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Jun 13, 2016 · This Penny Dreadful review contains spoilers. In the darkest depths of my black heart, I think Penny Dreadful ’s “Ebb Tide” episode ends with where I’d like to see the series conclude.
- Vampire's kiss.
- Penny Dreadful: "Ebb Tide" Photos
- Verdict
By Matt Fowler
Updated: Jun 13, 2016 7:07 am
Posted: Jun 13, 2016 6:00 am
Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.
The ominously but appropriately titled "Ebb Tide" saw Vanessa fall to Dracula's charms. Or, better put, his undying devotion to her in, perhaps, her truest form. Not many shows can manage the tricky transition from "I'm going to kill you" to "I love you" but Penny Dreadful's handling of Vanessa and Dr. Sweet's relationship was delicate and nuanced enough that you could buy her giving into his obsession at the end. With him, she would never have to pretend to be someone she was not like she tried to do back in the asylum and, in fact, she'd be revered for that.
Which is, basically, he opposite offer/piece of advice she received from the Orderly, who also loved her. Though he was so scared for her well-being that he just wanted to see her safe, even if it came at the expense of her genuineness. It's funny to note here too how Vanessa, before she joined the darkness, pushed John Clare into the light and back to his family. And even still, her decision to not kill Dracula and then let him bite her was born out of her desire to not be alone. I just like how both choices came from the same "join the dance" loneliness and despair, and that Vanessa's surrender could also perversely be seen as a happy moment.
One thing we did find out this week though was that there were two distinct roads to the End of Days. One involved Ethan and Hecate (who was Satan's rep here, and still left the show too soon, I felt) and the other, now, Vanessa and Dracula. So Kaetenay, who I still have snake venom questions about, actually got on board with Ethan's mission to return to Vanessa because he got to see her in a "great fertile bitch of evil" vision and realized the same fog-filled enteral night future awaited everyone if she fell to dark forces.
Dorian actually made his biggest proactive move on the series to date this week when he enlisted Victor into kidnapping Lily. Now an outsider in his own manor, Dorian had grown "bored" of Lily's revolution (his word, though "jealous" is also appropriate) and decided it was time to cut off the head. It's an interesting storyline since everyone's truly a broken monster. Yes, you could see that Lily's call for blood was too extreme (in fact, Justine's now so fanatical that she's taken some of the heat off Lily) but the moment when Lily sat on the ground, chained, below three men who wished to turn her into an obedient pet was also very chilling and icky.
"Ebb Tide" drove our American team back to London just as Vanessa decided to give in and become the "Mother of Evil" for Dracula. So they'll have arrived too late, basically, and assumedly face a very different Vanessa. Can we handle a show where Vanessa is the villain? It's an interesting prospect. Also, how far will Penny Dreadful go into End Tim...
Season 1 to 3 of Penny Dreadful are available on Sky On Demand. Don’t have Sky? You can also stream it on NOW, as part of a £6.99 Sky Entertainment Month Pass subscription – with a 7-day free trial. Season 1 and 2 are also available on DVD, Blu-ray and pay-per-view VOD.
Jun 12, 2016 · This scene exemplifies everything I love about the way Penny Dreadful allows its narrative twists to unfold: It drops clues that don’t initially make sense (Why is Lily in a graveyard? Who’s...
Jun 30, 2014 · Penny Dreadful Season Finale Review: Grand Guignol. Curses, demons, and monsters ultimately prevail on the Penny Dreadful season finale. These are their favorite things. By Tony Sokol | June...
Jun 13, 2016 · On Penny Dreadful Season 3 Episode 7, Vanessa uncovers a shocking truth with help from Catriona, while Dorian turns on Lily. Read on for our review!
'Ebb Tide' was, more or less, a setup episode for what is sure to be a riveting, two hour finale next weekend. The pacing was thus a bit slower than usual; however, the episode did offer some very memorable sequences as they seem to do every week.
