cultures when the cops came in, but it was still something else. 

Is the main gang leader that was dancing not-straight? Because he seemed to be really enjoying dancing with the brother (still hurting on the names). 

Not that liking dancing means you're not straight, but he was eye-fucking him like crazy. 

[Scarlett45]

1 hour ago, DoctorAtomic said:

Is the main gang leader that was dancing not-straight? Because he seemed to be really enjoying dancing with the brother (still hurting on the names). 

Not that liking dancing means you're not straight, but he was eye-fucking him like crazy. 

The baby brother’s name is Mateo. 
 

I got the vibe that the gang leader was a part of the LGBTQ community from the first scene. Maybe what we would call Bi or Pan now. He was definately eye fucking him during that dance, and his his swagger when he stood up to the cops didn’t scream “straight” to me. I thought he was bi or gay then....based on his acting choices. 

[DoctorAtomic]

I still don't know the name of the king on Game of Thrones. 

iirc, the over the top cop made references to 'queers' too. There's no way for us as viewers to know if it was a gay club since it was only just introduced then. But I thought he was being very flirty. 

I'm still amazed that everyone knows how to dance. 

 

Edited May 12, 2020 by DoctorAtomic

[Broderbits]

44 minutes ago, DoctorAtomic said:

I'm still amazed that everyone knows how to dance. 

Yeah, even Tiago's mom was pretty good in an earlier episode.

Maybe it's the actress, but Molly just doesn't hold my interest (and her radio voice really grates). She's an important part of the story, but I'm not feeling it.

[DoctorAtomic]

I assume that Tiago spending more time with her is going to pique the interest of the demon. She also seems to be more involved in the case than we thought. 

[tennisgurl]

Damn, everyone in 30s LA has got serious moves, I half expected the fight between the dancers and the cops to turn into a dance off! For real though, that whole sequence was amazing, the choreography was excellent, and I loved the reveal that Magda was at the club and working things there too. She really is everywhere, stroking the flames, waiting for that explosion she wants so badly. Also, she looked freaking amazing in that suite and hat, like oh my God have I found my Halloween costume?! 

Nathan Lane is really killing it, I love that this show is giving him a chance to show so much range. Him breaking down and crying over his friends both dying was so sad, and he was legitimate pretty threatening when he dragged the young guy working for the Nazis to the cliffs. I kind of cracked up when the kid was all "I cant tell you they'll kill me!" and he was just "If you dont talk than I AM GONNA KILL YOU! How do you not get that?!" 

Magda really is playing that doctor like a fiddle, especially specifying that it was Jewish kids picking on her son...or whatever that kid actually is. I also loved how annoyed she was with both the Nazis and the councilman, like her own plan to sow chaos is being screwed with by people just being stupid. The councilman guy is clearly underestimating how important he is to the Nazis plan, these arent some random criminals, they are going to be quick to get rid of him if he isn't useful anymore. And I dont think they will be happy to find out that he is actually a closeted gay man...

Glad that Raul is doing better, even if family dinner is still going to be pretty awkward for awhile. I definitely feel like Madga is targeting their family, going back to whatever happened when their father died and Tiego was marked by Santa Muerte. 

The date between Tiago and Molly was cute, but Molly's mom is super creepy. I mean, damn when I was late for curfew my mom just got annoyed with me and muttered something half asleep when I snunk in past her bedroom, she didn't sit in the dark to creepily sing songs at me and then disappear into the shadows. 

[Scarlett45]

17 hours ago, DoctorAtomic said:

I still don't know the name of the king on Game of Thrones. 

iirc, the over the top cop made references to 'queers' too. There's no way for us as viewers to know if it was a gay club since it was only just introduced then. But I thought he was being very flirty. 

I'm still amazed that everyone knows how to dance. 

 

There were women dressed in drag in the club. In the 1930s women’s pants didn’t button/zip in the front (only the side or the back), seeing a woman in clothes like that was a sign of gender bending. 

[paigow]

8 hours ago, DoctorAtomic said:

iirc, the over the top cop made references to 'queers' too. There's no way for us as viewers to know if it was a gay club since it was only just introduced then. But I thought he was being very flirty. 

The cop said "albino dyke" and "pretty faggots" so if that idiot can figure it out, we the audience should accept that "The Cat" is LGB friendly...

After Rio/Magda punched the cop, there was a big exposition download in the alley.

Fly Rico admitted turning gay tricks for survival - in addition to a wide variety of criminal activity, 

[paigow]

5 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

I mean, damn when I was late for curfew my mom just got annoyed with me and muttered something half asleep when I snunk in past her bedroom 

Did your mom employ obviously evil henchmen to follow you?

[BigDfromLA]

I didn't immediately recognize Piper Perabo as the Doctor's wife. They did a good job of toning down her attractiveness to fit the part. I also didn't realize that Natalie Dormer also plays Alex until this, the third episode. As Rio, Natalie looked great with the brown contacts and dark red hair. She also had an explanation for being a "white" Pachuco. 

I am the only one in the world who never saw Game of Thrones, so this is the first I have seen of Natalie Dormer. She is doing really well in an interesting part. Hoping to see more of Jessica Garza (who was great in Season 1 of The Purge) and Lorenza Izzo (not only from Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, but fine in the film Knock Knock with Ana De Armas and Keanu Reeves).

I really liked Tiago and Molly as a couple. I just wonder about her connection with Hazlett. I would think that any homosexuals would be deep into the closet in 1938, especially in the Mexican American community. I would be surprised to see such a large and prominant gay nightclub in 1938 East L.A.

Edited May 13, 2020 by BigDfromLA

[dr pepper]

7 hours ago, paigow said:

Did your mom employ obviously evil henchmen to follow you?

Heh, i really liked the bit where Brother Lurch was enjoying his cotton candy.

 

[DoctorAtomic]

Albino Dyke was my disco punk band in high school. 

[Scarlett45]

16 hours ago, BigDfromLA said:

I would think that any homosexuals would be deep into the closet in 1938, especially in the Mexican American community. I would be surprised to see such a large and prominant gay nightclub in 1938 East L.A.

There have been LGBT communities/places for social gathering all over the world in modern history- especially in big cities. It may have been illegal, and not recorded or publicly advertised, but the people were there with a social need to gather with other like minded people. Dance halls were a much bigger social thing before the advent of television, for people of many socio- economic groups. 

[kieyra]

18 hours ago, BigDfromLA said:

I am the only one in the world who never saw Game of Thrones, so this is the first I have seen of Natalie Dormer. She is doing really well in an interesting part.

I’ve been infatuated with her since her take on Anne Boleyn in The Tudors (the Showtime production with Jonathan Rhys-Meyers from about ten or 12 years ago). She’s fantastic. She also did a stint on Elementary, but it was far too short. 

And then there was this side-shave she rocked at some awards show back in 2014.

On that note I also love Kerry Bishé (Molly) because her acting in Halt and Catch Fire was everything. AND I loved OG Penny Dreadful even with its abrupt ending.

In spite of all of this, I am super lost with this series so far and have trouble focusing on it, aside from the dance sequences (which nearly brought me back to Legion S2), and goth Natalie walking down the street and blowing out windows with every step. But reading these threads has helped a lot, and I might try a rewatch and see if I can absorb some more on a second viewing. Quarantine brain and all that. 

[DoctorAtomic]

2 hours ago, kieyra said:

I’ve been infatuated with her since her take on Anne Boleyn in The Tudors (the Showtime production with Jonathan Rhys-Meyers from about ten or 12 years ago).

That's where I first saw her. 

2 hours ago, kieyra said:

And then there was this side-shave she rocked at some awards show back in 2014.

I think that was for a movie. 

3 hours ago, Scarlett45 said:

There have been LGBT communities/places for social gathering all over the world in modern history- especially in big cities.

For sure. That's why I brought it up. The gang leader in his first scene with the cops at the soda machine in the hospital was hardcore. And then he was all dancing with *everyone*. It's a whole other level of us v them. 

[Scarlett45]

@kieyra the head-shave was for a set Hunger Games movies- Catching Fire and MockingJay Parts 1 & 2.

Natalie Dormer is a talent and (totally random), one of the few people I have seen that does not look their best with their natural hair color. She’s a natural blonde but I think dark hair brings her features out more. 

[Tachi Rocinante]

This season is definitely a slow burn, but the pacing works.  Interested to see where this goes.

[iMonrey]

This show takes place in 1938. The Wizard of Oz wasn't released for another year. So Councilman Townsend telling the Nazi to "unleash his winged monkey and kill the bitch" was an anachronism.

(While it's true the book had been around for decades, the reference still would not have been widely used or understood until the latter half of the 20th century after the movie became an annual classic on TV.)