Theodore Roosevelt

**Theodore Roosevelt** is the newly appointed NYPD Police Commissioner who entrusts Dr Laszlo Kreizler and a trustworthy secret assembles the task of investigating some mysterious murders in 1896 New York City.

Theodore Roosevelt is a major character of ‘The Alienist,’ and is portrayed by Brian Geraghty.

## Official Description

"*THEODORE ROOSEVELT is the recently appointed Police Commissioner for New York City. Brilliant, driven, ambitious but principled, he’s a crusading reformer, determined to clear up entrenched corruption in the police force he now leads. Having suffered profound tragedy with the loss of his first wife and mother on the same day, he is deeply appreciative of the many blessings in his life, including a lovely second wife and six beautiful children. Roosevelt is a tough taskmaster, a clever politician, a vibrant man, always in perpetual motion. He is outraged that the city’s immigrant children are being murdered and is determined to find the perpetrator.*"

## Character Overview

Police Commissioner Theodore Roosevelt is a man in his early forties with broad shoulders, an athletic built, light brown hair paired with a mustache of the same color, and green eyes. More often than not he wears a style of glasses known as pince-nez; specifically, the C-bridge type pince-nez. Wearing elegant but simple three-piece suits in various shades of gray and brown, Roosevelt has an authoritarian presence whenever he enters a room, especially if that room is his office and he is firmly behind his desk. Roosevelt is a born leader, an idealist driven by a great sense of justice and compassion. He is, however, aware of the deep and rotten corruption creeping into social classes, becoming more and more treacherous as the social class becomes higher.

## Biography

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

Early Life

Roosevelt studied at Harvard, where he became a great friend of both John Moore and Laszlo Kreizler. One time Roosevelt managed to throw Laszlo on his heels and the German young man challenged Theodore to a duel in the gymnasium before all their classmates. Roosevelt chose fists and they both stripped to their waists. As soon as they saw Laszlo's injured arm looking like a broken wing held tight, the whole room fell silent and Theodore refused to fight since everyone in that room was bothered by his disadvantage, making Laszlo even angrier. This accident helped to consolidate their friendship, as Roosevelt did not pity him.

After college, Roosevelt married Alice Hathaway Lee in 1880, but she died a few years later after giving birth to their first child, Alice. The death of his wife upset him and it was Kreizler who gave him comfort during the mourning.  Around this time, he moved to West, reaching in the Dakotas, where he "had the misfortune to look upon the corpses of several white men mutilated after an Indian massacre."

In 1886, he married Edith Kermit Carow, with whom he had five children: Theodore, Kermit, Ethel Carow, Archibald Bulloch "Archie", and Quentin.  In 1895 he became Chief of Police in New York, taking over after Thomas Byrnes retired and after the election of Lafayette Strong as mayor of New York City.

Reforming the Police Department

New York City, March 3rd, 1896.  Newly appointed NYPD Commissioner Theodore Roosevelt was at a gory crime scene in Williamsburg Bridge when John Moore, a *New York Times* illustrator, came on the scene. The man said he was sent by Dr. Laszlo Kreizler to investigate the crime. The victim was a child, identified by Captain Connor as Giorgio Santorelli, aka Gloria when he worked as a prostitute at Paresis Hall. The commissioner ordered that the brothel owners be received in his study the next morning.

The following day, Roosevelt had a full morning. Captain Connor had arrested Henry Wolff for the murder of Giorgio Santorelli and another man, detained at Bellevue Hospital. Roosevelt wrongly believed the investigation to be already closed. At first, he received a visit from Dr. Kreizler and John Moore. The alienist believed there were connections between the recent Santorelli murder and the past murder of the twins Benjamin and Sofia Zweig. For this reason, Wolff was not the real culprit. Dr. Kreizler asked to consult the Zweig case files, but Roosevelt categorically denied and sent the two men away.

Later, he received Biff Ellison and Paul Kelly in his office. The two gangsters were not particularly pleased to have been summoned as common criminals and Biff Ellison pointed out that the whole building was on their payroll. Paul Kelly tried to mediate, but Roosevelt ordered the immediate closure of Paresis Hall by that very evening.

In the following days, Roosevelt was able to reflect on the scope of the case and decided to send Detectives Sergeants Marcus and Lucius Isaacson to assist Dr. Kreizler.

Commissioner Roosevelt was attending disciplinary hearings in the afternoon, tasking Miss Sara Howard with reordering paperwork in his office at the police department.

In the evening, Roosevelt went to the Metropolitan Opera House for a show in the company of Mayor Lafayette Strong and other distinguished members of the society. During the intermission, the Commissioner had a brief conversation with the alienist. Dr. Kreizler had decided to conduct a parallel investigation and wanted Detective Sergeants Isaacson to conduct an autopsy on the corpse of Giorgio Santorelli. Roosevelt was astonished and was not very sure to give Dr. Kreizler such freedom. Roosevelt also tried not to raise the attention of some of the attendees, including J.P. Morgan, about his association with Dr. Kreizler, since he was still considered a charlatan due to his profession.

Commissioner Roosevelt promoted several recruits in the police force and had quick bickering with Captain Connor, who was against hiring young men for such a job.

At night, the Killer struck again, killing another boy on the roof of the former immigration station. Roosevelt had managed to gain time so that the team headed by Dr. Kreizler could inspect the crime scene before the police. Outside the building, Roosevelt tried to deflect and contain questions from journalists such as Lincoln Steffens. But when Captain Connor and other policemen came on the scene, he could do nothing but let them pass, hoping that his friends had fled.

The following day, Roosevelt had to make his way through a crowd of journalists and onlookers gathered in front of the police station, all angry and looking for answers about the escalation of murders despite his promise of reform within the department to make the City more secure.

In Roosevelt's office, Captain Connor handed over a case found at the crime scene the previous night. The Irishman made it clear that he was aware of the parallel investigation. Crushed by thoughts and responsibilities, Roosevelt commissioned Sara Howard to return Moore's sketchbook to the doctor.

In the late afternoon, Roosevelt was inspecting a new load of ammunition in the back of the police station. Sara Howard informed him that she had completed the task and wanted to know more about the alienist. The inspector told her how they were old college mates and that Kreizler had an arm impairment that made his life considerably more difficult because he didn't want to be pitied by anyone. He remembered a time when they challenged each other to fight and no one wanted to fight Kreizler because of his condition.

 Power Struggles and Challenged Authorities

In Central Park, Roosevelt had a meeting with Mayor Lafayette Strong who tried to dissuade him from investigating the high ranks of society, since the Four Hundred would take care of the matter. Roosevelt retorted that he would not be bribed and that no one was above the law.

At the police station, he summoned Captain Connor and asked him what he knew about the van Bergen family. Although Dr. Kreizler had ruled out the possibility that Willem Van Bergen was the culprit, Roosevelt decided to arrest him anyway. Gathering some of his men after instructing Connor to get him the address, Roosevelt was ready to arrest the suspect only to discover he had led the team to the wrong address. Deducting that Connor had tried to obstruct the investigation, he fired him on the spot.

Days later, Roosevelt went to a charity gala where he exchanged a few words with J.P. Morgan. After Roosevelt had himself photographed with his family and friend John Moore, Morgan asked for a photo with him and took the opportunity to warn the Commissioner about the actions he had taken. Pursuing his “witch hunt” on corruption in public offices and letting an alienist and amateur detectives investigate crimes deemed meaningless, in fact, was causing discontent among the Four Hundred and Morgan advised the Police Commissioner to be more careful otherwise he would have no future.

Roosevelt visited Dr. Kreizler at home and advised the alienist that they were well advised to resolve the investigation quickly otherwise the press and the society would demand their heads.

When a new murder was committed despite the desperate attempts of the team to prevent him, Roosevelt assisted with the rest of the team at the autopsy of Ernst Lohmann. The child had been cruelly tortured prior and after death, reminding Roosevelt of some murders carried out by some tribes of Native Americans he had seen when he fought in the West.

Roosevelt met J.P. Morgan in a tailor shop, and the magnate took advantage of the opportunity to advise him to bury the hatchet in his constant struggle against the former chief Thomas Byrnes. Roosevelt was again left at the mercy of his thoughts, brooding about involving an alienist in the investigation.

At the funeral of Mary Palmer, Roosevelt offered his condolences to Laszlo and reminded him of the words his friend had told him when his first wife died.

At the O'Rourke Pub, Roosevelt had a heated discussion with Thomas Byrnes about the right method of running a police station and what it meant to wear a badge and uniform.

Roosevelt revealed to Sara Howard his fears and concerns about the failed investigation that led to a series of stacks of corpses of poor kids. However, the commissioner congratulated Miss Howard and the rest of the team on their valuable discoveries and research input.

When the Killer was about to strike again, Roosevelt had made his best men available to Miss Howard and Detective Sergeants Lucius and Marcus Isaacson. Unfortunately, the killer hit in another place but was eventually stopped by Dr. Kreizler and John Moore, reached just in time by Miss Howard to save them from being assassinated by Connor in his search for vengeance.

At the Kreizler Institute, Roosevelt wanted to know how the facts had unfolded and when Miss Howard confessed to the murder of former Captain Connor, Roosevelt told her that her father would be proud of her for stopping the murders. As for John Beecham, the actual serial killer, neither Kreizler nor the Isaacson brothers had managed to find anomalies in his brain during the autopsy.

At the police station, Roosevelt declared the investigation completed and gave a medal to Connor's family to honor the years of service.

Roosevelt moved to Washington, DC as Assistant Secretary of the Navy. Despite she was no longer an employee of the Police Department, Sara Howard used her connection with Roosevelt to bypass a controlling officer at Sing Sing Correctional Facility where Martha Napp was about to get executed.

## Memorable Quotes

**Commissioner Roosevelt**: “*As usual, you have overstepped your bounds.*”
— The Boy on the Bridge

**Commissioner Roosevelt**: “*If you don't succeed in stopping these murders, you'll soon find your head on a pike. And mine right alongside it.*”
—Ascension

## Appearances

The Alienist

* Ep. 2: *A Fruitful Partnership*
* Ep. 3: *Silver Smile*
* Ep. 4: *These Bloody Thoughts*
* Ep. 5: *Hildebrandt’s Starling*
* Ep. 7: *Many Sainted Men*
* Ep. 8: *Psychopathia Sexualis*
* Ep. 9: *Requiem*
* Ep. 10: *Castle in the Sky*

Angel of Darkness

* Ep. 1: *Ex Ore Infantium* (mentioned)

## Notes

* He is based on Theodore Roosevelt Jr, an American statesman, author, explorer, soldier, and naturalist, who served as the 26th President of the United States.
* Brian Geraghty has been tapped to co-star as Theodore 'Teddy' Roosevelt, replacing Sean Astin, who was initially cast for the role. "Unfortunately because of scheduling difficulties, Sean Astin will no longer play the role," TNT said in a statement.
* In a picture posted by Antonio Magro on Twitter, it's fair to say that Sean Astin resembles Roosevelt more closely in his old age, while Brian Geraghty fits the role of a younger Roosevelt, said to be in good shape due to his fondness of sports.

## Gallery

* Promotional Stills
* Screencaps
* Behind the Scenes

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

A BTS image with Sean Astin, the original actor set to portray Roosevelt

## References

1. ↑ *‘The Alienist’: Theodore Roosevelt Promotional Quote on TNT Instagram account.*
2. ↑  *Official Overview for Brian Geraghty's Theodore Roosevelt — TNT Pressroom*
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Gina Gionfriddo & Cary Joji Fukunaga (writers) & James Hawes (director); (February 12, 2018); "These Bloody Thoughts". Episode 4.*The Alienist*. TNT
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1  Hossein Amini (writer) & Jamie Payne (director); (March 19, 2018); "Requiem". Episode 9.*The Alienist*. TNT
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1  John Sayles (writer) & Paco Cabezas (director); (March 5, 2018); "Many Sainted Men". Episode 7.*The Alienist*. TNT
6. ↑  Although Roosevelt's children are not explicitly mentioned in the series apart from Alice, they make their appearance in Caleb Carr's novel and briefly appeared in *Castle in the Sky,* (See this image).
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1  E. Max Frye (writer) & James Hawes (director); (February 19, 2018); "Hildebrandt’s Starling". Episode 5.*The Alienist*. TNT
8. ↑  Hossein Amini (writer) & Jakob Verbruggen (director); (January 22, 2018); "The Boy on the Bridge". Episode 1. *The Alienist*. TNT
9. ↑ Hossein Amini & E. Max Frye (writers) & Jakob Verbruggen (director); (January 29, 2018); "A Fruitful Partnership". Episode 2.*The Alienist*. TNT
10. ↑ Gina Gionfriddo (writer) & Jakob Verbruggen (director); (February 5, 2018); "Silver Smile". Episode 3.*The Alienist*. TNT
11. ↑ E. Max Frye (writer) & Paco Cabezas (director); (February 26, 2018); "Ascension". Episode 6.*The Alienist*. TNT
12. ↑ John Sayles (writer) & David Petrarca (director); (March 12, 2018); "Psychopathia Sexualis". Episode 8.*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. ↑ *‘The Alienist’: Sean Astin Stars As Teddy Roosevelt In TNT Drama Series — Deadline.com*
16. ↑ *‘The Alienist’: Brian Geraghty Replaces Sean Astin In TNT Series — Deadline.com*
17. ↑ *Antonio Magro revealing gangster roles on Twitter*