Pennyworth Season 1 (2019) Review

With Season 2 just hitting the UK I made it a priority to watch the first season of Pennyworth and I have not achieved that and here is my review for it. The premise of the show sees the origins of Alfred Pennyworth a former SAS agent in London who gets dragged into a huge conflict. 

Main Character

Jack Bannon plays Pennyworth and I thought he was truly great here, at first it does feel like he was doing a dodgy Michael Caine impression but I just grew to really like this character and sympathise with him. He is just such a charming character and I think the fact that he is so unpredictable in the way he acts really helps, he gets dragged into conflict after conflict and it is really funny seeing how he reacts to these different parties and how mad this whole show is. 

Supporting Characters

Ben Aldridge plays Thomas Wayne and I thought he fit the role well, really when it comes to this character in terms of live action this is the most we have ever seen him and Aldridge does a good job. I like how his character acts and they take him in a bit of a different direction then you would expect and he feels like a good counterpoint to Pennyworth. Emma Paetz plays Martha Kane and she is good, she is a strong character and considering when the show is set she feels very fresh and a character that fits well with the more rough male characters. She shares the majority of her scenes with Aldridge and they have good chemistry and a nice dynamic that makes there solo parts better then they should be. Jason Flemyng plays the villain and he is good, he just has a presence about him and even though he isn't that deep a character he is a fun part of the cast and is a good antagonist for the show. I though Alfred's two mates were fun and his parents were really great too. The one bit of casting I wasn't particularly on board with was Paloma Faith as a villain, she is just really over the top and not in the fun way like the other characters, but by the end I accepted it as there are plenty of entertaining performances here. 

Story 

The best thing I can stay about the story is that if you changed a few of the characters names and the shows name and didn't have the comic book connection people would still find it interesting. Alfred is a great character and his development is fantastic, it is fascinating seeing this shows depiction of London and the way that society works. I got to say that the story is mad, and so over the top but it really works and fits into the style of the show. But the issue is that this show is incredibly bloated, there is so much going on that it is hard to care about all of it, a few characters that are underused and not given the time to shine and it feels like the show would have been better to streamline the arcs for this season.

Script  

The script is very good, the humour is very dry and Pennyworth is a really funny character that adds so much to this pretty serious show. The drama also works and adds some really surprising and shocking moments that rises the quality of the overall product. 

Style

The style is incredibly graphic, it has some real shocks and violence but it works here and doesn't feel like just an excuse to put unnecessary violence on screen. But the pacing doesn't always hold up, as I mentioned in the story aspect, there are a few too many stories going on and it slows the show down, also there could have been a few less episodes that would have made it a much better show.

Overall

Overall, I really enjoyed the first season of Pennyworth. It feels very different to most comic book shows and if you like violent action shows then give this one a go, I don't think you will regret it. 

Rating - 8/10