“Go heal yourself, my beloved immortal,” orders Lily, as Episode 9 prepares us for a surely ostentatious finale. As our heroes dash about Evelyn’s estate, could we one day see these forces unite, 1940s Universal studios-style, to form their own undead team? When the devil knocks at your door, he doesn’t have cloven hooves, he’s beautiful,” Rory Kinnear observes, as poetically as ever. “True evil is, above all things, seductive. Clare, neither man nor woman, his down-trodden position of powerlessness turned Lily’s offer of power last week into something irresistible – even as he finds himself drawn to another, seemingly more virtuous woman. “Men without sanity,” she muses, in between tormenting Sir Malcolm, “are vermin made to pro-create and expire.”įor Mr. Grey circulates, fuelling her growing consciousness with a feminist-like fury at the way women – and monsters – are treated by the established system. Brona’s rebirth as Lily has taken her out of the appearance-driven society in which Mr. Now, the problem is that they want to do so forever.Īnd so, as we get one step closer to the showdown between Vanessa and Evelyn, the union that thrills the most is Miss Croft and Mr. “Youth is paramount.” Our monsters spent a season making peace with their existence. “I believe what you have taught me,” Hecate spits at her mother, going into full rebellious teenager mode. The importance of looks is echoed in the power struggle occurring in the evil witches’s camp. Season 2 has carefully built upon it – a key to its triumph has been to expand its themes, as well as its cast roster – as he now proves a natural partner to Lily. Surface and what lies beneath has always lain at the centre of the show, a juxtaposition encapsulated by the appearance-obsessed Dorian. And that’s saying something, because Penny Dreadful really likes mirrors. Hecate, meanwhile, confronts him about his more religious connection – a sensuous showdown that sparks one of the creepiest uses of a mirror in the series to date. The only one concerned with establishing motivation and back-story is Scotland’s Yard determined detective, who gets closer and closer to Ethan’s true identity the reveal of Chandler’s real surname (again, an admirably fleeting mention) makes it clear that his inner wolf will soon be outed to all and sundry, and also opens up another avenue for next season to explore. But we also get a crumb of insight into the servant’s own horrific past, done in the show’s typical blink-and-you’ll-miss-it style: their carriages to whisk people between plot lines might be unsubtle, but exposition in Penny Dreadful is always a welcome second place to its extravagant set pieces and colourful characters. And of course, of course, Sembene is there to deliver some wise words of support. (The arrival of Frankenstein in a cab to ferry them back to London is cheerfully one of the show’s worst moments.) Of course, it’s a full moon. That skilled juggling of narratives is evident with Ethan Chandler too, who finds himself – along with Miss Ives – braving a rescue mission to save Sir Malcolm from Evelyn’s house of horrors. Clare during one cruel exchange, turning what was once a mildly curious subplot into a foundation for the recently commissioned Season 3. “Not everyone loves poetry,” snaps Putney’s daughter at Mr. have been a key part of that, one of several supporting characters who prove that, just as we sympathise with the humanity of these beasts, humankind can be beastly enough on its own. Season 2 has tried to make that carnival bigger and better and this penultimate dance gives us a glimpse of just how successful it’s been: compared to the tighter Vanessa-oriented story line of Season 1, things here are ludicrous, garish and way over-the-top – but they’re also hideously fun. David Haig’s Oscar Putney has been one of the more enjoyable additions to the Penny Dreadful universe – a pantomime villain who fits right in with our carnival of monsters. Never has a more apt statement been made by the owner of a waxwork emporium. Already seen Episode 9? Read on at the bottom for additional, spoiler-filled comments.
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