The Women of Penny Dreadful

There are many positive things to be said about Penny Dreadful.  It’s easily one of the most artistically beautiful shows that I have ever seen and had the ability to deliver a strong punch to the gut that would leave me speechless.  Like many, I was saddened to learn that this years season finale actually was the series finale. Though Penny Dreadful had many characters, it was always Vanessa who led the way.  Without the brilliant acting of Eva Green, Penny Dreadful would not have been the same.  As much as I loved Vanessa for her triumphs and her courage, her character was not without it’s problems.

From a very early age Vanessa was a haunted woman.  It began when she seduced her best friend’s fiance.  Certainly in the present time that would be a great violation of trust but in Victorian England, it also amounted to behaviour that would be deemed decidedly wanton and worthy of isolation. The sexual woman simply wasn’t socially acceptable and so it would have been a real twist had this congress happened out of desire but instead it was motivated by evil forces.  Much of Vanessa’s time from that moment on was spent trying to make amends and fighting off the darkness inside of her.

The battle for Vanessa’s soul would not only consume her but anyone who came into intimate contact with her.  Vanessa became less than a person in many ways and simply became a victim in need of constant saving.  We watched as Ethan, Victor, Sir Malcolm, and Lyle devoted themselves to the protection of their precious Miss. Ives. For Miss. Ives they would risk their lives repeatedly and the revelation of their deepest darkest secrets.  I will admit that it would have all been several degrees worse had Vanessa not been active in her own defense. Vanessa actively attacked the witches and matched them spell for spell and while she depended on her circle of supporters she never lost sight of the fact that this was her battle.

The complexities of Vanessa are never ending and this is why her demise in the series finale so undercut all the work that Penny Dreadful had done for three seasons. To watch as Vanessa gave up and simply accepted that she was predestined for darkness was sad. To accept that there was something about her intrinsically evil was quite simply defeatist. It was further toxic to the messages of agency that that episode in particular told - here was Vanessa being seduced not even by darkness or a beautiful man - but by the seductive promise of being and accepting herself. An acceptance that was not only toxic for her but quite literally the entire world. Considering the themes of resisting conformity, especially for women, that Penny Dreadful showcased, this narrative is exceedingly destructive.

Sure, some might say that Vanessa death was a way of freeing herself from a struggle that would never end and was thus an act in affirmation of agency but at the end of the day, regardless of how you try to spin it, Vanessa died. Vanessa died like so many female victims leaving the men behind to wallow in their manpain. Vanessa was created and lived and died as the perpetual victim.

Think of all of the suffering that Vanessa went through in three seasons.  She was placed in a mental institution, force fed, and had electroshock treatment.  She was slashed with a knife on numerous occasions, attacked psychically and was left bowed over in agonising pain. We watched as Vanessa literally ripped out her nails and bled from grievous wounds. Each time Vanessa was knocked down she got back up determined not to be defeated.  As I watched her struggle with the supernatural it did not escape that at times Vanessa’s life amounted to torture porn. What’s worse is that this torture porn was positioned as entertainment for the masses.

In our recent recap of Penny Dreadful, we looked at the parallels between Vanessa and Lily, because both read as cautionary tales for what happens when a woman is empowered. In some ways, it’s an especially toxic form of Spunky Agency. There we see a woman making decisions - terrible terrible decisions - and trying to tempt the reader into wishing they would never make a decision again. This tv show shows the watcher the consequences of what happens when a woman has power - she ends the world or tries to gather an army of rather ineffective murderers.

Penny Dreadful, Season 3, Episode 9: The Blessed Dark

This is the end…

The end of Penny Dreadful

Entirely?

We’re ending here?!

No no no NO!

This cannot end here. This cannot be the ending. I refuse to let this incredibly beautiful show end. I refuse to let it end so… disappointingly.

I shall begin with the good – because if this is my last chance to say it then I must: this show is beautiful. The settings are gorgeous, the atmosphere unparalleled, the acting unsurpassed, the music perfectly chosen – every scene is a work of art; a work of pure beautiful art. Every line is a poem, every last moment of this show was crafted to perfection. It was a joy to watch.

This show certainly laid the groundwork for that with devastating tragedy – opening with a grief stricken song and the inevitable awful death of Joh Clare’s son. It’s fitting this episode begins with this death and, at the close of the episode, we see him lower his son’s body into the Thames: despite his wife begging him to take the boy to Frankenstein to be reborn like him. John’s self hatred cannot let him be happy, cannot let him follow a clear path to happiness – he sees no hope or happy ending only more tragedy

And isn’t that Penny Dreadful through and through? Beautiful and tragic. No happy endings here.

So no-one getting a happy ending? Yes, I could see that. That’s the essence of this show. Everything being so sad and grim with its ending isn’t what is disappointing – it’s the anti-climax, it’s the fizzle and it’s the wasted potential.

Waste potential the first: Dorian and Lily. While Dorian FINALLY pulls off the jaded immortal with a rather epic speech that truly encompasses the cost of immortality and with a nice reference to his portrait. It’s a good speech but it’s far too damn late after a season of whiny petulance. Lily reacts to Justine’s death and all her minions fled by… walking away. Her whole revolution is just a footnote in Dorian’s story of jaded immortality! It’s not even Lily’s story any more.

Penny Dreadful, Season 3, Episode 8: Perpetual Night

Everything is very bleak and dark – of course, such imagery is the bread and butter of Penny Dreadful. With Vanessa’s ominous voiceover we have the stage set of darkened and fog clouded streets, evil darkness, cloying poisons in the air and the night creatures rising up

Penny Dreadful is the undisputed master of gothic imagery.

Enter into this the one gloomy bright spot, with John Smith and his family, him making all these happy plans for the future while his eager son is ravaged by a cough, all those happy plans hollow before his inevitable demise

How very… Victorian; gloomy, tragic, desperately sad and sweet.

With Kaetenay, Malcolm and Ethan arriving from America they convene at Sir Malcolm’s house and, after a bit of fun with some vampires, they’re joined by Catriana and hunting skills: saving Ethan and teaching Malcolm the finer points of curing a vampire bite. And the foolishness of stubborn male pride

While Ethan decides to run off into the fog looking for Vanessa, the others are joined by Dr. Seward. She’s just had an unpleasant experience with Renfield who, in addition to being horrifying, also told her a lot about Dracula and tried to murder her, sure she wouldn’t fight back because she’s not a killer

That shows what he knows

Duly beaten and imprisoned in a straight jacket, he is now confined for Seward and Catriona (who have collectively become toweringly awesome in this show) to question.

Ethan is lured through the streets by a child vampire into an ambush. He tells Dracula repeatedly that he will rescue Vanessa while Dracula responds, equally repeatedly that Vanessa isn’t actually his prisoner, she’s there willingly. Ethan won’t hear this so Dracula casually flips him aside and leaves him to his minions

Penny Dreadful, Season 3, Episode 4: A Blade of Grass

I have been rather dreading this episode. So far this season we have been seeing a very previous thing – Vanessa being happy. Vanessa getting help. Vanessa being healed. After two seasons of horrendous suffering, we needed this

And now we have her hypnotism based memories of her time in the asylum, complete with all the horrendous torture she endured this

We really don’t need to see more of this. And seeing that John Smith was her orderly and potentially involved in this abuse when we have already seen these two characters have connected. I don’t want that connection to be based on abuse neither of them remember

It wasn’t that bad. While we had Vanessa being horrendously agonised and tormented. Yes the acting is incredible yet again, the stares amazingly intense and her utter collapse are painfully poignant to see. While she suffers there is Dr. Seward trying to help her out of her fugue state and it’s also awesome and powerful and touching and beautiful

And we’ve done this. Yes it’s all so incredibly well done, it’s amazing, it’s emotional and I want to applaud the skill, the direction and the utterly perfect acting. No-one can fault the immense skill, emotional power and general impressive power of this scene. But enough of Vanessa’s suffering. Enough. Please.

Beside her suffering, at least Orderly John Smith develops a very touching relationship. He cares for her. He worries for her. It’s heartbreaking how he genuinely tries to reach her, how her tries to beg her to be well. His faith in his superiors and the institution he is part of crumbles more and more as he comes to agree with her that she is being tortured. It’s beautiful and well developed as they grow closer together and he sees the asylum for what it is. At the same time it’s clear that he is just a cog in the wheel of the institution, too poor to quit and too lowly to break the regulations

Penny Dreadful, Season 3, Episode 1: The Day Tennyson Died

I forgot, while this show was away, I forgot how beautiful the language was. I forgot the poetry for it, I forgot the elaborate rhythm of it. I forgot how sad and morbid and gorgeous and musical it was and how many excellent, amazing speeches there were. Honestly the conversations on this show could be a soundtrack. I know many people probably don’t share my love for overwrought, probably quite convoluted speeches (and I’m sure if they were written down they would frustrate me no end) but I love it

And I forgot how beautiful it was, the visuals, all the gothic dark and shadow, the imagery of long shuttered rooms and the excellent acting of the ragged people, the almost ruins these characters have become over the last two gruelling seasons. The acting, the imagery – I love it so much.

So, time to catch up with various characters

Starting with Vanessa who has fallen into a dark, bleak depression after the last season, shutting herself in and isolating herself from the world until Professor Lyle arrives and delivers some deeply emotional heart rending lines about his own battle with depression, self hate and how he felt “loathed and loathesome” until he got help and is now, “resplendently, who I am”. I give a thousand points of Lyle’s fierce declaration of self in such a grossly homophobic setting – and take away a substantial amount of them for Lyle’s beautiful declaration of self being for the edification and growth of a straight lady. It’s still beautiful though. And with it he sets up an appointment for Vanessa with a psychiatrist – or, at this time, an Alienist. Dr. Seward

And she is awesome. She perfectly, combatively, excellently (and with beautiful language) pinpoints all of Vanessa’s issues and pain (yes, it’s a magical diagnosis and I really wish that they could magically diagnose so quickly and easily but it’s still awesome). She also firmly declares she’s not broken or wrong – she’s ill. It’s excellent and great fun and seeing Vanessa’s desperate, tiny look of tremulous hope. Oh precious hope on Vanessa’s face! Also even in that, Vanessa is still capable enough to give some of her own even with her at her most vulnerable point. And her doctor is related to the Cut Wife, so maybe magical diagnosis isn’t wrong.

At the instruction of her doctor she does something new – and goes to the Natural History museum to look at the animals and run into Dr. Sweet to have another utterly beautifully elaborate, gothic, morbid, conversation about death and scorpions and the poor lonely exhibits in their dusty cases that are so ignored and what a fun hobby taxidermy is (oh, yes, it’s beautiful and elaborate and manages to not make them look like serial killers because it’s so gloriously gothic). Did I mention how much I loved the imagery and language? Also all those dusty exhibits and scorpions are, of course, perfect metaphors for Vanessa

Penny Dreadful, Season 2, Episode 8 Momento Mori

Lily reflects on how she likes her men boyish and full of games and… dead. Just like the corpse she created last week (and kisses his staring dead eye – uckies uckies uckies).

Back at Frankenstein’s, John comes home to find Lily missing and rages at (a probably hung over) Victor for letting her go out with a man – threatening him with a live wire. All his comments about letting Lily chose go out the window as John growls that Lily is made for him, is his – not Victor’s and not Dorian’s. He now intends to leave with her and, one day, come back to get Victor and do terrible things to him.

Lily returns to Victor the next day, surprised by all the destruction. Victor yells at her for being out all night but she is amazingly calm and collected, tells him to settle down while casually telling him about her evening. She’s also received flowers from Dorian who she considers immensely charming but just a little too sophisticated. Victor tries to convince her to run away from London with him – but she doesn’t want to go, London is her home.

Victor goes to see Sir Malcolm and I’m not sure whether to talk about opiate addiction or being in love or both (I think love) – either way he needs his surrogate father for some advice to which Malcom has little except mutual supporting confusion to offer. Malcolm reflects on his own failings – his past of cruelty which he has only recently come to recognise; he recognises how he has changed, how he is now happy but also how that, fundamentally, isn’t him.

The woo-woo seems to be fading as well, since he seems to have grasped that he was at a ball during his wife’s funeral which just Is Not Done and certainly is not him.

Lyle is visiting with Evelyn and he muses about vanity, appearance and youth – which also leads to a note on Evelyn’s youth (eternally preserved by her demonic master) and her dangling that carrot before him. He pretends not to care about Vanessa & co and cuts of her attempts to tempt him as unnecessary since he’s already her creature (after all, if she’s already blackmailing his obedience more is just gilding, or the fiction that he’s a willing accomplice). And he has absolutely no knowledge to offer her – which is why she threatens him; but he has been very careful to ensure he knows nothing to tell. She forces him to kiss her before he leaves, much to his obvious disgust – and hers. As he leaves Hecate as her own questions – and is still plotting against mother dearest

Inspector Rusk is still doing his detecting guided by his bizarre psychic instinct - which leads him to Malcolm. He wants to know why Malcolm told his predecessor to hunt a beast rather than a human killer and Malcolm tries the really terrible excuse “it was just a silly whimsy of mine.” The inspector does not buy this. The Inspector remarks about his excessive security and lack of staff (and I call shenanigans, there is no way Sembene can maintain that house by himself). He tries to confront Malcolm about the clandestine nature of his daughter’s burial which Malcolm absolutely refuses to be questioned about – and he denies knowing Ethan Chandler.

Penny Dreadful, Season 2, Episode 6: Glorious Horrors

A maid discovers Sir Malcolm’s dead wife, Gladys.

Dorian wakes to see Angelique preparing for the day and Dorian wants to go out shopping in big public places while Angelique is wary and wishes for more discretion. Of course, Dorian won’t hear of it, he “celebrates the unusual”. Aie so it looks like the good path of last episode is not being continued. To get the “thrill of the forbidden” he decides to throw a ball for Angelique, a “proper coming out.”

Creepy Victor wakes up to find Lily making breakfast and it’s all very lovey dovey except, of course, for the whole lack of awareness and consent which ruins it.

Speaking of, Evelyn wakes before her drugged victim, Sir Malcolm and steals some of his hair.

He goes home in very high spirits only to find everyone in the house very grim to pass on the bad news about Gladys. He seems completely unemotional and rather horrifying unbothered. When hearing his wife slit her own throat his only remark is how he will have to replace the carpet.

Sembene insists that something is wrong, despite Ethan attempting to rationalise it (and thinking that maybe Malcolm just didn’t care that much). Vanessa sharply disapproves and Sembene is quietly insistent – that was not Malcolm.

And they get a visitor – the man Ethan mauled as a wolf. In private there’s lots of taunts and threats as the man tries to be very loquacious and talk about how he murdered some Mexicans while Ethan is curt and short. He insists that Ethan’s dad wants him to come home and makes it clear he hasn’t given up taking him and threatens to kill everyone in the house to try and force him to go back to America. He singles out Vanessa specifically

Oh he doesn’t know what he is messing with. The werewolf is the least of his problems

Victor and Vanessa discuss the verbis diablo when Vanessa talks about John Clare and Victor realises she’s met his creature. She misses his shock and pokes him about his romance with Lily and he’s all gleeful and awkward and a bit dorky and she’s all nice and kind and happy for him. It’s sweet.

Dorian pays a visit to the rest of the cast to invite Vanessa et al to Angelique’s ball.

Vanessa takes Malcolm his invitation and Malcolm continues to be creepily detached, not even wanting to go to the funeral. He’s even enthusiastic about going to the ball.

Penny Dreadful, Season 2, Episode 5: Above the Vaulted Sky

Evelyn has finished her creepy baby hearted Vanessa doll and now turns her attention to another doll she has, cracking open its head to reveal the very real and very icky brains inside. This seems to worry her somewhat

But she gets over it when Hecate returns with Vanessa’s hair. Hecate threads the hair into the Vanessa doll while Evelyn stabs a hot needle into the exposed brain of the other doll. Elsewhere a woman wakes from sleep clutching her head and screaming in agony

At Malcolm’s house, Ethan describes them as being under siege, drawing on his own experience in the Indian wars (in a battle he says was to exterminate the Apache, something he seems to regard with disgust and in frank terms)… He describes how ruthless, how they betrayed them and how they massacred the Apaches.

Vanessa also knows what they’re doing, making a fetish with her hair, something Sembene also knows about. They prepare to defend the house with weapons, rituals and every superstition they can muster. Sembene draws on his traditions, Ethan on Native American traditions smudging away with sage and Lyle hides from the others to pull out a Torah and a Tallit, drawing upon his Jewish traditions. Vanessa bleeds everywhere. Lyle covers the mirrors and Vanessa prays.

It’s all very very ominous – and then the naked nightcomers surround Vanessa. She falls, panicked then runs to a praying Ethan. She panics, fearful for her inability to tell if the nightcomers are there or just in her heard. She despairs of ever feeling safe and refers to suicide as the only path to freedom though she clings to her faith. She asks to sleep in Ethan’s room and he agrees.

She also talks to him about faith, confronting him about his praying but he has some very deep thoughts about god and responsibility and how killing someone (“deciding my life is more important than anyone else’s”) changed him. Vanessa offers her acceptance regardless of what he has “made of himself.”

Evelyn keeps tormenting the woman with her magic pins – I think she’s Malcolm’s wife.

When Ethan wakes, Vanessa is gone leaving a book behind. When he leaves the house Inspector Rusk “asks” to speak to him. He goes to the Inspector’s office and is massively unco-operative though they do establish several reasons why he is suspicious. Not least of which because Ethan Chandler doesn’t appear to be his real name. Inspector keeps pushing him and Chandler keeps dodging him – the Inspector seems especially interested in pushing Ethan to admit he knows about Native Americans. They part company and Ethan quickly loses the man the inspector sets to follow him.

Penny Dreadful, Season 2, Episode 3: The Nightcomers

Ethan decides the need to keep Vanessa safe means he can snoop in her rooms and is a little disturbed that her prayer ritual includes paintings of scorpions done in her own blood (I’m going to have to ask the genre to stop using scorpions as the go-to-creepy creature). That has to be bad for the hardwood floors. He asks her about it and we get some exposition of her back story, to when she went to the moors to find herself and came across her first witch – the Cut-Wife of Ballantrae Moore.

So to a beautiful Scottish summer’s day (yes there are several holidays’ and weekends of bitterness there) and a warded threshold Vanessa can’t pass. But being the stubborn, determined woman she is, she remains, day and night, until she collapses from exhaustion. Then gets up again.

The witch finally comes to see her, greeting her with a grope and smearing blood on her forehead, as one does apparently, then runs through a laundry list of why she thinks Vanessa is visiting. Vanessa claims she’s like no-one else and the witch drives Vanessa to use mystical insight to tell her how she gained a scar on her back – which Vanessa does. It’s all twisty and dark and gloriously gothic and what Penny Dreadful does so well.

Vanessa is there to learn from her and the Cut-Wife earned her name because she performs abortions. The witch speaks about how she’s loathed for what she does – yet they still come to her because they’re desperate and need her. The witch is harsh and demanding and kind of awesome – telling Vanessa all she has for her is knowledge she doesn’t want but Vanessa impresses her with more mystical insight

The witch still tries to discourage her but teaches her – and shows Vanessa the tarot, the same one we see her use in season 1. Again Vanessa shows her power and the Witch lets her stay. The card Vanessa pulled is the Devil

Though the witch, in her harsh awesome way, teachers her the Devil can mean many things – or demands that Vanessa realises her own insight, in between teaching her about herbs and trapping bunnies.

The witch continues to be creepy, awesome and insightful about Vanessa’s past and the danger in her life and how powerful and terrible Vanessa is – and how that’s going to attract others. That night (In between the witch mocking Vanessa’s quest to save Mina) three other witches visit. One of them Evelyn Poole, who calls the Cut-Wife sister and reveals she was the one who branded her. They note that the cut-wife is old, bit Evelyn is not; Evelyn demands Vanessa for her master. Evelyn nearly enchants the cut-wife past her ward stones – but Vanessa breaks the spell.

Vanessa helps the old woman to bed, seeing the pentacle branded on her back. The Cut wife talks of preparing for battle

Penny Dreadful, Season 2, Episode 2: Verbis Diablo

After the prayer showdown of last week, Vanessa spends some time cowering before going to tell 

Malcom, all shaken and disturbed. She desperately seeks comfort from him and all he can offer is to be there with her.

They have a father/daughter moment. The next day Malcolm takes Vanessa to a project of his wife’s (he calls it his atonement and a something that brings him peace) – a large colony of people in London’s tunnels suffering from cholera. Malcolm remarks about the suffering while the city is so rich (including him – perhaps less money on expeditions, Malcolm?) and they sight see their way past all the destitute and sick to work on the soup kitchen which Malcolm funds

Frankenstein and Caliban have succeeded in resurrecting Dead!Brona. Having spent most of last episode groping her, they now try to talk to her. Frankenstein urges Caliban to be patient as she has to learn about the world first (is Brona’s mind completely gone?). Caliban is all about poetry. Frankenstein is all about practicality and wants to teach her first. Frankenstein refers back to Proteus – and how he began to remember before Caliban killed him. They have a bit of a “you’re evil!” “so are you!” moment. Victor goes back to groping before teaching her his name.

She picks up language quickly, though Victor told her she had an accident and is his cousin – as a part of that and imitating him she has completely lost her Irish accent. He also changes her name to Lily – which makes her inexplicably sad.

He continues to make up a history of the two of them, creating a fake childhood between them in rather eerie and creepy detail as he dyes her hair. He also tells her that Caliban was her fiancé – but he says he doesn’t know if she loved him or not. Brona/Lily says again who vulnerable and lost she is and begs Victor for protection “don’t let me hurt.”

Back to Frankenstein and Victor introduces “Lily” to “John Claire”.

Among the sick in the cholera camp, Vanessa finds Caliban and brings him soup. He’s very self-effacing and deferential in the face of her obvious class (contrast this sharply with his attitude towards Victor). She expresses her nervousness among the nuns with her difficult Catholic past and they have an excellent exchange “do you offer religion?” “do you require it?” “No” “then I shall not offer it.” She’s also not that sure she’s on speaking terms with the Almighty. He talks philosophy and poetry quite beautifully about morality and accountability to each other without the fear of god. He talks more about the world being enough for him in his classic, beautiful, eloquent fashion

As Vanessa leaves, she tells him he has beautiful eyes.

Penny Dreadful, Season 1, Episode 8: Grand Guignol

Vanessa and Malcolm discuss Vanessa thinking he she has found Mina at the theatre – and Malcolm has made the hard choice; if he can’t cure Mina, he will “end her suffering.” Vanessa predicts and receives a visit from Dorian who is increasingly desperate to convince her to talk to him or go to dinner, while she firmly says no.

Ethan sobs and prays at Brona’s bedside – she’s not doing so well – before heading out. He’s watched by 2 Americans, one called Kidd, who are apparently hunting him.

Malcolm goes to a gunsmith to pick up a new super pistol and happen to bump into the medium, whose real name is Evelyn. She has apparently spied Malcolm’s Eligible Bachelorhood and brings out the flirting while he’s mission focused, Malcolm seems at least a little interested.

Over to Vanessa and Malcolmn and their love/hate fest that simmers so perfectly – she confronts him about the secrets he’s keeping from her. He counters that she knows what those secrets are she just wants him to vocalise them – so he does. Yes, he’ll sacrifice Vanessa for Mina. Yes Mina is more important to him and he needs to keep Vanessa alive – to be with Mina. He adds that he put away a picture of his son and daughter because it broke his heart – and his is a special manly heart unlike Vanessa’s fragile little girly heart. Also Vanessa runs from the guilt, unlike him. Pfft, Vanessa’s throws the hypocrisy back – if he wasn’t running from his guilt, he would display the picture.

Vanessa goes to meet Dorian in the gardens and he’s all accommodating and happy, not pushing for any explanation – which she mocks. His safe, pleasant neutrality risks nothing, invests nothing. He tries to be less neutral but she pushes him away and ends their hand-holding; it’s too dangerous for her to be with him (since it wakes up evil demons) and while he may not be afraid, she is. She pities Dorian because he’s never felt like this before; he’s confused as to what the feeling even is – she kisses him, and explains that it’s rejection. She leaves, and Dorian marvels at his own damp eyes.

At the theatre, some of Caliban’s little pullies aren’t working and the actor, Simon, (who doesn’t like him anyway) gets all shirty about it, insulting Caliban and calling Maud to his side as if she were a dog. Lots of Caliban angst. Later Maud arrives with an orange peace offering and it’s all awkward and sad with book quotes and more sadness. Moved by his torment, Maud tells him he doesn’t have to hide his face – and she kisses him on the forehead

Caliban takes this entirely the wrong way, puts make up on his face and goes to see Maud in her dressing room. She tells him to leave, he keeps pushing and they end up struggling with her screaming and him grabbing her. After manhandling and terrifying her, he runs from the room. Vincent sacks him from the theatre – but as he does he expresses regret and even says he’d rather sack Maud. We do see that Dracula is, indeed, hiding in the theatre.

Caliban goes to the only place left to him – Victor’s. Victor is hardly welcoming what with the murder of Van Helsing and Caliban’s demand that Victor kill a woman and raise her for him. Victory pulls a gun while Caliban thinks of what a monster he is – not just in body. His self-hatred and rather beautiful speech of self-recrimination (and Caliban does make some incredibly beautiful speeches) move Victor, even as Caliban tells him to kill him. Victor can’t bring himself to pull the trigger

Penny Dreadful, Season 1, Episode 7: Possession

The disturbing and possessed Vanessa waxes lyrically (and insightfully) about the Victorian ideal of the passive woman and compares it to being almost dead or actually dead. Sir Malcolm tries to gently talk to her, to see what she remembers – but she focuses on the fact he dressed her and seems almost childishly gleeful. She speaks as Mina, Malcolm’s daughter

Let the scenery chewing commence! And no-one scenery chews like Vanessa (Eva Green should have “Best Scenery Chewer ever!” on her CV). Hang on for the ride – she talks as Mina, of her dad always been away, of her mother crying, of Malcolm’s affairs and disdain for her mother because her mother was fat all the while giggling away. Then turning demonic and demanding to know about the other women – and lashing out at Malcolm for not going to Vanessa’s mother’s funeral.

There then follows a racist tirade of Malcolm’s women, though the slur is used to describe how Malcolm treats the various native peoples he commanded and used while an explorer, it’s still grossly unnecessary. She continues to rant about the women he had sex with throughout his travels, the prostitutes he visited, forcing Peter to visit the same to “prove” his manhood – and things start flying, papers, books, cabinet doors… until Sembene runs in and knocks her out

While the rest of the cast stand around looking shocked and stunned, Sembene tends to act.

Vanessa is taken to her room and is examined by a adorkably awkward Victor (who isn’t used to treating the living) with fun moments like “I fear I do not look my best” “your visual responses are perfectly adequate” “no wonder you’re not married.”

She has a brief moment of sanity when she worries about Victor bringing in an alienist, before the scenery chewing begins anew! Speculating about Victor’s virginity and quoting Shelley  - the same quote Victor always uses “No more let life divide what death can join together.” Victor is duly shaken

Malcolm and Victor consult, thinking that it’s a psychological problem. And since this is Victorian, that means “evil lady sexing is evil”. After asking a series of questions (Malcolm doesn’t think Vanessa is a virgin and doesn’t care), Victor comes up with the idea that Vanessa is suffering from huge sexual guilt, probably triggered by having sex with Dorian.

Then her tarot cards spawn a wave of 8 bajillion spiders  and Vanessa screams/roars all demonically. I believe the demon just disagreed with Victor’s diagnosis.

Ethan arrives (Malcolm makes sure he’s armed) and they all pile into Vanessa’s room. Vanessa… does not look good. She looks all pitiable and Ethan goes to her – and she asks about him having sex with Dorian, demon’s back in charge who also knows Brona slept with Dorian. She completely loses it and lashes out at everyone until Victor sedates her while she babbles in Arabic.

Penny Dreadful, Season 1, Episode 6: What Death can Join Together

After the revelations of last week, it’s much less surprising to see Vanessa and sir Michael at odds this week – he expects her to have had some kind of psychic vision of the vampire attack and she is furious by his accusations. Things are… tense and they both throw their lost families at each other.

Ethan returns to Brona who is in bed, coughing terribly. He holds her and tries to help her and she accepts his embrace – she does want to know where he’s been all night, he just says partying with Dorian. She apologises for the scene at the theatre and he accepts all the guilt but it seems to be more “I’m a bad person for bad things I’ve done” guilt rather than “I did something wrong then” guilt. She tells him what a good man he is – and he tells her how much he loves her.

But Brona is getting much much worse and she tells Ethan he needs to keep a safer distance from her. He promptly kisses her in response. She gives him her necklace to wear – St. Jude, patron saint of lost causes

Vanessa looks for Mina by dealing the tarot again – but this time she hears whispers, the cards are moved then she hears a journey by sea, an animalistic roar and screaming. Lots of screaming. She takes the vague ship reference and terrible happenings to Sir. Malcolm. When Dorian interrupts with a visit – he wants to take Vanessa on an adventure. Now (“is there any other time” which may sum up Dorian’s life quite a lot if it weren’t for his worries of mortality and his ennui.) She tries to beg off – but Sir Malcolm is happy for her to go which kind of pushes her to accept. He also makes a snarky little comment to Dorian about Vanessa always being “her own creature.”

While Vanessa is off, Victor autopsies Fenton and tells Malcolm he’s going to consult Van Helsing while Malcolm goes through a ton of shipping paperwork for Vanessa’s vision – he’s curt and preoccupied to Victor and you can almost feel Victor’s daddy issues explode.

When Victor’s gone, Sembene talks to Malcolm (HE TALKS!) and despite him being a servant there’s definitely some familiarity there. He tells Malcolm he doesn’t think Mina can be saved – some people cannot be saved. If Mina cannot be saved, if she is irredeemably a vampire, what will Malcolm do?

Dorian’s little adventure for Vanessa includes being photographed and Dorian’s musings on eternity and lots of flirting. She goes home and changes for dinner with Dorian and Malcolm is all fatherly. She goes to dinner and we have more of Dorian’s flirting and the endless, well done references to his constant searching for meaning and fulfilment in life. This goes through talk of god, to the idea of people with special abilities (like Mina) having to “endure uniqueness” as Dorian puts it – which Vanessa considers a terrible curse, to be alien from everything around you. While Dorian considers different to be powerful, seeking another like you. There is a nice byplay of Vanessa considering it lonely and pointing out his seeking is a symptom of that loneliness. And if they find someone they’re no longer unique – countered with Dorian’s “and no longer lonely”. They have some very sophisticated flirting these two.

Penny Dreadful, Season 1, Episode 1: Nightwork

It’s dark, it’s cold, it’s the middle of the night and a young woman simply has to go to the bathroom. She makes her way from the bed she shares with her young daughter, through the dimly lit, cold house to the lavatory – and something super-fast snatches her through the window.

Really, you’d think even monsters would allow a truce for toilet breaks.

The little girl wakes up and goes to investigate her missing mother – whatever she sees in the lavatory makes her scream. Damn, that’s some heavy duty air freshener needed.

Opening credits – and a woman praying fervently in latin to a crucifix. She looks troubled – and is distracted and further troubled by a spider crawling over the cross – and then onto her hand. She seems to have some kind of fit or vision while an eerie voice says “soon my child.” And “I’m hungry”.

Well, that’s nicely ominous.

From there to a Wildwest show in London, 22^nd September 1891. An American shows off his considerable prowess with firearms while spinning a tale about Custer and deadly Native Americans, much to the appreciation of all the crowd by one woman in black, who looks rather awesomely unimpressed.

He certainly impressed one lady sufficiently for her to show her private appreciation afterwards – having sex up against the wall of a cart. He has some excuses and really pretty words for why he can’t see her again which she doesn’t quite buy because he doesn’t even know her name (something which seems to almost amuse her).

He goes to the bar instead to stare at a pocket watch with an inscription to him (Ethan) from his dad (who I assume is dead by the pathos stare). Moping is interrupted by the Gloriously Unimpressed lady from the crowd (the woman who was praying earlier) who wants to tell him how inaccurate his story is. She wants to recruit him for some dangerous “nightwork” that may call upon his gun skills. She goes on to examine him and give a no-nonsense Sherlock-Holmes-style summation of his current state and past which is pretty awesome as well. He asks questions about the job which she responds to with further cold awesomeness, giving away nothing and thoroughly establishing Ethan’s mortality in the process. She does give him a time and place to meet him and leaves

He calls after her “Do you have a name?” To which she responds “Yes.” And she continues to leave. I think I like her.

That night he arrives at the meeting place and she leads him to an Opium Den, run by several Chinese people. There they meet an older man who is similarly uninformative; he only says they’re looking for someone, someone dear to him. The three of them go down to the basement, which is deserted, to meet 3 unhealthy, pale looking men. The older man argues with their leader in a different language while the other 2 circle ominously.

Lost Girl, Season 4, Episode 8: Groundhog Fae

Aaargh, you know what film I truly despise, perhaps above all others? Groundhog Day. Do you know what’s even worse than the film? The fact that every TV series that can get away with it simply has to have a Groundhog Day episode.

That said, on to the episode where the gang is in a garage and we have more eye candy (is it just me or has the eye candy levels been really high this season?) with Bo sexily cleaning a car while Lauren looks on then is joined by Dyson who also stares at her (this lasts a full 2 minutes by my fast-forwarded scale).

This is apparently the Christmas episode, judging by the music and Dyson and Hale talking Yule traditions (Krampus) and lots of poking between Dyson and Lauren to get closest to Bo. As they drive off, 2 guys in the garage drop a man under the bonnet of a car – which seems to have no engine since he fits.

At Bo’s house, Kenzi and Trick are decorating for Yule – well Kenzi is, Trick is chuntering on about the real meaning of Yule as a ceremony of contrition (mentioning Krampus again) in his Rudolph (Eikthyrni! Even if he does have a red nose!) jumper. The rest of the gang return and resolve to party hard to show Bo that she’s still special to them.

Seriously? Is there an episode that goes by without someone telling Bo how special she is? Her alarm clock probably wakes her up in a morning with an ode to her shiny specialness.

And then Bo wakes up in the car where they left her and apparently forgot about her (hah, no. Don’t buy it – certainly not with Dyson and Lauren vying for her attention). The party is in full swing (including a Choga, apparently someone with narcotic secretions you’re supposed to lick). And Dyson and Lauren plotting upstairs – Lauren’s found a box in the dark archives addressed to Bo in Bo’s handwriting – and no, we don’t get to see what’s in it but Dyson thinks they shouldn’t show her it. Wow, is that not the ultimate agency cross? Refusing to let Bo give herself a gift!

And Vex drops in to… well, be Vex. And Bo goes down to the party to throw her own little pity party because everyone is not basking in her glory (as she unloads to an old man for some reason) before Tamsin arrives, apologises to Bo then kisses her (there you go Bo, one of your worshippers are back) before telling Bo she’s not going to remember anything in 2 seconds

And she wakes up in the car again, gasping “what the f...” (no, that’s the TV show’s prudishness not me. Seriously, we can see Vex cut his hand off but “fuck” is too racy?)

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH btw for the inevitable groundhogness

We go back into the party and everything is how it was before (of course) except Tamsin cuts it a little short, pointing out what everyone is going to do (throwing in a transphobic “ladyboy” in there for no damn good reason) showing that Tamsin has been riding the groundhog loop a few times and we were mercifully spared it. Bo protests that Tamsin should have told someone – a suggestion she treats with the contempt it deserves since no-one remembers what she said when the night resets – until Bo anyway.

Lost Girl Season 3, episode 8: Fae-ge Against the Machine

A blindfolded Bo is looking for the mystical cricket of good luck or some such, urged by Stella, because barking your shins on furnishings is ritually important or something. A test Bo fails, leading to more angst and sharing stories about Hale and Dyson’s little rituals (I want to know about Dyson and the fleas). Her next stage is to wait for an invite, giving Bo the day off – and Stella chance to invite Trick for dinner.

Unfortunately, Bo starts said day off by fiddling with a device she probably shouldn’t which buzzes to life behind her. And we cut to a girl in a chair crying – with some odd tubing that appears to be collecting her tears. See, people will sell ANYTHING on the internet.

On the plus side, Lauren comes to meet Bo at the Dahl buzzing with excitement, to a degree where Bo (and I) worry she may be on drugs. Not drugs – she’s just won a science award for sciency stuff which is impressive and… sciency. Science!  Yes, Bo is confused as me. Still Lauren’s excited and there’s a special dinner to go to for the award and Bo is definitely going as Lauren’s +1. Lauren is cute when excited and buzzes out in a cloud of plans and randomness, leaving Bo with the newly arrive Tamsin. Why is she there? She’s taking Bo out to lunch – because everyone’s been lying to her. What?! Lauren hasn’t won the award?! Ok, it’s possible the lies may not be about the award…

“Lunch” in Tamsin’s world comes in a glass and is normally known as Bloody Marys (did I ever mention I quite like Tamsin?) in a Dark Fae bar – with Bo commenting it doesn’t look much different from a Light Fae bar. Tamsin tells Bo that they’re all bullshitting her, the Dawning is the most horrendous ordeal she’ll ever go through and she’ll probably not get through it. At which point the camera pans out to focus on a random bar patron who is, presumably, relevant?

Back at the Dahl, Trick is getting ready for his date with Stella who arrives advising leather – I’d agree except for the orange fuzzy thing she’s wearing. And they notice the thingummy that Bo was fiddling with earlier – she says it’s Bo’s invitation to the Dawning in the form of a game. And Bo has activated it – at which point it buzzes to life. Stella says they’ll have to do it for her – wherever she, whatever she’s doing, the game will affect her. Her closest blood relative has to play.

Oh… I’m cringing now – magical fae game that will make Bo do embarrassing things at Lauren’s fancy science of award of sciency things? Please nooooooo!

While Trick plays, Bo is still at lunch with Tamsin who tells her that everyone’s bullshitting her to protect her. They’re interrupted by a group of fae who want to know how Bo can call herself unaligned when she’s clearly Light (you and me both buddy) and how they don’t appreciate an all-but-Light fae coming into their bar. (He kinda has a point, I’m just saying.) Tamsin distracts them by punching one into the other 2 (if they go down this easy, you could probably take them, I’m just saying) and they run out with helpful bystander fae (the one who attracted the cameraman earlier() showing her the way out. Once out in the ally Bo says “thanks I owe you one” and shakes on it with the man.

Oh my good gods, how has this never come up before?! It’s like fae mythology 101 don’t say thank you, don’t make deals, don’t imply debts! Yes I’m grumbling over mythology, I don’t care.