Penny Dreadful: Review + Response

When I first saw the trailer for the new Sky show Penny Dreadful I was delighted. I've recently been reading Le Fanu's "Carmilla" so give me a dash of good old Gothic horror any day of the week. Stylistically, this is exactly the sort of show I'd watch. I sat down, hoping that the show would not disappoint.

I like that this first episode grabbed your attention within the first 60 seconds and automatically sets you up with questions in need of answers. 

Eva Green gave a captivating performance. I personally am a real fan of vampire lore and mythology. I will gladly explore any vampires in literature or on the big screen.

One of the best lines of the season premiere:
"It appears you have an Egyptian man of no particular age who at some point in his indeterminate life span decided to sharpen his teeth and tattooed himself in hieroglyphics and grow an exoskeleton. Or you have something else altogether."


Josh Hartnett plays the handsome gun-slinger, Ethan Chandler. With Vanessa Ives constantly calling him "Mister Chandler" all I could think of was this:

Similarly with all this talk of a Demi Monde all I could think of was the book series by Rod Rees of which I have the first book. Perhaps I should get down to reading that series...

This show is a deliciously dark dive into the Gothic, a genre I feel we'll be forever fascinated with. There were some moments of light humour that acted as little rays of light amongst darkness. Penny Dreadful clashes aristocratic elegance with the drudgery and discomfort of true Victorian urban life whilst lashing in plenty of horror and mystery. I thought that this was a promising start to what could be a great show. I'll certainly be tuning in for the next episode.