Penny Dreadful- *spoilers* (duh)

[Lady Day]

This show deserves it own thread.



This show is a lot of what I have wanted for a long time, a return to the classic source materials of the horror legends we all know and love.

A little history:
A Penny Dreadful was actually a pulp horror magazine (that went under many names) that published a lot of the classic horror we know today.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_dreadful

The Showtime show by the same name borrows from those classic stories of the 19th century and compiles them into a narrative and world of London.
I. Love. This. Show.
I love the pacing, the character development, the look, the tone and the dialogue. Man, this thing is great, and I rarely say that. This isn't a formulaic, solve a mystery in one episode type of horror show that everyone knows about and most people hate because that's what they expect. This is a character piece and the plot that entangles all the characters evolves as we get to know them as people. That in and of itself is not going to be everyone's taste. It's kinda a show that requires homework, as in knowing about the lore and some of the basic stories of these well known characters/character types.

For the comic geek in me, it has a very League of Extraordinary Gentlemen feel to it. Though, I can find no outright connection between the two.
In any account, here is the shows website to read up on it.
http://www.sho.com/sho/penny-dreadful/home

 

[Chasseur]

YES!

Thank you for starting the thread. Really an excellent show so far, and I'm enjoying it for all the reasons you stated. I was a little concerned since I'm not the biggest Josh "I look constipated all time" Hartnett fan, but I'm glad he does not have a dominate role in the show.

Having said all these praises, I was a little "meh" with the third episode with the wolves and the Frankenstein backstory. Seemed really like filler rather than a real episode and the Robert Smith as Frankenstein's monster didn't compel me like Proteus did. However, I did enjoyed their elegant way of dealing with a thematic issue I found annoying: placing Romantic era Frankenstein in the middle of late Victorian gothic horror, to me they are really two separate genres. I was quite pleased with the way they dealt with this in the episode, the writers know their stuff.

 

[Matt Crunk]

Sounds like a very interesting show. Unfortunately I no longer get Showtime. I cancelled my $150 per month DirecTV subscription in favor of a $16.00 combined total for Netflix Streaming and Hulu Plus through my Roku player. So I guess I'll have to wait a season or two until it shows up on one of those.

 

[Lady Day]

I was a little "meh" with the third episode with the wolves and the Frankenstein backstory. Seemed really like filler rather than a real episode and the Robert Smith as Frankenstein's monster didn't compel me like Proteus did.

That's the point!
Proteus was going to die. Why? Because there was no conflict with that character. You had no objections to see him grow and form into who he was going to be. He was 100% likable, so you had to know he was going to go.

As far as the Creature back story (he is supposed to become very relevant in the show) I loved that the show is so indulgent to give us the full backstory of a 3 tier character just to flesh out Frankenstein's conflict with him. I thought that was awesome. The show isn't historically correct, which I'm cool with. It's got a gothic horror vibe, much like its source material. Perhaps that is the template for the world the show is set in...

As far as the werewolves, I'm all for seeing how they handle them. They have gotten really bad representation the last 20 years in movies being this second rate monster to vampires. Screw that! Werewolves are awesome and have great conflict in the man v beast psyche that plagues man, so I'm all for them.

And lastly, Josh Harnett has won me over. He could have been the trite handsome guy in a lot of bad rom coms, but with 30 Days of Night, and this, I see that he is maturing into a pretty cool character actor. More power to him.

 

[Chasseur]

That's the point!
Proteus was going to die. Why? Because there was no conflict with that character. You had no objections to see him grow and form into who he was going to be. He was 100% likable, so you had to know he was going to go.

As far as the Creature back story (he is supposed to become very relevant in the show) I loved that the show is so indulgent to give us the full backstory of a 3 tier character just to flesh out Frankenstein's conflict with him. I thought that was awesome. The show isn't historically correct, which I'm cool with. It's got a gothic horror vibe, much like its source material. Perhaps that is the template for the world the show is set in...

As far as the werewolves, I'm all for seeing how they handle them. They have gotten really bad representation the last 20 years in movies being this second rate monster to vampires. Screw that! Werewolves are awesome and have great conflict in the man v beast psyche that plagues man, so I'm all for them.

And lastly, Josh Harnett has won me over. He could have been the trite handsome guy in a lot of bad rom coms, but with 30 Days of Night, and this, I see that he is maturing into a pretty cool character actor. More power to him.

I get that point, but I ended up being very uninterested in the Robert Smith monster backstory since it was essentially the same from the original novel and honestly the actor's take doesn't do anything for me.

But, I'm very curious to watch more, I'm enjoying the show more than anything I've seen in quite some time. Agreed too on hoping for something interesting with the werewolves. We've seen too many missed opportunities for a cool werewolf film, there was potential in that last Wolfman film but the end product was lacking...

Thank you for starting the thread.

PS: as someone who grew up in Alaska don't get me started on 30 Days of Night We reserve a special hatred for that film and for Insomnia...

 

[Edward]

Is Billie Piper a big thing in it? I was interested in seeking this out until I heard she was in it...not so sure now.

 

[Lady Day]

PS: as someone who grew up in Alaska don't get me started on 30 Days of Night We reserve a special hatred for that film

30 Days of Night is awesome. If I held a grudge against films I didn't like based in LA or San Francisco, or my home state of KY, I'd never get to sleep

Is Billie Piper a big thing in it? I was interested in seeking this out until I heard she was in it...not so sure now.

She's a major character. Thus far she's a prostitute with consumption. I *think* she's gong to end up being a vampire. Not too sure, but I have a feeling, so don't quote me on that.

 

[Chasseur]

30 Days of Night is awesome. If I held a grudge against films I didn't like based in LA or San Francisco, or my home state of KY, I'd never get to sleep

 

[Edward]

She's a major character. Thus far she's a prostitute with consumption. I *think* she's gong to end up being a vampire. Not too sure, but I have a feeling, so don't quote me on that.

Ah, shame. I was hoping that soft porn Callgirl rubbish she did a while back was the end of her on tv.

 

[Lady Day]

Well I'd say get over it
She's fine for what she is in the show. I have no misgivings about it. Besides, if that keeps you from a good show, then your loss.

 

[Zombie_61]

...As far as the werewolves, I'm all for seeing how they handle them...

I'm not yet convinced they are werewolves. Clearly the story thus far implies Sir Malcolm is searching for a "Dracula" figure (though the story seems to suggest his origins will be Egyptian rather than Transylvanian) and they may simply be wolves under "Dracula's" control. And it appears they're setting up the young man they discovered in the zoo to be a "Renfield" character--not quite sane, consuming living creatures, and under the control of a "master". They very well may have been werewolves, but I haven't seen anything yet that would make me immediately jump to that conclusion and I think this is likely another "bait and switch" (whether intentional or unintentional) like Proteus.

As for the Frankenstein/Creature back story, it was necessary because they're playing somewhat "fast and loose" with the previously established history of these characters. Now that they've established that relationship and the Creature's motives, they can proceed with the story they want to tell.

Speaking of "fast and loose", normally I'm not in favor of "new" re-tellings of classic horror fiction, especially when they're dealing with characters and mythologies that have become so well known. But so far I like what I'm seeing; I just hope the producers, writers, actors, et al, are able to maintain the quality they've presented to this point and that it won't devolve into the usual "all out war between the monsters" dreck that we've already seen time after time.

On a related note, since we're discussing plot points rather openly perhaps a "spoilers" warning should be included in the title of this thread or prominently in the first post.

 

[Lady Day]

I'm not yet convinced they are werewolves.

On a related note, since we're discussing plot points rather openly perhaps a "spoilers" warning should be included in the title of this thread or prominently in the first post.

Oh, I don't think those wolves are werewolves. My apologies for the confusion. I have a feeling the show will go more into the transformation of a wolf like man for the werewolf part. I am curious to see what those wolves represent.

You are right, Ill add spoilers to the title.

 

[tommyK]

Maybe I've missed something, I thought it was pretty clear the Hartnett character was the werewolf.

 

[Zombie_61]

Maybe I've missed something, I thought it was pretty clear the Hartnett character was the werewolf.

I'd be interested in hearing how you arrived at that conclusion, because I haven't seen anything in the series that even hinted at that (unless I've missed something). They've alluded to his leaving America because of something that happened, but from what I recall they haven't expanded on that yet.

 

[tommyK]

There's what You said, his leaving America under some cloud that has the authorities after him. There was a flashback showing what may be a bite on his hand. He wasn't afraid of the dogs at the zoo, in fact he calmed them and sent them away. His reluctance to give his blood. His guilt at the scene of the mutilated family. There is probably other hints I'm forgetting.

I could be wrong, way off base or the victim of misdirection.

 

[Zombie_61]

You could be right. I hadn't made a connection between those character moments, but now that you've mentioned them in that context it makes sense.

 

[tommyK]

It was really the scene at the zoo with the dogs that that made me think he's the werewolf. The other stuff is pretty subtle but may support my supposition. The traveling show is also a good way not to stay in one place too long if you can't help the transformation and the killing that goes with it.

 

[Chasseur]

There's what You said, his leaving America under some cloud that has the authorities after him. There was a flashback showing what may be a bite on his hand. He wasn't afraid of the dogs at the zoo, in fact he calmed them and sent them away. His reluctance to give his blood. His guilt at the scene of the mutilated family. There is probably other hints I'm forgetting.

I could be wrong, way off base or the victim of misdirection.

Yep those are my thoughts as well.

 

[tommyK]

Looks like there will be another season. Seems like the bride of Frankenstein is coming. What other classic horror characters would anyone like to see? The Invisible Man? The Mummy? Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde?

 

[Lady Day]

Finally finished the season. It ended lower than I thought it would. Im not knocking the uneven character development, especially since the show was already renewed half way through this season, but I did feel the 6th an the 7th episodes were a waste.

They focused too much on Vanessa and having her seduced (or seduce) Dorian was just something that they should not have done. I was so mad at their interplay at the seance that I kept thinking if she does get seduced by him, there is no point of watching this anymore. They would have made this strong woman character gullible, easy and a pointless symbol of possession. These two characters are supposed to be so polarizing and then to completely cave on that two episodes later was stupid. THEN Vanessa gets 'unlocked' and presto, she's better? Whatever. We already knew how special she was from the seance, we didn't need another possession that didn't go anywhere.

Plus they just reduced it to the woman on the train tracks. All the women needed to be saved. Vanessa from her possession, Mina from the vampires, Brona from consumption. Whatever. That made me so mad.

Perhaps if they had gutted episodes 6 and 7, we could have had more development on Chandler who is apparently a compassionate gun slinging exorcizing werewolf. That's kinda interesting.

They also kinda Captain Planet-ed the characters:

Sir Malcom is the leader.
Vanessa is the soul.
Chandler is the heart.
Sembene is the muscle .
Victor is the brain.

I don't know what I think of the show now. Its kinda left me flat. I'm hoping for more from season 2.