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Friday 15 May 2015

The best bits of "Penny Dreadful" Season 2

So pleased that the second series has maintained the standard of the first. Just as beautifully produced, acted and scripted. It's witty, gory, sexy and .... bonkers, of course.

Episode 2:
  • It's great to see Simon Russell Beale is back as campy Professor Lyle (love the hair), funny scene with him flirting with Ethan (Josh Hartnett). 
  • Any scene with Evelyn (Helen McCrory, Damian Lewis's partner, by the by) classifies as a "best bit". Nasty baby sacrifice scene (those creepy mannequins).
  • Dorian Gray's (Reeve Carney) encounter with the (well-endowed) ladyboy (my wife nearly dropped her cuppa).
  • Victor Frankenstein (Harry Treadaway) scenes with newly reanimated Brona (Billie Piper) and The Creature - tender, caring, perceptive (very different from Universal's version in the 30's and 40's).
Episode 3:

The entire episode. The back story of Vanessa on the moors was flawless. Three superb actors chewing up the scenery - the cursed Vanessa (Eva Green), the good witch, Joan Clayton (Patti LuPone - who coincidentally guest starred in another witch opus - "American Horror Story: Coven") and bad witch (Helen McCrory - culling cattle, flouncing around in shoulder pads and showing the lord of the manor who's boss).

Episode 4:
  • The opulent art direction - street carousels, the Gossima Parlour, the coven's skulls-encrusted walls.
  • Frankenstein's "bride" is resembling "Pygmalion". Liked the good doctor's "I'm good at stitching" line
  • The slow build-up to the attack of the nightcomers - the careful preparation of supper, cutting the butter cake, filling the urn.
Episode 5:
  • The tender scenes with Vanessa and The Creature reciting poetry and dancing.
  • The last 10 minutes was a bonk-fest, with something for everyone - gay gorn, grey porn (Sir Malcolm/Timothy Dalton), even Dr Frankenstein gets his leg over. Poor Prof Lyle misses out.
Episode 6:
  • The ballroom blood-shower scene (shades of "Carrie"). Stunning.
  • Special mention to the use of extras in the London street scenes. Season 2's budget must be considerably more than the first season.
Episode 7:
  • Vanessa telling Ethan in her deliciously croaky voice, "We are dangerous".
Episode 8:
  • Evelyn's line to the professor: "You taste like a fat, little man".
  • We finally get to see Dorian Gray's hidden picture, not as scary as the 1945 movie version, though.
  • The "Bride"/Brona's ball-busting "thee and me" monologue to the hapless Creature.
Episode 9:
  • There's a nifty fight scene in Vanessa's rural retreat about 5 minutes in.
  • Brona goes all Mike Tyson with Dorian in the ballroom.
Epiode 10 (season final)

  • The prof's line, "Never underestimate the power of a queen with lovely hair, dear."
  • Blood-soaked ballroon in Chez Gray, #2. The white gown/suits design was a masterstroke. "Shall we murder him?" crows Brona.
  • The nautical farewell to three characters. The Creature's Arctic voyage true to Shelley's novel.
  • Did the police inspector refer to Ethan as "Mr Talbot" (or am I too immersed in Universal's "The Wolfman"?)