God has abandoned Heaven. It's 1985: the Reagans are in the White House and Death swings the scythe of AIDS. In Manhattan, Prior Walter tells Louis, his lover of four years, he's ill; Louis leaves but as disease and loneliness ravage Prior, guilt invades Louis. Joe Pitt, a Mormon Republican attorney, is pushed by right-wing fixer Roy Cohn toward a job at the Justice Department. Pitt and Cohn are closeted: Pitt, out of shame and religious turmoil; Cohn, to preserve his power and access. Pitt's wife Harper is strung out on Valium, aching to escape a sexless marriage. An angel invites Prior to be a prophet in death.
God has abandoned Heaven. It's 1985: the Reagans are in the White House and Death swings the scythe of AIDS. In Manhattan, Prior Walter tells Louis, his lover of four years, he's ill; Louis leaves but as disease and loneliness ravage Prior, guilt invades Louis. Joe Pitt, a Mormon Republican attorney, is pushed by right-wing fixer Roy Cohn toward a job at the Justice Department. Pitt and Cohn are closeted: Pitt, out of shame and religious turmoil; Cohn, to preserve his power and access. Pitt's wife Harper is strung out on Valium, aching to escape a sexless marriage. An angel invites Prior to be a prophet in death.
Meryl StreepHannah Pitt / Ethel Rosenberg / The Rabbi / The Angel Australia
Jeffrey WrightNorman 'Belize' Ariaga / Mr. Lies / Homeless man / The Angel Europa
Patrick WilsonJoe Pitt
Emma ThompsonNurse Emily / Homeless Woman / The Angel
Credits
Created by
Tony Kushner
Written by
Tony Kushner, Tony Kushner
Production details
Status
Ended
Series type
Miniseries
Episodes
6
Original language
English
Networks & production
HBOUnited States
HBO FilmsUnited States
Avenue PicturesUnited States
Avenue Entertainment
Themes
1980saidsangelbased on play or musicalcentral parkcloseted homosexualcross dressingdrag queendrug addictiongay themeheavenhivlgbtminiseries
Season 1 episodes
Watch options above are for the show and may vary by season or episode.
Episode 1
Millennium Approaches: Bad News
1h 6m7.4 / 10
Prior Walter is diagnosed with AIDS that changes his life and he must deal with such new obstacle. Moreover, his partner abandoned him. He has also increasing hallucinations and Mormon's mother comes to New York in order to save her son's marriage. Meanwhile, Roy Cohn checks into the hospital.
Directed by Mike NicholsWritten by Tony KushnerGuest stars Brian Markinson, James Cromwell, Florence Kastriner, Howard Pinhasik, Melissa Wilder, Fatima Da Silva, Michael Gambon, Simon Callow
Louis abandons a hospitalized Prior; Joe and Roy confide in each other over drinks. Later, Prior hears voices from his hospital bed while Louis solicits sex from strangers, and Joe makes a drunken confession to his mother.
Directed by Mike NicholsWritten by Tony KushnerGuest stars Emma Thompson, Brian Markinson
Prior returns home and is visited by a pair of spectral namesake ancestors who herald the arrival of the messenger; a tussle with Joe leaves Roy with the ghost of Ethel Rosenberg. Later, Joe and Louis hook up in Central Park while Prior meets the angelic messenger.
Directed by Mike NicholsWritten by Tony KushnerGuest stars Emma Thompson, Michael Gambon, Simon Callow
The story continues with Prior finally confronting the visions, Cohn desperately trying to manipulate the system to his benefit - all the while haunted by one of his victims, and Harper attempting to regain control of her life.
Directed by Mike NicholsWritten by Tony KushnerGuest stars Emma Thompson, Brian Markinson, James Cromwell, Florence Kastriner, Howard Pinhasik, Fatima Da Silva, Robin Weigert, David Zayas
Louis arranges a meeting with Prior; Joe visits Roy in the hospital and gets an unwelcome father's blessing; Prior drags Belize to the courthouse for a surprise meeting with the clerk and later strikes up a friendship with Hannah. High on morphine, Roy paints a different picture of heaven.
Directed by Mike NicholsWritten by Tony KushnerGuest stars Emma Thompson, Brian Markinson, James Cromwell, Florence Kastriner, Howard Pinhasik, Melissa Wilder, Fatima Da Silva, Robin Weigert
A fight with Joe leaves Louis badly scarred; Roy plays a final practical joke on Ethel; Prior wrestles the Angel and then addresses a review board in Heaven; Harper heads out West; Prior, outliving his diagnosis, pays a visit to his favorite angel and vows to keep living--free of secrets.
Directed by Mike NicholsWritten by Tony KushnerGuest stars Emma Thompson, Brian Markinson, James Cromwell, Florence Kastriner, Howard Pinhasik, Melissa Wilder, Fatima Da Silva, Robin Weigert
