The Alienist Episode 2
I’ve been eagerly waiting for this week’s episode of The Alienist. We left off last week with Dr. Laszlo Kreizler (Daniel Brüel) giving his very peculiar monologue. Could he actually be the killer? If not, is he slowly losing his mind? I hope this episode, “A Fruitful Partnership,” gives us more insight into the doctor.
We open in a morgue filled with dead bodies. Candles are seen burning around the bodies and flames were glowing from most of the bodies. The coroner inserts a tube into a corpse and lights it. An eerie blue flame burns from the body. I assume this practice has something to do with removing gases from the corpse, but I’m honestly not 100% sure on this. Dr. Laszlo Kreizler asks if any murdered children have been brought in with missing body parts, particularly the tongue. The coroner says there hasn’t, but if he means the boy whore from the bridge he had it coming. That comment makes me wonder if he could possibly be the killer. I have a feeling I’m going to be suspecting an awful lot of people.
A Brutal Attack
In what appears to be an old tenement building, a man is being brutalized. He is called a Guinea as he is thrown down the stairs. A Priest stands by talking in Italian. A young boy is paid to tell anyone asking about the Santorelli family that he’s seen nothing. Turns out that it is Captain Connor (David Wilmot) that is attacking Mr. Santorelli, Giorgio’s father. I already hate this vile man. I’m sure there will be a growing list of reasons that will cause me to hate him more and more. Connor tells the severely battered man to “keep his dago nose out of police business.”
Captain Connor and Sergeant Doyle (Martin McCreadie) approach Sara Howard (Dakota Fanning) looking to talk to Commissioner Roosevelt (Brian Geraghty). The Commissioner is not there so Connor tells Sara that the Santorelli’s don’t know anything about the murder of their son. Connor then approaches Sara and she looks as nervous as I feel right now. As he reaches for her face I flinch inwardly as much as she does outwardly. This man makes my skin crawl. Turns out he is just plucking an eyelash from her cheek. He holds it in his still bloody hand and tells Sara to “blow for luck.” I hold my breath waiting to see how she responds. I’m so proud of her for not giving in to his request.
An Unexpected Request
When John Moore (Luke Evans) returns home he finds Sara waiting for him. She tells him about Connor visiting the Santorellis. Sara tells Moore she wants to talk to the family. During their conversation Moore calls her a “typewriter”, which I can’t help but find funny, and Sara informs him she prefers the term Secretary. I love this woman! He warns her it’s not a great neighborhood and she asks him to accompany her. When he balks at the idea she questions whether he is afraid. Did I mention how much I love her?
Questioning his bravery worked as we find Moore and Sara in the Santorelli’s very tough looking neighborhood. They enter the extremely run down apartment building the family lives in. Water flows inside the stairwell, where from – I’m not quite sure. Rats scurry about the filthy hallways. We hear a scream and they find a baby alone and crying on the landing. Sara picks it up against Moore’s warning that the baby could have a disease. A woman comes out of an apartment and grabs the baby from her and slams the door.
Searching for Details
The pair finally reach the Santorelli’s apartment. The door is answered by a teenage boy who lets them in. The apartment is overflowing with people. I attempt to count them all but quickly lose track. Mrs Santorelli (Eugenia Caruso) is excitedly speaking to them in Italian. I do not understand Italian, but I do make out the word Doctor. Luckily, unlike me, Sara does understand Italian and translates for Moore. Mrs. Santorelli thinks Moore is a doctor she has called to come to tend to Mr. Santorelli who was badly beaten by Connor.
The boy who answered the door can speak English, and lets them know his father was beaten by two cops. That the police told them Giorgio died in sin and warned them to keep their mouths shut. As the boy comforts his mother he translates for her that Giorgio wasn’t like the other boys. He tells them Giorgio was a like a girl and that their father beat him so he ran away. He tells them the police said “Giorgio is the same as the other boys killed, nobody cares.” The news there were other murdered boys shocks Sara and Moore.
The Murder Weapon
Marcus Isaacson (Douglas Smith) is attempting to gouge an eyeball from a cow’s skull. While doing so he is distracted by a young woman hanging a flyer outside the shop. His brother Lucius (Matthew Shear) refocuses him on the task at hand. They find a knife that makes “the same knife marks”. I assume they found the same marks on Benjamin Zweig’s skull. As they leave the shop with the cow skull Marcus checks out the Socialist Flyer the girl had been hanging.
Kreizler sits looking at a young girl’s genitals as her mother anxiously explains that her daughter “touches” every night. My heart goes out to the poor girl, who is on the verge of tears, as her mother explains the priest’s recommendation of “ice bath and leeches”. She has brought her daughter to Kreizler because the priest said “the devil is in her mind.” Kreizler comforts the girl by telling her she is becoming a young woman and there is nothing her mother or the priest can do about it. This scene is a bit awkward to watch, but I suppose that was their intent. As they are leaving Kreizler stands up to the priest, showing that he is not intimidated by anyone and anything, not even Religion.
Missing Files
Sara enters an office and asks the very gruff looking Detective where to find files on unresolved cases. At first I think he’s going to give her a hard time, but he’s actually very helpful, showing her where to find the “old dogs” as he calls the unsolved files. Sara looks for the files on murdered boys, and discovers the files are missing. She then makes her way to Captain Connor’s empty office.
Sara begins searching through Connor’s desk and I become very nervous for her. I’m sure he’s going to catch her. When she finally finds the key to open a locked drawer Connor returns to station. My heart starts beating faster. Get out of there Sara! She finds two files on murdered boys hidden away in Connor’s desk. He is right outside in the hallway, he’s going to catch her. I breathe a sigh of relief as she manages to leave before he comes into his office…BUT, he does see her leaving. This does not bode well for her.
More Victims
Sara and Moore are gathered with Kreizler in his sitting room. Sara tells the men about the files she found in Connor’s desk. The “negro” boy was unknown and the other boy was named Aaron Morton. Moore says he read about him in the paper, that he had worked at a brothel. He was killed like Giorgio was and the body hid on the Brooklyn Bridge. Kreizler wants to examine the bodies but it will be impossible to find their remains.
As this conversation is happening Kreizler’s housekeeper, Mary Palmer (Q’orianka Kilcher) is eavesdropping from the hall. I’m suspicious of this behavior, but then this show manages to make me suspicious of everything and everyone. Kreizler asks Sara if she can meet with him that night. Mary suddenly drops some china and it smashes on the floor. Sara helps her pick it up and Mary gives her a very strange look that Kreizler notices. The look on Mary’s face as she leaves the room screams there is something going on with her.
Digging Deeper
Kreizler asks about Giorgio. Moore says he got the impression that other boys thought he was “effete or inclined to contrary sexual instinct.” Kreizler snaps at Moore, practically berating him. He says they are two different things and which was it, or was it both. This frustrates Moore and it also frustrates me, Kreizler’s smug personality makes him very difficult to like.
As Kreizler warns the man won’t go long without killing again we see a young boy in tattered clothes laying on a bed. A man, or I assume it’s a man, comes into the room and in a very creepy whispered voice tells the boy to “come closer.” The man’s hand is very calloused and the boy whispers to him “what’s wrong with your mouth?” Now I will be checking out everyone’s hands and mouths looking for anything suspicious.
A Night Out
Kreizler and Moore are traveling somewhere in the doctor’s carriage, both dressed very elegantly in tuxedos. Kreizler is questioning Moore, who has no idea where they are going, about Sara. We discover that Sara’s father died when she was 12, rumors say it was a suicide, and that her mother died when she was quite young. Kreizler asks him if he has interest in her and when Moore denies it the doctor says “certainly you have.” His affect at times makes me wonder if he is somewhere on the Autism Spectrum.
It turns out the men were heading to the opera. Kreizler seems more interested in the people in the crowd, and Moore seems quite bored. Other patrons at the theater that night are Commissioner Roosevelt along with the Mayor of New York City. JP Morgan is also in attendance. During intermission Kreizler corners Roosevelt and requests that he be allowed to conduct a parallel investigation into the murders of the young boys. He tells Roosevelt he wants Sara Howard to be the liaison between himself and the Commissioner.
An Unusual Dinner Party
The Isaacson brothers arrive at Delmonico’s Steakhouse where they are escorted to a private dining room. You can tell by the looks of awe on their faces that this is not something they are used to doing. Sara is already in the private dining room waiting for Kreizler. Marcus assumes Sara is there to “take notes” and she tells him she doesn’t know why she is there. Kreizler and Moore finally arrive apologizing for their lateness.
As they begin their dinner Marcus details the Zweig boy’s injuries. He explains they needed to find a knife that was capable of cutting muscle and tendons as well as plucking out eyeballs. Not exactly the kind of discussion I would want while eating my dinner. Lucius then shows them the knife they found, The Arkansas Toothpick. Kreizler appears fascinated by the weapon.
The Science of Dactylography
The Isaacsons explain the latest science they plan to use in the investigation, dactylography, or as we know it now, fingerprints. They explain that “finger marks” are not accepted by the majority of their colleagues in the Police Department. Marcus then shows the doctor a timepiece that was found in the boys burial suit. The timepiece had been found near the bodies and has a bloody finger mark on it. Kreizler says they need to collect all the hints the murderer has left behind revealing aspects of his “alienated mind.” He informs everyone present that if they get too close, the killer’s violence may spill over onto them.
Moore is angry at Kreizler for including Sara in his plan. He feels it’s too dangerous and puts her job at risk. He refuses a ride home from him and chooses to walk. Sara is concerned about Moore because he has been drinking so Kreizler sends Stevie (Matt Lintz) to keep an eye on him.
On the way home Kreizler informs Sara that he wants her to act as a liaison between himself, the department and Roosevelt. He admits Roosevelt did not actually give his permission for Sara to do this. When he tells her he assumes she has an interest, she tells him it wouldn’t be fair to assume anything about her. He tells her she looks lovely this evening and there seems to be a hint of flirtiness between the two. As Sara is dropped at her home the two of them both have a hint of a giddy smile. I see these two eventually ending up in romantic relationship.
A Trip to the Brothel
As Stevie follows Moore through the seedier streets of New York I’m in awe of the amazing setting. The Alienist does an spectacular job of putting you into this time period. It’s a visual delight! Moore comes upon the brothel with young boys and enters. I’m in shock and now start wondering about him. He does not have calloused hands or an unusual mouth, so I don’t suspect he is the killer but I’m confused by him entering the brothel.
It occurs to me that he is there to get info, and not for sexual reasons, when I see his awkward demeanour in the brothel. Moore tells Biff Ellison (Falk Hentschel), the brothel’s proprietor, that he is looking for information on Giorgio Santorelli. That was not a smart move on Moore’s part. Ellison puts something into Moore’s drink. He then tells him that Giorgio’s regulars liked to hear how worthless they were. Another hint towards the killer’s identity perhaps? As Ellison walks away I keep hoping Moore does not consume his tainted drink. As one of the boys, “Sally” (Jamie Kaye), talks with him I keep thinking “don’t drink it!” but of course he does.
More Answers
Sally leads a drugged Moore to his room. Where is Stevie? He is supposed to be keeping Moore safe. Moore offers Sally $5 to tell him what he knows about Giorgio. I have to assume back then that was a lot of money. Sally tells Moore that “Gloria” had lots of customers, but she only talked about the one with the silver smile. We know the killer has something unusual with his mouth so that must be him. Does the killer have a mouth full of silver teeth? Or does he wear something in his mouth that is silver?
As the drugs effect on Moore becomes stronger, Sally explains that Gloria disappeared out of a locked room on the third floor. This makes me remember the man Kreizler chased into the attic. He vanished out of a room with no exit and only a hole in the roof. It almost seems like this man can fly, but I know that is impossible. Moore calls Sally a liar as he collapses on the bed.
In Danger
Sally steals Moore’s wallet and leaves the room as he gasps for breath. Where the hell is Stevie??? Suddenly Ellison enters the room with Paul Kelly (Antonio Magro), the brothel’s owner, and Captain Connor. Connor tells the other men that Moore is a friend of Roosevelt and Kreizler. Kelly calls in some of his “girls” and as they crawl on top of Moore we fade to black.
Are they going to hurt him? Are they going to set him up to look like one of their customers? Whatever their plan it won’t be good for Moore. What happened to Stevie? He saw Moore enter the brothel, why didn’t he protect him? Will Kreizler manage to save Moore? I can’t wait for next week to find out what happens next!
What did you think of the episode? Leave your comments below! Check out my previous review of The Alienist.