Penny Dreadful 3.06
Jun. 6th, 2016 11:57 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenakIn which we wrap up the Western plot, name drop a possible next season plot, get introduced to a new character and see Vanessa not having a moment of deja vue when, alas, she should have.
Oh, and then there's the Lily related plot thread. She was of course right - WORST KIDNAPPING PLOT EVER, VICTOR (how was he planning to take her away anyway even if the drug had knocked her out? He hardly looks strong enough to carry her?) -, but what really made me say "ha, I knew it!" was Dorian losing his taste for financing the feminist revolution the moment it looks like Lily values a supposed minion - Justine - as much or more as she does him. BTW, round of applause for Billie Piper; that was a neat acting moment, because you could hear a bit of Brona's accent and facial expressions coming back when Lily talked about why she identifies with Justine -, and yet this was also the first time when she talked about Brona in the third person. At a guess, the reason why Dorian saved Victor was because it dawned on him that he might be regarded as superfluous very soon by Lily, or at least not prioritized, and he wants that handy drug to use against either her or Justine or both. Am more convinced than ever that Dorian will stab Lily in the back. Supporting her is only fun as long as he can feel like he's controlling events, not when she's actually committed to her cause and treating him just as a useful contributor.
Meanwhile, Victor's first Creature has been visiting the Orderly's sick son, and while I saw that heartbreaking moment coming when the boy opened his eyes, looked at the Creature and saw not his father but a nightmare whom he rejected, it still tore at me. I assume the Creature will now go either to Vanessa or Victor in order to get medicine for the kid; Vanessa would be more sensible, which I think it's going to be Victor. Who this time has a patented menacing visit coming.
On to the main plots. If Catriona the fencer, archaeologist and death expert is from a literary source, I don't know it, but of course I welcome the character, who has fablulous chemistry with Vanessa. Together with Lyle's name dropping of Imhotep, I assume WE WILL FINALLY GET A MUMMY PLOT. Next season, that is. Dear readers of this very journal, you know I've been rooting for a Mummy since season 1. Speaking of Lyle, I'm going to miss him, but I assume he'll be back in season 4 (if there's one), when Vanessa and friends travel to Egypt.
Anyway, Vanessa's plan to deal with the Dracula situation by taking the initiative and finding him first is good, per se, and btw nicely in tune with the last third of Dracula the novel, but unfortunately she's sabotaged by the fact he's aliasing as Dr. Sweet, and giving her v.v. convincing speeches about how he loves her, supports her and accepts her. Which is why she ends up having sex among the taxidermic creatures again. Just, like, you know, the first time she had sex which set in motion the chain of tragedies in her life.
Dr. Seward having killed her husband: I'm not surprised. Fits with the general themes of the show.
Once upon a time in America: R.I.P. Inspector Rusk. I really hoped you'd make it, but suspected you wouldn't after last week. And what were you thinking, trying to make an arrest against overwhelming odds? Hecate dying was something I did expect to happen eventually, but later in the season, though given that they seem to want to wrap up the US part of things so the gang can return to London and reunite, I suppose it makes sense. I thought she'd become a more layered character this season, so there is some regret on my part.
My favourite messed up patriarch coming through in two different ways was great, though. One was Malcolm applying the "how I ruined my kids' and my life" lesson and not only using it (in vain) to advise Talbot Sr. to not follow suit but actually surprising and getting through to Ethan with the "good man" assurance. The other was Malcolm as the one who ends up killingTalbot Snr. Because while Ethan NOT committing patricide (and making that decision actively) was a good thing, Talbot Snr. alive to get into the next bloody round of vengeance was not. And let's face it, killing family members gone beyond saving is Malcolm's thing on this show. In this case, he's also shooting someone who is all too much like himself, the worst parts of him without that sense of guilt and ferocious attachment that keeps Malcolm from going completely dark side.
Kaetenay surviving (for now): like Malcolm, I knew he would. Am still afraid he won't survive the season, but hope he will, given we've already killed two recurring guest stars so far.
Oh, and then there's the Lily related plot thread. She was of course right - WORST KIDNAPPING PLOT EVER, VICTOR (how was he planning to take her away anyway even if the drug had knocked her out? He hardly looks strong enough to carry her?) -, but what really made me say "ha, I knew it!" was Dorian losing his taste for financing the feminist revolution the moment it looks like Lily values a supposed minion - Justine - as much or more as she does him. BTW, round of applause for Billie Piper; that was a neat acting moment, because you could hear a bit of Brona's accent and facial expressions coming back when Lily talked about why she identifies with Justine -, and yet this was also the first time when she talked about Brona in the third person. At a guess, the reason why Dorian saved Victor was because it dawned on him that he might be regarded as superfluous very soon by Lily, or at least not prioritized, and he wants that handy drug to use against either her or Justine or both. Am more convinced than ever that Dorian will stab Lily in the back. Supporting her is only fun as long as he can feel like he's controlling events, not when she's actually committed to her cause and treating him just as a useful contributor.
Meanwhile, Victor's first Creature has been visiting the Orderly's sick son, and while I saw that heartbreaking moment coming when the boy opened his eyes, looked at the Creature and saw not his father but a nightmare whom he rejected, it still tore at me. I assume the Creature will now go either to Vanessa or Victor in order to get medicine for the kid; Vanessa would be more sensible, which I think it's going to be Victor. Who this time has a patented menacing visit coming.
On to the main plots. If Catriona the fencer, archaeologist and death expert is from a literary source, I don't know it, but of course I welcome the character, who has fablulous chemistry with Vanessa. Together with Lyle's name dropping of Imhotep, I assume WE WILL FINALLY GET A MUMMY PLOT. Next season, that is. Dear readers of this very journal, you know I've been rooting for a Mummy since season 1. Speaking of Lyle, I'm going to miss him, but I assume he'll be back in season 4 (if there's one), when Vanessa and friends travel to Egypt.
Anyway, Vanessa's plan to deal with the Dracula situation by taking the initiative and finding him first is good, per se, and btw nicely in tune with the last third of Dracula the novel, but unfortunately she's sabotaged by the fact he's aliasing as Dr. Sweet, and giving her v.v. convincing speeches about how he loves her, supports her and accepts her. Which is why she ends up having sex among the taxidermic creatures again. Just, like, you know, the first time she had sex which set in motion the chain of tragedies in her life.
Dr. Seward having killed her husband: I'm not surprised. Fits with the general themes of the show.
Once upon a time in America: R.I.P. Inspector Rusk. I really hoped you'd make it, but suspected you wouldn't after last week. And what were you thinking, trying to make an arrest against overwhelming odds? Hecate dying was something I did expect to happen eventually, but later in the season, though given that they seem to want to wrap up the US part of things so the gang can return to London and reunite, I suppose it makes sense. I thought she'd become a more layered character this season, so there is some regret on my part.
My favourite messed up patriarch coming through in two different ways was great, though. One was Malcolm applying the "how I ruined my kids' and my life" lesson and not only using it (in vain) to advise Talbot Sr. to not follow suit but actually surprising and getting through to Ethan with the "good man" assurance. The other was Malcolm as the one who ends up killingTalbot Snr. Because while Ethan NOT committing patricide (and making that decision actively) was a good thing, Talbot Snr. alive to get into the next bloody round of vengeance was not. And let's face it, killing family members gone beyond saving is Malcolm's thing on this show. In this case, he's also shooting someone who is all too much like himself, the worst parts of him without that sense of guilt and ferocious attachment that keeps Malcolm from going completely dark side.
Kaetenay surviving (for now): like Malcolm, I knew he would. Am still afraid he won't survive the season, but hope he will, given we've already killed two recurring guest stars so far.
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no subject
Date: 2016-06-09 03:10 am (UTC)Yay, show!
Am more convinced than ever that Dorian will stab Lily in the back.
The increased presence of female characters would support this concern. I like Catriona, but fear her development will correspond with Lily's demise.
In regards to Vanessa, when she made that comment about how opening her heart had only led to catastrophe, I wanted to shout, "Yes! Trust that instinct!" But no. The combination of Catriona and Dr. Seward discouraging the strength of a single woman alone was too much for her to overcome. Bah.
I do wonder what Dracula's end-game is, though. If he had only wanted to drink Vanessa's blood, he had a perfect chance. Instead he chose to have sex with her. Why? And why is he trying to gain her sympathy for blood-sucking creatures? I mean, why does he care?
But if she ends up being pregnant with demon-spawn, I will be Officially Annoyed. I do not want to see Vanessa become the next Cordelia Chase.
I was saddened by Rusk's end. But the show has been needing to whittle down the number of characters it follows, and Rusk's contributions have been decreasing over the last few eps. I thought it was interesting that Ethan killed him,though. I hadn't expected that, since Ethan had submitted to Rusk's authority last season, but it worked because Ethan killed Rusk for doing the one thing that would trip Ethan's kill-switch: attack someone under his protection. Yes, I know Hecate was carrying her fair share of the weight in their partnership, but Ethan's mannerisms make me think he felt responsible for her survival.
I loved Malcolm in this ep for all the reasons you listed above. Thanks for laying them out so clearly.
no subject
Date: 2016-06-09 07:31 am (UTC)Me neither, but since all the way back in season 1, Lyle introduced Amunet as "The Mother of all Evil", and since birth of the Antichrist is such a horror trope, though not a Victorian one, I've always been aware that was an option. I mean, I hope not. But I wouldn't be surprised.
Lily refusing to give up any part of herself: also parallels Vanessa in the flashback episode. And of course what both Victor (in all three cases of his Creatures at least that was his intention, not bringing back people from death as they had been but creating new ones), Henry with his personality altering drug and the more conventional Doctors in Vanessa's asylum were trying was to change someone into someone else by taking away and adding as they saw fit.
Re: Ethan feeling himself responsible for Hecate, definitely - he stopped Malcolm from killing her for that reason, too.