Karl Delossantos

I dare you to find me a show that balances its larger than life premise with genuine human emotion and perspective better than Penny Dreadful. While this episode drew back on the spooks and shocks, it provided a well brought out development of some of our key characters. Although it didn’t reach the heights of last week’s masterpiece (check out our review here), it sets up what is to be an insane, creepy, and dreadful final two episodes.

“Do you know the word ‘Vampire’?”
It happened. The show finally utilized the term “vampire” thanks to Professor Van Helsing. Doctor Frankenstein and the Professor spend most of the day together. He speaks about stakes to the heart, beheadings, and even echolocation. Van Helsing teaches Victor about life outside of his work, which is a nice calming moment in the sea of troubles that is Penny Dreadful. Of course, it all comes crumbling down when Caliban kills the Professor in the shadows and demands again that Frankenstein make his bride. What makes this storyline more intriguing is that throughout the episode Caliban becomes enamored with a young actress who isn’t afraid of him and actually embraces his disfigurement. A possible candidate for his new bride? The storyline offered for some wonderful perspective on life and death and the nature of the character of Frankenstein. It also allowed Harry Treadaway a great opportunity to show off his acting skills.

Dracula and Banshees?
The post Penny Dreadful-esque storyline in this episode was Ethan and Sir Malcolm’s venture into the plague ship without Vanessa. It is clear that Sir Malcolm no longer trusts her and because of last week’s episode there is somewhat of an understanding. However, in the end Ethan urges he include Vanessa because she is one of the few they can trust. On the plague ship the trio (Ethan, Malcolm, and Sembene) encounter a group of banshee-esque vampire women. After their struggle, they see Mina with who we are brought to assume is Dracula. She screams for her father, but they are unable to get to her. How many more close encounters until we finally get somewhere on this storyline?

Fifty Shades of Vanessa
We’ve gotten to know a lot about Vanessa in the past few episodes. Last week, we delved further into this force that has been tormenting her for years. This week that entity comes out in full force. Vanessa continues to be enamored in with Mr. Gray and the two finally make it to the sheets. Both characters have been enigma’s from the start, but what we learn this episode is that they like it rough. Vanessa scratches, hits, and cuts Dorian much to his liking. It’s terrifying because we quickly learn that Vanessa loves sex and whatever is possessing he loves sex and whenever she has sex, that entity is released. The first thing it does? It seeks out Sir Malcolm and levitates in front of him in what was one of the most terrifying displays on the show thus far. Dorian is confused, but unfazed by her sudden departure. He simply goes to his famous portrait (which we have yet to see). However, there we get a glimpse of the healing of his wounds from his and Vanessa’s tryst. The void just gets deeper this him.

What this episode means for Penny Dreadful as a series
I wasn’t sure what to make of this show when it first premiered. Was it a gothic Victorian tale of horror or a campy Hollywood response to American Horror Story? To be honest, I’m not sure yet. They are holding too many cards to their chest. I have no clue what direction this season is going in or where they’re going in the future. I found the brilliance of the series in its mystery, but I’m becoming nervous that John Logan is relying too much on this mystery for forward momentum. If these last two episodes bring enough story lines to a close, then I’ll bow down and agree that this show has legs. However, I’m not seeing any indication that this series has legs past their main mysteries. I really hope I’m wrong.

My biggest criticism of last week’s episode of Penny Dreadful was the lack of explanation despite it being the mid point of the season. Somehow the people over on Showtime read it, wrote, filmed, and aired an episode in retaliation. I just needed a few answers. Instead they gave an entire backstory to the show’s most enigmatic character: Vanessa Ives. Saying she’s the most mysterious character on a show that thrives on mystery is saying something, so for the writers to unravel her first was surprising and refreshing. The result was the best episode of the season so far and an Emmy-worthy performance by Eva Green.

The episodes is framed by a letter that Vanessa is writing to the already gone Nina. She addresses it to her as if she is actually going to receive it, which is heartbreaking in itself, however it is nothing compared to the episode that was to follow. We track all the way back to Vanessa’s childhood growing up next door to Mina. The two girls were inseparable, however it seemed that Vanessa saw the world in such a different way. However, there was a dark side to her. Well, I suppose, a darkness in her that was festering, waiting to make finally make itself known. She described it as something “behind my back, waiting for me to turn around.” What is more terrifying is that it has always been there, but never manifests itself until she sees her mother and Sir Malcolm having sex in the maze. Much of the episode refers back to her dialogue during the seance in episode 2 (see our review here). Everything from Peter’s death, to seeing Sir Malcolm with a woman was covered.

However, the most disturbing part of the episode is that we never find out when or how the demon took root. When she is speaking directly to it, it mentions that she could of stopped it at any moment, by she chose not to. This free will makes us question who Vanessa really is as a person. Following a saucy tryst with Mina’s soon to be husband (when I mean soon, I mean the night before), it seems that the Demon takes full hold. Her parents send her to a mental asylum where she alternates between a cationic state and a full manic possession. Then, the doctors begin their “treatment” with ice baths, and sprays with a fire hose, before finally drilling into her brain. It’s quite dreadful. After seeing Peter before he leaves for his fatal trip to Africa she has a discussion with the demon in the form of Sir Malcolm. “Something whispered. I Listened.”

Although we got a lot of answers from the episode, the question of what haunts Vanessa still remains. In one of the more shocking and terrifying images of the episode, Vanessa has sex with an unseen entity. All we know now is that her and Malcolm weren’t at the best of terms when they began their adventure to find Mina, but it was refreshing to get some light on this character. I always try to inject some humor (as bad as it can be) into these reviews.

So many critics are dry with their delivery, but I feel the need to be ernest here. This episode of Penny Dreadful was one of the most painfully beautiful episodes of television this year. They have proved that they are more than the horror drama that they are defined as. Despite the episodes clear supernatural undertone, there is still the heartbreak and commentary on the way that we treated and still treat those with mental disorders. Maybe because it’s a cause that I am personally invested in, but more than that the show pulling back the curtain on one of their finest characters to reveal even further complexity was thrilling, captivating, and fantastic. *I’m giving this episode a 9.8 out of 10. This is the highest score of any episode of any show I have reviewed on this site so far. However, it’s not without reason. I’ve always tried to be reasonable with grades, but this was truly a masterpiece. WATCH THIS SHOW!

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t watched this episode of Orange is the New Black, I highly suggest you stop reading now!

Orange is the New Black finished off with one of the most frustrating cliffhangers in online television history. We left Piper Chapman beating the sh!t out of Pennsatucky after she tries to attack her, but we return to Piper in the SHU being transported to some mysterious location, which turns out to be Chicago. My problem with the episode lies in that none of it takes place in the prison or with the women that we have learned to love and care about. While the episode added some forward plot development for, it wasn’t the episode that we wanted.

Piper seems to have been in a sort of haze since her incident with Pennsatucky, probably because (a) she was in isolation and (b) she was still unaware of Pennsatucky’s condition. That’s fine with me. I liked that they added a little suspense with Pennsatucky’s fate, but it went on way too long for me. However, what we did get out of it was a wonderful performance by Taylor Schilling and a heartbreaking commentary on what it feels like to think you killed someone. It’s set up that Piper is suffering greatly from the incident and that she’s terrified of herself. It’s going to make for an interesting development as the season progresses.

After the long transportation process, during which Piper had to hold her pee for hours, we finally discover that she is in route to Chicago. For a transfer or resentencing, we don’t know. When she finally arrives she’s processed and thrown into a cell where she immediately kills a cockroach, named Yoda, that smuggles cigarettes between inmates. Let me just say her roommate weren’t too happy. It also didn’t help that won took 4 dumps a day in the open of the cell, one killed thirteen inmates, and one is obsessed with astrology and knowing Piper’s time of birth. While they made for some hilarious moments, especially when they forced Piper to find another cigarette smuggling cockroach, it just felt off to be introducing another crop of quirky inmates.

The entire episode took place in this prison. I understood why they did it. We were expecting to see familiar faces, so to deprive us of that makes us want to watch more to get there, but I’m already hooked Orange is the New Black, no need to hook me again.

It turns out that Piper is just in this prison to testify against Alex’s old drug boss and that Pennsatucky is alright. Things get tedious when Alex asks Piper to lie on the stand and say that she never met the boss. Of course, Alex refused. The flashbacks of the episode focused on Alex’s childhood and revealed that she always overthought things and played by the rules. It also revealed that every time she didn’t, things didn’t go her way.

Eventually, Piper does lie on the stand. Saying she did everything for Alex. What does Alex do? Tell the truth on the stand. Piper said it and I say it again. F**k you, Alex.

I was disappointed by the episode. Part of what I love about the show is it’s so well-balanced in its story lines. While I appreciated the beautiful character development and forward plot momentum, I can’t bring myself to see this as an episode of Orange is the New Black especially with its new classification as a comedy. The episode was much darker than anything last season and while it had its funny moments skewed a little to far to drama. However, it proves again what an amazing actress Taylor Schilling is. Why they submitted in drama at the Emmys, I don’t know.

It was an odd feeling watching this episode of Penny Dreadful.

Up until this point every moment and scene was done to build to the conclusion of the last episode, which saw the assembling of the “monster hunting” team. There was a clear trajectory of every storyline that built upon each other until the series was set up. Along that way the feeling of dread and darkness cast a shadow over the series and piqued our interest, but now that the set up is done, what now? Well, this episode answered that question. “Demimonde” had the distinction of being the halfway point of what has turned out to be a brilliant season of television so far. However, the episode was fairly stagnant in most of its storyline, which worked in some of the story lines and somewhat failed in others.

The episode found the team further studying their captive Fenton (in a lovely performance by Olly Alexander). This time, they focused on the blood, which revealed that the young creeper was involved in the drinking or eating of blood. This reveal proved little shock since we’ve had our suspicions that his master, and Mina’s keeper, was some form of Dracula. However, when Fenton escapes and calls his master to the house, we see it isn’t the tall, pale, and handsome that we are used to when we think of Dracula. It seems our adventurers are in over their heads.

However, the main course of the episode was served up in small moments that gave us (and held from us) insights on our characters. This is where my frustration with the show began. During the first three episodes I was allured to the mystery that was Penny Dreadful. It seemed that everyone had some sort of darkness hidden away in the shadows. I found the show’s ability to hid its cards refreshing in a time where so many shows feel the need to shock us and with twists and turns that we didn’t see coming. I found the slow build of some foreboding darkness to be part of the charm of the series. However, that charm has quickly faded away. I’m tired of waiting for something I didn’t know to be revealed. That first reveal of Dr. Frankenstein was marvelous and satisfying, but it seems the other characters are hesitant to do the same.

The center piece of the episode was the Grand Guignol performance where almost all of our characters converged. The anticipation of something going wrong, between the fast cuts to Caliban working backstage to Broma’s sheer joy at the performance to the seductive stares between Vanessa and Dorian, was painful. I was aching for something to happen, but it never did. It seemed that the cliche of some disaster happening in a theatre didn’t apply here. Instead, we got more mystery.

The beginning of the show started with Dorian in the middle of some convoluted orgy with multiple men and women performing acts that Dorian seemed unfazed by. However, when they were all gone and silence creeped through the picture room, he entered a dark hallway containing the famed portrait, which he stared at intently. We never got to see the picture, perhaps their saving that reveal for later, but again the mystery simply continues.

We do get some relief on the mystery in Broma’s storyline, when she reveals to Ethan that she went into prostitution because of an abusive relationship. However, the hairpin trigger of seeing Dorian again was a bit excessive and convenient for the writers.

Ethan constantly has small eater eggs to the Ripper case that continue to point to his guilt in the matter. My issue is that when it is revealed for sure that he is the ripper, that the shock is gone. There were one too many flashes to past events that troubled Ethan, that confused him. Some that even evaded him, such as the title of the play “The Transformed Beast.” His anger at the situation finally comes out at a sort of bar, but it never builds past that.

What it does build toward is Dorian’s seduction of Ethan. It’s not necessarily a sexual seduction, but rather a seduction of baggage. We are still unaware of the true darkness that trouble Ethan, no matter how many times it is hinted at. I think that he was attracted to the same darkness that trouble Dorian. Their night together simple revealed that these are two men who are tormented with themselves. The difference is that Dorian has a way to project that torment. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, brush up on your English gothic literature.