S02.E01: The Heavy Crown

[paigow]

AIRING DEC 13, 2020

Alfred Pennyworth tries to profit off a war-torn London that threatens to be overrun by the fascist Raven Union.

[AnimeMania]

First episode is available early on the EPIX website.

[juno]

This show is so good. The acting, the writing everything. Alfred is such a great character and there is great balance between drama and action.

This season picked up where it left off last season. Loved Alfred ghosting the Queen.

I just don't see much chemistry between Martha and Bruce.

Worst part of this show is that not many people are watching it.

[Philbert]

1 hour ago, juno said:

This show is so good. The acting, the writing everything. Alfred is such a great character and there is great balance between drama and action.

This season picked up where it left off last season. Loved Alfred ghosting the Queen.

I just don't see much chemistry between Martha and Bruce.

Worst part of this show is that not many people are watching it.

Yeah, I have to agree. A lot of people don't even realize it's a show. I keep running across people on Youtube who just hear about it by stumbling across the trailers. This episode was well worth the wait. A civil war in England in the 60's? I can't wait to see what else they have in store.

And Martha/Thomas remain a fun couple.,,,err, or not, as the case may be.

[paigow]

Aziz must know that Alfred is involved in the re-kidnapping because non-lethal tactics were used...

Surprised that Thomas survived visiting Martha after he dumped her AND refused to help the League...

[Bort]

Loved Martha swinging out of a second floor warehouse by a rope like Batman.

Also could not stop laughing at her reasoning for why she and Thomas weren’t in a relationship. “We made out, I had your cock in my hand for maybe five seconds and then you were shot. That’s not a relationship, that’s a funny story.” I ❤️ Martha.

[tennisgurl]

Great to have this show back in its stylishly batshit glory. Its visuals and atmosphere are so interesting, mixing the swinging 60s with Gothic noir mixed with whatever looks cool, it really is just a blast. Alfred seems to be doing well, basically playing at being the British version of Rick from Casablanca, but in true Rick fashion, we all know that, decent guy that he is, he will end up taking a stand. 

Ghosting the queen is a real move. I totally just realized that the actress who played Esme played Princess Diana in The Crown, I knew that I knew her from somewhere! It almost makes this show seem like some kind of bizarre alternate universe version of The Crown, but with more shooting. 

Oh Thomas and Martha, stop playing coy you two, we all know where this is going. I still wonder if we might get some kind of implication later that Thomas and Martha are taken out by someone from the Raven society in the future instead of some random mugger, but maybe that just makes it more tragic? They had all of these crazy adventures and tangled with fascists and cults and murderers, but got killed by some random asshole. Or maybe some of the Ravens fly across the pond and decide they want to try another bird theme...like an owl? 

[paigow]

7 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

They had all of these crazy adventures and tangled with fascists and cults and murderers, but got killed by some random asshole. Or maybe some of the Ravens fly across the pond and decide they want to try another bird theme...like an owl? 

The Sykes sisters might be the only Harwood loyalists that would leave Bruce alive...

[meira.hand]

I was just a bit disappointed by the Dusty Springfield look alike singer.  She really butchered this song (yes I am old enough to remember the original:)

[Bort]

23 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

I still wonder if we might get some kind of implication later that Thomas and Martha are taken out by someone from the Raven society in the future instead of some random mugger, but maybe that just makes it more tragic? They had all of these crazy adventures and tangled with fascists and cults and murderers, but got killed by some random asshole.

Thomas strikes me so far as more of an analyst and not much for field work, but Martha? No way some rando mugger gets the drop on her. The more we see of Martha, the more skeptical I am of that. So yeah, Raven society hit works for me.

[BaskingsharkGTX]

13 hours ago, meira.hand said:

I was just a bit disappointed by the Dusty Springfield look alike singer.  She really butchered this song (yes I am old enough to remember the original:)

She really did! That was Sandra, wasn't it? Was she supposed to be terrible and only on stage because she's Alfie's girlfriend? That doesn't really fit with the scene if so. And I don't remember her being a bad singer in S1. Maybe it was just an arrangement of the song that didn't quite work.

Glad the show is back and in a second season.

I liked;

1. Less servile/more assy playing-both-sides Alfie. Pointing out to Aziz that Aziz has screwed him over in the past. Even though Harwood is EVOL, I love that this show keeps it ambiguous and doesn't have a Good Side and a Bad Side in this battle for control of England.
2. Alfie ghosting the Queen and him and his mum playing the scene straight the whole way through.
3. The sets - especially Alfie's new nightclub. This show looks AMAZING. The set/art design are incredible.
4. No more ALeiStEr CrOwLeY supernatural stuff. Hated that.
5. Alfie and his friends doing snarky banter
6. Sandra - I'm so so so so sick of dead girlfriends/husbands/children/parents/yadda/yadda/yadda as motivation but I thought Esme was boring and annoying as all hell and was very pleased she got offed. Sandra has way more attitude and she feels like a much better match for Alfie. 
7. Salt's kinky wife/girlfriend and her lemon sauce.
8. Bet. Paloma Faith really gets this show and how to play the part.

I liked less;

1. Not enough Bet (and no Peggy).
2. This Salt dude - I see what they're going for but I've kinda seen it all done before and done better.
3. This whole Civil War thing/gas superweapon (which I presume is what Stormcloud is based on the last scene). I think this show is strongest in the episodes where they explore and build this alt-sixties world. There have been a few things which I felt were out of place in that, and this whole whole civil war thing is one of them. It feels much more 1940s than 1960s. I'm kind of meh on that being the backdrop for the whole entire season (which seems to be the case).

Still, pickin's are slim at the moment and this is a welcome return.

Edited December 16, 2020 by BaskingsharkGTX