Have you ever wondered how authorities handled murder investigations at a time when tools like DNA were non-existent? The Alienist offers an insight into murder investigations in the late 19th century, and it also shows that we haven’t really moved on from the issues that plagued humanity more than a century ago.
The Alienist offers all the twists and turns of an intriguing murder mystery, and we will get another exciting second season. Keep reading to find out all you need to know about the release of The Alienist season 2.
When will Netflix release The Alienist season 2?
At the moment, Netflix has the rights to distribute The Alienist outside the US. Viewers in the US can catch the Alienist on TNT’s website.
Filming for season 2 started in late May, and that means that we are set for a release date sometime in early 2020. The production team hasn’t released an official release date, but we will keep you updated once a release date is confirmed.
Netflix is likely to follow the same pattern with season 2 as it did with season 1. Season 1 dropped on Netflix after each episode aired weekly on US TV and TNT. If Netflix follows the same pattern, The Alienist season 2 will drop on the day of the season finale.
What happened in season 1?
Seeing that Season 2 is around the corner, let’s review what happened in season 1 of The Alienist. The show is an adaptation of Caleb Carr’s crime novel with the same name. It follows three main characters: criminal psychologist Laszlo Kreizler, newspaper illustrator John Schuyler Moore, and, police secretary Sara Moore.
The team is brought together by acting police commissioner Teddy Roosevelt to investigate the murder of a boy prostitute. The victim is found suspended from the Williamsburg Bridge, with his eyes gouged out and the torso split from neck to groin.
Soon enough, the team connects the murder to a series of murders targeting boy prostitutes. The team comes up against unexpected resistance from some members of the NYPD, whose main priority is to protect the reputations of New York’s high society rather than finding the murderer.
However, with the help of Commissioner Roosevelt, the team manages to press on with the investigation. Laszlo is the brains of the operation while John and Sara provide the street smarts. The team also gets forensic help from Jewish NYPD officers Marcus and Lucius Isaacson. It puts them further at odds with the NYPD.
As the team investigates the murder, we are treated to numerous twists and turns. They eventually catch the murderer, but Laszlo is a bit upset that they didn’t get his motive. Also, an interesting love triangle develops between the three leads.
What to expect in season 2 of The Alienist
Season 2 of The Alienist will be adapted from the next book in Caleb Carr’s series, The Angel of Darkness. The events in The Angel of Darkness happened one year after the conclusion of The Alienist. Sara Howard is now a private detective, and she seeks the help of Dr. Laszlo to help her solve the kidnapping of a Spanish dignitary’s infant daughter.
Eventually, the whole team is reunited, and they come face to face with a mysterious murderous woman with a connection to a notorious gang. It’s unclear whether the production team will follow the story in the book. However, we are certain that the show will continue to address some of the issues we experience in the modern age.
We also expect issues such as the suppression of women’s voices and sexual harassment to be addressed. Sara’s journey to becoming a private investigator was littered with such hurdles, and we expect season 2 to address the issues further. We also hope that the show will include more female characters.
There is also the issue of the romance between Moore and Sara. In the last episode of season 1, we saw Dr. Laszlo give up his pursuit of Sara, and indirectly give his blessing to Moore. John took his chance, and he expressed his feelings to Sara. He told her that he was even willing to wait for Sara to achieve her career goals. Season 2 will tell us whether Sara fell for Moore’s advances.