Penny Dreadful – Afterthoughts

At its best, the show had sharp characterizations, beautiful production, fantastic writing, and didn’t shy from horrific or challenging subject matter, be it supernatural or human in origin.

Recently, Penny Dreadful, Showtime’s marvelously dark and twisted paean to all things Victorian and bloody, ended after three seasons. EDIT: There seems to be disagreement among fans about why the show was cancelled, but some accounts I’ve read indicate that the creator, John Logan, intended for the show to span three seasons, and wrote it thus. This may not be the case. However it came to an end, the strange discordant ending and loose plot threads left many fans unsatisfied. It felt like a beautiful dream that ended just before the best part, and all I have now is sweaty just-woken confusion and an irate UPS person banging on my door.

For all that the end was unsatisfying (I’ve already written 4 fan fictions in two weeks with my preferred resolutions, because I had opinions), I still adore it. Today’s entry is going to sing the praises of Penny Dreadful, with a minimum of discontented grumblings. After all, it got so many things right!

This post will include spoilers. You have been warned!

Please, enter the Demimonde! 

Continue reading “Penny Dreadful – Afterthoughts”

Stay Tuned!

I’m on my way to get frozen yogurt with friends. Or actually just watch them eat, since I can’t eat sugar and sugar-free fro-yo tastes like exisential ennui feels. Still! I’m out of the house!

I’m working on a big Penny Dreadful post for Thursday. I have over 1600 words, and am trying to get it into something other than the massive info dump it currently is.

In the meantime, please enjoy this bunch of fangirl stuff in honor of my current Imaginary Boyfriend, The Creature/Caliban/John Clare.

 

I have no explanation. This is just where I am this week.

And for your listening pleasure, the Calibaniest of Caliban Songs, an acoustic version of Rozz Williams and Gitane Demone’s Flowers. Rozz Williams was the lead singer for Christian Death, and was one of the grandfathers of the goth movement before he killed himself at 34. So, that. Anyway! Here’s the song! I think Caliban would enjoy moping to it.

wildflower
From Blake’s “Auguries of Innocence” 

John Clare on Tinder – “Favorite things: sitting in a darkened tunnel full of cholera sufferers and quoting Blake, being on the lowest rung of society, suffering (mine and trying to prevent yours), misinterpreting social cues”

Me – *FURIOUSLY SWIPING RIGHT*

THERE. All the fangirl is out. Except it isn’t – I’m planning to cosplay as John Clare at Orlando’s Spooky Empire convention, because the costume would be fun to make and I haven’t dressed up for a con in a long, long time. I went after work to a local special effects makeup studio and got some makeup, a bald cap, and some pointers from the shop’s owner. The black clothes I pretty much already have, I just need a coat, wig, and yellow contacts.

I’m in quite a cheerful mood lately. I’m on my way to get frozen yogurt with friends for someone’s birthday. Or actually just watch them eat, since I can’t eat sugar and sugar-free fro-yo tastes like existential ennui feels. Still! I’m out of the house!

Please tune in Thursday for an actual review of Showtime’s wonderful horror melodrama!