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, Alfred defeated his old SAS Captain Gulliver, Troy, just as the Raven Union threatened to put an end to the war with the English League by unleashing the terrible "Stormcloud" weapon. Now, in "Paradise Lost," Alfred joins forces with Thomas Wayne, Lucius Fox and Dave Boy in order to infiltrate the Raven Union headquarters and steal "Project Stormcloud." The mission is dangerous and, as expected, it goes off the rails when the quartet is captured. However, Alfred and his friends end up getting some help from a truly unexpected source: Bet Sykes.
Bet has been a part of Pennyworth since the EPIX series began. In the first season, Bet became enamored with Alfred's girlfriend Esme, before she was tragically killed. Bet and Alfred crossed paths on several occasions, and they essentially joined forces to get revenge on the man who killed Esme. But while Bet and Alfred shared the screen in Pennyworth's first season, the two spent all of Season 2 apart.
In the second season, the two characters have had completely separate storylines. Alfred was busy collecting money in order to move to America, while Bet started the season by working for the Raven Union, only to quickly find herself on the run after saving Katie Browning and breaking her out of prison. Eventually, Bet returned to London and reunited with her sister, and the two rushed to Lord Harwood's side when John Salt had him put under house arrest.
For eight episodes, the two characters were on their own respective paths, but now, in the season's penultimate offering, Alfred and Bet's arcs converge as they reunite inside the Raven Union headquarters. As it turns out, while neither of them knew about the other, both stormed the compound at the exact same time to accomplish similar goals: Alfred is after the "Stormcloud" weapon, while Bet aims to rescue Frances Gaunt and eliminate Salt. The missions are different, but both are meant to stop Salt and the current Raven Union administration.
Alfred and Bet are reunited in the prison section of the Raven Union compound. While Alfred and his friends are locked up, Bet and her sister happen upon them while evading Raven soldiers. Bet instantly recognizes Alfred, and the two once again bond over their shared love for Esme. She shows her softer side by letting Alfred, Thomas, Lucius and Dave Boy out, and all the characters find common ground in their goal to stop Salt.
While Bet and Alfred's reunion is relatively short, it's incredibly welcome. These are two characters who are fundamentally different, and yet their heart-to-heart brings some much-needed depth to the series. Sure, with one episode left in the season, Bet and Alfred are once again apart, but their common to stop the Raven Union mission continues.
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. New episodes air Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on EPIX.
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