So much to talk about, Dreadfuls, but today I’m picking out the highlights. Above all, let me say that this week’s is head and shoulders above last week’s disjointed and (in my opinion) boring episode, and move along.
Tonight felt like it was all about a reversal of fortunes, and none is more heartbreaking than Vanessa unwittingly giving herself over to Dracula in a gambit for her own happiness. She spends the whole episode trying to safeguard herself—and then, in conversation with Dr. Seward, safeguard her heart against the prospect of endangering her dear Dr. Sweet (ugh)—and then blows it all away (at Dr. Seward’s advice, no less) in a museum that will soon be giving itself over to an exhibit of the creatures of the night. It’s a tragic and beautiful metaphorical summary of the scene, and of Penny Dreadful in general: broken people reveling in the impending end of the world.
Then there’s Victor: Poor Victor, whose addict’s ambitions seemed to be making creepy progress last week, but just won’t pay off now. As always, I have trouble sympathizing with him, but as he broke into Lily and Dorian’s house full of a bourgeoning army of ex-hookers, I couldn’t help but pity, just a little bit, the idiocy of the dumb doctor, and then gasp a little when Justine held the razor to his throat (she finally became more than Torture Porn Girl, by-the-by; now she’s Justine the Demon Barber of Fleet Street!). I’m not comfortable with his actions, but that’s why he’s a compelling character, and I would be sorry to see him go.
Revolving only slightly away from him, we had the Creature, who appeared to be growing closer to his past. Since the beginning of the season, we’ve seen him remember more about, and draw closer to, the family of his former life. It was all the more painful, then, when he was inevitably confronted by the harsh truth that there will always be a clearly visible divide between the life he had then and the isolated misery he plods through now. This week, he could see it reflected in his son’s eyes just as terribly as it would be in a mirror.
Finally, Ethan, tipping to the Dark Side, rocked on back in a difficult display of mercy. Altogether at his father’s ranch, the poo emoji hit the fan with Sir Malcolm, Ethan, Hecate, Ethan’s father, and the New Mexico and Scotland Yard lawmen sitting together at a table. It started with an awkward blessing before dinner, and ended with an almighty shootout that robbed us of both our favorite English police officer and our favorite naked ninja, but, in Ethan’s moment of truth, spared Ethan’s father, the true orchestrator of all the assembled guests’ miseries, his just rewards. I breathed a sigh of relief when Ethan lowered his gun from his father’s face…and I cheered when Sir Malcolm didn’t do the same.
And that’s the greatest hits! I know this isn’t the usual exploration of themes (and even some of the new—and departing—characters that showed their faces) that I like to go into in an episode, but I would love to continue the discussion. Leave a comment, and let’s tweet!