Eva Green’s underrated TV show,Penny Dreadful, is anunderrated Gothic horror seriesthat deserves more attention than it currently has. The show lasted for three seasons and is based on a collection of short Victorian horror stories known as “penny dreadfuls.” Most ofthe main characters inPenny Dreadfulare reimaginings of classic horror characters, like Victor Frankenstein.
WhilePenny Dreadfulfeatures Dracula, Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde, and many other known characters, Green’s character, the complicated medium Vanessa Ives, was created for the show.Penny Dreadfulhas earned its 91% positive Rotten Tomatoes ratingby being an extremely clever series, blending familiar horror elements and people with exciting plot twists, making it difficult to predict.
Penny Dreadful Is One Of The Best Horror Shows Of The 2010s
Eva Green Joined A Fantastic Cast
The 2010s was a good decade for horror TV, but there was a growing trend for more grounded shows with psychological elements, likeHannibalandThe Haunting of Hill House. That said, horror with larger-than-life characters and more exaggerated worlds was still popular.Penny Dreadful, while excellent, was overshadowed by productions like AmericanHorror StoryandStranger Things.
Penny Dreadfulis extremely underrated, and is not only one of the best horror shows of the 2010s, but one ofthe best horror TV shows of all time. It is immersive, with a very distinctive look, and excellent costume design thanks to its Gothic source material. While Eva Green played the main character inPenny Dreadful, the show included several other A-list cast members.
Penny Dreadfulblends several genres, and is undoubtedly one of the best horror andfantasy TV shows starring A-list actors.James Bondstar Timothy Dalton plays the explorer Malcolm Murray,Doctor Who’s Billie Piper plays Lily Frankenstein, and the late Helen McCrory plays the spiritualist known as Madame Kali. Josh Hartnett also stars as a reimagining of the classic horror character, The Wolfman.
Its Finale Was Controversial
Penny Dreadfulhad occasional low points when it came to certain characters. Some reviewers felt that the character development was uneven, with Dorian Gray not being given enough screentime, while Victor Frankenstein’s main storyline did not fit his character. Still, each ofPenny Dreadful’s three seasons had consistently high scores on Rotten Tomatoes, making it well worth watching.
Penny Dreadful’s seasons and reception
Rotten Tomatoes critics' rating
Rotten Tomatoes audience rating
1
2014
8
81%
90%
2
2015
10
100%
93%
3
2016
9
94%
86%
The finale ofPenny Dreadfulfinished Vanessa’s story by having Ethan Chandler (Josh Hartnett) kill her. Eva Green regularly plays tragic heroes, so it seemed likely that she would die, but the ending was still unpopular as murder was out of character for Ethan.Penny Dreadfulalso left the fates of others open to interpretation, ultimately making the finale controversial.
