Tonight, dark shadows loom over sunny California and we watch Penny Dreadful: City of Angels episode 2 in mere minutes. The supernatural spinoff of the gothic horror series Penny Dreadful premieres on Showtime this Sunday night and moves the action from Victorian England to Los Angeles.
Penny Dreadful: City of Angels is a "spiritual descendant" of the original series, according to creator John Logan. It's set in 1938, nearly 50 years after the original series, during the Golden Age of Hollywood. The story is infused with Mexican-American folklore and tackles race, political extremism and "the social and personal cost that goes into making a great modern metropolis," Logan told EW.
The Penny Dreadful: City of Angels series continues starts at 10 p.m. Eastern today (May 3) on Showtime.
Game of Thrones alum Natalie Dormer stars as Magda, a supernatural demon and sister of the deity Santa Muerte, the Holy Angel of Death. Magda believes humankind is inherently evil and uses her shapeshifting powers to prove it.
Also at the center of Penny Dreadful: City of Angels is Tiago Vega (Daniel Zovatto), the LAPD's first Mexican-American detective. He becomes involved in a gruesome murder case linked to Dia de los Muertos, the Mexican Day of the Dead celebration. Meanwhile, he's struggling with racism and gentrification, as the construction of a new highway threatens to displace his family and neighborhood.
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The original Penny Dreadful ran for three seasons and starred Eva Green as heroine Vanessa Ives, who battled underworld enemies. The term "penny dreadful" refers to a type of 19th-century British publication filled with sensational fiction stories. The original show featured characters from 19th-century British and Irish gothic fiction, including Dorian Gray, Count Dracula, Victor Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll.
While those characters aren't crossing over to City of Angels, some of the actors will. Keep reading for more on which Penny Dreadful cast members will appear in the spinoff.
Plus, here's everything you need to know about watching the Penny Dreadful: City of Angels series premieres online. Watch the trailer below:
How can I watch Penny Dreadful: City of Angels online with a VPN?
If Penny Dreadful: City of Angels isn't available to watch in your country, that doesn't mean you need to be thwarted by geo-fenced restrictions. But, with the help of a virtual private network (VPN), you can watch the Penny Dreadful: City of Angels series premiere no matter where you are.
Our pick for the best VPN is ExpressVPN. It meets all the VPN needs and is easy to use and delivers fast internet speeds, making it simple to set up for streaming in no time at all. It also works on practically any device, starting with iOS and Android and including streaming devices such as the Amazon Fire TV Stick and Apple TV. Plus, game consoles like PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
How to watch Penny Dreadful: City of Angels in the US
Americans can watch the Penny Dreadful: City of Angels live at 10 p.m. Eastern on Showtime (after the Homeland series finale). That's if they subscribe to the premium network through their cable package. Subscribers can also use their login to watch the episode live or on demand on the ShowtimeAnytime app or website.
If you've already cut the cord, you can watch Showtime as an add-on channel on Amazon Prime Video ($10.99 per month) as well as through one of the best cable TV alternatives, such as Hulu With Live TV, YouTube TV, Sling TV, Fubo TV and AT&T TV Now.
Of these options, we recommend Sling, as it's a less expensive option. Right now you can watch a lot of Sling TV content for free, via the Happy Hour Across America promotion from 5 p.m. to midnight Eastern.
We also recommend Hulu, which also offers original programming like The Handmaid's Tale and Little Fires Everywhere. It's also got a 1-week free trial. YouTube TV is another good option, mostly for those who want to record everything, as it's got an unlimited Cloud DVR.
How to watch Penny Dreadful: City of Angels in the UK
The good news is that British fans can watch Penny Dreadful: City of Angels. The bad news is that it won't premiere until July 1, 2020, when it debuts on Sky Atlantic.
If you can't wait that long, be sure to check out ExpressVPN to watch at the same time as American fans.
How to watch Penny Dreadful: City of Angels in Canada
Canadians, you're in luck! You can watch Penny Dreadful: City of Angels at the same day and time as the U.S. on Crave. That means you can tune into the premiere episode on Sunday, April 26 at 10 p.m. You can also add on Showtime as a channel on most major Canadian TV providers.
Penny Dreadful: City of Angels cast: Who's in it?
Penny Dreadful: City of Angels is a spinoff of Penny Dreadful that takes place some 50 years after the original, so don't expect a ton of crossovers. For instance, Eva Green will not be appearing in City of Angels. One original cast member, Rory Kinnear, will be in the spinoff. He first played Frankenstein's monster and now is Peter Craft, a a German Nazi doctor living in America.
Here's the full Penny Dreadful: City of Angels cast list:
- Natalie Dormer as Magda, a shape-shifting supernatural demon
- Daniel Zovatto as Tiago Vega, the LAPD's first Mexican-American detective
- Kerry Bishé as Sister Molly, radio evangelist
- Rory Kinnear as Peter Craft, a German pediatrician and the head of the German-American Bund
- Adriana Barraza as Maria Vega, the Vega family matriarch
- Jessica Garza as Josefina Vega, the Vega family's youngest child
- Johnathan Nieves as Mateo Vega, Tiago's younger brother
- Adam Rodriguez as Raul Vega
- Michael Gladis as Charlton Townsend, a councilman and head of the LA City Council's Transportation Committee
- Nathan Lane as Lewis Michener, a veteran LAPD officer and Vega's partner
- Brent Spiner as Ned Vanderhoff, a police captain and Vega and Michener's boss
- Amy Madigan as Adelaide Finnister, Molly's mother
- Piper Perabo as Linda Craft, Peter's wife
- Thomas Kretschmann as Richard Goss, a German architect
- Ethan Peck as Hermann Ackermann, second-in-command at the German-American Bund
- Lorenza Izzo as Santa Muerte, the Holy Angel of Death
