Showtime is Bringing Penny Dreadful Back, But Not in the Way We Expected
Today Penny Dreadful’s Facebook page and that of the original show’s composer Abel Korzeniowski shared the news that Penny Dreadful will be revived in the form of a spinoff. Here’s the original post:
Death isn’t always the finale.
Penny Dreadful returns to Showtime Networks with Penny Dreadful: City of Angels. Set in 1938 Los Angeles, this next chapter will explore a mix of the supernatural within a genuine historical backdrop infused with Mexican-American folklore.
Horror isn’t usually one of my favorite genres, especially modern horror. When Showtime originally announced Penny Dreadful, I decided to give it a try because I absolutely loved the cast and aesthetic of the promo art. I ended up loving it, and it quickly became one of my favorites. Eva Green, Timothy Dalton, and the whole cast were just pitch perfect and crafted unique, multi-faceted characters you could cheer for and cry with. Season two was even better than the first, introducing new characters and even darker plots and character developments. Season three was great up until the finale, in which it ignored major plot threads that had been previously established. Instead, they chose an edgy, sad ending that provided no closure and no satisfaction. That being said, it’s still one of my favorite series, even if the finale wasn’t to my liking.
I have mixed feelings about the announcement of a Penny Dreadful spinoff, much like I felt with regards to the live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender remake. I love the original show, but I don’t feel like this is something that the fans would want. Penny Dreadful fans have been consistently saying that they wanted the original show back, with the original cast. I think a good idea would be to assemble the male members and maybe even Catriona (who I disliked immensely) and have them go on a search for Vanessa’s soul, hopefully eventually reviving her. It would make the original ending a little pointless, but that would be OK with me because I didn’t like it. I’m not sure I see the appeal in a totally different story, setting and cast of characters/actors. What does it have to do with the original show? What’s going to draw in fans? The poster they released with the news looks good, but the concept is less interesting than the original, and people will miss the characters they grew to love. Time will tell, and I plan on watching the Penny Dreadful spinoff, but I can’t exactly say I’m excited as much as bewildered.
