I remember when Penny Dreadful first premiered. I was pregnant then and, following old people's advice in the Philippines not to watch anything with horrific images lest your child look horrific in turn (go figure... first pregnancy, I thought there was no harm in making sure), I decided to put off my viewing until after I gave birth. Also, I was an even bigger wuss at the time when it came to horror.
But since 2016 was the year I embraced the genre (in books, mostly), I decided to finally get caught up. I think I was in the midst of my season one catch-up when the news came that the show finished its run after a mere three seasons. Given the quality of what I have watched so far then, I was pretty bummed at the news. When the articles I read, however, indicated that it wasn't a network decision, but was instead a choice by the series creator, I realized this wasn't such a bad thing... especially if they were able to give it closure instead of getting the story cut off because of a cancellation. So, I soldiered on with my catch-up, even if I knew I have to say goodbye to Penny Dreadful soon enough.
The London fog and night hides many horrors, such as a creature that brutally kills its victims, leaving only a bloody scene for people to find the following morning. When sharp shooter Ethan Chandler (Josh Hartnett) is recruited by Sir Malcolm Murray (Timothy Dalton) and Vanessa Ives (Eva Green), little did he know that it would be for a vampire hunting expedition. Sir Malcolm's daughter Mina Harker (Olivia Llewelyn) has been captured by a vampire master and is using Vanessa's abilities as a medium to ask for help. In the course of their investigations, they turn to specialists Dr. Victor Frankenstein (Harry Treadaway) in dissecting a vampire and Egyptologist Frank Lyle (Simon Russell Beale) in deciphering obscure text. They meet mysterious individuals like Dorian Gray (Reeve Carney) and spiritualist Madam Kali / Evelyn Poole (Helen McRory), just as Dr. Frankenstein is being terrorized by his undead creation (Rory Kinnear). As they delve more into the truth of where Mina is and the creature that holds her, it is revealed that Vanessa is the vampire master's true aim, intent on of fulfilling the prophecy of making her the mother of all evil.
The series features the familiar monsters of the 19th century publication that it's titled after. We have watched various iterations of monsters and humans featured in these stories, from the vampires to the werewolves, from the beleaguered Dr. Frankenstein to the eternally youthful Dorian Grey. It was interesting to see how those familiar figures are interpreted in the series, especially when Showtime pretty much gives them leeway to embrace the violence that monsters are apt to dish out. Some of the characters were exactly as we would expect, while others eschewed the stereotypes we have become familiar with.
Penny Dreadful could have been campy or just banked on the familiarity with the characters that would be interesting to see together on screen or even just embraced the visual freedom offered by a cable channel (equals nudity, gore and violence). Instead, creator John Logan offered more than the usual popcorn fare and gave viewers a far more sophisticated narrative than I expected from a horror series that featured vampires and Frankenstein's monster. Although, I didn't come into my viewing experience without expectations.
Firstly, this cast is gorgeous and gorgeously talented. Eva Green alone was reason enough to be invested in the series, but with Timothy Dalton, Billie Piper (who plays prostitute Brona Croft and, later, Lily Frankenstein) and Josh Hartnett also on board, it was hard not to get excited. And while the series did dish out the violence, action and horror, as expected from a series that features monsters, it maximized the rather large pool of talent that it had at its disposal.
The premise of bringing together characters from different stories isn't new (comparisons to League of Extraordinary Gentlemen immediately comes to mind), but Penny Dreadful still manages to keep the story fresh by featuring a core central story that brings them all together, but allows each character to tell their own stories in its fringes. There is a parallel between the horrors that the monster brings alongside the personal demons that the very human characters are burdened with. And throughout the course of the series, those human emotions they express are as much of a threat as the possibility of the end of the world. It is these personal struggles that brought the characters to the forefront, instead of letting the spectacle of monsters just do all the heavy lifting. A delicate balance of drama alongside the adventure is struck, and they've maintained it beautifully throughout the series's run.
Penny Dreadful pits the group against vampires, witches and even Lucifer, while touching on how Victor brought forth his creations to life and why Dorian Gray is eternally beautiful, all the while tackling Vanessa's crisis of faith, Sir Malcolm and Ethan facing the consequences of their sins, and the cost of Victor's dreams of achieving the impossible. Although it takes time, Dorian's view as an immortal also comes to light, when Lily's aspirations to create a revolution proved to be less than compelling to one who has lived many, many lifetimes. They create an interesting mythology in the form of Vanessa Ives and her role as the mother of all evil, making her the constant prey of Lucifer and Dracula, while supplementing it with the familiar myths of werewolves and witches who sold their souls to the devil in exchange for youth.
But what truly makes Penny Dreadful great is that it also manages to tackle human frailties in its storytelling. One topic that rears its head now and again is the threat of misogyny, with Vanessa constantly being defined by her role in supposed prophecy and Lily using her newfound strength as an immortal to challenge gender roles, especially when she is also armed with the memories of Brona who suffered immensely as a prostitute. Eva Green and Billie Piper dominate their respective scenes, with the former willing to embrace the ugly experiences of her character as much as she can bring beauty in any room, and the latter giving a dedicated performance that defined a character transformed many times over. At the end of the day, it's the women who were more resolute in their paths, who handled conflict with a surer hand when compared to their masculine counterparts. And it was glorious to watch, even if you're never sure if they would ever get a happy ending.
John Logan also serves as the main writer of the series, which means I have to give him mad props for the dialogue. The man can weave words like a dream, and Eva Green's distinct enunciation partnered with the beautifully written Victorian English figured in my dreams during the days I attempted to marathon the series (this was actually what I was attempting to sound like when I had to read Too Like a Lightning aloud in order to get into the groove of reading... of course, it only sounded that way in my head). The dialogue was eloquent but never stagey, giving yet another layer to appeal to viewers who just like their viewing material well-written.
All in all, Penny Dreadful turned out to be a far more rewarding viewing experience than I anticipated. There's some contention over whether the series should have been given another season (or seasons, preferably), but for some of the characters, it's the ending that you have to learn to accept (even as you ugly cry while watching it). Penny Dreadful was never designed to offer feel-good endings, but you will find in your viewing that there are moments of humanity's best sprinkled throughout its episodes (Vanessa's sisterly role to Victor and precious friendship to his creature are just a couple of examples). It's a roller coaster ride from start to finish, and while it's not entirely perfect in its storytelling, it's perfect for the story that it wants to tell and what it wants its viewers to experience.
Happy viewing!!
P.S. I watched the first couple of seasons via iFlix, but had to go elsewhere for viewing of the last season. So, those who are planning to view using the streaming service, be forewarned.
P.S. And if you do watch the series and found the ending to be abrupt, you should know that the series will continue in comic book form, so you don't have to immediately say goodbye to some of the characters. :)Labels: Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Drama, Horror, iFlix, Must-Watch, Penny Dreadful, Showtime, Streaming, TV, TV Series
