So… what’s that all about? Given Ethan’s romance with Brona, I don’t think anyone pegged him as the kind of guy who’d jump into bed with Dorian, but that certainly appears to be the way their night is headed. Is this sex about romance for him, though, or a momentary escape from the crushing pressure of being him? With the new weight on his shoulders that he has been killing people, it’s going to be tough for Ethan to face himself. As he said earlier in the episode, he’s done such terrible things that turning around to face the demons in his past would kill him. So it’s possible that hooking up with Dorian is more about escaping the terrors of being him, precisely because a relationship with another man is precisely something that isn’t in his nature.
That quote Sir Malcolm had about not caring about Ethan – that’s been my hesitation with the character all along. He’s really just a “finger on a trigger,” and that alone can’t sell a protagonist. The story is certainly taking him in an interesting direction, and I’m totally on board with going along for the ride. After all, blandness would be an absolute curse on a series that has been as nutty as this so far, and I have a feeling that the writers would do just about anything to avoid having Ethan be boring.
Penny Dreadful is still very compelling on all fronts, not just with Ethan. The double whammy of Fenton’s death and the Master’s invasion of Sir Malcolm’s mansion means that “Demimonde” saw a major battle lost for the gang. (They really need a name, but I can’t think of one that’s quite appropriate. With Victor, Malcolm, Vanessa, Ethan, Sembene and now Van Helsing on board, maybe the Dirty Half-Dozen?) The Master of the vampires is on the offensive now, and he clearly wants Vanessa. Given how easily he broke into Sir Malcolm’s mansion, that house no longer seems safe – but then again, Sir Malcolm hasn’t seemed particular concerned about keeping Vanessa safe. He’d rather use her as bait and get Mina back. Now that Fenton is out of the equation, where the show goes next with the vampire plot is anyone’s guess. For my money, though, the next episode is called “Closer than Sisters,” so a renewed focus on the relationship between Vanessa and Mina seems like a good bet.
The only problem I have with Penny Dreadful right now is that it doesn’t have enough time to devote to all of its interesting characters. For example, I still know absolutely nothing about Sembene. Is he even a character? He doesn’t seem that invested in anything going on; tellingly, at the Grand Guignol, he’s standing off to the side. Even when the shot is of him spectating, he’s not the main focus. Someone get this dude a subplot (or not. As I said, Penny Dreadful is already doing perhaps too much). Caliban also gets a short shrift in “Demimonde,” but I’m more alright with that because of how much time he took up in last week’s episode.
As far as Brona goes, I’m happy with how the show has developed her so far, and hopefully she’ll have a more interesting story without having to spend her time bedding Ethan in future episodes. I’m struck by the possibility that the show could turn her into a Bride of Frankenstein figure if it chose to. After all, she has a connection to a group of people which has grown to include Victor Frankenstein, and that connection is someone who desperately wants to save her from her sickness. Could Ethan ask Victor to revive Brona after her disease kills her, giving Victor the subject he still needs? Though, I’m not sure she’d exactly hit it off with Caliban. That’s a pretty major step down from the ruggedly handsome Ethan.
Wow, that’s a longer review than usual, but I feel like “Demimonde” earned it. This was an all-around terrific episode, much better than last week’s. With regard to the acting, Reeve Carney stole the show with his sexy, dangerous Dorian Gray, but Eva Green also did a fine job trading lines with him in her scenes as Vanessa. Olly Alexander delivered the crazy as Fenton, Billie Piper did her most emotional work yet as Brona, Harry Treadaway continued to impress as Victor, Timothy Dalton did a fine job with his smaller part and Josh Hartnett is certainly doing his best to keep Ethan interesting. I’m also enjoying Rory Kinnear’s teeth-gnashing monster, and the terrifying Master is a great addition. If Penny Dreadful keeps turning out episodes like this, we’re in for an absolutely fantastic rest of the season.
