Penny Dreadful 2.09
Jun. 29th, 2015 12:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenakIn which, as is common in the one before a finale, all things go to hell.
That bite at the end better mean Sembene will turn into a werewolf, too, as opposed to die, because if Sembene dies in the episode where we FINALLY find out about his backstory, I shall be very cross. (Also, we haven't done the werewolf creation bit yet which belongs to every werewolf tale. Mind you, simply biting/scratching doesn't seem to do the trick in this 'verse, otherwise the unlamented Pinkerton Agent would have gone wolfwise, too, so maybe it needs to be a throat bite? Either way: Sembene must live.
re: his backstory - Sembene as a slave trader whose current life is an atonment for his sins works really well for me, far better than if Sembene had always been a good, wise man. (Also, good, wise men don't become best buddies with pre-guilt trip Malcolm Murray.) It gives him his own agenda, rather than furthering everyone else's. (Unless he's Really Dead now, as opposed to becoming a werewolf. But I won't shake my first until the next episode, Logan.) Not to mention the nod to history, i.e. African slave traders working in tandem with Causasian ones. So: wouldn't have guessed it, but well done, show.
Speaking of atonement, Lyle finally comes clean with everyone and picks a side, but alas, all the smart points gained by the plan to wait until daylight are lost when Vanessa, proving she and Malcolm really are kindred souls, heads off alone to rescue him NOW, which means the gang has no choice but to follow. Not before we get a sweet scene between her and Victor, though, which reminds me I keep forgetting to state something in writing that occurs to me every time they share the screen: Malcolm's not the only one reminded of Peter by Victor. The way Vanessa relates to him is very similar to how she interacted with Peter in the flashback, too. And of course Victor, the Other son to Vanessa's Other daughter, is the one ending up trapped in a room with crazed by guilt Malcolm, with the guilt spell kicking in and showing him his own children - all three of them. (BTW, this I think is a mistake on Evelyn's part. Victor could believe in Caliban and Lily being there, but he knows damm well Proteus can't be.) (On the show's part, including Proteus in Victor's guilt hallucination to create the parallel to Malcolm's Peter-Mina-Gladys hallucination is perfect. Because Victor has always resembled Malcolm more than Peter, actually.)
As to Caliban's and Lily's actual whereabouts: Lily's tryst with Dorian Grey clears up he did recognize her as Brona and has been playing along until now, and of course he's turned on by Mistress!Lily, but methinks showing her where his immortality really comes from could have been a fatal mistake. Maybe she means to keep him. Maybe she doesn't, and it's knife in the portrait time. (Though I still hope for Dorian to get framed for Ethan's crimes.)
Meanwhile, Caliban, gaining points again after losing them due to his pre-revelation behavior towards Lily last episode, finds out good intentions really pave the road to hell when being nice to Lavinia (for friendship's sake, not because he wants her romantically) turns out to entrap him. Making Lavinia, the archetypical Dickensian noble maiden, as calculating as her father was a masterful twist, btw. (Kudos, John Logan.) I mean, we all knew Dickensian Dad had been planning to use Caliban as a living thing to exhibit and draw the masses from the moment Caliban started working there, but I really hadn't expected Lavinia to be in on it, and like I said, it's perfect. Though definitely a death sentence for the Dickensian trio. I'm not sure whether a Frankenstein Creature in this 'verse is strong enough to break through iron bars (so far, we only know they can tear apart people effortlessly), but I wouldn't bet against it, especially if enraged. There's also the obvious irony that Caliban at the start of the episode evidently has been shaken enough by his encounter with the reality of LilyBrona to wish to say no to the whole "let's slaughter the world together" idea, but that latest experience probably will have him reconsider (unless the friendship with Vanessa is strong enough to keep him on the not-slaughtering-humans side).
We're clearly heading towards a Hecate versus Evelyn showdown, though I'm not sure I buy Hecate as a serious danger, not least due to the peformance, which is still more rebellious teen rather than witch goddess in the making. She gets to make a good point about Evelyn having taught her only to value youth and despite age, though. Presumably her thing for Ethan will lead her to open the door next episode which will be how werewolf Ethan will get out and on a rampage to kill the non-Evelyn and Hecate witches in the mansion. (Since these two are bound to be killed by people not Ethan.)
I knew Vanessa would end up in the doll room ever since she told Ethan dolls were her childhood fears. And I really hope the show will be wise enough to NOT let Satan show up in the flesh, because any embodiment would just look silly. Otoh dolls are always effective.
So, finale speculatiion: Ethan and Sembene - see above.
Victor and Malcolm - will somehow manage to snap each other out of it.
Vanessa versus Evelyn (and the dolls) - Vanessa will lose the first round but then rally (possibly because Hecate shows up at the wrong time for Evelyn to finish her triumph) and defeat Evelyn; Evelyn's death will involve fire (because Vanessa now knows Evelyn is the one responible for Joan's death in this way)
Dorian and Lily - if Dorian survives the finale, he'll get framed (perhaps for Lily's killings as well?)
Inspector Rusk: might show up in time to save Lyle, since he's had Malcom's house and Ethan watched and could be in pursuit. Here's hoping Rusk will also survive whatever witches are still about.
Lyle: will be the one to free Victor and Malcolm; alas I'm also afraid that he'll die, unless Rusk dies, but I'm pretty sure Logan will kill off one of them.
Lastly: of course Ethan's true name is Ethan Lawrence Talbot. Of course it is. (Though Universal might have Larry Talbot still copyrighted? Though the 70 years after the first American Werewolf are probably over.)
That bite at the end better mean Sembene will turn into a werewolf, too, as opposed to die, because if Sembene dies in the episode where we FINALLY find out about his backstory, I shall be very cross. (Also, we haven't done the werewolf creation bit yet which belongs to every werewolf tale. Mind you, simply biting/scratching doesn't seem to do the trick in this 'verse, otherwise the unlamented Pinkerton Agent would have gone wolfwise, too, so maybe it needs to be a throat bite? Either way: Sembene must live.
re: his backstory - Sembene as a slave trader whose current life is an atonment for his sins works really well for me, far better than if Sembene had always been a good, wise man. (Also, good, wise men don't become best buddies with pre-guilt trip Malcolm Murray.) It gives him his own agenda, rather than furthering everyone else's. (Unless he's Really Dead now, as opposed to becoming a werewolf. But I won't shake my first until the next episode, Logan.) Not to mention the nod to history, i.e. African slave traders working in tandem with Causasian ones. So: wouldn't have guessed it, but well done, show.
Speaking of atonement, Lyle finally comes clean with everyone and picks a side, but alas, all the smart points gained by the plan to wait until daylight are lost when Vanessa, proving she and Malcolm really are kindred souls, heads off alone to rescue him NOW, which means the gang has no choice but to follow. Not before we get a sweet scene between her and Victor, though, which reminds me I keep forgetting to state something in writing that occurs to me every time they share the screen: Malcolm's not the only one reminded of Peter by Victor. The way Vanessa relates to him is very similar to how she interacted with Peter in the flashback, too. And of course Victor, the Other son to Vanessa's Other daughter, is the one ending up trapped in a room with crazed by guilt Malcolm, with the guilt spell kicking in and showing him his own children - all three of them. (BTW, this I think is a mistake on Evelyn's part. Victor could believe in Caliban and Lily being there, but he knows damm well Proteus can't be.) (On the show's part, including Proteus in Victor's guilt hallucination to create the parallel to Malcolm's Peter-Mina-Gladys hallucination is perfect. Because Victor has always resembled Malcolm more than Peter, actually.)
As to Caliban's and Lily's actual whereabouts: Lily's tryst with Dorian Grey clears up he did recognize her as Brona and has been playing along until now, and of course he's turned on by Mistress!Lily, but methinks showing her where his immortality really comes from could have been a fatal mistake. Maybe she means to keep him. Maybe she doesn't, and it's knife in the portrait time. (Though I still hope for Dorian to get framed for Ethan's crimes.)
Meanwhile, Caliban, gaining points again after losing them due to his pre-revelation behavior towards Lily last episode, finds out good intentions really pave the road to hell when being nice to Lavinia (for friendship's sake, not because he wants her romantically) turns out to entrap him. Making Lavinia, the archetypical Dickensian noble maiden, as calculating as her father was a masterful twist, btw. (Kudos, John Logan.) I mean, we all knew Dickensian Dad had been planning to use Caliban as a living thing to exhibit and draw the masses from the moment Caliban started working there, but I really hadn't expected Lavinia to be in on it, and like I said, it's perfect. Though definitely a death sentence for the Dickensian trio. I'm not sure whether a Frankenstein Creature in this 'verse is strong enough to break through iron bars (so far, we only know they can tear apart people effortlessly), but I wouldn't bet against it, especially if enraged. There's also the obvious irony that Caliban at the start of the episode evidently has been shaken enough by his encounter with the reality of LilyBrona to wish to say no to the whole "let's slaughter the world together" idea, but that latest experience probably will have him reconsider (unless the friendship with Vanessa is strong enough to keep him on the not-slaughtering-humans side).
We're clearly heading towards a Hecate versus Evelyn showdown, though I'm not sure I buy Hecate as a serious danger, not least due to the peformance, which is still more rebellious teen rather than witch goddess in the making. She gets to make a good point about Evelyn having taught her only to value youth and despite age, though. Presumably her thing for Ethan will lead her to open the door next episode which will be how werewolf Ethan will get out and on a rampage to kill the non-Evelyn and Hecate witches in the mansion. (Since these two are bound to be killed by people not Ethan.)
I knew Vanessa would end up in the doll room ever since she told Ethan dolls were her childhood fears. And I really hope the show will be wise enough to NOT let Satan show up in the flesh, because any embodiment would just look silly. Otoh dolls are always effective.
So, finale speculatiion: Ethan and Sembene - see above.
Victor and Malcolm - will somehow manage to snap each other out of it.
Vanessa versus Evelyn (and the dolls) - Vanessa will lose the first round but then rally (possibly because Hecate shows up at the wrong time for Evelyn to finish her triumph) and defeat Evelyn; Evelyn's death will involve fire (because Vanessa now knows Evelyn is the one responible for Joan's death in this way)
Dorian and Lily - if Dorian survives the finale, he'll get framed (perhaps for Lily's killings as well?)
Inspector Rusk: might show up in time to save Lyle, since he's had Malcom's house and Ethan watched and could be in pursuit. Here's hoping Rusk will also survive whatever witches are still about.
Lyle: will be the one to free Victor and Malcolm; alas I'm also afraid that he'll die, unless Rusk dies, but I'm pretty sure Logan will kill off one of them.
Lastly: of course Ethan's true name is Ethan Lawrence Talbot. Of course it is. (Though Universal might have Larry Talbot still copyrighted? Though the 70 years after the first American Werewolf are probably over.)
no subject
Date: 2015-06-29 11:12 am (UTC)Lavinia as an accomplice was a great twist that I really didn't see coming. I loved that she got a dig in about Caliban's larmoyance - "not everyone shares your mania for poetry" - but yeah, I guess this means death for all three Dickensian villains, as soon as Cal gets out of there, however that may be.
I'm not sure Rusk will know in time that the gang has left, because they used the Secret Tunnel (tm), which won't be observed by the police. I wonder if we find out why exactly he's a monster, though, because a lost limb and obsessive policing alone shouldn't cut it. Someone on tvtropes remarked that he shares his name with the head of a militia group that was founded during Jack The Ripper's killing spree, maybe that will be a connection?
I actually think Malcolm will snap out of it to save Victor, because of something I saw in a recent trailer (vagueness is our friend). (Also, because Victor=Peter parallels, which they really emphasized again with Malcolm hallucinating Victor as Peter.)
(Oh, and I forgot this before, but rational thought won't help Victor much in this situation, because he should pretty much be high as a kite at the moment. I doubt he's going to question Proteus being around.)
Lyle, on the other hand, will hopefully get to employ his teeny tiny gun on Witchette No. 2, but I'm rather worried he'll die. I don't want him to! I love all these characters! (Well, except for Hecate, who, if she survives, will need to be send to boarding school, where she can be the head Mean Girl or something. What an irritating character.)
I wonder if there is a way to frame the unlamented minion for Ethan's slayings, given that he's conveniently vanished, anyway. Another possibility would be Caliban once Rusk witnesses the carnage he'll likely witness upon the Putneys.
I don't think Dorian is in any danger from Lily, but I think Lily may have bitten off more than she can chew, at least if she's not somehow an ancient Egyptian goddess. I'm really more and more convinced he's Fallen Angel No. 2 - Caliban's tale about the devil at your door fit Lily, but it also fit Dorian to a t. I suppose we'll have to wait and see how it turns out.
I almost forgot about Ethan Lawrence Talbot! So, does that mean his father is Lawrence Talbot, thus also a werewolf? Since Dad seems Very Manly from Ethan's tales, I wouldn't be surprised if he was the one cursed, and Ethan unfortunately inherited his changed DNA (or rather, "the curse.")
no subject
Date: 2015-06-29 12:59 pm (UTC)Oh yes, that makes complete thematic sense! If Malcolm can save Victor as he couldn't save Peter. Especially if there's a situation where he could leave Victor behind for his (Malcolm's) own benefit. Talk about fitting atonement.
Good point about Victor being high as a kite. Incidentally, if he weren't so secretive with and about his creatures, and on more honest terms with either of them, he could have asked for reinforcement (never mind Caliban isn't in a position to give it right now even if he wanted to, and Lily would be more likely to join Team Evelyn) before storming the castle. Then he actually COULD see them.
Either Caliban (post Putney carnage) or the unlamented Pinkerton agent would be plausible fall guys. In the Pinkerton guy's case: if Rusk has unearthed Ethan's backstory, he might have asked about the only living witness as well, and unearthed all the scalp hunting etc.; and Pinkerton Guy was THERE, at the inn, and could have gotten those wounds from one of the victims if he was the killer.
So, does that mean his father is Lawrence Talbot, thus also a werewolf?
Possible, and maybe that's why Ethan is on such bad terms with him but otoh still keeps the watch with the "To Ethan" dedication from him. I.e. there was a time when he loved Dad, and then he found out about his inheritance (maybe post puberty, or something like that).
Otoh maybe the name just means Ethan's original Lawrence Talbot and his father has another first name, but is morally co-responsible for the werewolf thing because he sent Ethan off to be a soldier slaugthering Indians? (In that scenario, the wolf would be an Apache curse or something like that.)
no subject
Date: 2015-06-29 01:24 pm (UTC)True, but the secrecy is sort of part of his damage, to paraphrase Cordelia. Yes, he has a god complex, but mostly he seems to make people because he is lonely, and part of him probably expects them to either reject him or leave him as soon as they find other people (the latter is true for Lily, but also Proteus, who was already starting to find other friends after one day). Thus he's not only jealous of Dorian because he's a hot guy, but also because he's obviously much more charming and lovable than Victor (also much more evil, but, details.). Caliban on the other hand is sort of like Victor, only in violent, so he can't love him, because loving Caliban would mean accepting himself./armchair psychology
Good point about Pinkerton Guy. I wonder if this could actually lure Daddy Talbot to England, or if Rusk would go as far as telegraphing him in his quest to bring down Ethan.
His father being morally co-responsible works, too, especially since Ethan does seem to have a past that did include participating in the Indian Wars and committing genocide (which gives him a stronger parallel to Sembene I think). Maybe they'll tell us a bit more next week.
no subject
Date: 2016-09-18 06:38 pm (UTC)(Also, "militia" is a bit strong, his "Vigilance Committee" basically just wrote strongly worded letters to the police and newspapers. He was grossly caricatured in an American-made TV miniseries on the murders, which depicted him as a thuggish vigilante in the US sense.)
no subject
Date: 2016-09-18 06:44 pm (UTC)(That certainly seems a misrepresentation of writing strongly worded letters. Maybe the producers of the miniseries felt that wasn't dramatic enough. Although I do feel reminded of the infamous granny gang from Monty Python's Flying Circus.)