Anybody watching this? I think its really good.

 

If you don't know it, it takes place in late Victorian London and is a kind of Gothic mish-mash. Characters include Frankenstein and his monsters, Dracula, Dorian Grey, assorted demons, witches and vampires etc. All stock characters are considerably re-imagined. The sets and costumes have a great period feel and so does the dialogue. It gets a little dark at times but is fast paced and full of surprises.

I watched the first season... I thought the acting was superior, but the story was disjointed and just all over the place... so it didn't stick. I'm not apposed to trying again, but I feel like HBO is only good for Game of Thrones, same as Showtime is only good for Ray Donovan. I really like what Starz has been doing... Black Sails is about as perfect as you can get, but I could have done without the gay twist. Outlander has been very interesting, but my wife likes it more than I do... so that should tell you something.

I have watched it from the start.  It is a guilty pleasure.  Hubby and I started watching it together and we were very iffy about the first season, there were too many cliches, it felt like they were trying to get every Victorian era horror packed into one program.  They killed a cat that season and my husband said it was the final straw for him (we love pussy

cats), but I kept watching and it payed off.  The second season was excellent, IMO.  All the different story lines came together and the cliches were not annoying.  This season has been pretty good so far. 

 

I am less than enamored with the Dr. Jekyll story line, but I'm still enjoying it.  What do you like best about it?

I agree that the second season was better than the first and I like the way the third season is going so far. I know what you mean about cliches but somehow I don't mind. I'm willing to forgive a lot for authentic look and feel of the Victorian period, which I love. I like the way the characters talk, often like the dialogue in nineteenth century novels. "Nor I, sir!" My favourite thread at the moment is the Dorian Grey-Ms. Frankenstein Monster relationship and where that is going. I like the way she turned from innocent victim to awful monster last season. So unexpected. The male monster doesn't appeal to me so much, too maudlin and weepy. You're dead already, get over it.

I agree that the second season was better than the first and I like the way the third season is going so far. I know what you mean about cliches but somehow I don't mind. I'm willing to forgive a lot for authentic look and feel of the Victorian period, which I love. I like the way the characters talk, often like the dialogue in nineteenth century novels. "Nor I, sir!" My favourite thread at the moment is the Dorian Grey-Ms. Frankenstein Monster relationship and where that is going. I like the way she turned from innocent victim to awful monster last season. So unexpected. The male monster doesn't appeal to me so much, too maudlin and weepy. You're dead already, get over it.

LMAO! But now I'm getting into "John Claire's" history, I agree until now he was too whiny. I was disappointed that Ethan fell for witchy woman so easily, he knows she's out for Vanessa, but I guess that when you turn into a hairy, homocidal monster every time you have your monthlies, you settle for any mate that can survive you. Also I thought we went through Dracula in the first season, so why are we dealing with Dracula now? I agree the dialogue is spiffy, I always love it when Sir Malcom or Vanessa talk.

 

Do you find the sex scenes to be hot? Ethan and witchy did nothing for me, ditto the ménage a trios with Dorian Gray, but blood is not a turn on for me. Vanessa sex is usually smoking, and her attempted seduction of John Claire in the hospital was pretty steamy for me. Eva Green is a damned good actress!

This show is highly entertaining. I think the casting and acting are very good pretty much across the board. I agree that it feels cliche at times and that the story is sometimes somewhat predictable as a result, but there are also high points and interesting developments.

 

Despite a few flaws that you guys pointed out, I find myself craving the next episode. I think the re-imagining of the characters and lore that you mentioned are a big part of why it is so entertaining to me. That and the fantastic acting from Eva Green and somewhat surprisingly to me, Josh Hartnett. Also, like you said Elendil, the period sets, costumes, and dialogue are great and another reason that I find it so engaging.

 

I actually really like that the show is willing to get very dark at times, it's kind of refreshing in a way because I think fantasy/horror/adventure shows can tend to get almost goofy or campy in their handling of the content and this show rises above that. I'm anxious to see how the storylines come back together this season!

That's a good observation, Boochluke, the show does rise above the horror genre and never gets campy like True Blood for example was prone to do.

 

And Sister Midnight, I don't find any of the scenes a turn on, its all too creepy for my taste that way. LOL what you said about Ethan.

 

I agree with both of you that Eva Green is a great actress, quite a range.

Eva Green isn't just a great actress.   *wink*

Great episode this week. But a surprising error. Vanessa's new friend, the fencing chick, said that Dracula caused a war between the Holy Roman Empire and the Ottomans in the 13th century. Nope, missed by three centuries.

Great episode this week. But a surprising error. Vanessa's new friend, the fencing chick, said that Dracula caused a war between the Holy Roman Empire and the Ottomans in the 13th century. Nope, missed by three centuries.

 

I just finished watching it.  So now what for Ethan?  Will he go back to England and make it up to the "woman who offered her heart" to him?  I sure hope so, Dracula is out to get her.  And while we're on the subject,  you'd think fencing lady would have mentioned Vlad the Impaler by name.  Oh well, it is "Penny Dreadful" they can mess with things as they please I suppose.

 

Ethan's dad.  OMG what a holier than thou turd!  Why didn't Ethan kill him?  Does he feel any ambivalence about Sir Malcolm doing it?

 

Witchy, well that was just disappointing.  That is how she dies???  Really???  Lame.  I'm sorry, but she needed to be killed by someone important or by the devil or something.  She deserved better.

 

Still addicted.

Revisiting this since 2016... I did binge watch the entire Penny Dreadful series, without season breaks, and I found it to be pretty good. I like the reimagining of the old monster films and stories. I thought it went off the rails a bit when it went from old England to the old American West, but hey, to keep the writing fresh you got to take some risks.