Badmovies.org Forum

Did anybody else watch this series?

I watched season one back in January when it first released on DVD, and last night I finished up the second season.
Basically, what the series has done is thrown together all the classic tropes of Victorian horror - Dorian Gray, Dracula, Frankenstein, witches, werewolves, and everything else they can think of - into a bloody, R-rated soap opera.  Brilliantly acted with Josh Harnett, Timothy Dalton, and my current celebrity crush Eva Green, the first season featured Sir Malcolm Harker, famous British explorer, trying to recover his daughter Mina from the clutches of a hideous vampire-like creature with the aid of an American cowboy and a mad scientist, as well as his beautiful ward, Vanessa Ives (played by Eva Green).  In the next season, Vanessa is stalked by witches who want to force her to become Lucifer's consort and partner in his bid to steal God's throne and enslave the earth.

Overall, I enjoyed the first season more than I did the second.  The acting was just as good in both of them, but the second season was far more dark and bleak in its outlook.  Still, if you love classic Victorian horror, I recommend them both. 

I must admit I haven't seen it. Though, it does sound interesting, especially, as I like both Bond James Bond and Dr. Who, and many of the actors who appear in this, also appeared in one or the either or both.

The good news is that next year (2016) will bring on a 3rd season of the show with 9 episodes--apparently.  No plot give, but the title of the 1st episode is "The Day Tennyson Died," which may give someone some idea what the 3rd season will be about.

That's weird.  Honestly, this season's finale gave me the impression that the show was NOT planned to continue.

Haven't seen the second season but I enjoyed the first, albeit its a pretty pulpy kind of show. Really liked Eva Green though the whole Lucifer subplot that they hint at in the first season was a bit silly at times but she sure acted her heart out. Pretty decent cast as well overall [So that's what Josh Hartnett has been up to?]

Maybe, they did plan to cancel it after the 2nd season, as I haven't seen it, and they changed their mind, as the reviews and ratings have seemingly been positive. It is just the information that I had, and I didn't have much, only that there is suppose to be a 3rd season next year or 2016, and it is suppose to last 9 episodes and the title of the 1st episode season 3 is "The Day Tennyson Died."

Anyway, my source of information is not always correct, so I went back to the official website for the show, and there is an official website for the show, and that had that the show had been renewed for a 3rd season, which will be seen sometime next year or 2016.

And that is all that I have for now.

Thanks. I'll look forward to it.  Hopefully it will be less bleak than the end of this season.

And you're welcome. I still don't have a plot for the 3rd season, but . . .?! This is the cast and the roles they play. They might give you some idea as to what is to come in 2016.

Patti Lupone as Dr. Seward
Wes Studi as Kaetenay
Eva Green as Vanessa Ives
Josh Harnett as Ethan
Timothy Dalton as Sir Malcolm
Sarah Greene as Hecate
Simon Beale as Ferdinand Lyle
Shazad Latif as Dr. Jekyll
Christian Camargo as Dr. Sweet
Sam Barnett as Seward's secretary
Jessica Barden as Justine
Billie Piper as Lily
Reeve Carney as Dorian Gray
Perdita Weeks as Catronia Hartdegan
Rory Kinnear as The Creature
Harry Treadaway as Dr. Frankenstein

Now shooting in Dublin, Ireland.

I'm glad they are bringing Ethan back.
Things weren't looking too good for him at the end of season 2.

I started watching this and have seen the first two episodes.  I wouldn't say it's brilliant so far, but it looks like something I could enjoy.  However, in these two episodes, I have been ambushed by sudden "humping" scenes that I wasn't prepared for (first episode more than the second) and it's making me wary about watching the rest of the show.  I can take a little hanky panky but I prefer to have something of a warning so I can, you know, not have food in my mouth or be sitting next to my uncle when it happens.  Though I also think these (and some other) scenes seemed quite unnecessary for the story and planted simply to appease some slow-witted, vulgar-minded fans...but that's just my opinion.  Anyway, my question is -  if I want to keep watching this show, will I need to prepare myself for more flash-humps?  Or does it get a little more tasteful as the show progresses?

There was not as much sex as the show progressed through the first two seasons.  Haven't seen the third yet.

Funny, long ago for a minute my Amazon.com reviewer name was Penny Dreadful.

I dunno...  I think season 2 had probably at least twice as much sex and nudity as the first.  There's one like 5 minute sequence which is literally three or four separate sex scenes intercut in season 2.  I think all of season 1 has like 5ish sex scenes total. 

 :hatred: :hatred: :hatred:
I wasted FAR too much time watching aall 3 seasons on netflix, just to be let down. i'll listen to my old friends from now on,and spend my time on cool stuff like channel zero instead.

Show was a good example of 'fandering' (pandering to fans) that destroys shows with potential. Worst type is when the producers realise that they have a solid female demographic and start skewing the story, introducing Mary Sues and shoehorning in blather about the oppression of women.
There was a lot to recommend the first series  but it went from Penny Dreadful to just plain dreadful. That said Eva Greene and Rory Kinear are suberb throughout and I thought the episode with the pair of them in the asylum showed what the series could have been.

watched the first season, almost got into it but i lost interest and never went back. it had alot of elements that i liked but something was missing. i also liked the classic monsters thing they had going. too much eva green for me though. i just dont like her, theres something weird about her eyes and brow.

You did NOT just speak evil of Eva!!


Them's dueling words!!!!!!!!!!!  Swords or pistols, knave?

If you liked Penny Dreadful, then you'll love The Alienist on TNT.

Similar: atmosphere
Similar: setting
Similar: subject matter

Subject: (factual)
One sex murder is one sex murder too many.
And while girls are more likely to fall victim to a sex murderer (check the statistics) than boys, boys are not immune.

Subject: (fictional - book)
One would not know this from most fiction books, where boys are seldom victims of a sex murderer, at least less than the actual statistics.

Subject: (fictional - film)
At least it is more common in books than it is on TV. The only other TV program I know that dealt with the subject is Broad church. Which could have been a credible look at the subject, instead became one of the most overrated programs I have ever seen on TV, as the screenwriter seemingly had little or no understanding of the subject or the characters. And that it is popular with the audience just shows (IMHO) that some audiences have little or no understanding of quality writing for TV.

Writer
Caleb Carr
Who is well-known and popular among some readers, and while I have not read his The Alienist, I have tried to read some of his other books, and I have found him unreadable.

Program
I can remember, when the book was 1st published, it was so popular, it was optioned to become a film, and while it never  became a film, it has now become a limited TV series.

I have only seen the trailer for it, and it does look good, as they seemed to have spared no expense to bring it to the screen.

I do wonder if I should read the book before seeing it or not.

I was also surprised, somewhat, that instead of going with new murder victims have gone with the same murder victims, which makes me wonder whether they will face the issues brought up or dance around the subject, like Broad church did, and if they dance around the subject, will they do it more skillfully than Broad church?

And we will see what we will see.

You saw the TV series Penny Dreadful, now read the comic prequel to Penny Dreadful. Brought to you by the same people--Wilson-Cairns, Hinderaker, King--who brought you the TV series.
v.1. Collecting issues #1-#5. To be continued.
Also photos from the TV show.
And see Sharon Gosling's The Art and Making of Penny Dreadful.