Review: Penny Dreadful – “Possession” S01,E07

 

“She’s been possessed by the devil” – Malcolm Murray

“Oh fuck me!” – Ethan Chandler

“Possession” picks up shortly after the events of the previous episode, “What Death Can Join Together” leaves off. Vanessa (Eva Green) is obviously possessed and begins verbally hurling stinging accusations at Malcolm (Timothy Dalton), mocking him with the failures of his past before telekinetically hurling objects around the room.

When Ethan (Josh Hartnett) shows up at the Murray residence (silhouetted outside in a nice subtle nod to Merrin’s arrival in The Exorcist), Vanessa has been sedated while Malcolm and Victor (Harry Treadaway) decide how to proceed.

As “Possession” progresses, Vanessa’s condition deteriorates and the men in her life connect in some ways (Ethan teaches Victor how to fire a gun) and drift apart in others (mostly all away from Malcolm as Victor and Ethan begin to believe he is somehow manipulating Vanessa into contacting Mina). When all looks lost, Ethan forcefully persuades Malcolm into summoning a priest to the home by reminding him that Mina is gone but Vanessa has remained by his side: “You want a daughter? There she is!”

There’s a lot that I really love about both “Possession” in particular and Penny Dreadful as a whole. In fact, this episode probably best sums up what makes the series both a success and a partial failure.

I know I continually heap praise upon the acting, but this is one of the best ensemble casts on television. Green does a remarkable job as always, regardless of whether she’s playing Ives or whatever demon lurks within her. Dalton, Sapani, Treadaway, Kinnear? They’re all great too. But “Possession” unleashes Josh Hartnett in a way we haven’t seen before, relying upon him to be the emotional linchpin, a momentary villain, and even a savior. Hartnett is given a lot to do here and does it extremely well, delivering some of the best lines of the season.

“Possession” also shines from an aesthetic standpoint thanks to the superior direction from James Hawes and editing from Gareth C. Scales who combine to make the poignant moments somber and the scary moments effectively creepy. Hawes is slated to direct the season finale so one only hopes that it looks as good as “Possession”.

Some credit also has to be given to John Logan because there are a lot of moments where the dialogue positively sparkles, particularly from Vanessa and Ethan. However, whatever strengths Logan has in crafting dialogue are overshadowed by his inability to weave a coherent story featuring a large cast of characters over an entire season. The biggest issue I have with “Possession” and the series in general is that I don’t really feel anything for these characters. There’s no emotional investment I have in seeing whether anyone lives or dies because we haven’t truly spent any quality time with them. Perhaps instead of introducing too many characters (and therefore, too many plotlines), it might have worked better in the long run to maintain a tighter focus on one or two plots, especially when you have only eight episodes with which to work.

For example, what purpose does Dorian Gray (Reeve Carney) serve in the first season? None that really comes to mind. Yes, there have been interesting scenes with him, but not a lot of his story had a direct impact on that of the search for Mina. Also, the introduction of Caliban (Rory Kinnear) was ultimately necessary and while the dynamic between him and Victor has been thrilling to watch, he’s largely been ignored for several weeks, relegated to lurking and stalking Victor.

Though next week’s finale, “Grand Guignol”, might wrap up the season in a satisfying manner and put these issues to rest, I highly doubt it.

Penny Dreadful “Possession” grade: B+

Review: Penny Dreadful – “What Death Can Join Together” S01,E06

 

In “What Death Can Join Together” (the title comes from the poem “Adonais” by Percy Bysshe Shelley), there seems to be two common themes running throughout the episode, the most predominant of which is control (or lack thereof) over one’s work.

Let’s tackle that one first.

One can argue that control is illusory for all of the characters who inhabit the world of Penny Dreadful. Vanessa (Eva Green) attempts to harness her powers to locate Mina, but later, in a passionate tryst with Dorian Gray (Reeve Carney), she experiences a moment at the height of the act allowing something more than Dorian to slip inside her. Malcolm (Timothy Dalton), Ethan (Josh Hartnett), and Sembene (Danny Sapani) search for Mina on a dilapidated ship, coming within several feet of rescuing her before being thwarted by a fire caused by them slaying the female vampires sleeping near the master. Victor (Harry Treadaway) once again discovers that he is unable to control Caliban (Rory Kinnear), who provides a twist on these classic tales by snapping the neck of Van Helsing (David Warner) shortly after he relays exposition on vampires to the good doctor.

In this world, there is no control, just fate–something Van Helsing claimed to subscribe to not long before he was suddenly killed (unfortunately all but wasting the talents of Warner in the role of existing within the story merely to provide information). As the main characters move toward their goal of locating and rescuing Mina, they discover that the more control they try to exert over their efforts, the faster things fall apart.

The secondary theme is that of the willingness to do what must be done. This question has previously been asked of Malcolm, but now it’s Ethan’s turn to answer, which he does in a clever exchange that may portend Brona (Billie Piper) becoming one of the undead. Malcolm tells Ethan that the consumption will change her and that “she will cease to be who she was”. Ethan responds quickly with “Then I’ll love who she becomes”. Will he?

When the time comes, will either be able to do what’s necessary (Malcolm killing Mina if necessary, Ethan accepting Brona’s death)? It’s an interesting question that would hold more weight if not for one big issue I have with Penny Dreadful.

I don’t really buy into a lot of the relationships. Ethan expresses his absolute love (twice, mind you) for Brona but the two have shared so few scenes together that the connection between them seems arbitrary. Since Ethan’s declaration of his affection comes at two different points in the episode, it’s as if creator/writer John Logan wants me to REALLY know he loves her. If that was the case, it would have been better established.

Also, since we’ve seen at least a short glimpse into Malcolm’s past with Mina (in last week’s “Closer Than Sisters“), the desire for him to find her is a little more believable but not by much.

As the first season plods to an end, it becomes more apparent that: 1) there are way too many characters for Logan to handle and 2) Penny Dreadful is a great premise whose story is stretched out much too long, especially when it primarily centers around finding Mina*.

*DEAR GOD, WON’T SOMEONE FIND MINA ALREADY?!?

Once again, in “What Death Can Join Together”, the performances are top notch with every actor squeezing the most they can out of the thin material. However, that’s not enough to recommend this particular episode.

Penny Dreadful – “What Death Can Join Together” grade: D+

 

 

 

Review: Penny Dreadful – “Closer Than Sisters” S01, E05

“Letters I’ve written, never meaning to send.”

I couldn’t help thinking of this lyric from the Moody Blues’ “Nights In White Satin” as “Closer Than Sisters” came to an end. Vanessa Ives (Eva Green) has been penning letters to her onetime friend, Mina Murray (Olivia Llewellyn), but since the latter is missing, there’s nowhere to send them. As a result, they get stashed away in a wooden box, perhaps to be read someday. However, if the postscript Vanessa adds to her most recent letter is any indication, they may do little more than collect dust as time marches on.

“Closer Than Sisters” is meant to finally peel back the layers of the mysterious Vanessa Ives, detailing her journey from childhood to a time not long before we meet her in the season opener, “Night Work”. When we first see Vanessa, she’s a young girl, the best of friends with the Murray family who reside in the house right next to the Ives. Vanessa and Mina are inseparable and the two families are almost as close, sharing dinners and even more (for example, Malcolm shares Vanessa’s mother without her father’s knowledge as Vanessa discovers while wandering through the hedge maze and happens upon their passionate tryst).

Vanessa eventually changes as she grows older, delving into “mischief” like taking little things like a comb from Mina at first, then her fiance the night prior to his and Mina’s wedding. Obviously, this drives a huge wedge between them, but Vanessa can’t seem to help it, though she’s prayed. However, as Vanessa details in her letter, “God didn’t answer, but another did”.

Soon, Vanessa’s mental state rapidly deteriorates and she’s committed to an asylum where she’s drugged, gagged, hosed down, and even subjected to trepanning (i.e. the drilling of a hole in her skull) in an attempt to cure her. Eventually, she’s brought home to convalesce where she lays nearly unresponsive in her bed until Mina’s brother Peter pays her a visit to tell her he’s accompanying his father to Africa. She tells him he’s going to die there.

Shortly after Peter departs, Vanessa sees Malcolm sitting in a chair at the foot of her bed, but she is fully aware it’s something much, much darker assuming the guise of Sir Murray. With black eyes, he tells her “You could have shut the door anytime, you still can.” Rather than refusing his advances, she welcomes the darkness in. When her mother enters moments later, Vanessa is naked and in the throes of passion, thrusting her hips up and down in time with some unseen force. Vanessa’s milky white eyes are the last thing her mother ever sees before dropping dead to the floor.

When Mrs. Ives’ funeral has ended, Vanessa takes a walk on the beach and encounters Mina, who seems to forgive her at first before her eyes glow red and snarls that the master has taught her much. Vanessa visits Malcolm, telling him that Mina needs his help and stands at the door, asking him to invite her in as if she were a vampire.

“Closer Than Sisters” ends with Vanessa adding yet another letter to her collection, this one with a post script that tells Mina “I love you in a different way. I love you enough to kill you.”

Though I enjoyed “Closer Than Sisters” (largely due to the masterful performance from Eva Green who continues to shine brightly in the role of Vanessa Ives), I realized that Penny Dreadful has some structural problems in relation to the series as a whole.

“Closer Than Sisters” provides too much information, lingering on scenes when it should be moving a little faster. Part of this problem can be attributed to series creator and sole screenwriter, John Logan, who sometimes seems to be tailoring the show for an audience that existed a decade or so ago. Thanks to the second “golden age” of television which has brought us amazing, groundbreaking series like The Sopranos, Lost, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones and countless others, TV viewers have become more savvy and are used to plots moving at a faster pace. Often times Penny Dreadful reminds me of a failed movie pitch that had a tighter plot which now needs to be stretched out not only over many episodes, but now many seasons (as it’s just been renewed for a second, not surprisingly). And in that regard, part of the blame can also go to Showtime who undoubtedly called for a certain amount of episodes for the season which, in turn, caused the story to be stretched out indefinitely.

Furthermore, when a series is dealing with multiple main characters, it’s to its advantage to weave different arcs together to create an overall theme of the episode. “Closer Than Sisters” might have benefited from a secondary tale of betrayal (perhaps with Chandler or Frankenstein) that served to complement or contrast that of Ives. Either that or this particular tale should have come a little earlier as Vanessa is obviously the character which the entire narrative hinges upon.

Had it not been for Green’s Emmy worthy performance, “Closer Than Sisters” would more than likely have been a plodding hour of mere exposition.

Penny Dreadful “Closer Than Sisters” grade: B-

Review: Penny Dreadful – “Demimonde” S01,E04

 

Apparently, the wish that I made in my review for “Resurrection” for advancing the plot in an engaging manner didn’t come true.

The first season of Penny Dreadful is only eight episodes long and by the denouement of “Demimonde”, we’re already at the halfway point. As a result, we should start to see at least some elements of the tale a little more clearly.

We’re not.

In fact, many of the main characters seem distracted for the most part. Malcolm Murray (Timothy Dalton) talks about a trip to the Nile with Ethan (Josh Hartnett) by his side. Caliban (Rory Kinnear) again pesters Victor (Harry Treadaway) to make him a companion. Sembene (Danny Sapani) takes in the show at the Grand Guignol along with Ethan, Brona (Bille Piper), Dorian (Reeve Carney), and Vanessa (Eva Green), though not all of them attend together.

Sigh.

Since there’s really not a lot to talk about in “Demimonde”, I’ll just provide some observations and insight.

• Victor is dismayed when Malcolm chooses Ethan as his travel companion but Malcolm reassures him that Ethan is nothing more than a hired gun and that Victor is like a son to him. Huh? Did I miss major bonding time between them? That’s a pretty big leap for a few guys who recently met.
• Brona jilts Ethan at the Grand Guignol when she realizes that she could never compete with those in high society, eventually driving Ethan into the arms of…Dorian Gray? We all knew Ethan harbored some sort of secret, but I was expecting it to be a little more exciting than the reveal that he’s bisexual. To be honest, the whole play at the Grand Guignol seemed as if it was a foreshadowing to Ethan being some sort of werewolf or beast. It still could be, but that would have had more impact in this episode rather than what amounts to a twist out of the blue. Is the message that bisexuality is Ethan’s “beast”?
• It was nice to see David Warner (Time After Time, Titanic) as Van Helsing. He’s fantastic in any role and I hope they use him well.
• Dorian offers a toast to “Vanessa Ives, the most mysterious woman in London”. Four episodes in, it would be nice to know more about her.

There were a few highlights in “Demimonde”. Caliban telling Victor that the future belongs to the immortals has a lot of potential for strong conflict down the line and Vanessa’s eerie chat with the little girl outside the church was riveting.

All in all, “Demimonde” was a disappointment considering the season started off so strong.

Penny Dreadful “Demimonde” grade: C-