The Penny Dreadful pilot episode is streaming free — Page 2

I was just going by Wiki's stats--I much prefer yours.

I caught up on all three episodes this weekend and I'm mixed about it. There's nothing particularly interesting about the story and all the characters seem to have separate story lines. While I wasn't expecting LXG, t thought there would be more literary characters incorporated.

The third episode was pretty boring telling the tale of Frankenstein's "first" creature. I don't get why both creatures were played by the same actor since the whole thing about Frankenstein is that he uses random body parts.

The acting is all over the place. Love Eva Green, Harry Treadaway and Timothy Dalton. Josh Harnett is whatever. Like Eric said, I understand about 1/3 of what Billie Piper is saying. Having an Irish accent isn't the issue. Her being unable to do an Irish accent and garbling her words is the issue. Reeve Carney is horrendous and they really need to do something with his hair because it's always flat and parted down the middle.

I guess I'll stick with it since it's only 8 episodes but they really need to make this a bit more interesting. The ratings seem to be pretty bad but Showtime needs something buzz worthy so they might stick with it.

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According to a showtime.com video featurette, they couldn't find a proper theatre, so completely built one based on Victorian designs that is a fully functioning theatre in every sense of he word, so I assume The Grand Guignol (which of course was actually in Paris) will feature prominently. And yes, Alun Armstrong was great--he always seems to know, from Les Miz on, just how to chew the scenery but not QUITE take it too far.

I still mostly loved this episode, but I do think it was a mistake to spend more than half the episode--just as the story really started going last week--with backstory. While it's not exactly Mary Shelley's backstory, it's still familiar enough that I don't think most viewers needed it all shown, though it does make the role of Calaspan more complex and understandable and Rory Kinnear is brilliant at delivering those purple monologues.

But I think it did throw off the pacing a bit. I still found it interesting--but if we get half an episode next week devoted to the history of Dracula or something, I may think otherwise. Otherwise I loved it (it was also a very short episode by cable standards--only 45 minutes...) but it certainly was lacking the big showpieces of particularly the last episode. (I'm hoping there's a bait and switch here about it seeming so obvious that Ethan is a werewolf... I know John Logan is not always a subtle writer, but...)

Clyde, I'm actually glad that so far we don't have more literary characters in it--I think too many would change the tone and (yes) make it more like League. Which is fine, I love those comics (well the earlier ones, anyway) but...

Billie seemed more understandable this week--but then again, she had like two lines. (Are we thinking she'll be Mrs Frankie Monster?)

As for ratings, they seem to be relatively standard for Showtime right now--I think a bit lower than Masters of Sex. Showtime does need buzzy shows and aside from Sex they haven't really had anything new that's gotten much attention in a while. Of course everyone DVRs now, but I'm sure it's not to the show's benefit that it airs opposite Game of Thrones (and, Mad Men, but...) I wonder if having no Game yesterday will show any difference. It also seems to be picking up online presence so I do think more viewers will catch onto it by the time the season is over. They might stick with it despite things (remember HBO's True Blood season one hovered around 1 million ratings wise and didn't see a big boom till the DVD and second season.)

You are right, Luscious. That was my bad for watching the episode drunk at 4am.

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So wait, no one wants to talk about the last scene last night? Or is there a whole thread on it that I haven't been able to find?

I was confused by the ending. It was hot, but I didn't really get it. I guess Dorian's bisexuality is emerging out of sheer boredom, but Ethan was the one who went in for the kiss. Was the drink a love potion?

I didn't see it as a love potion or as confusing (no more confusingly mysterious than anything else on this show, which in the last two episodes, has become very compelling). Of course absinthe and Ethan's night were taking their hold on his mysterious character likely making him vulnerable and needy. But the chemistry with Dorian was increasingly powerful at least from the moment Ethan said - out of context but maybe not - "This isn't my first time," through the flirty talk about the cologne and about Ethan's image control.

In any event, one of the sexiest scenes between two characters, of any sex, on television ever.

Updated On: 6/3/14 at 08:30 AM

Though perhaps not a known popular fetish until at least a half century later, I don't find it odd that Dorian would erotically enjoy leather.

This is after all horsey kinky upper crust Victorian London. Dorian is not prone to the conventional; neither is he limited to the conventionally kinky.

Patience. And there's clearly a lot that we don't know about Ethan. The mystery goes well beyond his sexuality.

I'm with Eric. They'll probably ignore it in the next episode and then never mention it again.

Ah, I do think it will eventually be referenced in some way (however, I don't expect a big scene where Ethan and Brona compare notes on Dorian's technique.)

Meh, compare and contrast then?

I spoke too soon--he is back as the sole writer http://www.deadline.com/2014/06/penny-dreadful-renewed-for-second-season-showtime/