‘Pennyworth’ Season 1 Finale ‘Marianne Faithful’ Review: God Save the Queen

Pennyworth finds himself in a dilemma forcing him to leave the country. Meanwhile, England tears itself apart. An unexpected move done by the Raven Society shifts the country’s political balance. Amid the chaos, foreigners acting on behalf of their agencies’ agenda try to flee. Inevitably, England has to face its darkest hours: an uncertain period of bloodshed and chaos.

On Sunday’s Season Finale of Pennyworth, Alfred Pennyworth (Jack Bannon) flees England as the authorities pursue him. Meanwhile, the Raven Society gain a foothold of England with the Queen (Jessica Ellerby) as their hostage. In an unexpected turn of events, Alfred, Deon ‘Bazza’ Bashford (Hainsley Lloyd Bennett), and Wallace ‘Dave Boy’ MacDougal (Ryan Fletcher) find themselves with Thomas Wayne (Ben Aldridge) and Martha Kane (Emma Paetz), planning the Queen’s rescue.

Ravens’ Order

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Nothing could stop the Ravens’ rise to power. Their bold abduction of the Queen gave them the advantage they had to declare all-out war. Also, a portion of the military pledged their allegiance to the Ravens, too. Initially, it seemed as if the remnants of the government had nothing but the last vestiges of their authority, embracing their fate to fight to the last breath. On the other hand, the Ravens quickly establish their order. If it was not for Alfred and his team’s intrusion, the Ravens’ reign over England becomes a reality.

What this episode lacked is a firefight between the Raven Society and the Queen’s Cabinet. A scene shows the Prime Minister (Richard Clothier) along with Detective Inspector Aziz (Ramon Tikaram) barricading themselves in the cabinet office. Such a sequence does imply the existence of a part of the episode with them fighting for their survival. For some reason, this part did not make the final cut. Other than that, the finale does a great job of showing the extent of the Raven Society’s power. The hanging of Undine Thwaite (Sarah Alexander) and the marching of the military in the streets provide the necessary evidence for the Ravens’ takeover.

Romance in Chaos

The expected romance between Thomas and Martha brings a light vibe to the episode, considering the circumstances. Thomas’ awkward confession, along with Martha’s initial reaction became the foundation of their future relationship. At some level, it does seem that events happen too quickly when weighed carefully. As soon as the Queen safely returns to power, the Americans decide to remain in England and indulge in, well, each other. Of course, Thomas’ shooter remains a mystery, but that scene itself felt hastily included. One may say that the entire Thomas-Martha sub-plot further strayed away from its relevance to the main story. Hopefully, their arc in the next season becomes less distant from the main plot.

Family and Duty

The Pennyworths, not limited to Alfred, determined the course of the finale. Alfred’s departure from his family quickly took the other way as he and his friends find out about the state of England’s government. At first, Alfred does most of the work that leads to the Queen’s rescue. Alfred’s ingenuity, along with the combined efforts of Bazza, Dave Boy, Thomas, and Martha made the rescue happen flawlessly than expected. Sure, Mr. Spicer (Steve Edwin) stabs Dave Boy’s chest, but it was only superficial; it adds a bit of humor to the plot.

The Family’s celebration of Alfred’s return was bittersweet. Mr. Pennyworth (Ian Puleston-Davies) is visibly affected by the Ravens’ short-lived victory but still manages to celebrate the arrival of his only son. Mrs. Pennyworth (Dorothy Atkins), on the other hand, goes through much of the pain the family faced. The Pennyworth men have lives outside the family, and neither of them realized how their separate lives affected Mrs. Pennyworth the most.

Alfred and Mr. Pennyworth’s confrontation is a fitting end to the season. It was only a matter of time before Alfred discovered his father’s political alignment. It is one thing to have differences of opinion but remains a family. Unfortunately, in the Pennyworths’ case, the path had to go to the extremes. Both men were willing to die for their honor, and at that point, bloodlines did not matter. Standing up for one’s beliefs is not wrong; both of them likely think that they are doing the right thing. With all that said, the story of the Pennyworth men ends in a tragedy.

‘Pennyworth’ Season 1 Finale ‘Marianne Faithful’ Final Verdict

Pennyworth ends its first run with a spectacle of drama and politics. The family drama between Alfred and his Dad connects well to the messy politics of the Raven Society and the English Government. The finale is not free from improvements, however. Thomas and Martha’s romance, the Queen’s rescue, and the fall of the Raven Society all seemed rushed. Extending the finale’s length erases all these problems, allocating enough time to establish each story’s baseline. Still, the ending gives enough stories open for a possible second season, and Pennyworth‘s story does not end here just yet.