*Note for readers: If you haven’t seen the season three finale of Penny Dreadful, read at your own risk. Spoilers lie ahead.*
It was bittersweet to find that one of mine and Mathair’s favorite shows had come to an end. It’s no surprise that the dark and twisted minds that came up with the Bastard Chronicles and a horror anthology could’ve fallen for the beautifully horrific and borderline poetic writing of Penny Dreadful. It has all that could appeal for this mother/daughter duo. Like many across the world, we tuned in every season with baited breath for Vanessa Ives’ journey through the darkness. The rich, romantic gothic ambiance of a Victorian era London alone was a realistic enough setting for the ghouls, monsters and tortured souls of the Penny Dreadful cast. If that wasn’t the opium laced frosting on the absinthe soaked cake, Eva Green is one of my favorite actresses and encapsulated everything that I love about stunningly flawed, self-destructive anti-heroes. When we tuned in for the season three finale, we already had our fan-theories of what lied ahead for season four until… she died!!!! Mouths agape, tear-filled eyes and nails digging into our armchairs, Mathair and I tore our eyes away from the screen long enough to gauge each other’s reactions. We gave ourselves a moment, finished up the episode and then had the normal fangirl/artistic discussion that we always had. (Similarly, we also have those exciting, somewhat heated discussions over our other shows: Vikings and Game of Thrones.) Mathair being the constant optimist gave her opinion which was that the show was about the supernatural and Vanessa had to come back for the fourth season. She will be resurrected much like our beloved Jon Snow (who in fact still knows nothing, but is the sexiest warden of the north to grace the seven kingdoms). Most of you are familiar enough with our work to see my two cents coming a mile away. The Grim Reaper of Inion N. Mathair knew that Penny Dreadful was over. Now, why did that make complete and utter sense to me? Is it my constant need for cliffhangers? My tendency to kill off important characters unexpectedly ala GoT style? Or my inherent pessimistic outlook on life that somehow bleeds into my writing? It is none of the above. I always say that a story tells itself and that a good writer or in fact a real writer will allow the story to flow through them organically. Penny Dreadful had to come to an end because that’s what happens with any story. The conclusion is inevitable and unlike most fan-favorite series, Penny Dreadful had met its rather abruptly. Of course, isn’t that the crux of something so beautiful? Would Romeo and Juliet’s love story be as powerful if they had lived on? Would Shakespeare have made such an impact in the literary world if he’d let their story go on? Anything that beautiful and that potent never lasts. Shooting stars are for but a moment before they fade. It’s in that fleeting perfection that we find the most human, the most beautiful, and the most tragic. I would’ve have tuned in next season if they’d chosen to continue Vanessa’s story or even journey on with a different character but wanting it to continue would tarnish that potent albeit heartbreaking finale and what a finale it was. As we come to a close on our own series The Bastard Chronicles, we experience that same bittersweet pain. But Kevin put it best in The Crazy 8: “What I can assure you is that my departure will be as ostentatious as my entrance.” 😉
Inion N. Mathair 