The second season of Showtime’s Gothic medley of the
supernatural is even more exciting than the first (which had already demonstrated impressive writing and a commitment to the macabre that puts most other vampire or werewolf franchises to shame).
Photo by Jonathan Hession/SHOWTIME
With the characters and their relationships established, the plot begins to move forward with more clarity and world-in-peril purpose. The mysterious Vanessa Ives — played potently by Eva Green (pictured) — becomes the focus of increasingly satanic attentions. Her allies, including a werewolf played by Josh Hartnett and Timothy Dalton as an adventuring gentlemen, circle to defend her as wild cards like Dorian Gray, Frankenstein’s monster and his would-be bride continue to spice up the mix. Out of several notable supporting performances, the great English stage actor Simon Russell Beale deserves a special nod. Happily, he appears a great deal more often this season as the group’s dandy historian, uttering lines such as “Never underestimate the power of a queen with lovely hair, my dear!” with panache. THE WORD: In addition to things that go bump in the night, Penny is rewardingly loaded with gay and gender-bending characters. COMING TO: Home Video
Last modified: July 27, 2017
