Penny Dreadful Recap: Episode 1.08 “Grand Guignol” (Season Finale)
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Read Time:11 Minute, 21 Second
So here we are, we’ve reached the season finale of Penny Dreadful…feels like only yesterday I started writing these recaps. As always just want to thank Terence for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the site, it’s been a wonderful experience writing these recaps.
We begin the episode with Sir Malcolm (Timothy Dalton) and Vanessa (Eva Green) talking and she is telling him about what she kept hearing in her dream that, “There cannot be a happy end, for claw will slash and tooth will rend” Vanessa tells Sir Malcolm that she believes that Mina wants to be found, and that perhaps they will be lucky in finding her. Vanessa asks what will he do if she can’t save her, Sir Malcolm tells her that he will end Mina’s suffering and she then tells him if that will bring him peace and Sir Malcolm tells her to not be naive that it doesn’t suit her. As Sir Malcolm leaves, Sembene (Danny Sapani) tells Vanessa that a gentleman is here to see her and she tells him to bring in Mr. Gray. Dorian (Reeve Carney) comes in and he tells her that he had previously come to visit her, but they had told him that she was ill and that he hopes that she is feeling better. He tells her that he went traveling, but their conversation is very awkward between them and he wants Vanessa to read him his future, but she tells him he doesn’t have one…that only some people only have a past. Dorian invites her to the Rothschild Slipper, but Vanessa cuts him short and tells him she can’t and leaves.
Ethan (Josh Hartnett) is praying in Latin and he’s at Brona’s (Billie Piper) bedside as she is dying and he just looks so distraught. Two men are across the place where Ethan stays and one of them by the name of Mr. Kidd is telling the other that they should get him, but the other man says that they need to enjoy the hunt.
Sir Malcolm walks into a firearms shop and the owner tells him to come this way and shows him a new prototype gun telling Sir Malcolm that it has an automatic firing mechanism and he tells the owner that he will take it. As Sir Malcolm is about to leave he runs into Madame Kali (back from the second episode) and they talk and are kinda flirting with each other, since she tells him to call her by her real name Evelyn. Madame Kali asks about Vanessa and Sir Malcolm tells her that he hasn’t seen much of her, and then she tells him that it isn’t as memorable as their first encounter and that they must meet again.
At the Grand Guignol theater, the actors are rehearsing and The Creature (Rory Kinnear) is prepping all these set ups for the stage and the line that is holding one of the actors is stuck and goes off on him telling The Creature that he can’t bear to see the bloody site of him. The Creature apologizes to Vincent (the man who runs the theater) and tells him that he has nothing to worry about. The Creature is back in the basement where he stays in the theater and he is reading and Maud appears and brings him an orange, she thanks him for the book that he gave her “Paradise Lost” and starts reciting to her some of his favorite lines because they speak to him. She apologizes for Simon being an ass at the rehearsal and then she tells him that he doesn’t have to hide his face and kisses him on the forehead and he gets all happy.
Vanessa comes walking in and tells Sir Malcolm that he hasn’t been honest with her, and asks why he hid that picture of Mina and Peter. Also Vanessa wants to know why he didn’t want her in that ship, Sir Malcolm tells her because he wanted to protect her, but she doesn’t believe that. Sir Malcolm then tells her that he would sacrifice Vanessa to save Mina, that he would choose his daughter over her. But that right now Vanessa is invaluable to him, because she has a connection to Mina. He tells Vanessa that she has to handle her own guilt, but she tells Sir Malcolm that both of them are not free of guilt.
The Creature is putting on makeup and he gets an orange, he goes into Maud’s dressing room and he scares her she starts laughing when she sees his face and that he shouldn’t be in here, but he tells her how come Simon can and she tells him how does he know that (because he’s a peeping tom, that’s why). Maud tells him to leave and The Creature doesn’t want to leave he kisses her by force and grabs her by the neck, but then realizes what he is doing and leaves her alone. The Creature and Vincent are walking and he’s been fired and is leaving the theater. Vincent hugs him goodbye and tells the Creature, “Remember us better than we are” The vampire that the gang has been looking for is sleeping all the way on top of the theater stage as the camera pans to him.
Dorian is at the Rothschild Slipper looking at the orchid that has already faded and Vanessa arrives they talk and Vanessa tells that she is not the woman he wants her to be…that this thing that both of them have is dangerous. She admits that they have a rare connection, but that when they were together she released something in her that she won’t allow again. She tells Dorian that he has never known this and kisses him and tells him that it’s rejection and tells him goodbye…leaving Dorian crying alone.
The Creature goes to where else but to Victor’s (Harry Treadaway) place and tells him that he had no where else to go. Victor tells him that he will never forgive him for killing Professor Van Helsing…the Creature tells him that everyone is futile. While the Creature is speaking Victor has a gun pointed at him in the background…he’s telling Victor that he dreamed of having a mate (I do not even want to hear that word right now) he’s saying that he’s an abomination and why didn’t he make his heart of steel & stone and why did he allow him to feel…that he would rather be the corpse that he was than the man he is now. He tells Victor to go ahead and pull the trigger that it would be a blessing, but Victor can’t seem to do it and instead comforts his Creature and we hear Ethan in the background calling for Victor that he needs his help.
Ethan and Victor go to Brona and she is wheezing and really looks on the verge of death, Victor talks to Brona and she admits that she is scared of dying and he tells her that death is like stepping through a door and she asks but to where because she hasn’t been a good person. Victor tells Ethan that it won’t be long before she passes on and tells him to go get something for him. Victor then tells Brona that between the living and death there is a glorious place with rebirth and regeneration. He puts a pillow over Brona’s face and he assists in her death, Ethan comes back and Victor tells him he is sorry, but that Brona is gone and that he will take care of the body (I wonder why…hmm yep we all know why). Ethan starts crying and he walks out devastated and heads off to the bar where he is drinking, the two men from earlier in the episode that were looking for him introduce themselves to him saying that his father sent them. The man Roper, who is talking to Ethan tells him that they are from the Pinkerton Agency and that Ethan should come with them easily and the other guy who is an Indian named Mr. Kidd takes out these shackles for Ethan to wear and Ethan fights both of them and leaves the bar.
Ethan is alone, when Vanessa appears and thanks him for coming to help. She thanks him for the kindness he gave her when she was possessed. The rest of the gang arrives and Sir Malcolm tells everyone that Mina is his responsibility. They all go inside the theater and are looking around and Vanessa and Sir Malcolm spot the vampire that is sleeping, he wakes up and Ethan falls through his trap door in the stage and all these white haired vampire brides start attacking him and in goes Sembene too to help Ethan fight these vampire brides. Sir Malcolm shoots the vampire, but nothing happens and then gets hold of him again and stabs him, Ethan is yelling for help and Sir Malcolm keeps stabbing the vampire over and over again in the chest when he finally dies and all the vampire brides fall down. Sir Malcolm and Vanessa are alone when Mina (Olivia Llewellyn) appears and Vanessa runs to her and they hug. All of a sudden Mina’s voice turns demonic and grabs Vanessa thanking Sir Malcolm for bringing her. Vanessa tells Sir Malcolm that they can still save her and Mina tells them that they will understand when all of them join the Master. Mina is saying that with Vanessa, the Master will sire generations…Sir Malcolm is telling Mina not to do this and is about to bite Vanessa in the neck when he shoots Mina. Mina is on the ground and tells Sir Malcolm that she is his daughter and then he looks at Vanessa and tells Mina, “I already have a daughter” and shoots Mina (I was like lord help me with his scene especially when Sir Malcolm said that Vanessa was his daughter *cries*) Sir Malcolm is back home with Vanessa when he is taking down one of this maps and tells her that she was right that he wasn’t gonna go to Africa. He tells Vanessa that they should get a Christmas tree and she agrees and says that they should get the boys to help decorate it. Both of them are crying and hug each other.
Victor and The Creature have Brona’s body (and I knew this was going to freaking happen, I just knew it) and Victor uncovers the body so he can see it and he is amazed. Ethan is drinking and looking out the window when Roper and Mr. Kidd appear again and tell Ethan that he better come with them nicely or do they want them to chain him up like a monkey, Ethan is getting angry by every passing second and we see Ethan’s hand and we hear bones cracking and then we see Ethan’s face and he’s finally transformed into a werewolf and attacks both and we see from outside the window that blood splatters everywhere and people are screaming inside and we see that it’s a full moon.
Vanessa is walking towards the church and goes inside, we to go to a quick shot of Sir Malcolm bringing out the photograph of Peter and Mina from his drawer, Victor and the Creature are about to begin the rebirth of Brona, Ethan back to normal looking completely distraught after all that happened at the bar. Vanessa is walking towards a priest and tells him that she needs to speak to him. They are talking and the priest asks her what she fears, she tells him that she fears of the things that she is capable of…she believes that a soul can be taken over by another…that she believes in curses, demons, and monsters. Vanessa tells the priest that when treatment or science fails then what happens? The priest tells her if she means exorcism? He tells her that he met a boy, where they performed an exorcism…but that he died that everyone that they performed an exorcism on died that no one found God. The priest tells her that an exorcism is long and grueling and very dangerous that the thing can take months, years, always be there, or never even work. He tells Vanessa to look in her heart to answer what he is about to ask her, he says to her, “If you have been touched by the demon, it’s like being touched by the backhand of God” he tells her that it makes her sacred in a way and also unique…the glory of suffering. The priest asks her the question: “Do you really want to be normal?” The camera focus on Vanessa and as she is about to give her answer the scene fades to black.
This was a great season finale and I can’t wait to see what happens in Season 2… it will definitely be interesting to see where they will take it, but one thing they are definitely doing is setting up the stage for what is to come. And I knew from the very beginning that once we knew that Brona was sick that she would be become the bride for the Creature, just knew it! And how awesome was it seeing Ethan finally transform into a werewolf…I was like yes! Loved seeing the scenes between Vanessa and Sir Malcolm and how he sacrificed Mina for Vanessa, that despite saying that he would sacrifice Vanessa for Mina…in the end he chose Vanessa.
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