+++Warning, this contains minor spoilers from season one, but no major season two spoilers++++
The second season of Penny Dreadful is in part a continuation of the first season's storylines and in part a reset for the show, introducing new storylines. Again the characters get individual story arcs that then intertwine throughout the season. Ethan's story arc is the aftermath of the inn massacre that we see him wake up from. What happened is not exactly hard to figure out, but he finds himself pursued by a Scotland Yard police inspector. Vanessa's story arc involves a coven of witches led by Evelyn Poole, the professional spiritualist introduced as Madame Kali in season one. We also get more of Vanessa's backstory and find out how she got her powers, mainly through a flashback episode in the third episode of the season. Frankenstein is still being threatened by the creature, which introduces a story arc involving a character played by Billie Piper that bleeds over into Dorian Gray's story.
For those who get the Blu-Ray, the A/V quality is again outstanding. There are some extras, but they are not very extensive. First, there are a series of video production blogs that run for 2-3 minutes, then there is a feature about the fans of the show, a feature about the history of the occult, and character profiles. Unfortunately, there is no extensive behind-the-scenes documentary or any commentary tracks.
Overall, the show continues to be very good. It is well written and very well acted. Eva Green is again strong in the lead role and shows her acting range as she can go from being a proper Victorian-era woman in one scene and stark raving mad in another. And the costume and makeup department does a wonderful job making her look like a supermodel when Vanessa is normal to someone that looks like she lives in an alley in a box when Vanessa is out of her mind. Timothy Dalton does a great job as Sir Malcolm, dealing with his failings as a father while also trying to help Vanessa avoid a similar fate to Mina's. The show is very dark (as you would expect) and has a lot of violence and sex. So, if that turns you off then you definitely want to skip this. It deals not only with supernatural themes of witchcraft, werewolves, vampires, and the like, but also incorporates religion and religious themes into the storylines. So, it is not a show that will appeal to everyone, and it is definitely not family-friendly. But, if you are a fan of 19th-century horror stories, this is definitely worth checking out.
The second season of Penny Dreadful is in part a continuation of the first season's storylines and in part a reset for the show, introducing new storylines. Again the characters get individual story arcs that then intertwine throughout the season. Ethan's story arc is the aftermath of the inn massacre that we see him wake up from. What happened is not exactly hard to figure out, but he finds himself pursued by a Scotland Yard police inspector. Vanessa's story arc involves a coven of witches led by Evelyn Poole, the professional spiritualist introduced as Madame Kali in season one. We also get more of Vanessa's backstory and find out how she got her powers, mainly through a flashback episode in the third episode of the season. Frankenstein is still being threatened by the creature, which introduces a story arc involving a character played by Billie Piper that bleeds over into Dorian Gray's story.
For those who get the Blu-Ray, the A/V quality is again outstanding. There are some extras, but they are not very extensive. First, there are a series of video production blogs that run for 2-3 minutes, then there is a feature about the fans of the show, a feature about the history of the occult, and character profiles. Unfortunately, there is no extensive behind-the-scenes documentary or any commentary tracks.
Overall, the show continues to be very good. It is well written and very well acted. Eva Green is again strong in the lead role and shows her acting range as she can go from being a proper Victorian-era woman in one scene and stark raving mad in another. And the costume and makeup department does a wonderful job making her look like a supermodel when Vanessa is normal to someone that looks like she lives in an alley in a box when Vanessa is out of her mind. Timothy Dalton does a great job as Sir Malcolm, dealing with his failings as a father while also trying to help Vanessa avoid a similar fate to Mina's. The show is very dark (as you would expect) and has a lot of violence and sex. So, if that turns you off then you definitely want to skip this. It deals not only with supernatural themes of witchcraft, werewolves, vampires, and the like, but also incorporates religion and religious themes into the storylines. So, it is not a show that will appeal to everyone, and it is definitely not family-friendly. But, if you are a fan of 19th-century horror stories, this is definitely worth checking out.
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