Let’s face it, you can’t move around pop culture without bumping into a superhero property. While box office receipts, streaming numbers, and television ratings might beg differ, a lot of people might gloss over anything affiliated with superheroes because to them “aren’t these shows all the same?”
Well, they’re not, and EPIX’s new series Pennyworth is the definitive disproof of this theory.
The series centers around Alfred Pennyworth (James Bannon), Batman’s ever-loyal butler, and his adventures after his time in the SAS, and prior to his time in the employ of Wayne Manor. On paper, this doesn’t exactly sound like the most thrilling of premises, but reader this premise is the absolute goods.
Pennyworth is set in a heightened post-WWII/pre-Beatlemania era London. The city currently embroiled in repairing itself from the war, while struggling from being taken over by secret societies like the “ultra patriotic” Raven Society. Meanwhile, our titular hero is struggling to make something of himself. Still living at home with his parents, Alfred is looking to start his own security film whilst working as a nightclub doorman.
The nightclub proves to be the ground for radical change as he meets the love of his life Esme (Emma Corrin), and a fastidious and nervous American Thomas Wayne (Ben Aldridge). After a series of mistaken identities and misunderstandings Esme is kidnapped by the wildly unusual Raven Society heavy Bet Sykes (singer Paloma Faith) in order to convince Alfred to deliver them Thomas Wayne (who they believe Alfred works for).
From there, Pennyworth shows its true colors. The premiere, at its heart, is a terrific blend of a hip, red-blooded Bond-esque action series, and a dry, eccentric very British character-driven comedy. This blend combined is a remarkable breath of fresh air. We aren’t waiting on the arrival of Batman like in Gotham, or have cartoonish villains of the week running around waiting for our hero foil them like any CW series. Hell, if you changed the names of Alfred Pennyworth and Thomas Wayne to something else, and called the show something else, the series would not suffer one iota. The Batman history here is thankfully coincidence and foreshadowing, not the dominant storyline.
The cast is absolutely cracking. Jack Bannon is the absolute perfect choice to play Alfred. All the characteristics of Alfred we’ve grown to love are very apparent, but Bannon’s lived in performance makes the famed future butler all that more interesting. Bannon’s natural charm and charisma work as a perfect mask for the trauma that haunts Alfred from his time in the war.
Emma Corrin is a wonderful, emotional foil to Bannon’s cool, calm and collected performance. The series puts her in an early “damsel in distress” role, but wisely avoid making the character an actual damsel in distress. Corrin’s Esme is a fighter, willing to put herself in harm’s way, and by episode’s end we realize she’s the strong, conviction-filled character Alfred needs in his life. Corrin and Bannon’s chemistry is undeniable, and it’s a joy watching them together.
Paloma Faith, Jason Flemyng, Ryan Fletcher, and Hainsley Lloyd round out a remarkable supporting cast. In these four we get the heightened sense of character that you’d find in a comic book. In Faith you have the eccentric killer. In Flemyng you’ve got the menacing, hellbent on takeover villain. In Fletcher and Lloyd you’ve got Alfred’s two loyal buddies with wildly differing personalities. They, along with the hyper real version of London, are the comic book elements that work subtly, and beautifully in telling the story of Alfred.
Pennyworth is a must-watch series. It’ll satiate Batman fans who are thirsting for more Dark Knight related content, yet it’s also perfect for anyone looking for a legitimately fun series filled with great acting, storytelling, and action.
