Penny Dreadful is ostensibly defined by its atmosphere; the show does such a great job bringing a surrealistic vision of Victorian London to life, inhabiting it with all sorts of magnificent, grotesque creatures. And yet, as visually engaging and unsettling the experience of Penny Dreadful is on a week to week basis, its greatest triumphs lie in its smallest moments: when Penny lingers on a conversation, a glance, or a touching human gesture, it’s markedly more rewarding than when its entertaining us with its psychological horrors – and when an episode can bring the two together, as it does in parts of “Evil Spirits in Heavenly Places,” it’s downright amazing television.
That’s not to say “Evil Spirits in Heavenly Places” is a flawless hour of TV; from how dense the lore around Lucifer is already getting, to Dorian and Calibus’s completely isolated experiences, parts of “Heavenly Places” feel a little disjointed from the main thorough line of the Nightcomers and the Dreadfuls (as I’ve been calling the central foursome in my notes) gathering intel on each other, centered on the Dreadfuls trying to understand exactly why there are prophecies in dozens of different languages telling an ongoing story that somehow involves Vanessa. This convoluted table of translated clues is the weak spot of “Heavenly Places”, losing itself in vague translations which give the overwhelming feeling of a story that doesn’t want to move anywhere, but wants to maintain narrative momentum.
Fortunately, this story is really only a running undercurrent through an hour otherwise comprised of small vignettes visiting other characters – but in a way, still embodies Penny‘s greatest strength, it’s sense of passion and wonder, that comes out in these other scenes. Penny is as committed to its material than any show on television, and it shows, even when it’s trying to stretch out a thin story; in the other scenes of “Heavenly Places”, it’s what makes those moments shine. Vanessa’s glee while dress shopping with a horrified Victor; Angelique and Dorian sharing a game of ‘gossamer tennis’ and trading jabs about identity; Ethan smiling… these rewarding little moments are what brings the dark, shadowed palette of Penny Dreadful to life, and moments like those three – along with others, like Sembene and Ethan doing dishes – are what draws such a strong emotional connection between character and audience, bonds that make its more dramatic scenes, like the episode’s climatic moment featuring the three witches in Malcolm’s home, so much more anxious. In those moments, Penny Dreadful‘s as beautiful as any other show on television, one that captures the smallest of moments in a way that oddly reminds me of Louie, in its ability to convey the beautiful rarity that is true connection between two human beings.
Save for an extremely rite pair of Caliban scenes (blind girl makes him feel comfortable, her father plans to exploit him… snore) and the silly, albeit necessary, business with the artifacts of Lucifer, “Evils Spirits in Heavenly Places” is a wonderful showcase of exactly what Penny Dreadful is great at, scenes and moments that represent a completely different, more rewarding show than most press quotes or trailers would suggest. Penny Dreadful is a horror show; but like all great horror (doubly so for gothic horror), Penny Dreadful remains obsessed with finding beauty in the grotesque, with absorbing and accepting the darkness, and somehow, turning it into light.
[Photo credit: Jonathan Hession/Showtime]
Follow Us
