What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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T10 WHATS UP! April 26 - May 2, 2020 her character would take on dif- ferent personas to manipulate those around her and sow the seeds of chaos, and she prom- ised that three of those disguises would be revealed to audiences throughout the season. Con- vinced that humanity is inher- ently evil, Magda is undoubtedly the agent of chaos in "Penny Dreadful: City of Angels." How- ever, there's more to the horror drama than jump scares and spooky characters. "Set in 1938, it's L.A. just be- fore the Second World War, but it's really a commentary on the day," Dormer said in a behind- the-scenes sneak peek posted on ew.com in March. As the story unfolds, viewers are introduced to a rich cast of characters connected to Magda, Vega, Michener and Craft. When rising tensions in the city threaten her loved ones in the season premiere, Vega's mother, Maria (Adriana Barraza, "Babel," 2006), asks Santa Muerte to protect her family. Mateo Vega (Johnathan Nieves, "Grey's Anatomy"), Tiago's younger brother, lacks purpose and, as a result, is easily influ- enced by those around him. In contrast, eldest son Raul Vega (Adam Rodriguez, "CSI: Mi- ami") is a community advocate and union leader. The youngest Vega sibling is Josefina (Jessica Garza, "The Purge," 2018), the quiet and obedient younger sis- ter. While Michener is deter- mined to uncover the actions of the Third Reich in Los Angeles, LAPD Capt. Ned Vanderhoff (Brent Spiner, "Star Trek: The Next Generation") just wants clear sailing into his retirement. Religion also factors into the "Penny Dreadful: City of An- gels" story. Radio evangelist Sis- ter Molly (Kerry Bishé, "Halt and Catch Fire") has captivated many faithful followers thanks to her skills as an orator and singer. As Molly grapples with the demands of her complicated life, her mother, Miss Adelaide Finnester (Amy Madigan, "Roe vs. Wade," 1989), manages the church's finances and keeps watch over their growing reli- gious empire. In the political arena, Coun- cilman Charlton Townsend (Michael Gladis, "Mad Men") heads the city council's trans- portation committee, which has been busy building the city's first freeways. Unfortunately, such construction threatens to displace local Mexican-Ameri- can communities, leading to in- creased social tension through- out the city. Mysterious Ger- man architect Richard Gross (Thomas Kretschmann, "Drac- ula") has grand plans for the city and does his best to ally himself with the city's leaders. He also has ties to the Third Reich. He's shadowed by his bodyguard, chauffeur and as- sassin, Kurt (Dominic Sher- wood, "Shadowhunters"). It remains to be seen whether "Penny Dreadful: City of An- gels" will live up to its forerun- ner, but it likely bodes well that the spinoff arose from the mind of its creator, John Logan. He's a three-time Academy Award nominee for his work on "Gladi- ator" (2000), "The Aviator" (2004) and "Hugo" (2011). In ad- dition to widespread critical ac- claim, his series "Penny Dread- ful" has won multiple BAFTA Television Craft awards and Sat- ellite awards, as well as earning nominations for all sorts of oth- er honors in the television in- dustry. Described in an official news release as a "spiritual descen- dant" of the original "Penny Dreadful" story set in Victori- an London, the new show has serious potential, and it's clear that the network has confi- dence in it. Adam Rodriguez as seen in "Penny Dreadful: City of Angels" continued from page T2 Something wicked: Showtime presents the series premiere of 'Penny Dreadful: City of Angels' TV FEATURE