(no subject)

[skygiants]

So I'm watching Penny Dreadful. SHOWTIME FINALLY GOT ME. I blame all those bad YA Frankenstein novels. I think it's possible that I've spent so much time being personally frustrated with Frankenstein the actual original novel that it has to some extent brainwashed me; weird adaptations of Frankenstein appear to have become a strange, terrible, personal form of Kryptonite.

So Penny Dreadful - already halfway through its first season - is Showtime's attempt at redoing League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, this time with 100% more bloody bodies and onscreen sex. That aside, it's very pretty! Lots of passably accurate Victorian costumes and gorgeously dramatic overhead shots.

Our main cast includes:

1.Beautiful Creepy Eva Green as Beautiful Creepy Eva Green. Eva Green is having a marvelous time wearing an array of increasingly pretty Victorian outfits and occasionally taking a break from staring intensely at the rest of the cast in order to get covered in spiders, receive visits from vampire ex-girlfriends, and be possessed by the devil and/or inaccurate Egyptian gods. (Ex-girlfriends part not yet confirmed but strongly hinted at. We'll find out this week!)

Beautiful Creepy Eva Green is at least half the reason I'm watching the show. Look how done she is with everything!



That is actually like the least impressive Victorian outfit she's ever worn, though, so for the sake of costume porn and Eva Green's face, let's have another:



2. Harry Treadaway as Victor Frankenstein. TO MY REGRET, this has apparently become the other main reason I'm watching the show. Here is a brief history with my relationship with Penny Dreadful's Frankenstein:

Episode 1
FRANKENSTEIN: Hello I am Frankenstein, I hate everybody, and here is a pompous monologue about how EXPLORATION IS STUPID AND ALL SCIENCE IS SELF-INDULGENT NONSENSE EXCEPT THE SCIENCE OF LIFE AND DEAAAAATH.
BECCA: Oh wow, what a perfect little shit. A+ Victor Frankenstein, show, this is great!

Episode 2
FRANKENSTEIN: I made a monster!
BECCA: HERE IT COMES --
FRANKENSTEIN: I'm going to take him on walks and teach him words and how to read and be a good dad!
BECCA: ....???? what is this????

FRANKENSTEIN'S MONSTER: Victor can I have friends?
FRANKENSTEIN: Um, I am not the best person to ask about friends, but yes of course, if you're lucky, you can have friends!
FRANKENSTEIN'S MONSTER: I'm totally going to have friends! I'm going to have TEN friends. :D
BECCA: ... this Frankenstein and his monster are ... adorable? How is this happening ... what's going on ....

And then terrible spoilers happened, but by that point I was INVESTED, and REALLY MAD AT MYSELF ABOUT IT. This Frankenstein has somehow become my favorite Frankenstein? Like. He is a hilariously petulant, pompous, terrible post-adolescent who makes awful life choices. But because he is so clearly a hilariously petulant, pompous, terrible post-adolescent who makes awful life choices but is sort of trying to make better choices, somehow this has engaged my deep affection. VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN. VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN.

(Also, he has Edward Elric's backstory. I'm not kidding.)

3. Alex Price as Proteus, Frankenstein's monster (the [Spoiler]). LOOK HOW CUTE HE IS. He's too precious for this world!



4. Rory Kinnear as Caliban (but not that Caliban.) Everything about him is a spoiler except that he works at the Grand Guignol Theater (mysteriously transported from Paris to London) which gives us the excuse for lots of backstage hijinks and hilarious Victorian melodrama. Like, fully 25% of the the fourth episode is just Caliban running back and forth rattling fake thunder and pulling ropes to do stage effects for BAD VICTORIAN THEATER, starring BAD VICTORIAN POETRY. And ... it's great? IT'S GREAT.



(For the record, neither of these people is Caliban.)

5. Billie Piper as A Tragically Dying Irish Prostitute. She does her best and infuses the role with as much charm and agency as can be managed under the circumstances, but she's still, you know, a Tragically Dying Irish Prostitute. Also an opportunity for the creators to provide exposition about the industrialization of Victorian England!

6. Josh Hartnett as Cowboy Guy. (He got here early.) His role is to be confused, shoot things, and make out with people, including, to date, both Billie Piper and Dorian Gray. It has been hinted that he is also a werewolf but, like, we're four episodes in and basically nothing has happened with this, so it can't be all that important to the plot?

7. Reeve Carney, aka BROADWAY'S ORIGINAL SPIDERMAN (lol), as Dorian Gray. His role is pretty much entirely to make out with people, including, to date, both Billie Piper and Cowboy Guy. Also presumably a number of random extras during the occasional extremely bored orgy.

8. Timothy Dalton as Mina Murray's Dad, also A Victorian Explorer aka Totally Not Allan Quatermaine. This is one of the parts of the show that annoys me the most. I don't mind Timothy Dalton stalking around and making dire pronouncements, exactly, but if you're going to take bits of Dracula why focus it on MINA MURRAY'S DAD of all people?! I mean, it's not just this show, it's a thing about Dracula adaptations in general that annoys me. In Dracula the original novel, Mina does more to defeat Dracula than anyone else with her powers of good sense and mastery of modern communication. I am so tired of all this "Mina is seduced by Dracula and needs to be rescued from herself" nonsense.

9. Danny Sapani as Timothy Dalton's Mysterious Manservant, aka The One Black Guy in the Cast, aka Seriously, Three Lines In Four Episodes, SERIOUSLY? This is the other part of the show that annoys me most. Like, it's not like I had high hopes for this show to be wildly progressive, but IT SHOULD BE BETTER THAN THIS. It's The Haitian all over again. God, remember The Haitian? Remember Heroes? This is why no one should ever trust my judgment in television.

10. Some Increasingly Implausible Egyptian Mythology as The Mytharc, Apparently? VAMPIRE BODIES ARE COVERED IN HIEROGLYPHICS which are then covered in, like, turtle skin. Seriously, they dissect a vampire, and this is what they find. "He's covered in the Book of the Dead!" says our sage token Egyptologist. Wow. I laughed, I cried. Mostly I laughed. Admittedly this was followed up by Dorian Gray making fun of the Egyptologist's sitting room for being a hilariously Victorian Orientalist mishmash, and as we all know I'm a soft touch for LOLVictorians. That's probably the other reason I'm watching this show.

Comments

[evewithanapple]

I'M SO UPSET ABOUT PROTEUS, BECCA.

(Also, watching people in the tumblr tag do backflips trying to "explain" the Dorian Gray/Cowboy Guy makeout is amazing. Guys! I know Dorian has hilariously bad hair but that does not preclude Ethan being into him.)

[skygiants]

HIS LITTLE BABY FACE. DDDDD: I would so happily have watched the "Proteus explores Victorian London" show. Proteus goes to the petting zoo! Proteus has some sadly ambiguous feelings about boats! PROTEUS MAKES TEN FRIENDS. ;____;

(hahahaha I know right? My god, y'all, it's Dorian Gray. I fully expect him to make out with Timothy Dalton, Frankenstein, AND Caliban by the end of the show.

Also, if you re-watch Brona and Ethan's first meeting through the lens of Ethan's bisexuality, it's pretty hilariously foreshadowy? "We don't get your kind in here often!" "...Americans?" "...SURE LET'S GO WITH THAT.")

[evewithanapple]

Proteus learns to knit more adorable hats! Proetus goes to the theatre with Brona! PROTEUS AND BRONA COULD HAVE BEEN BEST FRIENDS. WHY, SHOW. :(

[skygiants]

PROTEUS IS NOT ALLOWED TO GO TO THE GRAND GUIGNOL THOUGH, because Proteus is a baby and that theater is DEFINITELY rated PG-13. Proteus gets to go see, like, Importance of Being Earnest and be confused at all the cultural references that he doesn't remember, because he's the world's most adorable zombie.

[evewithanapple]

"Miss Brona, what's a handbag?"
"Shhhh, I'll explain at intermission."

[ladysingsthe]

With some exceptions (omg Adiva and I talked about literally exactly that Mina phenomenon in our horror podcaaaaaast), THIS SOUNDS AMAZING AND I WANT IT IN MY EYES.

[skygiants]

I've been wondering if you guys were watching it! It seems super relevant to your interests ... especially the hilariously cheesy Victorian theater. PLEASE WATCH AND COME TALK TO ME ABOUT CHEESY VICTORIAN THEATER.

Oh, man, I still need to listen to your guys' podcast. I WROTE A PAPER ON THAT MOVIE ONCE. It holds a special ... terrible place in my heart.

[ladysingsthe]

WAIT HOW DID I FORGET YOU HAD DONE THAT. omgomg well, probably your paper was a lot more coherent than our thoughts, but whenever you do get around to listening I'd love to know your opinion!

I am not sure we get Showtime on-demand, but I am going to make it my mission to track down this show now.

[skygiants]

HAHAHA I SERIOUSLY DOUBT IT, given it was written in approximately four hours the night before it was due, in proud tradition. Anyway, I WILL LISTEN, WE WILL DISCUSS. >:D

The first episode is available free and legally via various sources! The rest ... less free and legally. >.> But I've found some streaming sites, if you're curious.

[ceitfianna]

You know sites? I'd love ways to watch more.

[skygiants]

This is where I've found it! Streaming mediocre but certainly not terrible.

[skygiants]

PS: Although Caliban is not that Caliban, we might get to see Grand Guignol do Tempest. "In our version, Caliban eats Prospero! :D"

[ladysingsthe]

dfggdfl;gdkg;ld

I am here for ALL OF THIS

Adiva is the pirate queen of the apartment, so I will bring my acquisition questions to her

[misslucyjane]

So far the series has been entertaining if not terribly surprising, but I did get a good moment of I WAS NOT EXPECTING THIS at both Proteus [spoiler] and the Dorian/Ethan makeout. I am okay with Dorian Kissing Everybody. Bring it.

Also my money is on Brona becoming an iconic horror figure herself.

[skygiants]

I was spoiled for the Dorian/Ethan makeout, but nonetheless pleased by it! I was NOT spoiled for Proteus and it made me the SADDEST PERSON. ;___;

Yeah, I've seen that speculation around, and I don't think it's unlikely. Maybe a dramatic reveal leading into season two.

[evewithanapple]

I've seen a lot of people wondering if she'll become Caliban's wife after she dies, and while I am very much pro-Brona surviving, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

[skygiants]

My feelings are conflicted, because on the one hand, no, ugh, twelve different levels of body horror; on the other hand, given the stuff they were doing with Proteus and his fuzzily clarifying memories, I can see the potential for some really interesting reclaiming-of-agency stuff. Which will probably ... not be done well, because Showtime ... but the potential is there!

[ceitfianna]

I watched the first episode and found it fun. I need to find a way to watch the rest of the season, its my kind of popcorn show.

[skygiants]

Yeah, it's very attractively shot ominous horror-popcorn.

here from network

[kore]

.....SOLD

[sovay]

His role is pretty much entirely to make out with people, including, to date, both Billie Piper and Cowboy Guy. Also presumably a number of random extras during the occasional extremely bored orgy.

That's completely canonically reasonable, actually.

In Dracula the original novel, Mina does more to defeat Dracula than anyone else with her powers of good sense and mastery of modern communication. I am so tired of all this "Mina is seduced by Dracula and needs to be rescued from herself" nonsense.

+1 LOTS.

I hope Mina shows up at some point and is actually as awesome as necessary.

[skygiants]

So far Dorian Gray is the MOST canonical. They have changed literally nothing about him from the book. He poses languidly in the botanical gardens, attends terrible theater, monologues about his perfume, and complains about how nothing has the ~thrill~ it used to. Obviously dying prostitutes and cowboys both provide vaguely new sexual experiences, and therefore hold his attention for all of the twenty minutes it takes to seduce them. It's kind of amazing.

For the record, the next episode is titled "Closer Than Sisters" and appears to be focused on Eva Green's backstory with Mina. Promo shots indicate lots of dancing around holding hands and cuddling in bed. So I mean, WE'LL SEE, I GUESS.

[sovay]

Obviously dying prostitutes and cowboys both provide vaguely new sexual experiences, and therefore hold his attention for all of the twenty minutes it takes to seduce them. It's kind of amazing.

I may have to watch this show.

For the record, the next episode is titled "Closer Than Sisters" and appears to be focused on Eva Green's backstory with Mina.

Fingers crossed for lesbianism and agency!

[skygiants]

You should! I can't necessarily vouch for its overall quality, but I would selfishly really love for more people to be watching it. :D

FINGERS CROSSED.

[kore]

So far Dorian Gray is the MOST canonical. They have changed literally nothing about him from the book. He poses languidly in the botanical gardens, attends terrible theater, monologues about his perfume, and complains about how nothing has the ~thrill~ it used to. Obviously dying prostitutes and cowboys both provide vaguely new sexual experiences, and therefore hold his attention for all of the twenty minutes it takes to seduce them.

....ohmigod for this I could put up with a tragic dying Irish prostitute.

[shark_hat]

I keep reading recaps of this, and they all sound so brilliantly overwrought that I must get round to watching it… probably in like three years when the DVDs get really cheap.
I had one shining moment, though, where I saw a cap of Dorian Gray and thought he was being played by David Reed from The Penny Dreadfuls Victorian-comedy sketch group and now I will always have a sad that they didn't do that, no matter how good the actual actor is.

[skygiants]

I've never seen that sketch group but now I TOO AM DISAPPOINTED. That would have been amazing. As personally entertaining as I find SPIDERMAN GRAY.

[tree_and_leaf]

but she's still, you know, a Tragically Dying Irish Prostitute

With an accent she can't quite pull off.

[skygiants]

I feel like I am in no way qualified to comment on her accent, though. Like, what the heck do I know about Irish accents? Billie Piper probably knows more than I do! Could be totally accurate for all I know!

[tree_and_leaf]

A reasonable point.

But it isn't good.

[kore]

In Dracula the original novel, Mina does more to defeat Dracula than anyone else with her powers of good sense and mastery of modern communication.

Mina and her typewriter = my OTP!

....oh ghod the Caliban thing is going to suck me right in, I love theatre episodes. (I don't mean to be creeping here, I was just looking on DW for reviews of this series to see if I want to see it and apparently the answer is YES.)

[skygiants]

I'm SO MAD that Dracula adaptations are always 100% sexuality, 0% typewriters. Where are all my typewriters!

The theater stuff is SO MUCH FUN THOUGH. (:D haha I am glad to have proven useful! It's not creeping at all, I love having more people come around to talk about this stuff.)

[katta]

I've been watching Penny Dreadful too! And I really like it. I feel that if they could match this atmosphere and characters with OUAT's many women and combine it with some actual ethnic diversity, it'd be a great show. As it is, it's simply a very good show. Although I'm not sure what the point is of Dorian Grey just hanging around looking pretty. (Not even sexy pretty. Just pretty pretty.) And, yes, making out with people (I laughed so hard at that complaint I reblogged on Tumblr about him being "twisted into a homosexual"), but still, it feels like poor use of air time.
I am so sad for Proteus. :-( Although Caliban is great, so there's that.
I loved Ethan's reaction to horror theatre: LOL this is not what we're like AT ALL. I'm starting to wonder if he's secretly evil or something, he's so darned earnest. Did we ever get closure on the Jack the Ripper thing? Because if that were him, it'd be a glorious mindfuck.
Eva Green is terrific (she reminds me of Miss Dearheart), but I still got a bit bored with the flashback episode. Possibly I should stop trying to play Minesweeper and watch TV shows at once.

[skygiants]

Yeah, the show could DESPERATELY use so much more diversity and a few more thoughtful choices to ratchet itself up into the realm of actual quality. But it's very enjoyable!

We have never yet gotten closure on the Jack the Ripper thing, and the show definitely seemed to be hinting that this particular Jack the Ripper JUST MIGHT be a COWBOY WEREWOLF who JUST COULDN'T HELP HIMSELF, but I wouldn't be surprised if it all turned out to be a massive misdirect and Ethan's deal was something else altogether. On the other hand, I was also really hoping that Eva Green's 'betrayal' was going to be a misdirect and not the super obvious 'slept with Mina's man,' AND YET. Ah well. I did enjoy the flashback episode overall though, just because the whole lengthy epistolary format was SO VERY VICTORIAN.

[katta]

On the other hand, I was also really hoping that Eva Green's 'betrayal' was going to be a misdirect and not the super obvious 'slept with Mina's man,' AND YET.

I think shows have a tendency to underestimate the viewers and go for the obvious because anything else would be too much, or something.

Then again, judging by some fan reactions (to this show and others) maybe in some instances underestimation is just estimation enough.