| “ | Do you know what's going on in Germany right now? [...] You ever heard of a man named Wernher Von Braun? | ” |
| — Brian to Lewis[src] | ||
Brian Koenig was a recurring character on Showtime's Penny Dreadful: City of Angels. He was portrayed by Kyle McArthur.
He was a student at Caltech and affiliate of Richard Goss.
Throughout the Series[]
Season 1[]
Dead People Lie Down[]
Brian meets with German architect and Nazi Richard Goss at a diner. Unbeknownst to him, they are under watch by Lewis Michener. He and Dottie Minter follow Brian to Caltech, where he's a student. He enters the Physics Department, where he appears upset as Lewis watches him through the window. Above the door, Lewis notices a caution sign regarding explosive material.
Wicked Old World[]
Brian is approached by Lewis. He walks Brian to his car and convinces him to get in. Lewis drives Brian out to a deserted highway. When Brian refuses to get out of the car, Lewis pistol-whips him, pulls him out of the car, and throws him onto the ground, before kicking him in the face. He reveals that he’s been watching Brian ever since his dinner date with Richard Goss. Lewis demands answers, otherwise he’ll throw Brian off the cliff, where the coyotes will surely eat his remains down below. Lewis tells Brian that he’s a cop and that he needs information. Brian asks if he’s ever heard of a man named Wernher von Braun.
Children of the Royal Sun[]
Dottie approaches Brian at a diner and tells him that Lewis sent her. Brian tells Dottie that he does theory, not practical application, but the Nazis do. She’s come to remind him that Lewis will do everything he can to protect Brian, but he has to stay away from the Germans. Dottie then asks about his rocket, explaining she learned how to wire explosives with the anarchists back in the Haymarket days. Unbeknownst to the two of them, Kurt watches from across the diner.
Maria and the Beast[]
Goss and Kurt take Brian to the outskirts of town to show him where his laboratory will supposedly be built if he does as Goss’ asks of him. Los Angeles is also to be the Fuehrer’s home. Goss promises Brian the idea of a better world, however, Brian worries that he can’t figure out how to construct the engine for the rocket. Unbeknownst to them, Lewis takes photos of their clandestine meeting from the bushes.
Brian continues his work on the rocket engine from a local diner. Dottie joins him and asks about Goss. Brian claims that he hasn’t heard anything from the Germans, however, Lewis joins them and confronts Brian with a photo of his meeting with Goss. He demands to know why Brian is lying to him. Brian explains that the Germans aren’t as evil as the media portrays them to be. And unlike Lewis, they actually appreciate his work. When Dottie was younger, she didn't have comic books, she had the Yiddish theater. Her family had a troupe that performed in a tavern back East. They had King Lear, Faust, and dozens of their own plays in Yiddish. However, not everyone loved their Jewish theater. So, one night, they broke in while Dottie’s father was there. They beat him so bad that he lost an eye. They then proceeded to burn down the theater with all their plays inside. Some men create, while others destroy. Dottie asks which man Brian wants to be. Brian thunks it over and asks Lewis and Dottie to protect him. Lewis tells Brian that he can stay with Dottie, where he can be safe.
Sing, Sing, Sing[]
Brian and Dottie play Mahjong. She asks about his equations. He reveals that he’s figured out the rocket already. He’s working on something much bigger now. Unbeknownst to them, Kurt watches from outside the window. With his weapon drawn, he approaches the door but flees at the sight of an approaching car. Dottie tells Brian that it’s time to leave. Benny Berman arrives at the door, and Dottie and Brian leave with him. Kurt watches from the shadows as this unfolds.
Day of the Dead[]
Brian, Benny, and Dottie have relocated to the Vegas home in Belvedere Heights. He briefly plays cards with Raul. He then prepares to leave for the airfield with Tiago, Lewis, and Benny. Dottie gives Brian some Yoo-Hoo for the trip. He hugs Dottie goodbye and leaves. Tiago, Lewis, Brian, and Benny head towards the airfield. Unbeknownst to them, they’re being followed by Kurt, who has been on their tail since they left Belvedere Heights. They tell Brian that he’s headed for New York, where he’ll be well taken care of. Brian then makes mention of a bomb he's been constructing. After he figured out the rocket, he had a new idea of Nuclear fission. It’s similar to a thousand suns exploding all at once. It’s almost limitless. Capable of destroying a city. Lewis questions if they is truly what Brian wants to offer the world. They come to a stop near the beach. Lewis asks Brian to join him for a talk. They walk alongside the shore, where Lewis comments on the stars above. As Brian gazes up, Lewis fires two shots, presumably killing Brian.
Appearance and Personality[]
Brian is a young white man with pale skin, dark brown eyes and hair. While intelligent, Brian's ambition knew no bounds, and it's for this reason that he was killed.
Powers and Abilities[]
Brian is an extremely intelligent young man at Caltech. His intellect even appealed to Richard Goss.
Appearances[]
Season 1[]
- Dead People Lie Down
- Wicked Old World
- Children of the Royal Sun
- Maria and the Beast
- Sing, Sing, Sing
- Day of the Dead
Memorable Quotes[]
- "Do you know what's going on in Germany right now? [...] You ever heard of a man named Wernher Von Braun?"
- —Brian to Lewis[src]
- "Nuclear fission. There's a way, I'm pretty sure, to control the atomic reaction and focus its yield. Sorry, that's science talk for how it explodes. You get it right, well, it would be like a thousand suns exploding all at once."
- —Brian to Lewis, Tiago, and Benny[src]
Gallery[]