Summary
A little bit tame compared to what we’re used to when it comes to the bonkers world of Pennyworth. But there are plenty of hints of the magic that has been present in the show.
This recap of the HBO Max series Pennyworth: The Origin of Batman’s Butler season 3, episode 1, “Well to Do,” contains spoilers.
It’s been quite the journey in Pennyworth so far. With Pennyworth season 1 and Pennyworth season 2 both airing on Epix, the retitled third season finds itself airing on HBO Max. Will Alfie be the ultimate anti-hero? Will it include more source material from the Batman comics? Read the below recap to see how the third season starts.
Pennyworth: The Origin of Batman’s Butler season 3, episode 1 recap
Pennyworth starts off just as weird as the previous two seasons. After Alfie makes a quirky little speech, he manages to convince a man with an extra artificial arm to release a woman. Martha is soon onto the scene, and she inspects the person with enhancement (PWE). But she has to dash off to see her daughter. From their conversation, Bet quickly guesses that Alfie and Martha have kissed. When he tries to deny it, it only convinces them of his guilt even more. A concerned mother reports her daughter, Jessica, as missing. She turns to Alfie as she’s been told he is the best.
Bet tracks down Miss Dixon and takes her at gunpoint. Martha inspects the body of a male, who we earlier had seen get his throat slit. She then rushes home and learns that Thomas’s father has come to stay, much to her horror. Bet still has the couple held hostage, but they claim to not know what she is talking about. Alfie starts searching for Jessica, and it leads him to a nightclub. The owner reveals he last saw Jessica with Sister Susie and starts laughing. The owner adds that Susie gives kids drugs so that they don’t even know their own names. As for anything else, it’s above his pay grade.
After Martha has lunch with Thomas’s father and his new wife, she deems them “weird, even for people like them”. Whilst his father claims he has visited them as he wants to see Samantha, both Martha and Thomas wonder if something more suspect is behind his return. As Bet falls asleep, the two hostages try to free themselves. But Bet wakes up just in the nick of time, and she asks if they are willing to talk. When Bet puts the baby to sleep, the couple attacks her, revealing themselves as the Nazis that Bet was after. So, Bet shoots them both dead and finds the book she was after.
The ending
When Thomas is alone with Patrick, he learns that someone has gone missing with top-secret information. And that’s the reason for his return. As he knows that Martha is an agent, he wants Martha to help him. But as Thomas still believes that Martha has given up that life, he is certain that Martha can’t help Patrick. Alfie tracks down Susie. But she doesn’t react to Alfie’s threats as she’s a well-respected charity and believes she’s untouchable.
Even so, she allows Alfie access to Jessica. But Jessica doesn’t want to go home. As you’d predict, Alfie and Dave get their way, and they leave with Jessica. However, Jessica sobs and begs to be taken back to Susie. Rather than allow Jessica to go back to Susie, Alfie leaves his card with her in case she ever needs help. (What are the chances that she’ll be back before long?). Bet comes back with Julie, the baby. She tells Alfie and Dave that she’s closer to tracking down John Salt; she just needs them to babysit. When they refuse, Bet decides to do it on her own.
When Patrick goes to see his wife, she becomes aggressive with him and demands that he doesn’t take no for an answer in regards to Thomas. She has a lot in play here. At the end of the episode, Jessica brutally murders her parents and leaves the house covered in blood. But it soon becomes obvious that it was just Alfie dreaming. But then Jessica knocks at his door, covered in blood just like in the dream. So was it a dream?
What did you think of Pennyworth season 3, episode 1? Comment below.
You can watch this series with a subscription to HBO Max.
