It’s Perpetual Night for Marie Gilbert as she recaps part one of the Penny Dreadful finale

On last week’s episode of Penny Dreadful Lily was captured by Victor thanks to Dorian and Vanessa gives herself to Dracula. The apocalypse has begun, but is it too late for the Wolf of God to save the Scorpion?

Creatures of the Night

“All light will end and the world will live in darkness.” A putrid fog blocks the sun from shining down on the citizens of London. Vanessa has given herself to Dracula, fulfilling the prophecy of the end of days. While three men disembark from the ship, Dr. Seward enters her office to find Renfield listening to Vanessa’s recorded conversation. He is the lapdog of Dracula and whatever was human is long gone. If he thought his employer weak, Renfield was mistaken. Surrounded by frogs that climb out of the drain in droves, Renfield demands to know when Ethan is to return.

I heard a rumor that this may be the last season for Penny Dreadful. If this is true, it will be a damn shame because no other show has brought together in such a beautiful way using words, poetry, fashion and horror to display the power of women against a world that wants to keep them in chains.

Dr. Seward surprised the crazed Renfield when he fed on the frog. He thought this would frighten the good doctor. It did not. Dr. Seward had disposed of her own monster back in New York. The weak and whiny Renfield was easy work. Later, she seeks out Vanessa’s friends.

The Wolf of God

Two creatures love Vanessa. Two creatures must fight to the death to save her. After Ethan, Malcolm and Kaetenay arrive in London, they are shocked to see the busy streets empty of the hustle and bustle of Victorian day life. The fog is thick and the clouds block the sun’s healing rays. At home, the three men are shocked that they might be too late. Vanessa is gone and a dead wolf is left hanging from the rafters. Before they can gage what this means, they are attacked by Dracula’s imps and the imps are winning until Catriona makes her entrance and what an entrance she treats us to.

Sir Malcolm has been bitten, but while he thinks it means a bullet to the head, Catriona cauterizes the wound, instead. Catriona warns Ethan that the fog is no ordinary fog and that it has taken the lives of thousands. While Ethan goes searching for Victor, he’s busy at the lab. We still don’t know the backstory of Catriona Hartdegen. Who is she really? Where did she come from?

Dorian

Of all the monsters in this series, Dorian is the most handsome. It’s hard to hate this man who has the luxury of being bored with humanity. He is a gentleman for sure, but he is as dangerous as the imps who work for Dracula. Dorian, who is played so sensually by actor Reeve Carney, is an immortal who has grown weary of the sameness of each day. His joy of dancing with Lily had turned sour when Lily realized that she had the calling for a revolution. Now that Lily is in chains and bound for Victor’s and Jekyll’s treatment, Dorian hurries home to rid his home of pesky pests; suffragettes.

We knew that Justine would object, especially when Dorian kicks the others out. I thought her dagger to Dorian’s chest would be the end of him, but Dorian lives as long as his portrait remains untouched. I felt bad for the young Justine. She was really a victim of the times. Women were forced into prostitution just to survive in a world with no safety nets. Justine would rather die than go back to her old life. Dorian obliges her.

Lily

While Jekyll and Victor think they are helping Lily by making her “normal” Lily knows that their treatment will most likely take away her memories, her scars. She tells Victor, “You created life, so let it live.” These are such powerful words that Victor listens to her story about baby Sarah. The mortality rate was extremely high during Victorian times. If you were rich, your child might survive a battle with the many diseases that existed…but if you were poor, well let’s just say that if your child lived, it would probably be sickly.

Lily’s story of how her beloved baby froze to death touch Victor and he allows her to leave. While, I had become rather disappointed in our dear Doctor Frankenstein’s treatment of his creatures, tonight, Harry Treadaway was permitted to allow Victor to be less of a monster.

John Clare

And if we speak of monsters, my little pennies, we must speak of the gentlest monster of all, John Clare. Our poor creature has come back to his family, but his joy is short because his son is sick from the filthy air of the factories and from the fog.

John Clare promises his young son trips to the Highlands and to the park, but I fear the boy will not survive.

Ethan

Ethan’s search for Victor brings him in contact with one of Dracula’s imps who leads him into a trap. When Dracula and Ethan meet, it is Dracula who understands how much Ethan loves Vanessa and that this love might be strong enough to defeat Dracula. The wolf and the dragon are finally face to face, but Dracula only tosses Ethan to his imps and leaves. The moon is full and Ethan is a powerful werewolf. When the grey wolf joins in the battle the creatures of the night are cut down.

I have always surmised Kaetenay’s secret. Why else would he even worry about Ethan’s fate if they were not connected by blood? When Dracula learns that there are two wolves, he worries that Ethan might actually save Vanessa.

Conclusion

Ethan has been joined in his battle against the dragon by the man who turned him. Dr. Seward has arrived at Malcolm’s home. She tells him and Catriona that Vanessa is in danger and that he needs to come with her. We only get a short glimpse of our little scorpion and she has the look of the undead.

Is she happy with Dracula? Does she care that she’s brought on the apocalypse? Does her heart even beat a little faster knowing that Ethan is determined to save her? I will tell you the rest of the tale, my little pennies, when I return with part two of my review.