Challenge #4: Rec-It - Penny Dreadful
Penny Dreadful is a new horror show currently airing on Showtime.
Season one is 8 episodes long and airs on Sundays until June 29th, but have no fear, it has already been renewed for a second season.
The second season will be 10 episodes long!
Set in Victorian London, Penny Dreadful is populated with both original characters and characters that will be familiar to most people.
This show is not for the faint of heart of squeamish (also you may want to stay away if you have issues with spiders and snakes - they appear in the opening credits).
It is quite graphic and gruesome at times.
There is also nudity of the male and female variety.
Despite the grossness, I find the show visually stunning.
Occasionally over the top in a way that most horror is, this is a compelling show.
Mysteries abound and everyone has their secrets.
What I love about this show is the characters and their interactions.
I did mini picspams for the six major characters. There are other characters, but I don’t want to dip into spoilers here.
Sir Malcolm Murray (played by Timothy Dalton)
Malcolm is kind of the leader here. He’s a bit head strong and manipulative.
He’s on a desperate search for his daughter Mina. Yes, that Mina.
So far, it’s not going all that well.
Vanessa Ives (played by Eva Green)
Vanessa is beautiful, dark and very mysterious. She was a close friend to Mina long ago and is helping Malcolm on his quest to find her.
Ethan Chandler (played by Josh Hartnett)
An American in London for his own reasons, Ethan is drawn into Malcolm’s quest by Vanessa.
He doesn’t seem entirely comfortable with everything that is going on around them, but he too seems to have a troublesome and mysterious past.
Victor Frankenstein (played by Harry Treadway)
Victor’s name should be familiar. He’s a bit of a poet as well as a surgeon. Tragic and pretty much always looks like he’s in desperate need of sleep.
I’m pretty sure we can all guess what at least one of his secrets is.
Brona Croft (Played by Billie Piper)
A poor Irish immigrant. Spirited and alive, yet she’s even more tragic than Frankenstein.
She’s pulled into the story by her connection with other characters.
Dorian Gray (played by Reeve Carney)
A beautiful, wealthy hedonist. His is another name one should recognize. It seems as like he’ll try anything at least once. Reckless and tempting. Unfazed by the most jarring of experiences. He never says no.
I started out with Victor as my favorite but I’ve really been enjoying Dorian lately. Though I’m not exactly sure what he’s contributing to the group at this point. He is very pretty.
It took me a while to warm up to Ethan, but now I’m really liking his character and story too. I really hope we find out some of his secrets before the season is done.
So far this show has been a fun ride. I highly recommend it, if you are into (or can stomach) horror at all.