| “ | It's all right. I love you. No matter what. No matter what you did, I love you to the sky, and I always will. And you know who else loves you? Our Father in Heaven. His is the most important, most powerful love there is. There is nothing you can do to make him stop loving you. | ” |
| — Josefina to Mateo[src] | ||
Josefina Vega is a main character on Showtime's Penny Dreadful: City of Angels. She is portrayed by Jessica Garza.[1]
Josefina is the youngest of the Vega family. She's quiet and overlooked, but also possesses a powerful spirit waiting to be unleashed.[1]
History[]
Josefina was born in Belvedere Heights to Maria and Jose Vega.
Throughout the Series[]
Season 1[]
Santa Muerte[]
The Vega family celebrate Tiago becoming the first Chicano detective in the Los Angeles Police Department. Josefina and Mateo congratulate him and ask to see his badge. They are joined by Raul and toast in honor of "Detective Tiago fucking Vega."
Inside the record store where Mateo works, Josefina hooks up with a guy in the booth. Mateo breaks them up and throws him out of the shop, gaining the attention of Fly Rico and his crew of Pachucos, including Diego. Josefina begs him to stop but Mateo persists and chases him off. Josefina insists that she wasn’t doing anything and reminds Mateo that he isn’t her father. Maria breaks them up, instructing Josefina to go inside and scolding Mateo for swearing.
Dead People Lie Down[]
At Los Angeles County Hospital, Maria, Mateo, and Josefina pray at Raul’s bedside as he lays unconscious. The shot fired glanced off his skull and caused bone fragments to shatter into Raul's brain. They are given three days before they have to remove him from the respirator. Josefina greets Tiago with a hug. Maria continues to pray for Raul’s recovery. Tiago suggests calling Father Nunez, but Maria refuses to accept that Raul will die. Two floors up, in the very same hospital, Maria gave birth to Raul. She insists that he’ll survive. Later, Mateo and Josefina sit at Raul’s bedside while Maria consistently prays. Mateo kisses Josefina on the head and goes to get her a bottle of pop.
Josefina and the Holy Spirit[]
Josefina and Mateo walk home from the store. Josefina inquires about the bandage on his hand. Before he can reply, they are surrounded by Riley and two other officers. He accuses them of spray painting the construction site. He then recognizes Mateo from their last encounter at the hospital. Mateo is held against the fence and restrained while Officer Riley frisks Josefina. He grabs her breast and then sticks his hands up her dress. Mateo watches helplessly as this continues. Riley releases them both and Josefina starts to cry. Josefina makes Mateo promises that he won’t tell anyone, especially not their family.
Josefina and Mateo return home. Maria notices the bandage on Mateo’s hand and rips it off to discover the Pachuco mark. Maria is enraged and ashamed, but Mateo is proud of his mark. He refuses to end up like his mother, being a maid or his brother, a cop. Mateo exclaims that he’s tired of being weak and storms out. Maria follows him out the door. Josefina tries to tell her mother what happened, but Maria brushes her off. And so, Josefina walks down the street alone, where she comes across a flyer for the Joyful Voices Ministry.
Sister Molly speaks to her congregation. Josefina is among them. She asks them to join her; to stand up and be heard. She claims that Satan is among them and that they are not safe. She prays to the lord to save her. Sister Molly welcomes her congregation to be saved. She touches each of them. When she gets to Josefina, Molly invites Josefina along with her on the holy road and kisses her forehead.
Children of the Royal Sun[]
Josefina tells the story of her assault to Sister Molly; how she was assaulted by a police officer while walking home with her brother. Molly promises Josefina that the pain will go away and she must know that too many others have suffered in the same way, but have come out on the other side so much stronger. She then tells Josefina a story about her and her mother in Florida when she was 10. They got caught in a terrible storm. A group of men said they would help them out. They sat in the warm truck. Molly’s mother in the front seat, laughing and drinking, while she was in the back. However, most of it is a blur. She recalls rain on the windows, tobacco smell, and her wet dress. And then suddenly she realized "Where is my mother?" Molly assures Josefina that she will make it through this. She also advises Josefina to kick any future attackers in the groin. Josefina laughs and tells Molly how her brother, who is a policeman, taught her how to put a suspect in a choke-hold. Molly then realizes that Josefina is Tiago’s sister.
How It Is With Brothers[]
Sister Molly sings in front of the congregation at the Joyful Voices Ministry. Josefina watches from the crowd with the other church goers.
Maria and the Beast[]
Mateo greets Josefina as she’s walking home from school. She tells him to come home with her, but he can’t. He makes her promise to him that she loves him before revealing that he did something bad. However, before he can truly reveal the act, Josefina tells Mateo that not only will she always love him, but so will their father in heaven. She tells him that there is no love stronger than God’s. Mateo tells her to stop, as he doesn’t need to hear make believe. He needs his sister, to which Josefina replies that she found her faith. With that, Mateo says his goodbye and tells her that he hopes the church makes her happy.
Josefina prepares to leave for bible study with the Temple. Maria knows enough about that place to not trust it, but Josefina has put all her faith into it. When Maria asks Josefina if she’s no longer Catholic, Josefina asks her the same question in return, reminding her mother that when she is in need, she prays to Santa Muerte. Before leaving, Josefina adds that Sister Molly is just as important to her as Santa Muerte is to Maria.
Hide and Seek[]
Josefina stops by the Craft house to speak to her mother. She wants to apologize for their fight. Maria assures her all is well. Josefina then reveals that she’s moving into the Temple. They have a dormitory and learning program. Josefina wants more for her life than being a maid. Maria asks if they can continue their talk after work, but Josefina will have already moved out.
Josefina is baptized by Sister Molly. Afterward, as Sister Molly helps Josefina with her hair, she tells Josefina that while she can live at the Temple for as long as she wants, she urges Josefina to stay at home with her family. However, Josefina is tired of hiding and fighting about her beliefs. If she doesn’t get out now, she’ll marry another Mexican, have kids, and end up as a maid like her mother. Molly wonders why Josefina wants to dye her hair red. Josefina replies that her brother Raul has a picture of his wall of a Gibson Girl from an old magazine. She had hair like a sunrise, and Josefina thought it was beautiful.
Sing, Sing, Sing[]
Josefina goes to the Crimson Cat with friends, where she runs into her mother and oldest brother. Raul complements her new red hair. Josefina tells them that she’s happy at the Temple and hopes that her family can accept that.
Mateo arrives and greets Josefina with a hug. Fly Rico takes a liking to her and asks her to dance. As they dance, he tells Josefina that she has her brother’s moves. She replies that she also has his back.
Josefina and Mateo join their mother and brother at the table to see that Tiago has arrived with Molly. Josefina accuses Molly of lying to her. Maria blames Tiago for dividing the family. Mateo adds that a Chicano girl isn’t good enough for a white cop. He tells Tiago to be proud of their skin and nothing he does will change how they look. Tiago blows up and demands that everyone respect him and Molly. Molly then promises she wouldn’t do anything to hurt Tiago or Josefina. She and Raul then go to dance.
Day of the Dead[]
Josefina stands on the front porch of her house. Local police officers shine a light in her face before pulling off. She then heads back inside, where Raul plays the guitar on the couch. Maria asks Josefina if she’ll stay the night. She will, but after that, she’s returning to the Ministry. She thought that when she was at the Temple that she would be different, but nothing has changed. Maria recalls when Josefina was a little girl and got scared. She’d always tell Josefina she’d be safe but admittedly, that’s not true. She then starts to sing to Josefina.
Maria, Mateo, Raul, and Josefina gather in the cemetery to celebrate Day of the Dead. Tiago arrives late, still mourning the death of Molly. Maria hugs him and they dance in the cemetery.
Appearance and Personality[]
Josefina is a young teenage Mexican girl with olive skin, dark brown eyes and red hair, that she dyed from her original brown color. Josefina has recently become very religious, joining the Joyful Voices Ministry and looking to God for help after being assaulted by Jimmy Reilly.
Appearances[]
Season 1[]
- Santa Muerte
- Dead People Lie Down
- Josefina and the Holy Spirit
- Children of the Royal Sun
- How It Is With Brothers
- Maria and the Beast
- Hide and Seek
- Sing, Sing, Sing
- Day of the Dead
Memorable Quotes[]
- "It's all right. I love you. No matter what. No matter what you did, I love you to the sky, and I always will. And you know who else loves you? Our Father in Heaven. His is the most important, most powerful love there is. There is nothing you can do to make him stop loving you."
- —Josefina to Mateo[src]
Gallery[]