Penny Dreadful

One of my favourites shows ever. Some same-sex kissing and sex, though not a lot ("gay" wasn't really a thing back then, hence the awkward phrasing). But despite that, the whole show [italic]feels[/italic] gay, probably because of the showrunner being a gay man himself. It's a bit like Hannibal in that regard.

Not nearly enough.

I would agree with R1's assessment of the show as "gay feeling". Vanessa Ives should be a DL icon.

R2 Ha! She really should be; those trances of hers were HIGH drama. Speaking of gay icons...

This show has taught me what an "alienist" was before the show [italic]The Alienist,[/italic] which was nice and I definitely found a way to insert that word into everyday conversations for a time. And I won't spoil which modern-day icon played that part, OP, but I squealed like a little girl when She appeared.

Enjoy the three short seasons and make sure you give us your impressions at the end.

I love Harry Treadaway.

He’s very cute, R4.

Harry and his twin brother have been on DL's radar for quite a while now.

I thought it was a short story written by Noel Coward.

R7, Datalounge is a horror story by Noel Coward.

Never underestimate the power of a queen with lovely hair, my dear.

I liked Penny Dreadful. Too bad it only lasted three seasons. Josh Hartnett is good looking. He disappeared after "Pearl Harbor" but seems to be making a come back.

The scene between Josh Hartnett and Reve Carney was fucking hot.

He has a large, visible neck mole.

That mole's the best part! Gives him so much more character.

R14, we at DL are anti-visible neck mole. If you don’t agree with that stance, we suggest you go elsewhere that is more accepting of your “fetish”.

Nah, it's always been just one guy talking to himself in that "We hate neck moles" thread.

I think this is the scene R12 is referring to. I skipped through the discussion at the beginning but the good stuff starts around the 2:20 mark.

I've watched four episodes and here is what I think so far.

I hate Chandler 's frog faced girlfriend. It's obvious she's going to be Caliban's bride which is funny because he asked for someone beautiful.

I'm disappointed that we didn't see Dorian and Chandler fucking.

Was that scene where Vanessa is hallucinating sex with the devil a homage to the Excorcist?

I don't think Caliban is that hideous. I actually find him strangely attractive.

Still hate the ending, even though it fits with the time period SPOILER ---- (death = free from temptation of giving in to Evil). That final scene between Dorian and his former partner in crime is still a big letdown. (just parting ways, no big showdown, just talk and bye-bye? WTF?) ----

Also a lot of stuff was just dropped and the viewer doesn't get some dramatic pay off for some plots. But still don't regret watching it from start to finnish. And there is something about Timothy Dalton's voice, that gives me shivers down my spine in a good way.

Timothy Dalton is a perfect example of a man who's aging gracefully.

Well at least we found out Chandler was the bottom!

Season 2 episode 3-The Vanessa flashbacks are incredibly dull. I'm more interested in Dorian and John Clare. I'm resisting the temptation to skip this episode.

Billie Piper is a prime example of the "Oh Blossom, you're so beautiful!" trope.

r23 I always thought those oversized horse falsies ruined her face completely.

Favorite show! Vanessa Ives is an icon and one of my favorite ever tv characters. The show definitely feels gay like above posters have said. Dorian, Ethan, and Dr. Frankenstein. Something for everyone. And Victorian London.

John Clare should have killed that blind cunt.

[quote]The Hot sailor possessed Vanessa fucks in the rainy street

Hottest. Straight. Shit. [italic]Ever.[/italic]

Agreed, R27. That scene could have stranded to be a few seconds longer... several others too.

I wanted Vanessa and John to run away and be wicked goths together. Casting spells and taking revenge and shit.

Was I the only one constantly annoyed by Dorian's wiggy hair? I have never seen hair(style) like that on TV before. There's [italic]no way[/italic] that was his real hair, right?

[quote] Is there a lot of gay sex in this show?

Non-stop. It should be called "Dorian Gray and Victor Frankenstein Make a Porno"

r30....thats Reeve Carnys real hair

r32 Oh, I see, thanks. I guess it's just a stupid hairstyle then. But I see why he defaults to it so often because that is one mighty forehead.

I enjoyed it, but thought the third season was the weakest. In some ways it seemed like a lot of it was a set up for the next season which did not happen. I wonder if they cancellation took them by surprise, because it seemed like there was a big shift and a rushed ending at the end.

Ethan and Dorian had a bit of chemistry. It is too bad they barely interacted after their scene -- even non-sexually.

Patty Lupone, someone who has been known to chew scenery gave a very restrained performance in season 2 with a character that really could have eaten the set. Josh H.who has been known to play a block of wood in the past, showed personality in a role that really could have been another block of wood. Eva Green was great and Dalton had a nice presence and the Monster also really had some good acting chops, although I hated him in the first series.

Great acting - some great moments, but it seemed to be a case where the parts were greater than the sum.

Actually leaving the blind cunt to fend for herself was a much more fitting punishment than simply killing her.

I felt such blind fury when her true nature was revealed so I understand completely why you'd call her a cunt. And my rage being contrasted with his incredible restraint (almost inhuman grace, really) was what made that scene/episode so great and one for the ages, in my eyes.

r35 Yeah, leaving a blind girl parentless was probably close to a death sentence back then.

[quote] it seemed like a lot of it was a set up for the next season which did not happen

I think that was a lot of the fan speculation. There are deleted scenes you can see parts of on the blooper reels on youtube. For example, when Lilly told them to chop off the hands of men and bring them to the table, this never ended up happening on the show we saw. On the blooper reel, there is a table piled high full of men's hands. So, they shot the scene, among others, that were cut for the rushed ending. The creator of the show insisted it was "always intended" to be 3 seasons, but I doubt it. Bringing in Dr. Jekyll / Mr. Hide also was a set up for future seasons which never happened.

I loved this show. The set decoration is also phenomenal. Eva Green never won an Emmy for a performance that was incredible - for all 3 seasons. I think you'll like it even more on your 2nd watch through, since you know what is going to happen, you can pay attention to the smaller details & see how well it is all set up. There are so few shows that get things right like this. Netflix recommended a lot of period shows and witchy shows after this, but they were complete crap in comparison. Showtime was stupid for axing this, but maybe they just didn't have the budget. I wish it could've been properly finished on Netflix or something. I think the audience would've been much bigger. The Showtime audience is small as it is.

The first season of Salem wasnt bad.....but that went off the rails fast.

....

naw, its mostly justa prick tease....

I ff through the Lily and Dorian scenes.

I usually ff through straight scenes as well but their dynamic is just so creepy and unlike anything else on TV. I was literally asking myself at any given moment, "Is she going to snap his neck now? What about now?" It's just this constant erotic and dangerous power play between an eternally young (but very much mortal) mouse and a crocodile.