Penny Dreadful: City of Angels arrived in 2020 as a spiritual successor to the original Penny Dreadful, but calling it a spinoff might be generous. John Logan’s new vision abandoned Victorian London entirely, dropping viewers into 1930s Los Angeles with a fresh cast, new mythology, and a completely different tone. The connection to the original series exists mostly in name and in Logan’s continued fascination with the supernatural colliding against human darkness.
Community reception landed somewhere between cautious appreciation and outright frustration. Fans of the original who came expecting gothic horror found something far more sprawling and political. Newcomers without that baggage sometimes connected with the show’s ambitions, but even sympathetic viewers tended to agree that City of Angels bit off considerably more than it could chew in a single season.
Natalie Dormer and 1930s Los Angeles
The two elements that draw the most consistent praise are Natalie Dormer’s performance and the period setting itself. Dormer plays Magda, a shapeshifting demon who appears as multiple characters throughout the season, each with a distinct personality, look, and motivation. The sheer range required is staggering, and Dormer commits fully. Her portrayal of the seductive Elsa is particularly noted, though each incarnation brings something different. Viewers who stuck with the show frequently cited Dormer as the primary reason they kept watching.
The 1930s Los Angeles setting also earns real appreciation. The show tackles the era’s racial tensions, the rise of American fascism, the construction of the freeway system through Mexican-American neighborhoods, and the influence of the Catholic church on a rapidly changing city. The production design captures the period convincingly, and the decision to root supernatural elements in real historical injustice gives the show a weight that pure fantasy sometimes lacks.
Daniel Zovatto’s portrayal of detective Tiago Vega, an LAPD officer navigating both department racism and family loyalty, resonates with viewers who appreciate the show’s willingness to center a Mexican-American perspective in a prestige drama. The supporting cast, including Nathan Lane as his partner Lewis Michener, generally earns praise for individual performances even when the material doesn’t always serve them.
Too Many Stories, Not Enough Time
The most common criticism, repeated across nearly every discussion of the show, is that City of Angels tries to juggle too many plotlines simultaneously. Tiago’s murder investigation, Magda’s various schemes, the Pachucos, the German fascist subplot, the Craft family’s political maneuvering, the Santa Muerte mythology, the radio evangelist storyline: ten episodes simply aren’t enough to develop all of these threads with the depth they deserve.
The pacing suffers as a direct result. Episodes bounce between storylines that feel increasingly disconnected, and some plot threads seem to exist in entirely different shows. The German spy subplot in particular draws frequent complaints for feeling grafted onto the main narrative without earning its place. Viewers report that the constant jumping between stories prevented them from investing deeply in any single one.
The supernatural elements also frustrated a portion of the audience. Where the original Penny Dreadful leaned hard into its horror roots, City of Angels keeps its supernatural content more subdued and metaphorical for long stretches. This left horror fans wanting more while the slower, more politically minded material wasn’t always enough to satisfy drama viewers. The show occupies an awkward middle ground where it’s not quite scary enough and not quite focused enough.
The finale compounds these issues. With cancellation preventing any continuation, many of the show’s carefully planted threads simply stop rather than resolve. Viewers who invested ten hours expecting payoff on the Santa Muerte vs. Magda conflict or Tiago’s arc found themselves left hanging.
A Spiritual Successor That Forgot Its Spirit
The central tension of City of Angels is that it wants to be both a prestige historical drama about systemic racism in 1930s America and a supernatural thriller about ancient forces manipulating human events. That’s a workable combination in theory, and individual scenes prove it can work in practice. But the show never commits fully enough to either side. The supernatural elements undercut the grounded political drama, and the political drama keeps interrupting the supernatural tension.
This identity crisis is what separates City of Angels from its predecessor. The original Penny Dreadful knew exactly what it was: gothic horror with literary depth. City of Angels is always reaching for something more, and that ambition is admirable, but ambition without focus produces a show that’s easier to respect than to enjoy.
Should You Watch Penny Dreadful: City of Angels?
If you’re drawn to period dramas that tackle difficult American history through a genre lens, there’s material here worth your time. Natalie Dormer’s performance alone makes several episodes worth watching, and the 1930s LA setting is rich enough to sustain interest through the slower stretches. Viewers who appreciate shows that swing big, even when they don’t fully connect, will find things to admire.
Skip it if you’re looking for a true continuation of the original Penny Dreadful. The gothic horror, the literary character mashups, the Eva Green-sized hole in the cast: none of that carries over. And if you need your shows to stick the landing, the unresolved cancellation will leave you cold. This is a show best approached with adjusted expectations and patience for its scattered ambitions.
The Verdict on Penny Dreadful: City of Angels
Penny Dreadful: City of Angels is the rare show that fails not from lack of trying but from trying to do too much at once. Natalie Dormer turns in remarkable work, the setting is inspired, and the show’s willingness to confront ugly American history through supernatural allegory is commendable. But ten episodes can’t support six or seven major plotlines, and the cancellation ensures that none of them reach a satisfying conclusion. It’s a fascinating misfire, the kind of show you can see working brilliantly if someone had just said “pick three of these stories and tell those.” As it stands, City of Angels is worth a look for the performances and the ambition, but it never becomes the show it clearly wanted to be.