Quite the Tom Riley Tuesday treat, today! Lots of goodies promoting The Nevers being shared, including episode synopses for the series, and an intriguing hint at what we will find out about Augustus Bidlow.
August, 1896. Victorian London is rocked to its foundations by a supernatural event which gives certain people – mostly women – abnormal abilities, from the wondrous to the disturbing. But no matter their particular “turns,” all who belong to this new underclass are in grave danger. It falls to mysterious, quick-fisted widow Amalia True (Laura Donnelly) and brilliant young inventor Penance Adair (Ann Skelly) to protect and shelter these gifted “orphans.” To do so, they will have to face the brutal forces determined to annihilate their kind.
Rounding out this genre-bending drama’s acclaimed cast are:
Olivia Williams (The Ghost Writer) as Lavinia Bidlow, the wealthy benefactress funding the orphanage for Amalia’s outcasts, who are also known as the Touched.
James Norton (Little Women) as Hugo Swann, the rich and irreverent proprietor of a den of iniquity.
Tom Riley (Da Vinci’s Demons) as Augustus “Augie” Bidlow, Lavinia’s sweet, awkward, younger brother with a secret of his own.
Pip Torrens (The Crown) as Lord Gilbert Massen, a high-ranking government official leading the crusade against our heroines.
Ben Chaplin (The Thin Red Line) as Inspector Frank Mundi, who’s torn between his police duties and moral compass.
Emmy-nominee Denis O’Hare (American Horror Story) as Edmund Hague, a deranged doctor searching for the source of the powers.
Amy Manson (Once Upon a Time) as the tortured, murderous Maladie, who derives power from pain.
Rochelle Neil (Terminator: Dark Fate) as the fire-wielding Annie “Bonfire” Carby, one of Maladie’s motley gang.
Zackary Momoh (Seven Seconds) as orphanage doctor Horatio Cousens, whose turn equips him with healing powers.
Eleanor Tomlinson (The Illusionist) as Mary Brighton, a broken and resilient performer pursuing her dream of singing on stage.
Elizabeth Berrington (In Bruges) as Lucy Best, adaptive and streetwise, her quick-wit and high spirits mask the pain of a tragic past.
Anna Devlin (All the Money in the World) as Primrose Chattoway who, at ten feet tall and a dreamy demeanor, wishes to be an ordinary girl not taking up too much space.
Kiran Sonia Sawar (HBO Max’s Pure) as Harriet Kaur, a young Scottish Sikh and aspiring lawyer, determined to live her life as she planned.
Viola Prettejohn (The Witcher) as Myrtle Haplisch, a middle-class girl rescued from a family who cannot understand her – literally, as she can no longer speak any form of language they understand.
Ella Smith (Ray & Liz) as Désireé Blodgett, a prostitute with a power that gets her in trouble and a six-year old son who never speaks.
Vinnie Heaven as Nimble Jack, a rakish and charming young thief and an expert at breaking and entering.
Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead) as feared criminal overlord Declan “Beggar King” Orrun.
Episode synopses:
Episode 1: “Pilot”
Debut Date: SUNDAY, APRIL 11 (9:00-10:00 p.m ET/PT)
Series premiere. London, 1899. Three years after an inexplicable event suddenly equips them with extraordinary abilities, Amalia True (Laura Donnelly) and Penance Adair (Ann Skelly) work to protect their kind from widespread, deepening antipathy. Meanwhile, police inspector Frank Mundi (Ben Chaplin) investigates a string of murders at the hands of a reportedly Touched and highly dangerous serial killer named Maladie (Amy Manson).
Written & directed by Joss Whedon.
Episode 2: “Exposure”
Debut Date: SUNDAY, APRIL 18 (9:00-10:00 p.m ET/PT)
With the city reeling from Maladie’s (Amy Manson) opera debut, Mundi (Ben Chaplin) takes a personal stake in tracking her down, while Amalia (Laura Donnelly) launches an investigation of her own. Meanwhile, the charitable Lavinia Bidlow (Olivia Williams) seeks to destigmatize the Touched at a society event, Hugo Swann (James Norton) enlists Lavinia’s younger brother Augie (Tom Riley) to help monetize his illicit enterprise, and a deranged doctor (Denis O’Hare) conducts a series of experiments.
Written by Jane Espenson; Directed by Joss Whedon.
Episode 3: “Ignition”
Debut Date: SUNDAY, APRIL 25 (9:00-10:00 p.m ET/PT)
Penance (Ann Skelly) creates an amplifier to spread Mary’s (Eleanor Tomlinson) hope-inspiring song across the city – but first, Mary (Tomlinson) must find her elusive voice. As danger mounts against her group, Amalia (Laura Donnelly) propositions an unlikely ally and sets out to expand the Orphanage’s reach. Swann (James Norton) further entangles Augie (Tom Riley) and Mundi (Ben Chaplin) in his business affairs.
Written by Kevin Lau; Directed by David Semel.
Episode 4: “Undertaking”
Debut Date: SUNDAY, MAY 2 (9:00-10:00 p.m ET/PT)
While Mundi (Ben Chaplin) seeks justice, Amalia (Laura Donnelly) and her most trusted advisors make a list of potential enemies. Harriet (Kiran Sonia Sawar), Primrose (Anna Devlin), and the other Orphans attempt to decipher a message. Later, Amalia (Donnelly) exposes an unexpected threat.
Written by Madhuri Shekar; Directed by David Semel.
Episode 5: “Hanged”
Debut Date: SUNDAY, MAY 9 (9:00-10:00 p.m ET/PT)
As the city buzzes with anticipation over a pending execution, Penance (Ann Skelly) grapples with a moral calling at odds with Amalia’s (Laura Donnelly) plan. With the two women at a crossroads, the Orphans must decide whom to follow.
Written by Melissa Iqbal; Directed by Joss Whedon.
Episode 6: “True” (Part One Finale)
Debut Date: SUNDAY, MAY 16 (9:00-10:00 p.m ET/PT)
After Amalia’s (Laura Donnelly) origin story is revealed, a long-awaited reunion crystallizes the Orphans’ mission.
Written by Jane Espenson; Directed by Zetna Fuentes.
