Showtime’s new series, “Penny Dreadful”, is an intriguing Gothic horror mystery created by John Logan. Its title comes from the books that Victorians devoured back in the Victorian era. It takes place in Victorian London, but deals with the idea of there being a space between Hell and the world of the living. Timothy Dalton and Eva Green star as Sir Malcolm Murray and Vanessa Ives, two London residents that are on a quest investigating their city's underworld. Along the way, they face encounters with horrific monsters and other creatures from storybooks.
Ethan Chandler, portrayed by Josh Hartnett, is an American roadside fun for laughs guns man who doesn't take his job or career seriously and gathers crowds around for funny little sideshow acts of showdowns. He is unaccustomed to gunning down vampires and other creatures, but that doesn't stop miss Ives from recruiting him as their muscle man. The three of them go on a paranormal investigation that takes them on a path dealing with the demimonde. Their journey brings them across the paths of literary characters such Victor Frankenstein, Mina Harker, Dorian Gray and others.
Although, there are other characters in the series, as far as I can tell from viewing the first two episodes, the show is mostly centered around Dalton and Green's characters. I've always loved Eva Green's acting and was very excited to see her in this. Her portrayal of Vanessa is one not to be missed as she graces the screen with her beauty and wonderful acting chops. I know Dalton from his short time as James Bond, but it is cool to see him in such a different role.
Since I'm a big horror fan, I love how dark the show is and I'm really looking forward to the remainder of the episodes. I'm intrigued enough now that I must see how far this story can continue while maintaining that sort of fresh feel you get with a new series. I wish this uniquely crafted series the best of luck and can only hope the future episodes continue to pique my interest.
Penny Dreadful airs Sunday nights at 10PM ET/PT on Showtime.
