Penny Dreadful: Good and Evil Braided Be
May 15, 2016 8:35 PM - Season 3, Episode 3 - Subscribe
A familiar confronts Vanessa, providing her with a clue to her past.
*Lily and Dorian initiate Justine into their new murder club, and then have a blood-drenched threesome.
*Caliban/John Clare has finished the trudge back from Antarctica, and having recovered some pre-transformation memories, locates his former wife & son.
*Vanessa convinces Dr. Seward to hypnotize her to uncover repressed memories from when she was institutionalized, to learn the identity of The Master - revealing that the hospital orderly was none other than pre-transformation John Clare. (Dun-dun-dun!)
*Lily and Dorian initiate Justine into their new murder club, and then have a blood-drenched threesome.
*Caliban/John Clare has finished the trudge back from Antarctica, and having recovered some pre-transformation memories, locates his former wife & son.
*Vanessa convinces Dr. Seward to hypnotize her to uncover repressed memories from when she was institutionalized, to learn the identity of The Master - revealing that the hospital orderly was none other than pre-transformation John Clare. (Dun-dun-dun!)
Okay, I've had a terrible brain day, but I thought this was the best episode yet.
Although, I wasn't expecting the blood orgy.
I guess no one does.
And this morning I would have said no one could have possibly enjoyed the blood orgy, but apparently I am wrong.
I did get squicked by the Hall Of Mirrors, for a while.
Jeckyll is crazy.... he's been so stiff upper lip for the last two episodes and... *bam*, and I bought it.
And Dalton's speech on the train? That was some JMS level good.
Justine... that must be a De Sade nod, wink, say no more, but all I know about Justine is the whole chicken sex thing... can it be easily linked in to the 'penny dreadful' thing?
posted by Mezentian at 4:24 AM on May 16, 2016 [3 favorites]
Although, I wasn't expecting the blood orgy.
I guess no one does.
And this morning I would have said no one could have possibly enjoyed the blood orgy, but apparently I am wrong.
I did get squicked by the Hall Of Mirrors, for a while.
Jeckyll is crazy.... he's been so stiff upper lip for the last two episodes and... *bam*, and I bought it.
And Dalton's speech on the train? That was some JMS level good.
Justine... that must be a De Sade nod, wink, say no more, but all I know about Justine is the whole chicken sex thing... can it be easily linked in to the 'penny dreadful' thing?
posted by Mezentian at 4:24 AM on May 16, 2016 [3 favorites]
NO ONE expects a blood orgy. Though I have to wonder where Dorian sees himself fitting into a secret army of woman who murder men. Maybe he's just the bull, designed for their sexual gratification?
Caliban's recovered memories and discovery of his wife and child are surprising. This can't end well, can it? His creeping around is unsettling, but understandable considering everything he's experienced from humans.
Realizing that he was Vanessa's orderly back in the day is...hmm. I guess everyone is 'related'?
The scenes out west are gorgeous. It's a nice contrast to the generally dim light of the London scenes.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 6:16 AM on May 16, 2016 [2 favorites]
Caliban's recovered memories and discovery of his wife and child are surprising. This can't end well, can it? His creeping around is unsettling, but understandable considering everything he's experienced from humans.
Realizing that he was Vanessa's orderly back in the day is...hmm. I guess everyone is 'related'?
The scenes out west are gorgeous. It's a nice contrast to the generally dim light of the London scenes.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 6:16 AM on May 16, 2016 [2 favorites]
Ok I haven't finished the ep yet (looking forward to blood orgy time) but I wanted to say-1 any thoughts on scotland yard guy? Obviously there is more at stake for him than just doing his job. what could it be? 2 John Clare's son-I wonder if he will ask Victor for help with him. 3. Victor, Victor, Victor because all of your previous experiments have been SO SUCCESSFUL you decide you can help Jekyll. Great plan, idiot.
posted by miss-lapin at 8:31 AM on May 16, 2016
posted by miss-lapin at 8:31 AM on May 16, 2016
1. I think he's just dedicated to finishing these really weird ass case, especially with the number of people murdered.
2. Good call, hadn't thought of that! Poor kid, if that happens it won't go well.
3. To be fair, Proteus seemed like it was going very good. At least until the beta version came back and slaughtered him.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:45 AM on May 16, 2016
2. Good call, hadn't thought of that! Poor kid, if that happens it won't go well.
3. To be fair, Proteus seemed like it was going very good. At least until the beta version came back and slaughtered him.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:45 AM on May 16, 2016
Oh Caliban, how you continue to not interest me.
Yu know, I joking called this show a blood orgy and then bam, blood orgy! That mirror maze was legit creepy - I wonder what Dracula is going to have to do to get into Vanessa's good graces now.
still a little upset they're going with rage/demons for the Jekyll line cause ...every since adaptation gets it wrong. Mr. Hyde isn't his rage or anger, it's the things he can't express as a proper upper middle class white Londoner. Hyde isn't Victorian hulk! He's smaller and "darker" and gets to do low communal things and chase loose women and enjoy all the debauch of London low life without it ruining his Dr. Jekyll persona. The problem is when Hyde starts coming out all the time.
I thought hiring a non white actor might like, update that point a littler clearer where non white Henry Jewyll has to be on his best behavior at all times as a representative of his race, a white Mr. Hyde could get away with anything. Which would be a nice modernizing of the class/race conflicts of the book.
That's where my mind went, anyway.
posted by The Whelk at 10:14 PM on May 16, 2016 [3 favorites]
Yu know, I joking called this show a blood orgy and then bam, blood orgy! That mirror maze was legit creepy - I wonder what Dracula is going to have to do to get into Vanessa's good graces now.
still a little upset they're going with rage/demons for the Jekyll line cause ...every since adaptation gets it wrong. Mr. Hyde isn't his rage or anger, it's the things he can't express as a proper upper middle class white Londoner. Hyde isn't Victorian hulk! He's smaller and "darker" and gets to do low communal things and chase loose women and enjoy all the debauch of London low life without it ruining his Dr. Jekyll persona. The problem is when Hyde starts coming out all the time.
I thought hiring a non white actor might like, update that point a littler clearer where non white Henry Jewyll has to be on his best behavior at all times as a representative of his race, a white Mr. Hyde could get away with anything. Which would be a nice modernizing of the class/race conflicts of the book.
That's where my mind went, anyway.
posted by The Whelk at 10:14 PM on May 16, 2016 [3 favorites]
Brandon-so we have Lilli (who while I love) is definitely a seriously dangerous immortal and Caliban who is...not quite as dangerous as Lilli, but still pretty damn dangerous when he wants to be (that is when he's not doing his emo goth teenager act). So 2/3 of Victor's "experiments" have resulted in powerful and uncontrollable creatures. Not sure that means he should be so confident about his abilities. Mind you that's 2/3 of his experiments that he's been working on for years not something he just saw five minutes ago in someone else's lab,
posted by miss-lapin at 3:00 AM on May 17, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by miss-lapin at 3:00 AM on May 17, 2016 [1 favorite]
So 2/3 of Victor's "experiments" have resulted in powerful and uncontrollable creatures.
You're totally right, his batting average in creating creatures beneficial to society needs work. Him and Jekyll should not be playing together.
But on a minor derail, was his goal to create controllable creatures? I don't think so, but I'm not sure where he had an actual plan in the beginning.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 4:24 AM on May 17, 2016
You're totally right, his batting average in creating creatures beneficial to society needs work. Him and Jekyll should not be playing together.
But on a minor derail, was his goal to create controllable creatures? I don't think so, but I'm not sure where he had an actual plan in the beginning.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 4:24 AM on May 17, 2016
I think originally he just wanted to bring people back from the dead without drastically changing them in any respect. He has not had much luck with that; even though Proteus wasn't dangerous he also barely remembered who he used to be. So yeah, he should probably be a little more up-front with Jekyll about how all of his experiments have had unintended side effects and unanticipated consequences, but he's always been arrogant.
posted by mstokes650 at 7:54 AM on May 17, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by mstokes650 at 7:54 AM on May 17, 2016 [1 favorite]
I don't think he wanted to create controllable creatures. I just don't think he imagined that his immortal creations would be so violent and hostile especially towards their creator. I believe (and it's been a while) in the original book, victor imagines this new race of beings would consider him a father/God. I think this victor is operating on a similar idea that these beings should be SO GRATEFUL to him even though in the case of Lilli he murdered her. Now true, he murdered her while she was dying anyway, but still. He didn't imagine that she might harbor A BIT of hostility about that!
posted by miss-lapin at 5:10 PM on May 17, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by miss-lapin at 5:10 PM on May 17, 2016 [1 favorite]
For Scotland Yard guy (I know he has a name, I think I just never cared enough to notice it), I think if you look at things from his perspective, he's just a guy who's trying to stop a monster, not unlike Malcolm and Vanessa and Ethan and co. in season 1. I mean we understand that Ethan is not really in control of himself when he wolfs out, and that regular Ethan is quite likable and a "good guy", but from Scotland Yard's pov, he's a monster who's walking around tearing people to shreds. So in his own mind at least, the driving force for that character is probably trying to stop something that he sees as evil or dangerous.
The hall of mirrors freaked me out as well, because every time I've been in one, the same exact thing has happened to me. I mean the getting separated from my companions and getting hopelessly turned about part, not the getting taunted by one of dracula's minions part.
I also was surprised when we got to see the "crazy" come out in Jeckyll in this ep. I was totally buying the whole sane, even keeled stuff, but now he seems like he might be even more unhinged than Victor.
I don't really get how Dorian fits into Lilly's crusade against men either. I wonder how she would react to knowing that he murdered Angelique last season.
posted by katyggls at 11:14 PM on May 17, 2016 [1 favorite]
The hall of mirrors freaked me out as well, because every time I've been in one, the same exact thing has happened to me. I mean the getting separated from my companions and getting hopelessly turned about part, not the getting taunted by one of dracula's minions part.
I also was surprised when we got to see the "crazy" come out in Jeckyll in this ep. I was totally buying the whole sane, even keeled stuff, but now he seems like he might be even more unhinged than Victor.
I don't really get how Dorian fits into Lilly's crusade against men either. I wonder how she would react to knowing that he murdered Angelique last season.
posted by katyggls at 11:14 PM on May 17, 2016 [1 favorite]
I wonder how she would react to knowing that he murdered Angelique last season.
This show is not subtle, so you won't have to wait long.
We'll probably also end up with the Frankenstien Family at this rate.
posted by Mezentian at 4:29 AM on May 18, 2016 [1 favorite]
This show is not subtle, so you won't have to wait long.
We'll probably also end up with the Frankenstien Family at this rate.
posted by Mezentian at 4:29 AM on May 18, 2016 [1 favorite]
god im still cackling at the awfulness of the blood orgy
posted by poffin boffin at 4:31 PM on May 19, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by poffin boffin at 4:31 PM on May 19, 2016 [3 favorites]
I'm not sure if Lilli would be that upset by Angelique's murder. I just don't get the sense she's going to care.
Dorian, like Lilli, is special. She recognizes him, currently, as her equal. I think as long as he supports her, he's fine. Of course, considering how volatile those two are, that's pretty much a situation destined for disaster.
posted by miss-lapin at 9:00 AM on May 20, 2016
Dorian, like Lilli, is special. She recognizes him, currently, as her equal. I think as long as he supports her, he's fine. Of course, considering how volatile those two are, that's pretty much a situation destined for disaster.
posted by miss-lapin at 9:00 AM on May 20, 2016
Mrs Clanger's immediate comment on the reveal that John Clare used to be Vanessa's orderly: so, did he die at her hands?
posted by Major Clanger at 2:36 PM on May 20, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by Major Clanger at 2:36 PM on May 20, 2016 [5 favorites]
A totally valid question. As Caliban/Clare remembers more, one wonders if/what memories of Vanessa will surface.
posted by miss-lapin at 5:46 PM on May 20, 2016
posted by miss-lapin at 5:46 PM on May 20, 2016
ugh, fucking hated this episode. Let's beat up and threaten to kill the naked young woman! No wait, let's kill the gawpers that paid to see it (eg, showtime subscribers, law abiding fans of the show)! Then, let's bathe in blood and fuck but not show it! Seriously, I am maybe not the audience for this.
posted by mwhybark at 11:09 PM on February 23, 2018
posted by mwhybark at 11:09 PM on February 23, 2018
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posted by destructive cactus at 12:47 AM on May 16, 2016 [1 favorite]