The Alienist was one of cable's biggest hits in 2018, and now the TNT show is back for another season of historical crime-solving starring Daniel Brühl as criminologist Dr. Laszlo Kreizler. The Alienist: Angel of Darkness has a plot set in 1897 and sees cast members Brühl, Luke Evans and Dakota Fanning return as their characters go on the hunt for a child murderer. The release date for Season 2 of the show has been put forward a week, and TNT has released a trailer giving fans a thrilling glimpse of what to expect from the sequel.
When does The Alienist: Angel of Darkness start?
The release date for The Alienist Season 2 is Sunday, July 19, with the first episode airing at 9 p.m. ET. The second episode of the show will, meanwhile, air at 10 p.m. The show is then expected to air two episodes a week until the end of the season.
After airing, episodes will be made available to air on the TNT website and app.
Who is in the cast of The Alienist: Angel of Darkness?
Returning for another season are the following:
- Dakota Fanning - Sara Howard
- Daniel Brühl - Dr. Laszlo Kreizler
- Luke Evans - John Schuyler Moore
- Douglas Smith - Marcus Isaacson
- Matthew Shear - Lucius Isaacson
- Robert Ray Wisdom - Cyrus Montrose
- Ted Levine - Thomas Byrnes
- Brittany Batchelder - Joanna
Joining the cast for Season 2, meanwhile, are Heathers' Melanie Field as Sara's eager young protege Bitsy Sussman, while newcomer Rosy McEwen will play a nurse named Libby Hatch. The Flash's Mett Letscher, meanwhile, will play the real-life newspaper baron William Randolph Hearst.
What is the plot of The Alienist: Angel of Darkness?
The official TNT plot summary for the show reads: "Having opened her private detective agency, Sara (Dakota Fanning) reunites with Dr. Kreizler (Daniel Brühl), the formidable alienist, and John Moore (Luke Evans), now a New York Times reporter, to find the Spanish Consular's kidnapped infant daughter. Their investigation leads them down a sinister path of murder and deceit, heading towards a dangerous and elusive killer. The series shines a light on the provocative issues of the era—the corruption of institutions, income inequality, yellow press sensationalism, and the role of women in society."
As with The Alienist, Angel of Darkness is based on a book by crime writer Caleb Carr. The synopsis of that novel gives TNT viewers a further taste of what to expect from the series: "June 1897. A year has passed since Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, a pioneer in forensic psychiatry, tracked down the brutal serial killer John Beecham with the help of a team of trusted companions and a revolutionary application of the principles of his discipline.
"Kreizler and his friends—high-living crime reporter John Schuyler Moore; indomitable, derringer-toting Sara Howard; the brilliant (and bickering) detective brothers Marcus and Lucius Isaacson; powerful and compassionate Cyrus Montrose; and Stevie Taggert, the boy Kreizler saved from a life of street crime—have returned to their former pursuits and tried to forget the horror of the Beecham case.
"But when the distraught wife of a Spanish diplomat begs Sara's aid, the team reunites to help find her kidnapped infant daughter. It is a case fraught with danger, since Spain and the United States are on the verge of war. Their investigation leads the team to a shocking suspect: a woman who appears to the world to be a heroic nurse and a loving mother, but who may in reality be a ruthless murderer of children."
The Alienist: Angel of Darkness starts on Sunday, July 19 at 9 p.m. ET on TNT.
