Marcus Isaacson

* The Alienist
* Angel of Darkness

**Marcus Isaacson** was a Detective Sergeant of the New York City Police Department implementing proto–forensic investigations with his twin brother, Lucius Isaacson.

Marcus Isaacson was a major character in ‘The Alienistʼ and ‘Angel of Darknessʼ portrayed by Douglas Smith.

## Official Description

The Alienist

"*DETECTIVE SGT. MARCUS ISAACSON is an expert in the criminal sciences and forensic medicine. Both he and his twin brother Lucius are outcasts within the New York police department, partly because they are Jewish and partly because of their progressive and scientific approaches to crime solving. Marcus fancies himself a ladies’ man and is the more outgoing of the fraternal twins. The pair are called upon to help with the investigation.*"

Angel of Darkness

*Detective Sgt. Marcus Isaacson is an expert in the criminal sciences and forensic medicine. Both he and his twin brother Lucius are outcasts within the New York Police Department, partly because they are Jewish and partly because of their progressive and scientific approaches to crime solving. Marcus is the more outgoing of the fraternal twins. The pair are called upon once again to help with the new investigation.*

## Character Overview

Detective Sergeant Marcus Isaacson is a handsome young man, about six feet tall. He has curly brown hair, hazel eyes, and a fair complexion. His clothes are always impeccably clean and tidy, although they are not as stylish as those of John Moore and Dr. Kreizler. Contrary to his twin brother Lucius, Marcus is a sort of dandy and playboy that takes great care of his appearance with perfumes and the like, especially if invited to important, or fancy events. Not very attentive to the precepts of the Torah, Marcus surrenders moderately to pleasures like any man of his age – even defining himself halfway between man and beast, because he surrenders to his natural sexual desires towards women – and this causes quite a few frictions between the two brothers. Marcus is also very extrovert and easy-going and a recurring event is to present himself as Detective Sergeant and Lucius just as his brother; However, it is unclear whether Marcus does this deliberately or not.

## Biography

The following contains plot details – read at your own risk.

Early Life

Born in New York City from a family of Jewish immigrants who fled persecution in Eastern Europe, Marcus was born two minutes after his twin brother, Lucius. Both children were baptized with English names taken from Shakespeare's works to mitigate anti-Semitism towards them.

In adulthood, the two brothers joined the police force and obtained the rank of detective sergeants. Despite their talent, they were often ostracised at work as Jews in a place predominantly dominated by Irish Catholic policemen.

A Fruitful Partnership

Kreizler Institute, 1896. Detective Sergeants Marcus and Lucius Isaacson are sent by the newly appointed Chief Police Theodore Roosevelt to assist Dr. Laszlo Kreizler in his parallel investigation into brutal murders of child prostitutes in the Tenderloin. After being introduced by the alienist to his friend John Moore, the two scientists began an autopsy on the skeleton of Benjamin and Sofia Zweig, two children killed years before and which Dr. Kreizler believed were connected with the recent murder of Giorgio Santorelli. Lucius and Marcus discovered a series of cuts inflicted by stabs that matched the police report and the sketch drawn by Moore.

The following day, Marcus and Lucius went to a butcher shop to find a knife capable of inflicting the same type of wounds. The two detectives made several attempts on one of the carcasses exhibited on the butcher's desk and it was during one of the experiments that Marcus noticed a young woman delivering flyers on the street. Lucius made fun of him when they discovered they were advertising at a meeting of socialists and Marcus retorted, asking his brother if he knew the difference between Socialism and Capitalism.

After making sure that their mother was safe at home, the two brothers met with Dr. Kreizler at Delmonico's, a renowned and expensive restaurant. Before the alienist arrived in the company of Mr. Moore, the two made the acquaintance of Miss Sara Howard, Commissioner Roosevelt's secretary, in the room that Kreizler had booked exclusively for them.

During dinner, Marcus and Lucius took turns explaining their recent discoveries. The mysterious killer had experience and his weapon was a dagger known as Arkansas toothpick. The two also discovered bloodied fingerprints on a pocket watch in Benjamin Zweig's coffin. Most likely, the print had been left by the murderer. The Isaacson proceeded with more information, and Miss Howard mentioned that she had read something about Dactyloscopy — the science of a finger, palm, or foot leaving a chance impression. At the end of the dinner, the team was set up and everyone had a specific role in the investigation.

After leaving Delmonico's, Marcus went to the Socialists meeting where he met the girl seen in the afternoon, Esther, and the two went to bed together.

At the Kreizler Institute, Lucius, Marcus, and Dr. Kreizler used a projector to study the fingerprints found on the pocket watch and the alienist noticed signs that could be scars on the fingertips, narrowing the scope of their research.

At the NYPD Morgue, the two detectives wanted to examine Giorgio Santorelli's body after receiving permission from Commissioner Roosevelt, but the body had disappeared. When Mr. Tuthill referred to Roosevelt as “a bunch of hooey”, Lucius retorted claiming that Roosevelt was a revolutionary.

That same night a new murder was committed in Castle Garden, and the Isaacson brothers sneaked along with the rest of the team to the crime scene to be able to analyze the scene before the arrival of the police while Roosevelt delayed the spread of the news. From a brief investigation and photographs of the scene, the murder was committed by the same hand.

The following day, Marcus and Lucius explored the area and discovered that the killer had climbed along the tower wall with pitons.

Marcus met with John Moore at the Golden Rule where they questioned Scotch Ann, the owner of the brothel shut down from Roosevelt and formerly Ali ibn-Ghazi's workplace, the latest victim. On the roof, Marcus noticed the same holes in the walls of Castle Garden, coming to the conclusion that the killer must have also climbed the brothel. Meanwhile, Moore chatted with one of the child prostitutes who revealed some details about Ali before his disappearance.

In the evening, Marcus slept with Esther before returning home and arguing with Lucius about his affair with the woman and what their mother would think of that.

A couple of evenings later, the team received Dr. Kreizler's invitation to meet at a cabaret but once they met, they discovered that the meeting had been planned by the killer who had sent a letter full of insults and ramblings addressed to Mrs. Santorelli, and that Miss Sara Howard had with her.

Proto-Forensic Science vs The Monster

At the Kreizler Institute, the team resorted to the help of graphologist Alexander to study the letter and find out whether or not it was a hoax. While Marcus and Lucius analyzed enlargements of the letter in search of fingerprints or other useful clues, Dr. Kreizler and Miss Howard argued about the psychology behind the criminal mind and the possibility of the presence of a more or less authoritarian female figure in the killer's childhood.

At the Police Department, Marcus and Lucius had an appointment with Commissioner Roosevelt and they had a chance to converse with Miss Howard who asked for explanations about sex between two men. Marcus took the opportunity to tell a dirty story about a nurse and a soldier, much to Lucius disappointment.

In the evening, Esther was a dinner guest at the Isaacson home where Mrs. Isaacson did not seem very excited about her son's choice.

In the days before the Feast of Ascension, the team set a trap for the killer after discovering that he killed according to the Christian calendar holidays. The first attempt was, however, a fiasco and Marcus pursued the wrong man after seeing him sneaking up on the roof where he and Moore were posted. Unfortunately, it was a priest who carried out evangelization in the poor tenements.

The second attempt a few nights later was just as disastrous. At The Slide, Marcus made the acquaintance of a young child prostitute named Rosie and when Stevie — Dr. Kreizler's houseboy who served as bait — was approached by a suspect individual, Marcus chased him but was soon disarmed. In the hustle and bustle, the killer had managed to kidnap Rosie who was later found dead at the foot of the Statue of Liberty.

At the NYPD Morgue, Lucius did an autopsy on Rosie's corpse. The tortures inflicted on his body were by far the most heinous, a sign of an escalation in the modus operandi. Marcus barely managed to remain lucid during the autopsy. Commissioner Roosevelt stated that similar attacks reminded him of those carried out by some tribes of Indians in North Dakota.

The following days, Marcus, Lucius, and Sara Howard spent their time analyzing old files, records, and annotations that could be a link between past and present crimes, thus tracing the culprit.

The team took separate paths to conduct large-scale investigations. The Isaacson brothers went to North Dakota. During the train journey, Lucius and Marcus had a chance to talk about Marcus' affair and Lucius acknowledged that Marcus was in love with Esther.

Once they arrived at an Indian reservation, the two detectives met Captain Miller. The man told them about Corporal John Beecham's military past — a troubled and bloodthirsty young man who was sent to St. Elizabeth's Hospital]] after he was caught violating bodies during Haymarket riots. The man corresponded to the profiling.

Closer to the Darkness

When they returned from their respective journeys, the team discovered that Mary Palmer — Dr. Kreizler's housekeeper and lover — had been killed. After attending the funeral, the two detectives questioned Sergeant Doyle on charges of complicity in the murder committed by the former Captain Connor.

With Kreizler out of the investigation, Sara Howard had found a new headquarters, 808-Broadway. From here, the team now headed by Miss Howard set out to search for John Beecham in the city records. After discovering that he had worked as an enumerator, the team tracked down his old addresses where they found cat corpses in one of the rooms he had rented years before and, in his most recent abode in the Tenement District, a series of horrifying trophies taken from the victims — human eyes in a jar, half-cooked human organs, photos of mutilated bodies and even the calcified heart of his mother in a heart-shaped box.

The discovery of John Beecham's apartment brought Dr. Kreizler back into the team and, after yet another murder at the Bath House and the kidnapping of the child that John Moore befriended at the Golden Rule, Joseph, the team was even more sensitive than ever to put an end to the series of murders.

Meanwhile, Marcus was able to solve his love problems. After ignoring Esther following what Lucius had told him she had a daughter, Marcus visited her lover to apologize for his recent behavior. The woman said she had no intention of trapping Marcus in a marriage so that he could provide for her and her daughter, and that their relationship was entirely based on the affection they felt for each other. Marcus agreed and the two shared a kiss.

At the Kreizler Institute, the Isaacson brothers conducted a post-mortem on Beecham's body after Connor shot him. Dr. Kreizler and John Moore had managed to intercept Beecham and save Joseph but Connor had followed them and killed the man before Dr. Kreizler could question him — Sara Howard, fortunately, shot Connor before he could've killed Kreizler and Moore too. However, the three scientists found nothing abnormal in the murderer's brain.

At Delmonico's, the team celebrated the success and end of their investigation, as well as the deep friendship and loyalty developed in the meantime.

Analyzing the Poison in the Napp Case

Marcus and Lucius began their investigation into the mysterious case of the dead baby at Siegel-Cooper. They discovered that the child had toxic abrasions in the mouth. They invited Sara and John inside. The child had only just recently died. Sara noticed the markings on the eyes, similar to that of the doll at the Linares’, but fortunately, the dead child was not baby Ana. Marcus and Lucius suspected the child was poisoned.

Marcus and Lucius are joined by Laszlo at the lab for the autopsy for the child. He asked if they had identified the child yet, which they hadn’t. Martha Napp mentioned her child had an identifying contusion; a benign hemangioma under her left axilla. Laszlo was able to use that to identify the dead baby as Martha Napp’s child.

Marcus and Lucius experimented with lab rabbits and poison dosage to determine the cause of death of Martha Napp’s baby. Afterward, they shared their findings that Nightshade, most likely Hyoscine, was one component from the poison, with Sara, John, and Laszlo. It was available at most apothecaries, but medical training was required to be able to administer the proper dose. They also found powdered carbon in the black substance from the Napp child’s mouth. Which was sometimes used as an antidote to poison. The amount of poison ingested by the infant was only enough to render it unconscious. The official cause of death was asphyxiation. From what they gathered, someone poisoned the baby, changed their mind, and then gave the baby powdered charcoal. Only to eventually smother the child.

Marcus and Lucius arrived at the docks after two male torsos are recovered from the river. They suspected that the missing patches of skin were due to someone using a scalpel to remove the victims’ tattoos.

They group discussed the motive behind their child abductor. They suspected that it was a woman who either lost a child or couldn’t bear one. And so she took what others had. However, she killed the child once it no longer fitted her fantasy.

Marcus and Lucius tested the contents of the Napp baby’s stomach, where they discovered what they determined to be poison, powdered carbon, and breast milk.

Marcus managed to figure out the exact chemical combination used by the killer to make the antidote. It initially seemed that it was only activated charcoal, but they added a tincture of iodine. Lucius then revealed that he told Byrne about the Linares case because he threatened to hurt Marcus. Lucius asked his brother to tell no one.

Marcus and Lucius attended John's bachelor party at Cyrus' bar, where Joanna checked on Marcus and Lucius, who appeared to be drinking his guilt away.

After realizing that the kidnapper was Libby Hatch, Sara, Laszlo, Lucius and Marcus raced to the Lying-In to find Bitsy unconscious on the ground. Sara and Lucius tended to Bitsy while Laszlo and Marcus chased Libby to the street, where they lost her trail. And so they returned to the drug closet, where Lucius managed to save Bitsy with the antidote.

Marcus, John, and Laszlo joined Sara and Lucius at Matron's home after discovering that she was killed by Libby. Laszlo surmised that Libby sought out Matron specifically to kill her. Much like the Napp child, they discovered that the eyelids had been painted on in blood. Marcus then found Acentanilde, poison, in Matron’s home, but no charcoal powder. Meaning that Libby was ingesting the poison and passing it to the child without anything to neutralize it.

Marcus joined Byrnes and Doyle in the interrogation room, where they forced Colleen to identify Libby from a comprehensive gallery of known criminals and associates. Colleen spotted Libby among the known criminal associates of Dusters, which Marcus proceeded to share with the others.

After being alerted that Sara and John were tracking Libby, Marcus set out to join them. Upon arriving at Hudson Street, he noticed Laszlo being held at knife point by Fat Jack. Marcus drew his gun and demanded that Fat Jack put his weapon down. The two of them joined the Sara and John, who had recovered the Linares baby and took her home.

Marcus and Lucius examined and took photos of the nursery in Libby's lair. They found memory boxes, with each containing mementos from the infant’s earliest days. Sara noticed a brush on top of the dressed with a family crest that not even John recognized, though they suspected this family could be Libby's next target.

Marcus and Lucius arrived at the institute with Libby’s memory boxes. They started with the first memory box Libby constructed, suspecting that the first child was in fact Libby’s daughter, Clara.

The brother were asked by Laszlo to watch over Clara at the institute. Marcus shared with Lucius the dream he had about their mother. She asked him to meet her midday on Hester Street under the clock outside Mendel's. Marcus waited for her, but she never showed up. He wondered what that meant. Lucius replied that he must miss her.

While checking on Clara, Marcus heard glass shattering. He awakened Lucius from his sleep and began searching the institute. Libby and Goo Goo had broken into the Kreizler Institute in search of Clara. Goo Goo knocked Lucius to the floor and then shot Marcus in the stomach. Lucius awakened to find Marcus bleeding out just a few feet away. It was apparent that he wouldn't make it, so Lucius simply comforted his brother in his final moments. Praying for Marcus in Hebrew.

## Memorable Quotes

**Marcus Isaacson**: “*I find the bones to be the most reliable witnesses while my brother is more a "man of the flesh"...*”
**Lucius Isaacson:** “*He means the soft tissue!*”
— ‘The Alienist’ Overview

**Lucius Isaacson:** "*Thinking about becoming a socialist now, are you?*"
**Marcus Isaacson:** "*You know the difference between capitalism and socialism? In capitalism, man exploits man. In socialism, it's the other way around.*"
**Lucius:** “*She means you stink like a 10-cent whore...*”
**Marcus:** “*How would you know?*”
— A Fruitful Partnership

**Marcus:** “*How about some poetry instead, Rosie? A pansy by way of Khartoum took a lesbian up to his room. They argued all night as to who had the right to do what, with which, and to whom.*”
— Ascension

## Appearances

* Ep. 1: *The Boy on the Bridge*
* Ep. 2: *A Fruitful Partnership*
* Ep. 3: *Silver Smile*
* Ep. 4: *These Bloody Thoughts*
* Ep. 5: *Hildebrandt’s Starling*
* Ep. 6: *Ascension*
* Ep. 7: *Many Sainted Men*
* Ep. 8: *Psychopathia Sexualis*
* Ep. 9: *Requiem*
* Ep. 10: *Castle in the Sky*
* Ep. 1: *Ex Ore Infantium*
* Ep. 2: *Something Wicked*
* Ep. 3: *Labyrinth*
* Ep. 4: *Gilded Cage*
* Ep. 5: *Belly of the Beast*
* Ep. 6: *Memento Mori*
* Ep. 7: *Last Exit to Brooklyn*
* Ep. 8: *Better Angels*

## Notes

* In the novel, Marcus trained as a lawyer before becoming a detective, whilst Lucius attended medical school. Before being recruited by Theodore Roosevelt as Sergeants Detectives for the New York City Police Department, they briefly worked for the Pinkerton Detective Agency.
* In the novel, Marcus and Lucius have a younger sister, Cordelia, named after a character in King Lear, a tragedy by William Shakespeare.
* According to writer and executive producer Hossein Amini, the Isaacson brothers are "*Jewish detectives being sidelines by the generally Irish Catholics police force of the time.*" Director and executive producer Jakob Verbruggen added: "*Through the eyes of the Isaacsons, we witness the birth of forensics.*"
* According to Matthew Shear, the Isaacson brothers are solely interested in employing scientific methods to crime scenes, which wasn't an accepted norm in the 19th century.

## Gallery

* The Alienist
* The Angel of Darkness

* Promotional Stills
* Screencaps
* Behind the Scenes
* Videos

 *Photo by Kata Vermes and Jesse Giddings. [Courtesy of TNT Pressroom]*

The Alienist Inside — Character ProfilesThe Alienist Birth of Psychology and Forensics BTS MONDAYS TNTThe Alienist Dying Art of the Autopsy with Matthew Shear & Douglas Smith - Season 1 BTS TNT

* Promotional Stills
* Behind the Scenes

## References

1. ↑ *‘The Alienist’: Marcus Isaacson Promotional Quote on TNT Instagram account.*
2. ↑  *Official Overview for Douglas Smith's Marcus Isaacson — TNT Pressroom*
3. ↑ Angel of Darkness Character Bio: Marcus Isaacson - Warner Media Group
4. ↑ Hossein Amini (writer) & Jakob Verbruggen (director); (January 22, 2018); "The Boy on the Bridge". Episode 1. *The Alienist*. TNT
5. ↑ Hossein Amini & E. Max Frye (writers) & Jakob Verbruggen (director); (January 29, 2018); "A Fruitful Partnership". Episode 2.*The Alienist*. TNT
6. ↑ Gina Gionfriddo (writer) & Jakob Verbruggen (director); (February 5, 2018); "Silver Smile". Episode 3.*The Alienist*. TNT
7. ↑ Gina Gionfriddo & Cary Joji Fukunaga (writers) & James Hawes (director); (February 12, 2018); "These Bloody Thoughts". Episode 4.*The Alienist*. TNT
8. ↑ E. Max Frye (writer) & James Hawes (director); (February 19, 2018); "Hildebrandt’s Starling". Episode 5.*The Alienist*. TNT
9. ↑ E. Max Frye (writer) & Paco Cabezas (director); (February 26, 2018); "Ascension". Episode 6.*The Alienist*. TNT
10. ↑ John Sayles (writer) & Paco Cabezas (director); (March 5, 2018); "Many Sainted Men". Episode 7.*The Alienist*. TNT
11. ↑ John Sayles (writer) & David Petrarca (director); (March 12, 2018); "Psychopathia Sexualis". Episode 8.*The Alienist*. TNT
12. ↑ Hossein Amini (writer) & Jamie Payne (director); (March 19, 2018); "Requiem". Episode 9.*The Alienist*. TNT
13. ↑ Cary Joji Fukunaga, John Sayles & Chase Palmer (writer) & Jamie Payne (director); (March 26, 2018); "Castle in the Sky". Episode 10.*The Alienist*. TNT
14. ↑ Stuart Carolan (writer); David Caffrey (director); (July 19, 2020); "Ex Ore Infantium". Episode 1. *Angel of Darkness*. TNT.
15. ↑ Stuart Carolan (writer); David Caffrey (director); (July 19, 2020); "Something Wicked". Episode 2. *Angel of Darkness*. TNT.
16. ↑ Gina Gionfriddo (writer); Clare Kilner (director); (July 26, 2020); "Labyrinth". Episode 3. *Angel of Darkness*. TNT.
17. ↑ Alyson Feltes (writer); Clare Kilner (director); (July 26, 2020); "Gilded Cage". Episode 4. *Angel of Darkness*. TNT.
18. ↑ Gina Gionfriddo & Karina Wolf (writer); Clare Kilner (director); (August 2, 2020); "Belly of the Beast". Episode 5. *Angel of Darkness*. TNT.
19. ↑ Alyson Feltes (writer); David Caffrey (director); (August 2, 2020); "Memento Mori". Episode 6. *Angel of Darkness*. TNT.
20. ↑ Tom Smuts & Amy Berg (writers); David Caffrey (director); (August 9, 2020); "Last Exit to Brooklyn". Episode 7. *Angel of Darkness*. TNT.
21. ↑ Stuart Carolan & Karina Wolf (writers); David Caffrey (director); (August 9, 2020); "Better Angels". Episode 8. *Angel of Darkness*. TNT.
22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 The Alienist Inside — Character Profiles