Sir Malcolm returns to find a new evil hunting Vanessa.
The first season of Penny Dreadful did a wonderful job at bringing these separate and distinct characters together. They exist as famous literary characters but the show does a fantastic job spinning a new take on them. Sure, it is all centered around the fantastic Eva Green's performance as Vanessa Ives. But the literary characters around her have just as much at stake as she does. They have formed this makeshift family that is able to protect each other from the darkness that surrounds their lives and their city. Each one has their own personal monster - the devil that possesses Vanessa, the werewolf inside Ethan, the creature tormenting Victor, Caliban the creature being unable to be treated like a normal person thanks to his scars, Sir Malcolm's destruction of his own family, etc. Those connections are never explicitly stated amongst the characters. And yet, their presence is what pulls them all together. They are aware of the world for what it is. There is darkness in this world and they all have been thrusted deep inside it.Ethan Chandler wants to escape London following his latest transformation into a werewolf and the vast massacre at the Mariner's Inn. He doesn't know what he becomes but he knows that he is a danger to the people around him. He truly does care for Vanessa. He wants to protect her but the only way he knows how to do that is to leave her. That is, of course, before their carriage is attacked by new monsters. Ethan is able to tell that they are woman. And yet, his guns are suspiciously absent during the confrontation. He and Vanessa are able to escape not because of his skills with weapons but by Vanessa being able to speak a dead language that scares them away. It's an incident that kicks off the story of the season as it gives urgency to the various characters again.
Malcolm, Vanessa and company got a sense of closure during their big confrontation with the demonic monsters that had possessed Mira in the previous season finale. There needed to be an inciting incident in this premiere that thrusted them together once more. One that not only kept Ethan in London but forced him to move into Malcolm's mansion to continue to protect Vanessa. It had to be deeply personal to the characters. They are no longer strangers like they were at the start of this journey. Malcolm sees Vanessa as the only daughter he has left now. This unit of people are the only ones whom they can trust in this world.
The new enemy that they face is incredibly personal to Vanessa. She spent so much of the first season being tortured by the inner demon inside her. Its presence has kept her from having any kind of new life. She broke and was taken by the spirit of the Devil to serve as his bride. She has fought so hard. But the monsters of this world still want her. She will likely continue to be tortured for the rest of her life. No matter how confident she looks on the outside. She is tormented on the inside. Aware that various forces are conspiring to hurt and haunt her with very little she can do to stop them. She knows how to repel the witches when they attack, but she has no clue what she said to them. She possesses power that she herself doesn't fully understand. That's incredibly frightening and disturbing - especially when she has to draw out symbols in her blood in order to pray and protect her soul.
Madame Kali is the cause of all of Vanessa's new pain. She got a taste of what Vanessa was capable of during the seance last season. And now, she has the ability to act on it because it's revealed her true name is Evelyn Poole and she's in charge of the local witch coven. She sent them to attack the carriage. She has sworn her life to serving the Devil and making sure that he can finally have his bride. She will torment Vanessa day and night until her master gets what he wants. It's a great performance by Helen McCrory who is able to match Green's intensity in that concluding sequence of prayer despite it being two different sides of worship. Vanessa is pleading for safety because she is truly afraid of the monsters that are slowly surrounding her. With Evelyn, it's violent and aggressive in a way that suggests grandiosity and strength. She is the one capable of haunting Vanessa during every moment of her life right now. Even though Malcolm, Ethan and Sembene are near, they cannot protect Vanessa from the monsters that are ready to strike. They can appear suddenly and without warning - and disappear just as quickly. Vanessa will always be looking over her shoulder - unable to be free from this constant torture.
Similarly, Victor is hoping that by bringing Brona back to life for his creature he will finally find some peace in his life again. Caliban has no idea what else is happening in Victor's life. And yet, he's very accurate in saying that Victor will never be able to live without constant worry of what he might do. Caliban physically unnerved Victor last season. That's the only reason why Victor is bringing Brona back to life. That's what makes it so puzzling when he looks down at Brona's lifeless body and starts feeling her up. It's an intimate connection. Victor wants to be with a woman just like his creature. He has this woman right in front of him. His whole journey started with Caliban's constant threats. But now, there's a loneliness in his life as well. He would enjoy a woman just as much as Caliban. He has friends who he can trust over at Malcolm's mansion. But they have no idea what's happening back in his lab. He is physically creating monsters in this world. They are able to walk amongst the human population but they are still subjected to ridicule and discrimination because of their appearance. Caliban finds a new job. And yet, it's initially presented as the owners of the wax museum wanting to manipulate his appearance in order to earn a bigger profit. Caliban always worries that people won't see anything more than his scars. That's exactly what the man and his wife see but they don't immediately run away from him. They want to manipulate it to their benefit - which probably isn't going to end well for any of them.
Some more thoughts:
- "Fresh Hell" was written by John Logan and directed by James Hawes.
- The creature design of the witches when they attack felt slightly off.
- Scotland Yard Inspector Rusk (guest star Douglas Hodge) has been assigned to investigate the massacre at the Mariner's Inn - meaning not all the threats the heroes will face this season are supernaturally-based.
- Evelyn lying in a bathtub filled with blood and smoking a cigarette wasn't necessary from a plot or story perspective. But damn, it was impressive imaginary that established her as a woman who shouldn't be messed with. And then, in her next scene, she slit the throat of one of the witches serving under her for letting Vanessa get away and not remembering what she said in their language.
- Billie Piper's performance will likely become much more engaging this season considering she has just been resurrected.
- There's so much pain and emotion when Malcolm's wife tells him he no longer has any children to save or kill. And yet, that's not true because Vanessa is still suffering.
- No Dorian Gray at all in the premiere. Can't say his absence was all that noticeable or that he was missed.
- Also absent is Simon Russell Beale who appeared in a few episodes last year as Ferdinand Lyle and was promoted to series regular this year.
- Those opening credits really are beautiful though. I missed them so much - as well as the rich dialogue that Logan writes.
