The Penny Dreadful pilot episode is streaming free- Page 2

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 5/15/14 at 1:30am

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

[BobbyBubbi]

Posted: 5/15/14 at 3:21am

I watched it as well. I'm intrigued and definitely in for a few more episodes to see how it plays out. I love Eva Green.

[ClydeBarrow]

Posted: 5/26/14 at 1:40pm

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.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 5/26/14 at 4:11pm

This episode picked up for me when they got into the Grand Guignol theatre. That character was captivating and I loved the stage door bit.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 5/26/14 at 4:29pm

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.)

[Luscious]

Posted: 5/27/14 at 11:53pm

"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."

I had to go back and re-watch episode 3 because I thought I must have missed something, but the two creatures are definitely not played by the same actor.

Updated On: 5/27/14 at 11:53 PM

[ClydeBarrow]

Posted: 5/28/14 at 9:21am

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

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 5/28/14 at 1:24pm

It must have been a particularly good (bad?) night. Rory Kinnear and Alex Price are completely different body types and have very different looks...

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 6/2/14 at 1:20pm

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?

[broadway86]

Posted: 6/2/14 at 4:42pm

Last night's episode was fantastic. And that ending...

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 6/2/14 at 9:05pm

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?

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 6/3/14 at 7:44am

I admit, that kinda confused me too. I assume, due to that big montage before the kiss, it was meant to be partly that he was drunk on absinthe...

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 6/3/14 at 8:30am

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

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 6/3/14 at 1:29pm

I definitely agree with your take. And judging by the preview for next week, which focuses exclusively on Vanessa's backstory it seems, we won't get any answers next week. Which is fine by me...

I did think it was a great way to end the episode--which up till then had constantly promised something was going to happen, only to back down (ie the whole theatre scene, which I admit I kinda loved showing the various characters' reactions to the show, etc, seemed to make us want to imagine something awful was about to happen--perhaps an actual death on stage--only to...not have anything happen. Well except for Brona's reaction to seeing Ethan with Dorian and Vanessa.) I'm a little disappointed that we're already at the halfway point of the series (or the season, anyway...)

One nitpick about the episode. For a show that does such a great job with its production design, Dorian's leather pants seemed pretty anachronistic to me... But I've never actually done research into leather pants, so maybe that's just me :P

Updated On: 6/3/14 at 01:29 PM

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 6/3/14 at 2:14pm

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.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 6/3/14 at 3:50pm

I still wish they would have added a line or two in order to clarify Ethan's motivation for kissing Dorian. I've never got the impression that his character was interested in anyone but women. I wanted more of an explanation. I know Dorian is supposed to be young and irrisistable, but c'mon.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 6/3/14 at 4:06pm

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

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 6/3/14 at 4:23pm

Fair enough. And he is wealthy so I suppose getting a pair made wouldn't be an issue...

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 6/3/14 at 4:46pm

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

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 6/3/14 at 5:01pm

It may well be ignored for a while (or not!) but I doubt very much it will never be mentioned ever again.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 6/3/14 at 6:46pm

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.)

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 6/4/14 at 2:15am

Would they even be able to compare? Dorian took charge with Brona, but I sort of got the impression that Ethan was "in charge" with Dorian, so to speak.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 6/4/14 at 3:20am

Meh, compare and contrast then?

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 6/4/14 at 9:55pm

Apparently Showtime just picked it up for ten episodes next year. I wonder if John can still find time to script each episode (doesn't he have like 6 upcoming films including another James Bond to write?)

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 6/4/14 at 9:56pm

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