WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Season 2, Episode 9, of Pennyworth, “Paradise Lost,” which aired Sunday on EPIX.
In the last episode of Pennyworth, the war between the English League and the Raven Union reached a turning point. The Union’s new leader, John Salt (Edward Hogg), gave the League an ultimatum: surrender, or he would deploy the devastating “Stormcloud” weapon on London. The Queen (Jessica Ellerby) and Prime Minister Aziz (Ramon Tikaram) weren’t ready to give up just yet, but Salt got the approval from the entire Raven Union council to move forward with his barbaric plan — a council that was revealed to include Arthur Pennyworth, who was believed dead since the end of Season 1.
Now, as Season 2’s penultimate episode begins, Thomas Wayne (Ben Aldridge), Lucius Fox (Simon Manyonda) and Martha Kane (Emma Paetz) all visit Alfred (Jack Bannon) at his mother’s house. While Alfred is still recovering from his fight with Gulliver Troy (James Purefoy), the trio recruit him and Dave Boy (Ryan Fletcher) for a dangerous mission: to break into the Raven Union headquarters, and steal “Project Stormcloud” before it can be used.
Seeing as how this plan involves sneaking directly into the belly of the beast, this quest is dubbed a suicide mission — and the entire crew treats it as such. As a result, on the eve of battle, all involved in the plan spend one last night to find what little comfort they can in their war-torn city: Alfred reconnects with his ex-girlfriend Sandra (Harriet Slater), Dave Boy and Lucius Fox share a drink with Aziz, and Thomas and Martha Wayne finally admit their love for each other and agree to get married.
The next day, Thomas, Lucius, Alfred and Dave Boy drive to the Raven Union headquarters. The quartet are able to pass through the gates considering Thomas is an agent of the CIA, an organization that is technically on the Union’s side. Thomas informs the Union that he has brought them back their missing scientist, Lucius Fox. They are allowed to go through and while they are meant to be taken directly to John Salt, they get rid of their security escorts once they are inside and they sneak into the “Project Stormcloud” laboratory.
Alfred and his crew secure the “Stormcloud” weapon, and they then move to make their exit. However, a suspicious Salt eventually figures out that something is wrong, and all four men are captured before they can escape the compound. Dave Boy, Thomas and Lucius are all locked up in cells, but Alfred is taken to Salt’s office. The Raven Union leader sees Alfred as a man of principal and honor, and he offers him the chance to join his side. Alfred, of course, refuses — but Salt has someone else who could perhaps better persuade Alfred: his father, Arthur.
Father and son meet once again and while Alfred is shocked to see his father still alive, he isn’t willing to join him or the Union. Instead, Alfred scolds Arthur for his beliefs, his allegiance and for what he did to his mother.
Later, Alfred is locked back up with the rest of his friends and, at that point, it’s clear they have failed and that no one is coming to save them. But thankfully, someone actually is, and it’s someone totally unexpected: Bet Sykes (Paloma Faith). Indeed, Bet and her sister Peggy (Polly Walker) have also infiltrated the Raven Union compound, using Salt’s girlfriend to get through the gates and move freely inside the building. The sisters have been on a quest to enact Lord Harwood‘s wish to destroy Salt and have Frances Gaunt (Anna Chancellor) instated as the Union’s rightful and fair leader.
Bet and Peggy head to the prison wing and break Frances out of her cell. However, before they can get out, the presence of multiple Raven Union soldiers forces them to hide in another room — the one where Alfred, Thomas, Lucius and Dave Boy are all locked up. Bet recognizes Alfred fondly, and she lets him and his friends out. When Gaunt hears that they are on a mission to steal “Project Stormcloud,” she insists they help, and everyone ends up on the same side.
Now that they are armed, Alfred, Thomas, Lucius and Dave Boy attempt to complete their mission, but they are once again captured. All four men are taken to Salt’s quarters, where they are each given one chance to join the Union. All of them turn the offer down, as expected, but Arthur asks Salt to give him a moment of privacy with his son, in order to try one last time to have him join their side. Salt agrees and goes to his chambers to wait.
Arthur approaches Alfred and while it appears at first as if he is attempting to recruit him for the Union, he lowers his voice and asks his son if there is a chance his mother will forgive him. Arthur just wants to see his wife again, and Alfred truly believes that his parents can be reunited — and this pushes Arthur to switch sides himself. He tells Alfred that he has a weapon hidden inside his pocket. Alfred takes it, and uses it to shoot the soldiers keeping him and his friends prisoner.
As the episode comes to a close, Alfred, Thomas, Lucius, Dave Boy and Arthur all drive away from the Raven Union headquarters with the “Project Stormcloud” weapon finally secured. Their mission is a success and, on top of that, Salt has no idea that he will soon face retribution for what he did to Lord Harwood at the hands of Bet Sykes. As the season heads into its finale, the end of the war is finally in sight. And once that happens, Alfred, Thomas and Martha may all finally get the chance to travel across the pond, to Gotham City.
Developed by former Gotham collaborators Bruno Heller and Danny Cannon, Pennyworth stars Jack Bannon as Alfred Pennyworth, Ben Aldridge as Thomas Wayne, Jason Flemyng as Lord Harwood, Paloma Faith as Bet Sykes, Ryan Fletcher as Dave Boy, Hainsley Lloyd Bennett as Bazza, Jessica Ellerby as the Queen and Simon Manyonda as Lucius Fox.
About The Author
