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| Eva Green |
For the most part, the ideas present in Penny Dreadful play like a roulette wheel of reject ideas from the many nostalgia shows that began cropping up after Once Upon a Time. In the case of Showtime's freshman series, it involved taking old Victorian characters and transporting them into a pulpy drama that featured a whole lot of sex and some gore to counter its supernatural realm. In the process, it became Showtime's most successful premiere since Dexter. While it maintained the numbers by the finale, things were becoming clear that this monster was probably going to be the new head honcho. Even then, it is a schizophrenic mess that somehow remains alluring.
The story follows Vanessa Ives (Eva Green) as she helps Sir Malcolm Murray (Timothy Dalton) find his daughter. In the process, there are werewolves, vampires, and the acquaintance of Dr. Frankenstein (Harry Treadaway) and Dorian Grey (Reeve Carney). Even if the story focused mainly on Ives, the show took time to explore the supporting characters' lives, including an entire episode dedicated to Frankenstein and his Creature (Rory Kinnear), who ended up working in a theater production that becomes the centerpiece for an entire third act of an episode. If it sounds like a grab bag of references to pop culture icons, it is because that is the results.
The issue with the show is that it doesn't quite embrace its pulpy nature. With lush, beautiful scenery and a fitting score, the show looks very much Victorian. However, the central story is pretty much played straight with a lot of the more ridiculous elements being deathly serious. It rarely breaks from this mold, sometimes diving into compelling plots that involve supernatural elements. Otherwise, there's plenty of brooding and romanticism between Ives and Grey as well as Ethan Chandler (Josh Hartnett) and prostitute Brona Croft (Billie Piper). This results in an awful lot of sex and small chat.
The show's arcs isn't what eventually sells the final product. Did any character really evolve? At best, we get some episodes to understand back stories on several people. There's personal moments that tie everyone together. However, the further away from Ives things get, the less interesting they are. It is a horror show with low production values for visual effects at points. It lacks the fun and excitement that a program full of lust and violence should have. At best, the costumes look great and we get some exploits into theater life, which is where the Penny Dreadful title enters the equation. It is for the most part a lot of interesting characters doing boring things. Yet it is compelling for those brief moments.
Of course, the real star is Eva Green. Even if the show doesn't seem like it should allow it, she manages to pull out one of the best performances of the year. Her shameless dedication to physical craft allows her to be writhed in many directions. As someone who was possessed by demons, she is called upon consistently to roll her eyes, curse out party guests, and become unpredictable. With her playing the spectrum of every emotion possible, she gives a performance that is almost too good for the series. Is it camp? Not necessarily. However, it is one of the few elements in this pulpy environment that feels authentic and gives reason to watch the show. With her possessions happening at least three times throughout the series, one can easily feel compelled to give it a shot.
Even then, the supernatural elements are secondary to the plot. There is a lot of drama and world building. However, after the first few episodes, things don't really progress. Each episode has a big reveal, but everything else is kind of boring and stupid. The show's audacity to be bold and graphic is one thing, but I don't really feel like much happened with characters like Dorian Grey that was really worth mentioning. This could just be a script issue, but it does reflect how the gimmicky nature of this show never once realized its full potential. It should have been a Victorian Buffy the Vampire Slayer but was too brooding to ever do that.
This isn't to say that Penny Dreadful is a waste of a series. It is at best a quaint, spontaneously enjoyable show. The plot is slow, but the mechanics and scenery leave some room for pondering. However, Eva Green remains a phenomenal performer and gives a standout, memorable slew of moments in this short series. From the possession scene in the second episode, there is something to admire about her that hopefully the series will pick up on when it comes back next year. It already has been teasing season two, so maybe something great will happen. If not, it will be a great show to catch clips of just to see what weird stuff Green is doing this week.
Overall Rating: 2.5 out of 5
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