'Penny Dreadful: City of Angels' Episode 7: The Hazlett murders could be part of the Third Reich's plans for LA
Spoilers for 'Penny Dreadful: City of Angels' Episode 7
After Lewis Michener (Nathan Lane) pulls Tiago Vega (Daniel Zovatto) into his plan to eliminate the Nazis because "enough is enough", the duo make a surprising discovery. They see the German Richard Goss (Thomas Kretschmann), the Fuhrer's man in America and his American underling, Kurt (Dominic Sherwood), breaking bread with Miss Adelaide (Amy Madigan), Sister Molly's "dragon mother" and Councilman Townsend (Michael Gladis).
Lewis comments that the city hall ("the bully pulpit") and the biggest Radio Church of LA ("the public airways") were sitting down with the Third Reich. It is still unclear what exactly the Nazis have planned but we do get a glimpse of what lies ahead when Goss waxes eloquent about making LA the new "Eagle's Nest" for his Fuhrer.
As a town planner, Goss wants to create a gleaming German township with the Reich's new HQ perched on the Hollywood cliffs. That kind of ambition means he has to get the powers that be in America to listen and agree. By getting Councilman Townsend to build according to his masterplan, the Third Reich can corner vital city infrastructure. Getting the Radio Church on-board means that the Reich can build consensus among the church's sizeable congregation that they are doing 'God's Work' in LA.
Meanwhile, Elsa is busy with Peter Craft (Rory Kinnear), trying to get him to see how Mexican Maria Vega (Adriana Barraza) is diminishing the 'Germaness' of his household. How long before she gets him to start chanting 'Heil Hitler' and lead him and the other Germans in his 'Bund' to support Goss's new "promised land" for the Germans in LA? While the contours are still to be shaded in, we now have an understanding of what the Nazis plans are in LA.
While we have seen the involvement of Council Townsend with the Nazis, this is the first time we see Miss Adelaide sitting down with them. This makes it clear that she is up to something but her rewards will be different from Councilman Townsend, who has been promised mayor-ship.
What is Miss Adelaide's greatest dream then? To keep her daughter under her thumb and keep milking her as a cash cow. This is why Hazlett was a problem, the same way Tiago is a problem - they were and are a distraction that could harm Sister Molly's "married to God" aura. Therefore, when the Germans approached Miss Adelaide for help, she must have asked that Hazlett be disposed off in a way that would keep her Radio Church out of the investigation.
The Nazis by staging the Hazlett family's murder as a "Mexican revenge killing" would have killed two birds with one stone. One, of making the Mexicans a feared community so that building a motorway to their new German township through the settlement would be easier with Townsend fanning the racist agenda. Simultaneously, they would keep Miss Adelaide and Sister Molly out of the investigations. This is why Miss Adelaide puts the blame on Mexicans as soon as Lewis and Tiago show up to investigate the Hazlett murders.
The only question remaining is whether Sister Molly is an innocent being manipulated by her mother? Or is she like Kurt, who follows Goss's orders despite having feelings for Councilman Townsend?
The next episode of 'Penny Dreadful: City of Angels' airs June 14, on Showtime.