Review: The Alienist (A TNT Original Series)
On a particularly lazy Sunday, I binged all 10 episodes of the TNT television adaptation of The Alienist by Caleb Carr. This awesome series starred Daniel Brühl as Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, Luke Evans as John Schuyler Moore, and Dakota Fanning as Sara Howard. Like all television and film adaptations, there were several omitted and altered scenes, but overall, I believed the writers and directors did a great job of telling the story.
These are the major differences I noticed:
1) The show’s tone was very different from the book
Despite the gruesome details and the dark character of the story, I found Carr’s novel to be as lighthearted as possible when dealing with the concept of murdered and mutilated children. There were many instances of comic relief throughout the book, and the relationship between the three main characters led to some pretty humorous banter. The TV adaptation, however, was much more dark and brooding.
2) New characters were introduced
The show’s writers added the side story of Willem Van Bergen, a suspect in the murder cases. Van Bergen frequents the prostitute houses from which the boys go missing, and many in the police department believe he is responsible for the killings. However, given the Van Bergen’s wealth and social standing, corrupt individuals in the department (*cough* Capt. Connor) and former Chief of Police Byrnes work with Van Bergen’s parents to divert suspicion and send him into hiding.
3) Kreizler’s arm is not prominent in the narrative
As reader’s will remember, Kreizler’s left arm is disabled. Sara and Moore come to find out that this is due to years of abuse at the hands of his father. This remains true in the show, but it was less of a defining characteristic. I was convinced they had actually written it out of the show, because no attention was drawn to it until a few episode into the series.
4) Moore is an illustrator, not a journalist
Instead of reporting on crime in NYC, Moore is an illustrator for the New York Times. I personally believe this change was made to provide a more visual aspect to Moore’s actions, and I honestly think it was a cool change. However, I also think it massively changed Moore’s character.
That being said:
5) Moore is much more serious
The TV writers did not omit Moore’s taste for alcohol and prostitutes, but his joking and flirtatious manner is very much dialed down. He is much more serious and seems not only more disturbed by the crimes, but more concerned with propriety. He makes several comments about discussing details of the murders in front of Sara, up until nearly the end of the series. I wasn’t much a fan of this change. Moore’s personality in the book was much more alluring and entertaining.
6) Kreizler is kind of an ass
It’s no secret that in the book, Kreizler is not a favorite amongst New York’s population. However, in the book, as well as in the show, this is because many disagree with his theories regarding the mind. However, in the show, I also think he was disliked, because he was kind of rude and annoying. He has a much more arrogant manner than he did in the book, and he is annoyingly demanding.
7) Roosevelt is much less enthusiastic
In the book, Roosevelt is eager to encourage Kreizler’s investigation and does what he can to assist. However, in the show, Kreizler has to work very hard to convince Roosevelt to allow the investigation, and he is, at times, very combative. I also wasn’t particularly thrilled with the casting for Roosevelt. Though Brian Geraghty is a wonderful actor, I did not think he was the right fit for the rotund, energetic, mustachioed Teddy Roosevelt.
8) We get a deeper, more personal look into the lives of the Isaacsons
In the novel, little is known about the personal lives of Marcus and Lucius other than the fact that they are Jewish and were mistreated while Byrnes was Chief of Police. In the show, however, we get a more intimate look into their lives. There are a few scenes involving their mother, and we learn of Marcus’ romantic involvement with a young, single mother names Esther.
9) There is much more romance in the show
Moore and Sara flirted throughout the book, but there was little substance to it. The relationship between Kreizler and Mary also seems to come out of nowhere in the book. In the show, however, there is much more affection. Moore expresses his desire to marry Sara much more enthusiastically, and the viewer gets to watch Kreizler and Mary’s relationship develop. I personally think this made Mary’s death even sadder. I was also thrilled that there was more romance between Moore and Sara, because they are adorable, and they need to be together.
10) Joseph is kidnapped and his friend is murdered
One of the most heart-wrenching parts of the book was the death of Joseph, the young boy and prostitute that Moore developed a friendship with. Despite Moore’s constant warnings and urging Joseph to be safe, he is murdered in the book. In the show, however, Joseph witnesses the murder of another boy in a bathhouse and is kidnapped by the killer, making the final episode a race to save him. I can see the pros and cons of this change. Of course, a child not being murdered is always great, and I think rescuing him provided a lot of closure for the characters and the viewers. However, in the book, Joseph’s death was a very pivotal and defining moment for Moore. The book does not end positively. The murderer is killed, but Moore, Sara, and Kreizler are left quite damage by their losses. The ending of the show is much more optimistic.
Overall, I thought TNT’s television adaptation for Caleb Carr’s The Alienist was well-done and enjoyable. Carr was involved in the screenplay adaptation, so I suppose I cannot complain too much about the changes he signed off on. There were many changes, good and bad, but I thought the casting was great, the screenwriting, set design, and cinematography were stellar, and the story was done justice.
