Sara Howard

Sara Howard
Biographical Information
Born	c.1865
Occupation	Secretary (formerly) Private Detective
Status	Alive
Relationship
Affiliation	New York City Police Department (formerly) 808-Broadway
Relatives	Stephen Hamilton Howard † (father) Mrs. Howard † (mother)
Significant Others	John Moore (love interest)
Victims	Captain Connor (shot)
Appearances
Actor	Dakota Fanning
First Appearance	The Boy on the Bridge
Last Appearance	Better Angels

“	I’m the first female employee at the NYPD. Times are changing, whether society is prepared or not. When I discovered an “alienist” would be investigating the horrific murders plaguing the streets of New York. I wanted in.	”
	— Sara Howard

Miss Sara Howard is a headstrong secretary at Police Headquarters who find herself involved in the investigations of some mysterious murders in 1896 New York City. She later opens her own private detective agency.

Sara Howard is a major character in ‘The Alienist’ and ‘Angel of Darkness’. She is portrayed by Dakota Fanning.

Official Description

The Alienist

"SARA HOWARD is the first woman hired by the New York Police Department as a secretary to Commissioner Theodore Roosevelt. She sees this job as a steppingstone to becoming the first female police detective in New York City. Self-possessed and intelligent, Sara grew up as an only child who was doted on by her father. She not only "shakes hands like a man," but considers herself just as competent – if not more so – than any of the men on the force. Well-bred and well-spoken, Sara becomes the liaison between Roosevelt and Kreizler’s team and is immediately intrigued by the case being investigated by Dr. Laszlo Kreizler and John Moore. "

Angel of Darkness

Sara Howard previously employed as the personal assistant to New York Police Commissioner Theodore Roosevelt, has used that experience and her participation in the Beecham case to set up the Howard Detective Agency, acting as a private detective primarily for cases brought by women. Self-possessed and intelligent, well-bred and well-spoken, fearless and adept with a gun, she invites Dr. Kreizler and John Moore to join her once again as she works to rescue the kidnapped infant daughter of a Spanish diplomat from a dangerous killer.

Character Overview

Miss Howard is a young woman in her twenties, with a fair complexion, blue eyes, and blonde hair. Her porcelain doll appearance conceals, without too much effort, a rebellious nature and willing disposition to affirm her place in a world dominated by men. At the workplace, Miss Howard is often wearing chaste and sober dresses with puffed sleeves while in social engagements she wears elegant and refined dresses that highlight the strengths of her appearance, accentuating her beauty. Miss Sara Howard is determined and headstrong and does not hesitate to put at the disposal of rightful causes her acute intelligence, attention to detail and her formidable skills in the use of firearms. Her strong temperament is also essential to overcome the constant obstacles and prejudices that she constantly faces in the workplace.

Biography

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

Early Life

Sara Howard lost her mother when she was very young and was raised as an only child by her father, Steven Hamilton Howard , an old acquaintance of Theodore Roosevelt and the family of John Moore.

Mr. Howard thought that if Sara was to endeavor to live in a man's world, then it was necessary for her to learn to act like a man. And so he taught her to ride, to shoot, to live without fear of her own convictions. Sara also learned how to drink whiskey. However, it took her years to accustom herself to the taste.

When she was a teenager, Sara's father committed suicide – despite the official version stating that he died in a hunting accident. Sara later confessed to Dr. Laszlo Kreizler that her father did try to commit suicide but he'd lost his courage and tried to pull the gun from his mouth. In excruciating pain when Sara find him, he guided her hand for a last deadly shot. In the aftermath of her father's death, Sara had a nervous breakdown that led her to be admitted to a sanatorium.

Fully recovered, Sara pursued a groundbreaking career and attended Vassar College with the Class of 1886 in Poughkeepsie, New York, the first degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States, where she befriended her roommate, Jane Gooding. After that, Sara entered the New York City Police Department as a secretary to Theodore Roosevelt, becoming the first woman to serve in the police department.

In an unspecified time, Sara distanced herself from her friend John Moore when he used one of her portraits for the illustrations of a fashion magazine and Sara was very annoyed at having been objectified and reduced to something beautiful to look at, based on the description attached to the portrait that focused only on her look.

A New Woman

New York City Police Department, March 4th, 1896. Sara Howard's work at the Police Department was repeatedly rendered unbearable by constant harassments by police men; First amongst them, Captain Connor, who more than once told her squalid sexist jokes.

When John Moore and Dr. Laszlo Kreizler presented themselves for an unscheduled meeting with Commissioner Theodore Roosevelt, Sara was unwilling to do favouritism but her being a woman was used both as an excuse not to obey her orders, and to oust her from the conversation about boy prostitutes' murders.

Outside the department, Sara was approached by Moore who asked her to break the rules and get him a secret file on Benjamin and Sofia Zweig for Dr. Kreizler, much to Miss Howard's disappointment. However, Sara ultimately decided that the investigations needed a competent detective instead of Captain Connor and his men, and for this reason she decided to help her former friend, meeting him outside a brothel, provided she was constantly informed about any development.

Interested in finding out more about the Giorgio Santorelli's murder case, especially after Captain Connor hastened to consider it a solved case, Sara sought the help of John. The two went to Little Italy to converse with the Santorelli family and discovered that they were threatened by corrupt policemen and a priest to remain silent.

The woman's intuition led her to seek information about previous unsolved cases with similar circumstances. That was how she discovered about Aaron Morton and an African American boy whom the police had not been able to identify. Together with Moore, Miss Howard informed Dr. Kreizler of recent discoveries, concluding that there was a serial killer at large.

The alienist invited both of them to dinner at Delmonico's, where Sara met Detective Sergeants Marcus and Lucius Isaacson. The two illustrated their theories and findings, including the potential murder weapon, an Arkansas toothpick knife, and evidence that the killer had left a bloody fingerprint on an item from one of the victim. Sara participated interested in the conversation, claiming to have read in the Dactyloscopy — the science of a finger, palm, or foot leaving a chance impression.

On the way back home, Miss Howard was able to talk to Dr. Kreizler and tell him that he would be suspicious of knowing she knew her.

To all intents and purposes a member of the team, Sara informed the alienist about the disappearance of Giorgio Santorelli's corpse from the morgue, proposing that there was much more corruption in the department than they had previously believed. The two had a brief argument about Sara's real reasons for his involvement in the investigation.

In the evening, Sara attended a reunion with former colleagues of Vassar College where guests staged a murder for fun. The evening event bored Sara tremendously, especially when her friend Jane Gooding boasted about her boyfriend, Milton, asking if Sara had finally found a man to marry.

After her boring evening, there was a murder at Castle Garden. Sara and John rushed to the crime scene with Dr. Kreizler's manservant, Cyrus Montrose. Commissioner Roosevelt was able to divert public attention and gave them enough time for a quick look at the crime scene. After an initial discomfort at the sight of blood and the mutilated body of the latest victim, Sara was promptly skilled to theorize the killer's modus operandi indicating how height and water were common denominators in the murders. The team, however, was forced to interrupt their investigations when police and journalists arrived at the crime scene.

Back at the Kreizler Institute, Sara and John had a heated discussion with the alienist when he used their past traumas and griefs to psychoanalyse their contribution to the investigations. The two friends left the house, and on their way home John revealed to Sara a few details about Kreizler's past.

Not of the Weaker Sex Sort

At the Police Department, Captain Connor delivered Moore's sketchbook to Roosevelt, making it clear that he was aware of the parallel investigation and their presence at Castle Gardens the night before. The Commissioner tasked Sara to return the sketchbook to Dr. Kreizler.

After searching for him at home, Sara met with Dr. Kreizler at the park, where the two had a conversation about the role society plays in forming – and suppressing – women. By pointing to a woman across the park. Kreizler revealed that she had drowned both her children in a tub. Sara said she felt no empathy for the woman, especially because she had killed children for no apparent reason. Before leaving, Kreizler told her that in his opinion everyone has what drives him to commit heinous crimes. It is only the right or wrong combination of events that trigger a person to perpetrate them.

Later at the Police Department, Sara had a conversation with Roosevelt about Dr. Kreizler's peculiar personality and Sara learned that he had a malformed arm he always tried to compensate with his strong personality and intellect. It was here that Sara met Mrs. Santorelli, who had received a letter from the murderer. Following an invitation from Dr. Kreizler to a cabaret, Sara met the rest of the team and discovered that they had been invited there by the killer when the woman showed them the letter full of insults and macabre ramblings.

At the Kreizler Institute, the team analysed the letter with the help of a graphologist and later, Miss Howard and Dr. Kreizler had a heated discussion about the possible identity and motivations of the killer. Annoyed by the despotic behaviour of the alienist, Sara left the building, pursued by John. The man tried to mitigate the spirits and asked Sara to marry him. The woman laughed at what she thought was a joke.

A few days later, Sara met Detectives Sergeants Lucius and Marcus Isaacson outside the Commissioner's office, with whom they had an appointment. Miss Howard seized the opportunity to ask the two men for clarification on homosexuality and why the murderer was targeting boy prostitutes.

Discovered that the mysterious murderer killed his victims during the holy days of the Christian calendar, the team decided to set up a trap. Sara took care of dressing Stevie Taggert, one of Dr. Kreizler's servants, as a prostitute and was intransigent about her participation in the mission when Lucius Isaacson tried to oust her, saying it was not a matter for the “weaker sex”.

In the meantime, Sara had discovered details of Kreizler's childhood as an enfant prodige of the piano, which contradicted his story about being born with a deformed arm. Sara shared this discovery with John.

After an initial failure during the night of Ascension Day, the group again tried to set a trap for the killer by using Stevie again as bait on The Slide brothel. While Marcus and John were inside the brothel, and Cyrus and Lucius were posted on the roof, Sara and Dr. Kreizler waited in a carriage. Sara tried to provoke the alienist about the real reason of his disability, coming immediately to a heated argument that ended when Laszlo slapped her. Sara had no way to reply because the attention was immediately recalled by the killer who, after creating a diversion for the team, managed to kidnap one of the brothel's boy prostitutes.

Trying to overcome the sense of defeat and guilt towards the latest victim, young Rosie, the team lead by Dr. Kreizler tried to put together all the information they had in search of details that could have been missed. So it was that Sara, Marcus and Lucius spent whole days at the Kreizler Institute reading and studying documents, articles and files in search of previous crimes that could have been committed by the same man.

Sara also sought comfort from John, and revealed him what happened with Kreizler during the night of the ambush, and of the slap received by Laszlo.

Closer to the Darkness

After John and Dr. Kreizler found a track on a potential suspect, Sara was assigned the task of going to New Paltz to gather information in the man's birthplace. There she met Eliza, a young woman sent to guide her whilst investigating in town. This is how Sara came to discover the sad past of Japheth Dury. As a child he had been abused by both parents. The father was a preacher prone to sermons on damnation and violence, often showing people photographs of bodies mutilated by the natives. Japheth disappeared when Mr. Dury and his wife were savagely killed, and the local people blamed a Native American tribe, accusing them of kidnapping the boy as well. This story was confirmed by Sheriff Early.

Together with Sheriff Early, the two women visited the former Dury home, now reduced to a crumbling ruin. There Sara found a tin box buried under the rubble. Inside there were animal bones. On the way back, Eliza warned Sara of believing the things the sheriff had told her and told her that a friend of Japheth, George Beecham, was found dead shortly after. She believed that Japheth wasn't kidnapped but that he had killed both of his parents and his friend.

While the team was scattered in various cities to follow important avenues of their investigation, Connor and Sergeant Doyle had broken into Dr. Kreizler's home with the intention of making him desist from the investigation. Since the alienist was not there, the two men had assaulted the servants and Mary Palmer, Kreizler's housemaid was brutally killed. At the funeral, Sara offered her sincere condolences to the doctor despite their past quarrel and misunderstanding.

With Kreizler out of the team, Sara took the lead and moved the headquarters to 808-Broadway, a former tavern seized by the police. From there, the remaining members of the group continued their investigations. By adding to the previous information those recently acquired on their suspect, Corporal John Beecham, they were, therefore, able to narrow down the inquiry. The man had worked as an enumerator for the City Council and Sara and the team visited his former address, where they found decomposed cats buried underneath the floor of his rented room.

Outside the new headquarters, Sara had a confrontation with Connor. The man threatened her to desist from the investigation, reaching the point of alluding her ending up raped in a dark alley. Miss Howard was not intimidated, and continued to lead the parallel investigation by continuing to report to Commissioner Roosevelt any progression they made.

The group then found the new address of Beecham where they discovered a room even more macabre and disturbing than the previous house. Organs preserved in jars, others partially devoured. Photographs of mutilated corpses — most likely the ones his father had used to scare him when he was a child — and a calcified heart preserved in a heart-shaped box, which Lucius deduced to be Beecham's mother's.

While the team made sure that John Beecham's apartment was inaccessible to him, the man struck again. This time he not only killed yet another boy prostitute, Maxie, at the Bath House, but also kidnapped Joseph, a boy prostitute that John had befriended during the investigations.

At the headquarters, Sara tired to comfort him in an attempt to relieve him from his gripping guilt about Joseph's fate. Moore, however, mistook her intentions and kissed her causing Sara to step back.

When Dr. Kreizler rejoined the team, Sara briefed him of their successful recent discoveries and the two shared painful events from their past. Sara revealed that she had assisted her father in his suicide after an initial failed attempt that had blown off half his face, and Laszlo that he had been beaten by his father when he was a child, thus causing his arm impairment.

The showdown came to an end and Miss Howard and the Isaacson brothers tried to set a trap for Beecham, supported by Roosevelt and the police force. Unfortunately, the man was somewhere else and was intercepted by Dr. Kreizler and Moore with the help of gangster Paul Kelly. When Sara became aware of their mistake, she joined Kreizler qns Moore just in time to prevent Connor from killing her friends. Sara killed Connor in cold blood, but the captain had already killed John Beecham, forever destroying Kreizler's hopes of psychoanalyse and, perhaps, helping him.

The team celebrated the success of the investigation and the capture of the serial killer at Delmonico's, where John and Sara again contemplated the feelings they felt for each other before they each returned to their respective houses.

Finding a Child Abductor

Sara arrived at the agency nearing the execution of Martha Napp. Sara, Bitsy, and Milly proceeded to grab their banners and headed for Sing Sing in protest of the execution along with John.

Martha is brought into the execution chamber and asked if she had any final words. Sara demanded that the execution be stopped as she believed Martha to be innocent. Laszlo tried to calm Sara and remind her that they’d already lost, but she continued, asking the spectators why hadn’t anyone found the body of the child if Martha was in fact the killer. Her question went unanswered and the execution proceeded as scheduled, with Byrne signalling for the execution.

Sara noticed a suspicious figure moving throughout the corridor of her agency. She approached with her gun drawn and demanded the intruder face her, who in actuality was merely Laszlo. She invited him into her office for a drink. He took notice of the furnishings of her office, noting that it is a mirror of herself and telling Sara that her father would be proud of her. Laszlo then informed Sara of his promise to Martha Napp to find her child, for which Sara and her detective agent are at Laszlo’s disposal.

Sara and Bitsy are called to the Spanish Consulate by Elizabeth in hopes that Sara could find the missing Linares’ baby, Ana. They didn't trust that the police would truly help them. Elizabeth and Isabella hoped that she could bring Dr. Kreizler in on the case. However, Sara informed them that what Isabella truly needed was an expert in the procedural method of criminal detection because there was always a trail and she would find it. Unfortunately, the trauma of losing her child had caused Isabella to block her memory of the day. And so, Sara, Bitsy, and Elizabeth began their investigation, starting with Ana’s crib and the doll that lied in it. Sara remarked that it had been staged like a work of art.

Sara, Bitsy, and Elizabeth followed the investigation to the outside of the Linares’ home. Where they discovered the abductor’s way of entry — a damaged window, and their way of exit — a backdoor that led to 5th Avenue.

As she continued her investigation, Sara discovered a brand on the back of the doll in Ana’s nursery from Siegel-Cooper. Not long after this discovery, Sara would come to learn that a dead baby had been found on display as a doll at Siegel-Cooper. There, she met with John, Lucius, and Marcus. 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. Lucius and Marcus suspected the child was poisoned.

Sara, John, and Laszlo reconvened at the agency to discuss their findings. The markings on the eyes of Martha’s child were reminiscent of posthumous portraiture. Grieving parents would have the eyes painted on the eyelids of their dead children to give the illusion of life. Sara described their suspect as being someone with a Pandora’s box of emotion with diabolical intents. The doll was simply a repository of the evil within that allowed the killer to dissociate from the cruelty of the act.

On their way to the Spanish Consulate, Laszlo suggested hypnosis as a means to access Señora Linares’ subconscious. However, Sara didn’t believe the method to be appropriate. Upon arriving at Señora Linares’ home, they began interviewing the staff. Afterward, they spoke with Narciso and asked to speak with Isabella, but he turned them away as she was resting.

Sara, John, and Laszlo learned from Lucius and Marcus that they’d managed to identify one component from the poison. Nightshade, most likely Hyoscine. While it could be found at most apothecaries, 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. It’s 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.

Sara and John decided to investigate further into the Siegel-Cooper Department Store. Sara was friends with the owner, Sterling Hessler, and asked for his help. Sterling informed Sara and John that the doll that was left behind at the Linares’ was called Ruby Red. However, the buyer only signed their initials E.H. They purchased the doll on at least five occasions. The first time being from July last year, which was the only time they gave an address. Which happened to be on Hudson Street.

Bitsy had grown worried about Sara, who hadn’t been eating or sleeping, so she brought her some food. Sara couldn’t stop thinking about Señora Linares and how much she’d been suffering. Bitsy quoted a Yiddish saying: "Mothers hold their children's hands for a short while, but their hearts forever."

Sara and John arrived at St. Ignatius Boarding House at 247 Hudson Street. However, it was abandoned. They were forced to take cover in a den after nearly being spotted by Fat Jack and a group of Dusters. They later went to Cyrus and asked about the Dusters. Cyrus informed them that Goo Goo Knox was their leader but only Fat Jack and Ding Dong were present. As for St. Ignatius, Goo Goo owned the property. It burned down the year before. Sara and John then asked to be introduced. Ding Dong approached and asked why they were searching for Goo Goo. However, when they revealed they were looking for a missing baby and wanted to inquire about his property, Ding Dong claimed that he hadn’t seen Goo Goo in months.

John had managed to find Goo Goo Knox, but he was surrounded and held against a wall at knife point. Sara joined them with her pistol drawn. She told Goo Goo to release John and then asked about his property on Hudson Street and if he knew anything about a missing child. However, Goo Goo maintained his innocence.

Sara and Laszlo arrived at the Spanish Consulate to find Captain Doyle and his men forcing Isabella into the back of a police vehicle with Eva trying to intervene. They intended to question her about the disappearance and possible murder of her baby. Sara told Doyle how she applauded his bravery given that the Linareses had diplomatic immunity. Arresting and charging her would result in a diplomatic incident of the highest degree. Fearing the outcome, Doyle reluctantly released Isabella.

Sara, Laszlo, Isabella, and Eva return inside and asked to speak with Eva, who they never got a chance to interview previously, but Isabella sent her away, explaining that Eva hadn’t done anything but what she had been asked to do. Isabella then admitted that she had been keeping a secret. She was afraid to tell Narciso. She thought he would blame her for when Ana fell on the floor a few months ago. So she and Eva brought Ana to the Lying-In Hospital, where she stayed for a few days. Eva stayed there with the child. And Isabella never told Narciso.

Sara, Laszlo, and John later learned from Lucius and Marcus that of the three poisons used to kill the child, two of them readily available from the apothecaries. The third poison was a pain suppressant. If administered incorrectly, it could kill a child and would likely only be found in a maternity ward.

Before trying to convince Señora Linares to undergo hypnosis, Sara agreed to be Laszlo’s subject. He instructed her to go to a calm place of safety and happiness. Sara recalled her time spent at her family’s house in Rhineback when she was 12 years old, running through a field of grass with a red balloon. Suddenly, her hands were covered in blood and the hypnosis came to a stop.

They began discussing the motive behind their kidnapper. 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. Bitsy then presented them with a way to get access to the Lying-In Hospital. The facility was a charity, meaning they had events to gather money. Gildersleeve was among the hosts. A family that John was familiar with. Sara proposed they ask John's friend Oggie Gildersleeve for a favor, to get an interview at the Lying-In Hospital.

Sara entered the Lying-In Hospital in search of Dr. Markeo. Instead, she found Matron, who escorted her to Dr. Markoe’s office. He remembered meeting her initially at Martha Napp’s execution. He claimed that he saw young girls like Martha Napp all the time. Poor, uneducated, easily preyed upon. Often, the child is not wanted and harm was done to it. It was regrettably not an uncommon experience. However, the Napp child was poisoned with drugs found only at hospitals, Sara mentioned. She then began to dig further into the night that the Napp child disappeared. Dr. Markeo explained that what they do could not be accomplished without the generosity of a great number of very wealthy people. That said, they needed to be self-sustaining, so many of their staff were simple ward girls. Poor, destitute young women who, sadly, often lose their infants in childbirth. They had nowhere else to go. But they were not reliable witnesses, Markoe assured Sara. She then inquired about a report regarding the missing child, but there wasn’t one. With that said, Sara asked to be taken to Martha Napp’s room.

Matron took Sara to what she claimed was Martha’s room on the night her child disappeared. While Matron was gone, searching for a doctor to tend to a bleeding patient, Sara asked Libby Hatch if she knew Martha Napp. Libby revealed that the room they were in was not in fact the same room the night that Martha’s child disappeared. Libby added that Martha was actually in a room near recovery and postpartum. Libby then went to help Colleen with a patient suffering from lice. Matron joined them and convinced the patient to settle down. She then told Colleen that Dr. Markoe needed her in his office. However, Colleen refused. Matron demanded that she go to his office even as Sara tried to intervene.

That evening, Sara bought Libby lunch. Despite Dr. Markoe’s claims, she told Sara that there should be a report. Libby then inquired about Sara’s pocket watch, which was a gift from Sara’s father. However, he died from a gun related “accident.” Libby sympathized, explaining that her father had an “accident “ as well. But with him it was a rope over a bridge. Sara then gave Libby her card. After lunch, Sara revealed her suspicion that the person who took Martha Napp’s baby also abducted the child of the Spanish consulate general. Libby recalled baby Ana’s stint at the hospital. Matron kept baby Anna away from them all, but Libby wouldn’t accuse her of ever hurting a child. Before parting ways, Libby gave Sara Matron’s address.

Sara arrived at the institute as Laszlo was concluding a session with one of the kids, Paulie. Sara watched as Laszlo showed him a magic trick and even snuck a coin into his pocket to buy a deck of cards. Laszlo had become fond of boy. Once he was gone, Sara revealed that she learned from one of the ward nurses that the Matron was worth investigating. Also, Sara had spoken to Señora Linares, who had agreed to the hypnosis.

After Laszlo failed to help Isabella fully recall her memories of the day, Sara asked Cecilia Beaux, Isabella’s friend and instructor, for her assistance. She would like for Cecilia to paint what Isabella describes while she was under hypnosis. Though it was an odd proposition, Cecilia agreed to help.

Laszlo put Isabella back under hypnosis. Cecilia assisted her in painting her surroundings that evening as she described them. Sara, John, and Narciso watched quietly. Sara soon realized that Isabella was at the Tea House. She could sense that someone was watching her. A woman. She then described seeing a flash like a gunshot as she left the park.

Sara and Milly headed to the Tea House, where they found a photographer taking pictures, to which Sara recalled Señora Linares mentioning a flash like a gunshot. From the photographer, they requested every photo he had from the day of the abduction.

Libby awaited Sara outside of her agency. She presented Sara with Martha Napp’s file, which she intended to come back and pick up tomorrow.

Sara joined John for the second half of his bachelor party at Cyrus'. Oggie and Sara discussed the nature of her interview with Dr. Markoe and then asked to take her out.

Sara prepared Bitsy to go undercover as a nurse for the Lying-In Hospital, advising her to work alongside the ward girls.

Milly brought Sara the mail. Most of which was bills, though one was from Oggie. Libby stopped by the agency to ask for the file back. She made notice of the guns in Sara’s office. After observing Martha Napp’s file, Sara discovered that Colleen was the last person to check on Martha the night the child went missing, leaving Sara to wonder if Colleen was capable of murder.

Sara and Bitsy rendezvoused in the chapel to share intel. Bitsy discovered that the maternal research wing was where they kept the mistresses of rich old men, but there weren’t any babies up there. They claimed that all the girls had stillborns. Sara then asked that Bitsy aligned herself with Colleen, who also started out as a patient. Sara lastly asked Bitsy to search the drug closet for the poison used to kill the Napp child.

Sara and Laszlo attended John and Violet’s engagement part. Sara feared that John was being bought and seduced, accusing Violet of humiliating John. Sara told John that he deserved someone adventurous and curious — someone like her, but not her. John compared Sara to a yazoo tributary, which was a tributary that ran beside a main river. It flirted with joining it. It’d come very close, but never did, which Sara claimed to be the exact opposite of Violet. John argued that it was also the opposite of Sara as well, accusing her of being so full of judgement. Unlike Sara, John didn’t want to be alone and childless forever.

Helen arrived at John and Violet’s engagement party unannounced and called out to Richard, demanding to know why he didn’t come for her. Markoe tried to escort her out, claiming she had too much champagne. Sara intervened and demanded that Markoe unhand the woman. Helen revealed to Sara that the hospital took her baby and fixed her so that she couldn’t have more kids. Markoe claimed that Richard did in fact love Helen, which was why he asked Markoe to escort Helen in his carriage to the townhouse. Sara realized that much like with Helen, Markoe must sterilize all the women of rich white men in the research wing. She asked that Helen stay with her, but she left with Markoe instead, believing in his lies.

After discovering that Libby was in fact the kidnapper, Sara, Laszlo, Lucius and Marcus arrived at 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. Fortunately, Lucius managed to save Bitsy with the antidote.

Sara apologized to Bitsy for putting her in harm’s way. Bitsy informed Sara that when Libby smiled, she had black teeth. Sara then told Bitsy to get some rest and that she’d be by to see her later. Lastly, Sara was going to have John come by to render a sketch, but Bitsy informed her of a photo of Libby hanging near Markoe’s office.

Lucius revealed to Sara that Matron didn’t show up for work and that Byrnes and Captain Doyle intended to speak with her. And so, Sara and Lucius rushed to speak with her first. However, they found her dead at her kitchen table. They called over John, Laszlo, and Marcus to search the scene and collect evidence. 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.

Sara, John, Laszlo, and Lucius presumed that Libby had been trying to replace a lost child. In her mind, that child would be frozen in time. Any growth beyond that of her own baby would be greeted with skepticism. Meaning the Linares baby may have already overstayed its welcome. And so John suggested running Libby’s likeness in the Times. Marcus joined them and shared that they found a photo of Libby in Byrnes’ mugshot book. She was in there as a known associate of the Dusters.

Sara and John learned from Cyrus that Libby was Goo Goo Knox’ girlfriend. Sara and John returned to the agency to learn that Libby had been there. She stole Sara’s father’s gun from her office and drew eyes on the chalkboard. With Sara perhaps being marked as Libby’s next target, John invited Sara to stay at his place.

Sara stopped by Cyrus’ in search of Goo Goo Knox, however, Cyrus informed her that Fat Jack was the only Duster around and asked her to go home. Instead, Joanna offered her assistance. The two of them followed Fat Jack to Goo Goo Knox, who was not only with Libby but complicit in the abductions. They watched as Libby breastfed Knox. Afterward, Sara followed Libby to her lair — the building directly next to St. Ignatius.

Sara drew her weapon and crept from room to room. However, Libby managed to sneak up behind her, forcing Sara to lower her gun. While lowering her gun, Sara grabbed a handful of ash from the fireplace to temporarily disorientate and disarm Libby, who managed to escape, but was injured in the process, leaving behind a trail of blood. Baby Ana suddenly started to cry and Sara found her tucked away in a dresser drawer.

After taking the Linares baby home, John apologized to Sara for being so cruel to her at the engagement party. Too often things said in anger came from a place of affection. And what should be spoken out loud was left unsaid. This led to a tender moment in the bed room, in which they had sex.

Searching for Libby Hatch

John expressed to Sara how all he wanted was to be worthy of her following their hookup. However, with him engaged to be married, it was unfortunately not that simple. And so, Sara turned her focus back to Libby. She suspected that Libby had another hideout given that the apartment that Sara tracked her to didn’t have a nursery or any necessities for child care. Bitsy suddenly showed up with a news article from the Journal attacking Sara. It did, however, mention that Sara found the Linares child. The article appeared to have had the opposite effect of what Hearst intended. The agency had been taking calls all morning for new cases. However, they still needed to catch Libby.

Sara and John weren’t permitted into the crime scene where they recovered baby Ana. So they turned their attention towards the building next door — St. Ignatius. Inside, they found Libby’s actual lair and the nursery where she had kept baby Ana and the Napp child. On the wall, they saw photos of four children. One of which was the Napp child. Each with their eyelids painted. It would seem that baby Ana was next and that they found her just in time. On the dresser, they found a brush belonging to the Linares. They found memory boxes. Each containing mementos from the infant’s earliest days. Sara then noticed a brush on top of the dressed with a family crest that not even John recognized.

Sara and John went to the New York Times and started looking through their archives in search for the family crest from the brush they found in Libby’s lair. They discovered that the crest belonged to the Vanderbilt family. As Sara, John, and Bitsy crossed off each potential Vanderbilt, Milly alerted Sara that there was a fancy carriage outside and one of the footmen requested her presence. It was at that moment that they realized they were too late and that Libby had struck again.

Sara met with Cornelius Vanderbilt and explained that she knew Libby would strike again after finding items bearing the Vanderbilt crest. Sara agreed to take on the case under two conditions: Laszlo had to be reinstated and Sara wanted to be made lead detective on the case. Cornelius agreed to her terms.

Sara, John, and Laszlo needed to figure out as much as they could about Libby Hatch. Though she may have lied, they believed that something she said to Sara during their initial encounters must’ve been truthful. Sara presumed the story that Libby told her about her father hanging himself on a bridge. Something that public would've been reported. And so Sara and John intend to look through the archives at the New York Times. However, before leaving, Sara also shared how she saw Libby nursing Goo Goo Knox. Lactophilia was the professional term, Laszlo revealed.

While searching the archives, Sara and John found an article from years ago that detailed a man hanging himself from Brooklyn Bridge. He was survived by his wife, Mallory Hunter, and their daughter, Elspeth Hunter, whose initials were E.H. Same as the doll buyer from the Siegel-Cooper department store. Given that she was on the run, they figured she would hide in some place familiar. Mostly likely Brooklyn.

Sara informed Vanderbilt how they’d narrowed down Libby’s location to Brooklyn. Fleeing Manhattan would be her only option. Sara assured Vanderbilt that they would find his grandson.

Sara and John met with Sergeant Kelly of the Brooklyn police department to discuss whether or not Libby Hatch was Elspeth Hunter. Sergeant Kelly was doubtful that they were one and the same considering the Hunters were a family of means. They soon discovered that Libby was in fact Elspeth and that she had a history of violence. She was confined at Blackwell’s Island for two years after nearly trying to kill her mother.

Sara, John, Laszlo, and Byrnes visited Libby’s mother, Mallory Hunter. Mallory claimed that she hadn’t seen her daughter in years and that they were the only family they had left. Sara questioned why Libby tried to kill her all those years ago. Sara suspected it may have been a fight over Libby’s baby. She had a girl who the Children’s Aid Society took responsibility for. Laszlo realized that Mallory was lying. Libby never attacked her. Mallory was a woman of means, so the Children’s Aid Society would’ve never taken the child from her care unless they could prove Libby was a danger. Otherwise, both Libby and the child would’ve been her responsibility. So Mallory fabricated a story about Libby trying to kill her, which led to Libby being institutionalized and becoming the monster that she was. Laszlo then asked if Libby knew where the child was. Fortunately, she didn’t, and Mallory still had the papers from the orphanage.

As Sara returned to the agency, Bitsy informed her of the publication in the Journal detailing the reunion between Libby’s mother and daughter. Sara and Laszlo confronted Byrnes and Mallory for exploiting Clara and putting her in danger. However, before they could leave with the child, they got word that Libby was spotted three blocks away in a striped jacket. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. It was a redhead girl in a striped jacket, but it wasn’t Libby. The woman explained that Libby said she could keep the jacket if she delivered them a message. In hand, the woman held a bullet and told them that Libby said there was one for each of them.

Bitsy offered to cancel her plans with Lucius in order to help Sara, but she insisted that Bitsy stick with her plans. Admittedly, Sara was upset after Byrnes interfered with her investigation. Bitsy was concerned with leaving Sara alone and offered to call John, but Sara asked her not to. Bitsy advised Sara to tell John that she loved him because a time would come when it would be too late.

Sara got a call from John, who asked if she had uncovered a new lead, but she hadn’t. She was simply at the office to avoid having the conversation with John regarding their relationship. Sara had trouble expressing her feelings. She very much enjoyed their time together, but they didn’t think it through. John wanted to know what the future had in store for them. And if Sara didn’t answer, he would make the decision for the both of them. When Sara didn’t respond, he told her goodnight.

After realizing that she made a mistake, Sara called John back, but he did not answer. She heard someone enter the agency, who she presumed to be John, but it was in fact Libby, armed with Doyle’s firearm. She demanded to know where Clara was. Sara asked where the Vanderbilt baby was, but Libby insisted both of them belonged to her. Sara offered Libby a chance to meet Clara, but only if she returned the Vanderbilt child. Libby recalled what Doyle said about Clara being screwed up in the head and asked Sara if it was true. Sara replied that they were going to help Clara and that they could help Libby too. However, she didn’t want Sara’s help. So Libby raised the gun and fired, but John arrived just in time to push the gun away from Sara. A struggle ensued between John and Libby. He managed to disarm her, allowing for Sara to get the gun. However, Libby pulled a blade from her boot and held it to John’s throat, telling Sara to put the gun down.

As Libby held a blade to John’s throat, she demanded that Sara tell her where Clara was. Libby realized that they loved each other. So she proceeded to run the blade across John’s throat, forcing Sara to reveal that Clara was taken to the Kreizler Institute. John managed to break free and subdue Libby while she was distracted. When Sara asked what Libby did with the Vanderbilt child, Libby replied that the baby wasn’t hers.

Sara took John to the hospital to get patched up. She feared that John merely loved her as a friend and that all the qualities he liked in her as a friend, he would not want in a wife. John explained that he loved Sara for many reasons and that she shouldn’t worry. However, John wanted a family and a place to call home, and Sara wanted none of that.

Sara, John, and Laszlo arrived at the police station. After Byrnes failed to get Libby to break, he suggested that Laszlo try to get her to open up, but Laszlo believed Sara would be better for conducting the interview. Sara entered Libby’s cell and revealed that she had met her mother and knew the truth behind their falling out. Libby revealed that the first time she went to Blackwell Island after her father died, she came out with a child. Her mother cut herself and blamed it on Libby as she didn’t want either of them. Sara was of the opinion that some people shouldn’t have children, her mother included. Much like Libby, Sara was loved by her father, but not her mother. Libby lost all happiness in life when her father died, but having Clara made her feel loved. When she was born, Libby knew from that moment that she loved her. Sara offered Libby an opportunity to see Clara but only if she told them where to find the Vanderbilt baby. Libby agreed and softly whispered the whereabouts of the child to Sara. She then asked when she could see Clara. Sara, having lied to Libby, rushed out the cell to inform John, Laszlo, and Byrnes where to find the Vanderbilt baby.

Sara and Laszlo fled and hid inside a cell as the Dusters attacked the station while majority of the force was out searching for the child. As the commotion settled, they made their way back to the lobby, where the bodies of officers and Dusters alike were scattered across the floor.

While at Marcus' wake after he was killed by Libby and Goo Goo, John recalled Sara asking him in the hospital if he wanted a family. He did. But in realizing how fleeting life was, he realized that what he truly desired was her.

Sara began searching through all the evidence they had on Libby and the cases. Sara recalled a moment in the prison cell with Libby where her eyes lit up at a recollection — where she spoke of being happy and doing ballet. Bitsy surmised that she aspired to be a lady. Assuming Mallory was being truthful, that was a life they once had. A paradise lost when Libby’s father died. Laszlo deduced that Libby was sheltering in her memories, retreating to a time when she was happy. John remembered the painting on the wall at Mallory Hunter’s place and believed it to be Libby’s childhood home, which she likely retreated to.

Sara, John, and Laszlo sneaked into Libby's childhood home, where they were confronted by Goo Goo Knox, who was armed with a shotgun. Just as he was about to shoot, Lucius arrived and killed Goo Goo after shooting him twice in the chest. They suddenly heard Clara scream out for help. They entered the main room to find Libby holding a shard of glass to Clara’s throat. Fortunately, Sara and Laszlo managed to convince Libby to release Clara. Byrnes and his men then entered and placed Libby under arrest.

John stopped by the agency and informed Sara that Violet was pregnant with his child. Admittedly, Sara was sad, but she was also happy for John as now he got to be what his heart truly desired — to be a father. John revealed that there had been an ache in his heart since his brother died. So he hoped that a small part of him would be born again with the arrival of his child.

Sara met with John and Laszlo for dinner, where Laszlo revealed that he was moving to Vienna with Karen. They toasted to their friendship. Violet then arrived and John left with her. Sara asked Laszlo how long he would be in Europe though he wasn’t sure.

Sara took a carriage to Sing Sing, where she sat in the execution chamber where Martha Napp breathed her last breath. She also briefly visited Libby. They exchanged looks before parting ways.

Sara returned to her agency, where Bitsy informed her that she sent Ida downtown to investigate the Annie Swede case and that the commissioner had asked for Sara to assist on the Pacific State Bank heist. Lastly, Mrs. Schermerhorn messaged, claiming that her servants were stealing her silverware again. Sara instructed Bitsy to politely decline. She then introduced Bitsy and Milly to the new member of their team, Kitty Byrnes. Sara informed Kitty that she wouldn’t see a lot of photographs of women police detectives, but that they would change that.

Memorable Quotes

Sara Howard: “I am Miss Howard, an employee of the New York Police Department. You will please accord me the respect that my position demands.”

Sara Howard: “Funny, Captain Connor. I see only a little pink mouse.”

Sara Howard: “I'm not here on savory business, and every panderer, mawk, lush, and billy noodle in the city pass through the doors of the police department, not to mention the mutton shunters that I work with. So please don't concern yourself with my blushes.”

— The Boy on the Bridge

---

Sara Howard: “When it comes to the commissioner, I find it sometimes better to ask forgiveness rather than permission.”

Sara Howard: “I'll not wear an evening dress as I have no need to flatter myself.”

Sara Howard: “Oh, enough, John! I am perfectly capable of hearing whatever it is that needs to be said.”

Dr. Laszlo Kreizler: “May I assume you have an interest?"

Sara Howard: "It wouldn't be fair to assume anything about me, Doctor.”

— A Fruitful Partnership

---

Sara Howard: “The truth is, I prefer whiskey.”

— Hildebrandt’s Starling

---

Sara Howard: “Given certain circumstances, we're all capable of violence.”

— Many Sainted Men

---

Appearances

The Alienist 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

Angel of Darkness 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

• Sara Howard, the secretary played by Ms. Fanning, has been broadened into a fuller portrait of a young woman trying to be tough enough to thrive in a man's world without losing her femininity and sexuality, Ms. Fanning said: “As women, I think that's something we all deal with and especially right now, it's being talked about a lot,” she added, alluding to the ongoing national reckoning with toxic male behavior.

• The original, and slightly different draft for Sara Howard's description read as follow:

  "The primly dressed but beautiful Sara Howard is the first woman hired by the New York Police Department and she is determined to become the first female police detective in New York City. Self-possessed and intelligent, Sarah grew up as an only child who was doted on by her father. She not only "shakes hands like a man," but considers herself just as competent – if not more so – than any of the men on the force. Well-bred and well-spoken, Sara has a keen interest in crime-solving and is immediately intrigued by the case being investigated by Kreizler and Moore."

Trivia

• Sara Howard is inspired by two historical figures.
  • In 1895, the first woman to work at Police Headquarters, Minnie Gertrude Kelly, was appointed Secretary to the Police Board.
  • In 1912, Isabella Goodwin was appointed as the first female, first grade detective. Goodwin was hired by Commissioner Theodore Roosevelt. Much like Sara, Goodwin used to conduct private investigations.

Gallery

• The Alienist
• The Angel of Darkness

• Promotional Stills
• Screencaps
• Videos
• Behind the Scenes

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

Episodes

Trailers

Episode Scenes

The Alienist The Respect My Position Demands - Season 1, Ep. 1 CLIP TNT

The Alienist Corruption in the Police Department - Season 1, Ep. 3 CLIP TNT

The Alienist Sara Howard, Will You Marry Me? - Season 1, Ep. 5 SNEAK PEEK TNT

The Alienist The Truth Is... - Season 1, Ep. 5 CLIP TNT

The Alienist Ascension - Season 1, Ep. 6 CLIP TNT

The Alienist Psych Ward - Season 1, Ep. 7 SNEAK PEEK TNT

The Alienist There Was A Massacre In New Paltz - Season 1, Ep. 8 CLIP TNT

The Alienist Requiem - Season 1, Ep. 9 SNEAK PEEK TNT

The Alienist Confrontation - Season 1, Ep. 9 CLIP TNT

The Alienist Castle in the Sky - Season Finale SNEAK PEEK TNT

The Alienist Don't Pretend I Have No Feelings For You - Season Finale CLIP TNT

Inside

The Alienist Promo — Dakota Fanning Introduces Sara Howard

The Alienist Inside — Behind Dakota Fanning's Looks

The Alienist Women in Police with Dakota Fanning - Season 1 BEHIND THE SCENES TNT

• Promotional Stills
• Behind the Scenes

“Sara Howard is taking the lead.”

Photo by Kata Vermes. [Courtesy of TNT Pressroom]