The Friday Discussion: The Marginalised Swan Song

There is a myth that a swan sings just once, beautifully, before it dies.

After watching and reading numerous Urban Fantasy shows and books we have found another, more plaintive herald of impending death: The Marginalised Swansong

All too often we see a marginalised character relegated to their standard roles - standing in the background to add diversity points, disappearing into the plot box for several episodes, existing only to serve the main character, devoid of their own plot lines and, quite possibly not even having any lines - and then suddenly they start talking! People notice them! They even pretend to care!!! They have sudden relationships (being LGBTQ and in a relationship is especially dangerous) and maybe even a storyline!!!

And then they die.

It’s reached a level of almost comedy that we can predict this happening so often. Of course it comes down to classic tokenism: they’ve decided to add some marginalised characters but that’s about all the effort they’re willing to spend on them. Look, they’ve given you some dark skin and the token gay, give them the damn cookies already! But when it comes down to killing off their disposable characters (and marginalised characters are so very very disposable) they have a dilemma.

No-one cares about them. And it’s a waste of good drama to kill someone no-one cares about

A classic example for this is T-Dog from The Walking Dead. T-Dog was such an utter background character that sometimes he went entire episodes being nothing but set dressing - fandom was actually more concerned with the fate and eventual death of Merle who not only appeared in three episodes less than T-Dog, but was objectively a terrible person. T-Dog was pretty much non-existent. No-one cared about T-Dog. There was reasonable chance half the audience didn’t even remember he existed. How do you kill off a character like that when the likely reaction of most the viewers will be “who?”

This is not the emotional reaction most writers aim for when they kill off a cast member

So they desperately try to big him up, slap some characterisation on him before he finally falls off his perch and joins the choir invisible. Which is exactly what we saw with T-Dog a couple of episodes before he actually died, he suddenly started talking, he had lines, he even build an almost friendship with Carol. Then he died.

He’s not an isolated incident. The Walking Dead alone did similar things with Noah, Denise and Sasha (and likely more). The Vampire Diaries belatedly remembered Luke existed and was involved in a life and death decision a couple of episodes before he died. The Last Ship finally pulled Aleisha out of the set dressing to suddenly focus on her relationships (after seasons of blink-and-you-miss-it-portrayal and a general disinterest in family life for any character) so we could remember her name before she died. Bitten tried with Jorge. And Penny Dreadful desperately tried to slap some characterisation on Sembene before killing him off. Supernatural took Charlie from being a briefly appearly one off whacky adventure character to finally involving her in the main plot. She was involved! She was important! She was a real character! And she was dead. And it’s no consolation that I predicted it three episodes before BECAUSE of this trope.

The Women of Penny Dreadful

There are many positive things to be said about Penny Dreadful.  It’s easily one of the most artistically beautiful shows that I have ever seen and had the ability to deliver a strong punch to the gut that would leave me speechless.  Like many, I was saddened to learn that this years season finale actually was the series finale. Though Penny Dreadful had many characters, it was always Vanessa who led the way.  Without the brilliant acting of Eva Green, Penny Dreadful would not have been the same.  As much as I loved Vanessa for her triumphs and her courage, her character was not without it’s problems.

From a very early age Vanessa was a haunted woman.  It began when she seduced her best friend’s fiance.  Certainly in the present time that would be a great violation of trust but in Victorian England, it also amounted to behaviour that would be deemed decidedly wanton and worthy of isolation. The sexual woman simply wasn’t socially acceptable and so it would have been a real twist had this congress happened out of desire but instead it was motivated by evil forces.  Much of Vanessa’s time from that moment on was spent trying to make amends and fighting off the darkness inside of her.

The battle for Vanessa’s soul would not only consume her but anyone who came into intimate contact with her.  Vanessa became less than a person in many ways and simply became a victim in need of constant saving.  We watched as Ethan, Victor, Sir Malcolm, and Lyle devoted themselves to the protection of their precious Miss. Ives. For Miss. Ives they would risk their lives repeatedly and the revelation of their deepest darkest secrets.  I will admit that it would have all been several degrees worse had Vanessa not been active in her own defense. Vanessa actively attacked the witches and matched them spell for spell and while she depended on her circle of supporters she never lost sight of the fact that this was her battle.

The complexities of Vanessa are never ending and this is why her demise in the series finale so undercut all the work that Penny Dreadful had done for three seasons. To watch as Vanessa gave up and simply accepted that she was predestined for darkness was sad. To accept that there was something about her intrinsically evil was quite simply defeatist. It was further toxic to the messages of agency that that episode in particular told - here was Vanessa being seduced not even by darkness or a beautiful man - but by the seductive promise of being and accepting herself. An acceptance that was not only toxic for her but quite literally the entire world. Considering the themes of resisting conformity, especially for women, that Penny Dreadful showcased, this narrative is exceedingly destructive.

Sure, some might say that Vanessa death was a way of freeing herself from a struggle that would never end and was thus an act in affirmation of agency but at the end of the day, regardless of how you try to spin it, Vanessa died. Vanessa died like so many female victims leaving the men behind to wallow in their manpain. Vanessa was created and lived and died as the perpetual victim.

Think of all of the suffering that Vanessa went through in three seasons.  She was placed in a mental institution, force fed, and had electroshock treatment.  She was slashed with a knife on numerous occasions, attacked psychically and was left bowed over in agonising pain. We watched as Vanessa literally ripped out her nails and bled from grievous wounds. Each time Vanessa was knocked down she got back up determined not to be defeated.  As I watched her struggle with the supernatural it did not escape that at times Vanessa’s life amounted to torture porn. What’s worse is that this torture porn was positioned as entertainment for the masses.

In our recent recap of Penny Dreadful, we looked at the parallels between Vanessa and Lily, because both read as cautionary tales for what happens when a woman is empowered. In some ways, it’s an especially toxic form of Spunky Agency. There we see a woman making decisions - terrible terrible decisions - and trying to tempt the reader into wishing they would never make a decision again. This tv show shows the watcher the consequences of what happens when a woman has power - she ends the world or tries to gather an army of rather ineffective murderers.

Penny Dreadful, Season 3, Episode 9: The Blessed Dark

This is the end…

The end of Penny Dreadful

Entirely?

We’re ending here?!

No no no NO!

This cannot end here. This cannot be the ending. I refuse to let this incredibly beautiful show end. I refuse to let it end so… disappointingly.

I shall begin with the good – because if this is my last chance to say it then I must: this show is beautiful. The settings are gorgeous, the atmosphere unparalleled, the acting unsurpassed, the music perfectly chosen – every scene is a work of art; a work of pure beautiful art. Every line is a poem, every last moment of this show was crafted to perfection. It was a joy to watch.

This show certainly laid the groundwork for that with devastating tragedy – opening with a grief stricken song and the inevitable awful death of Joh Clare’s son. It’s fitting this episode begins with this death and, at the close of the episode, we see him lower his son’s body into the Thames: despite his wife begging him to take the boy to Frankenstein to be reborn like him. John’s self hatred cannot let him be happy, cannot let him follow a clear path to happiness – he sees no hope or happy ending only more tragedy

And isn’t that Penny Dreadful through and through? Beautiful and tragic. No happy endings here.

So no-one getting a happy ending? Yes, I could see that. That’s the essence of this show. Everything being so sad and grim with its ending isn’t what is disappointing – it’s the anti-climax, it’s the fizzle and it’s the wasted potential.

Waste potential the first: Dorian and Lily. While Dorian FINALLY pulls off the jaded immortal with a rather epic speech that truly encompasses the cost of immortality and with a nice reference to his portrait. It’s a good speech but it’s far too damn late after a season of whiny petulance. Lily reacts to Justine’s death and all her minions fled by… walking away. Her whole revolution is just a footnote in Dorian’s story of jaded immortality! It’s not even Lily’s story any more.

Penny Dreadful, Season 3, Episode 8: Perpetual Night

Everything is very bleak and dark – of course, such imagery is the bread and butter of Penny Dreadful. With Vanessa’s ominous voiceover we have the stage set of darkened and fog clouded streets, evil darkness, cloying poisons in the air and the night creatures rising up

Penny Dreadful is the undisputed master of gothic imagery.

Enter into this the one gloomy bright spot, with John Smith and his family, him making all these happy plans for the future while his eager son is ravaged by a cough, all those happy plans hollow before his inevitable demise

How very… Victorian; gloomy, tragic, desperately sad and sweet.

With Kaetenay, Malcolm and Ethan arriving from America they convene at Sir Malcolm’s house and, after a bit of fun with some vampires, they’re joined by Catriana and hunting skills: saving Ethan and teaching Malcolm the finer points of curing a vampire bite. And the foolishness of stubborn male pride

While Ethan decides to run off into the fog looking for Vanessa, the others are joined by Dr. Seward. She’s just had an unpleasant experience with Renfield who, in addition to being horrifying, also told her a lot about Dracula and tried to murder her, sure she wouldn’t fight back because she’s not a killer

That shows what he knows

Duly beaten and imprisoned in a straight jacket, he is now confined for Seward and Catriona (who have collectively become toweringly awesome in this show) to question.

Ethan is lured through the streets by a child vampire into an ambush. He tells Dracula repeatedly that he will rescue Vanessa while Dracula responds, equally repeatedly that Vanessa isn’t actually his prisoner, she’s there willingly. Ethan won’t hear this so Dracula casually flips him aside and leaves him to his minions

Penny Dreadful and Race

Penny Dreadful is easily the most visually beautiful show that we are watching currently. It’s easy to get caught up in the gothic aspects and brilliant acting and ignore the many problematic elements which have come to fore from almost the beginning.  The Victorian Era was rife with thoughts of empire, colonisation and racism and yet Penny Dreadful is being aired in 2016 - a time far removed from what it’s attempting to portray.  Simply saying that this was the way the Victorian Era was does not give one carte blanche to continue the racist portrayal without any sort of nuance.  Race on Penny Dreadful is portrayed in the most hackneyed fashion without any thought or care about the message being sent.

In Season three of Penny Dreadful we have really reached a pinnacle of terrible tropes - perhaps most glaringly with the introduction of Kaetenay;  an Apache character.  As we know, during this time in history, the United States was busy slaughtering and placing its indigenous peoples on reservations in what would centuries later be understood to be an act of near genocide.   One by one tribes fought back against the white invaders only to ultimately be overwhelmed.  Penny Dreadful takes the time to talk about an incident in which Ethan along with his unit slaughtered an unsuspecting village including women and children.  We’ve known for some time that Ethan, like most characters on Penny Dreadful, is tortured but to discover that this comes from the guilt of a mass murder should make Ethan a less sympathetic character - but never underestimate the power of White Manpain.  How can this man be the shining knight who comes to Vanessa’s rescue, pure of heart and intention?

Penny Dreadful deals with the horror of Ethan’s actions by having Kaetenay claim him as son and by so doing washes away the evil of what Ethan participated in.  It absolutely sanitises Ethan’s actions as simply a thing he did in his past without meaning.  I often wonder how it is that Wes Studi can stomach to say the lines that Penny Dreadful assigns him because essentially, Penny Dreadful has Kaetenay not only take ownership of Ethan but elevates him into the saviour of the world (and totally and Apache, honest).  Ethan is the walking embodiment of the White Man’s burden and it’s being celebrated as though the slaughtering of the Apache is simply a stepping stone to greatness, thus justifying the crushing oppression of the Victorian Era upon Indigenous peoples. There’s no doubt that the colonisation of the Apache is a historical fact and needed to be addressed once the show crossed the Atlantic; however, at no time does this justify Penny Dreadful’s treatment of it.

This attempt to sanitise history through Ethan’s eyes is followed by the way he refers to Kaetenay and Ethan - and even the amount of time we spend describing the Apache attack on Ethan’s family (a very personalised and brutal description compared to the distant, impersonal report of Ethan’s massacre of the Apache). The context of who is the aggressor and who is fighting to survive is brushed quickly over in the recitation, with Ethan seeming to view his father and Kaetenay as almost equally culpable.

Penny Dreadful, Season 3, Episode 7: Ebb Tide

Let’s start with a really cringe worthy storyline. Ethan and his “dad” Kaetenay – who is desperate to get Ethan to join in this way through a series of really really really bad tropes.

He compares Kaetenay with his biological father both fighting the same war which really really badly handles the invading perpetuator of genocide and the people

And Kaetenay decides that he has predicted that an Apache will save the world from darkness. An Apache will save the world. An Apache is prophesised to save… oh that’s Ethan

Ethan? Yup, Ethan is an Apache because the Native American mentor character has declared Ethan an Apache. The White man who slaughtered Native Americans and then felt sad about it.

He also performs some woo-woo – of course he does – to see Vanessa and gasp that she’s half damned and going to cause the end of the world! To the ship!

We have a far better moment with Ethan and Malcolm with Malcolm pretty much embracing his own damnation and considering killing Ethan’s father an act of mercy because it’s a terrible thing to have to kill your own family. He also considers it a good sign that Ethan couldn’t kill his dad – it shows Ethan is still redeemabl and basically good.

Now to Vanessa. Beautiful, amazing, tragic Vanessa. Oh how I love Vanessa. How I love her acting, her amazing intensity. My sheer fragile glee when she manages a smile, that delicate beautiful smile and that joy for deciding to be happy (though the awesome Dr. Seward believes she is a split personality)

And she will be torn down again, of course. But first she meets with John Smith to try and discuss the past he no longer remembers. She encourages him to find happiness, she praises his gentleness and kindness and above all, both of them decide to dare to be happy.

John goes to his wife, Marjorie – and in a rejection of the tragedy that consumes this show, she embraces him as the husband she loves who has come back to her. She hears his story and doesn’t reject him and brings him to their son who accepts him. On any other show I would probably say something snarky about tweeness – but bring on the twee. We could use some happiness on this painful show.

Except there’s a downside – when Catarina Hartegan shows up to give some more information about Dracula she finally realises who he is. Yes, she confronts Dr. Sweet – when they were so happy the night before.

The confrontation is, of course, epic. With Vanessa furious, outraged, deeply grieving and Dracula making excellent points about night creatures, broken things, outcasts and the continued excellent image of the scorpion.

Penny Dreadful, Season 3, Episode 6: No Beast So Fierce

In the US, Ethan and his dad are still having a battle of wills with Daddy Talbott wanting Ethan to repent and Ethan having gone full-dark-sideish and not really into the repenting thing. The stand off is delayed a little when Rusk and the Marshall turn up and decide to arrest everyone. Just the two of them. While Daddy Talbott has a small army

It doesn’t go well for them

After The Most Awkward family dinner in which Ethan is forced to recite the Lord’s Prayer and rather childishly blasphemes it instead while Malcolm is sat there chanting “he’s a good boy really”, the Marshall decides to dispel with pleasantries

I’m sure shooting one’s dinner guests before pudding is not good etiquette. I thought murder really should wait until the brandy is poured.

After everyone eats without a care about the bloodstains on the flooring (really, think of the housekeeper) all hell, inevitably, does break loose. Lots of disposable goons are shot, Malcolm is also shot but Kaetenay launches himself out of nowhere (nope, no-one actually thought he was dead. You’re kidding if you did) to save him. Hecate is shot ending her rather shallow non-characterisation (what did she want? Why was she there? Did she care for Ethan or just the demon wolf? And why? Yup none of that) and also we all belatedly realise season 2 would have been a WHOOOOOOOOOOOLE lot shorter if just SHOOTING the witches worked consistently.

This leaves the inevitable Ethan, Kaetenay and Malcolm left (Rusk got shot. And until I see a body I’m going to assume he’s going to get up and come after Ethan AGAIN) with a handful of disposable extras and Daddy Talbott in a showdown in the chapel where Ethan’s family was slaughtered.

Guess how long the extras last?

Still Ethan can’t kill his dad as his moral compass has hastily jerked back the other way and killing daddy in a house of god is too far now Hecate is dead. He walks away, refusing to be taunted, refusing to be a brutal killer like his dad

Malcolm shoots him instead. Problem solved.

I know it’s the problem with Penny Dreadful having such terribly short seasons with such a lot to squeeze in, but this whole storyline felt rushed. Characters were introduced, morality yo-yoed back and forth and then death.

Back in London we have another storyline picked up with Lily and Dorian and Justine and now a large number of other followers. Only all is not peaceful among their little murderous gang: Dorian is getting bored

Penny Dreadful, Season 3, Episode 5: This World is Our Hell

While last week’s episode was the awesome story of the awesome Vanessa who is awesome, this week’s story is of Ethan’s which is… fraught. We have Ethan and Hecate, low on water with dying horses (hey Hecate likes horses, total redemption guys!) who totally hates mankind and god and would really really like Ethan to join her in dark awesome evilness. Kaetenay and Malcolm – with Kaetenay happily willing to cut a swathe through everything to get to Ethan. And we have Marshal Franklin, his men and Rust who politely reveals some back story to let us all know he is an implacable force of endless tenacity that cannot be slowed or stopped and who you really really really don’t want to fuck with.

It’s a… volatile combination.

Thanks to various people we do learn Ethan’s backstory (partly while sharing terrible parent stories with Hecate. Hecate’s “I was given to satan as a 5 year old” totally wins, for the record). Ethan was sent to the army by his dad and his commander then ordered him to slaughter innocent Apache. Which he did – then killed his evil commander and reported to the Apache – Kaetenay in particular – to turn himself over to be executed for his crimes

Kaetenay decided far more usefully to make Ethan fight against the United states to protect the Apache. Which meant facing overwhelming numbers and, in Kaetenay’s words, resorting to greater and geater evil

Which… ugh. Look, we’ve said before that drawing on real life horrors like the genocide of Native Americans is something to be handled with great care and caution and respect, if at all. Further to this, even while this depiction doesn’t shrink away from the brutal genocide of the Native Americans, there’s then a whiff of blame for what Ethan become (and Kaetenay feeling a level of guilt and obligation towards him). And… really taking the massacre of Native Americans and making it a werewolf origin story is everything we spoke against.

Ethan and Hecate also talk morality with her all for evilness – and pointing out he’s kind of being led into this eternal guilt by the orders of others. He says his guilt is the best thing about him while she points out god won’t forgive him and if he ever wants to be free from guilt he needs to embrace his sins, praise satan.

Y’know this would be great advice if we were talking about shaming of innocent acts by an oppressive church and awful advice when it comes to “hey murder and massacres are totally ok!”.

Penny Dreadful, Season 3, Episode 4: A Blade of Grass

I have been rather dreading this episode. So far this season we have been seeing a very previous thing – Vanessa being happy. Vanessa getting help. Vanessa being healed. After two seasons of horrendous suffering, we needed this

And now we have her hypnotism based memories of her time in the asylum, complete with all the horrendous torture she endured this

We really don’t need to see more of this. And seeing that John Smith was her orderly and potentially involved in this abuse when we have already seen these two characters have connected. I don’t want that connection to be based on abuse neither of them remember

It wasn’t that bad. While we had Vanessa being horrendously agonised and tormented. Yes the acting is incredible yet again, the stares amazingly intense and her utter collapse are painfully poignant to see. While she suffers there is Dr. Seward trying to help her out of her fugue state and it’s also awesome and powerful and touching and beautiful

And we’ve done this. Yes it’s all so incredibly well done, it’s amazing, it’s emotional and I want to applaud the skill, the direction and the utterly perfect acting. No-one can fault the immense skill, emotional power and general impressive power of this scene. But enough of Vanessa’s suffering. Enough. Please.

Beside her suffering, at least Orderly John Smith develops a very touching relationship. He cares for her. He worries for her. It’s heartbreaking how he genuinely tries to reach her, how her tries to beg her to be well. His faith in his superiors and the institution he is part of crumbles more and more as he comes to agree with her that she is being tortured. It’s beautiful and well developed as they grow closer together and he sees the asylum for what it is. At the same time it’s clear that he is just a cog in the wheel of the institution, too poor to quit and too lowly to break the regulations

Penny Dreadful, Season 3, Episode 3: Good and Evil Braided Be

Ethan and Hecate continue their wandering through the old west which is all full of deserts and death as we’re reminded frequently. No really, everyone has to tell us how deadly the landscape is probably because we’re not seeing a lot of said deadliness.

Except Hecate. She totally wants to follow Ethan to his dad’s and kill lots of people so they can all be super dark and evil rulers of… everything? It’s an ambitious albeit vague plan. Ethan is against this and her murdering people to get their horses (though he still takes the horses and supplies. That’s a convenient evil companion to have around – don’t want to do anything morally questionable? Let your evil companion do it, judge them and then enjoy the result).

Hecate isn’t exactly on side with his judgement, or moral grey areas. She doesn’t particularly see a whole lot of moral room between her choosing to kill people and Ethan losing control and killing people – the bodies are still on the ground. Obviously there are flaws in her reasoning but it also begs the question of how much Ethan must restrain himself before the murders he causes are intentional. Especially when they are convenient – like escaping his captives.

They’re being followed by Inspector Rusk who continues to have a lot of class and coolness. He tries to introduce Marshall Franklin Ostow to the concept of the occult.

They’re also being followed by Kaetenay, the endlessly cryptic and Malcolm. Kaetenay predicts all kinds of spooky bad things happening if they can’t keep Ethan on the side of goodness. His prediction sounds almost apocalyptic… albeit vague. It isn’t helped when he discusses Hecate’s presence with Michael and they find the bodies she left behind

Malcolm also champions Kaetenay against some nasty racists… there really feels like a kind of forced redemption narrative with Malcolm this season. Taking the imperialist explorer with the characterless Black servant and now making points about how imperialism is wrong and racist segregation is terrible? I mean, obviously they are wrong and terrible, but it feels more like an attempt to make it clear Malcolm isn’t like Those Imperialists more than anything else.

Penny Dreadful, Season 3, Episode 2: Predators Far and Near

Time to catch up with Dorian and Lily who are going to extreme places where rich men get to see poor women brutalised for their amusement and for lots of money. Upon arrival they promptly murder all of the nasty rich guys and save the woman they were abusing.

Lily and Dorian, vigilantes for oppressed women!

Let’s say now that Lily is definitely leading this crusade. She has another of her awesome, amazing speeches as she reflects on her own abused, desperate history. And in between being in awe of her you also need to be very afraid:

“We will have, my dear, a monumental revenge.” Ohh this is going to be terrifying. And awesome

She also tells her stalker, Victor, to go away, he isn’t going to like where she’s going. She also, beautifully refers to his memory as a “fiction”.

To Vanessa with my continuing to love her and Dr. Seward. Her desperate hope, her vulnerability and Seward both caring and being professionally detached while refusing to let her evade the questions. Her terror of having her voice, her history, her life recorded and not being able to forget is stunningly well done and powerful. There’s so much that Vanessa would rather forget. But Seward pushes for her full story, despite Vanessa’s warning what a bad bad idea it was to hear what happened to her: especially if she believes Vanessa.

The result of this telling leaves Vanessa in tragic tears… and Seward visibly shaken and moved (can I say yet again what amazing acting we have here? Because it’s incredible)

She also tells Vanessa to do something to make herself happy. And I have to say how important this is, especially since the Vanessa is so obviously tormented, guilty and inclined to punish herself. Vanessa is not a woman, because of this, who would ever seek out happiness for herself. Telling her to seek happiness gives her permission – compels her – to see what she would never grant herself. That is so important. And it makes her smile – and I’ve become so invested in Vanessa and her horrendous story over the last two seasons that that smile is incredibly beautifully precious. It says so much about the power of this show that I value that smile as she and Dr. Sweet continue to have their scorpion and adventure themed outings.

Penny Dreadful, Season 3, Episode 1: The Day Tennyson Died

I forgot, while this show was away, I forgot how beautiful the language was. I forgot the poetry for it, I forgot the elaborate rhythm of it. I forgot how sad and morbid and gorgeous and musical it was and how many excellent, amazing speeches there were. Honestly the conversations on this show could be a soundtrack. I know many people probably don’t share my love for overwrought, probably quite convoluted speeches (and I’m sure if they were written down they would frustrate me no end) but I love it

And I forgot how beautiful it was, the visuals, all the gothic dark and shadow, the imagery of long shuttered rooms and the excellent acting of the ragged people, the almost ruins these characters have become over the last two gruelling seasons. The acting, the imagery – I love it so much.

So, time to catch up with various characters

Starting with Vanessa who has fallen into a dark, bleak depression after the last season, shutting herself in and isolating herself from the world until Professor Lyle arrives and delivers some deeply emotional heart rending lines about his own battle with depression, self hate and how he felt “loathed and loathesome” until he got help and is now, “resplendently, who I am”. I give a thousand points of Lyle’s fierce declaration of self in such a grossly homophobic setting – and take away a substantial amount of them for Lyle’s beautiful declaration of self being for the edification and growth of a straight lady. It’s still beautiful though. And with it he sets up an appointment for Vanessa with a psychiatrist – or, at this time, an Alienist. Dr. Seward

And she is awesome. She perfectly, combatively, excellently (and with beautiful language) pinpoints all of Vanessa’s issues and pain (yes, it’s a magical diagnosis and I really wish that they could magically diagnose so quickly and easily but it’s still awesome). She also firmly declares she’s not broken or wrong – she’s ill. It’s excellent and great fun and seeing Vanessa’s desperate, tiny look of tremulous hope. Oh precious hope on Vanessa’s face! Also even in that, Vanessa is still capable enough to give some of her own even with her at her most vulnerable point. And her doctor is related to the Cut Wife, so maybe magical diagnosis isn’t wrong.

At the instruction of her doctor she does something new – and goes to the Natural History museum to look at the animals and run into Dr. Sweet to have another utterly beautifully elaborate, gothic, morbid, conversation about death and scorpions and the poor lonely exhibits in their dusty cases that are so ignored and what a fun hobby taxidermy is (oh, yes, it’s beautiful and elaborate and manages to not make them look like serial killers because it’s so gloriously gothic). Did I mention how much I loved the imagery and language? Also all those dusty exhibits and scorpions are, of course, perfect metaphors for Vanessa

LGBTQ Characters - Happiness is a Death Sentence

If you’ve been connected to the internet at all over the past week, you will have seen a lot of fan reaction to the death of Lexa on The 100. Emotions have been… high. Twitter hashtags #LexaDeservesBetter and #LGBTFansDeserveBetter have both been full of outpourings of pain and anger over this death. A lot of people are very angry, especially LGBTQ fans of the show who, for a brief moment, allowed themselves to hope.

It seems, yet again, that we should have known better - the media teaches us harsh lessons against hope for LGBTQ happiness time and time again

In many ways, Lexa’s death on The 100 is especially painful because the show has a bisexual protagonist (and CW shows with LGBTQ protagonists are RARE. Well, shows with LGBTQ protagonists at all are rare - of the 108 shows we’ve watched we’ve seen 4 LGBTQ protagonists and 4 LGBTQ dual protagonists - and many are lacking) and genuinely seemed to be a show whose writers had a clue or at least were trying. I mean, they weren’t perfect - they told us no-one in the world of The 100 cared about sexuality but then had no LGBTQ characters until the very end of the second season (it took that long to reveal Clarke was bisexual in this homophobia free world). And Miller and Bryan bro-hugging goodbye. But, still, it was rare, it was unique, it was hopeful - and it’s that level of hope that fans, especially LGBTQ fans, invested in the show that made Lexa’s death so devastating and enraging. They expected better, they were given every reason to expect better

Since Alycia Debnam-Carey is contracted with Fear The Walking Dead, we knew that she wasn’t going to stay on the show for much longer - so removing her from the show in some way was definitely something the writers were faced with. But there were so many ways they could have done this differently.

They could have had Lexa die in a way that was actually remotely respectful for her, showing her power, her importance - rather than a stray bullet meant for Clarke (a death which eerily echoes the death of Tara in Buffy the Vampire Slayer which, really, is a comparison the writers should have taken pains to avoid). Or they could have stepped away from Clarke/Lexa relationship since they knew that it couldn’t possibly have a long life - especially since they had story reasons for the two not to want to get close again. Both could have worked together, found other relationships and we could have had grief without the endless tragedy

They could have simply had other/more prominent LGBTQ relationships. It wouldn’t match the power of the protagonist’s relationship, but it would have had something.

Portraying Prejudice Well - Avoiding the Perils and Pitfalls

When you produce media with marginalised characters at some point the thorny issue of prejudice and bigotry is going to raise its ugly head. Sadly, prejudice is an unyielding fact of existence for most marginalised people, it’s something that cannot be ignored or brushed over and a marginalised character who manages to live a charmed life avoiding all prejudice is not necessarily going to be a great reflection or portrayal of actual marginalised people and their experiences

Are these characters going to move through some kind of fictionalised utopia where prejudice doesn’t exist? It’s certainly tempting and a perfectly valid choice – especially for more fantastic settings. After all, if your quasi-medieval setting is going to have a completely original map, 10 year winters, dragons, super-cold-zombie-makers and a completely fictional polytheistic religion where half of the aspects of deity are female, then why shouldn’t it also have gender parity, for example? This isn’t our society, this isn’t our world – there’s absolutely no reason why our prejudices and bigotries need to be exported. If reality can change enough to allow elves and wizards, it can certainly change enough for people not to hate each other because of their race.

In fact, in some ways it’s offensive to assume these prejudices should be exported to a fantasy setting – especially if you’ve made no real effort in the new setting to explain it. If you’re willing to change so much to make this fantastic, alien world then not only refusing to remove bigotry but then not even trying to add to your world building why this bigotry still exists actually implies that said bigotry is inherent, expected and even natural. If you’re world is misogynist just because our world is (and was if we’re using historical settings) then you’re implying misogyny is inevitable – that we don’t need a reason why a society would become misogynist that misogyny is an inherent ground state of being for

Again this doesn’t mean your fantasy setting shouldn’t contain prejudices – but work in the sources, reasons and development of that prejudice; make your portrayal of prejudice fit the world rather than assuming that misogyny/racism/homophobia/ableism et al simply must always be present.

We have also seen that attempt at a prejudice-less utopia fall flat, especially when it is set in a world that is very close to our own, as most Urban Fantasy is. Teen Wolf, for example, often claims to be set in a world without homophobia – yet we still have homophobic jokes (and the whole concept of coming out and the closet) that can only exist in a world where homophobic prejudice exists; Scott could not have made the Coach back off from kicking him out from a school event by dancing with Danny if they did not live in a world where gay teens are banned from prom for being gay. This lack of follow through is not just lazy, but also implies that the whole concept of a “utopia” is less to present a world where gay characters don’t face bigotry, but more to create a world where gay characters don’t have to be developed or have storylines that may centre on them.

Penny Dreadful, Season 2, Episode 10: And They Were Enemies

We open with wolfy Ethan – and dead Sembene and my eternal disgust.

Vanessa is being taunted by a ventriloquist dummy, possessed by the Fallen Angel, about being a murderer (and calling her Amaunet). But Vanessa must give her soul willingly. With Evelyn they both accuse her about the darkness she embraced and the black magic she’s used. They try to tempt her and challenge her to a staring contest (well knowing herself, but I’m amused that anyone thinks they could win a staring contest with Vanessa). They tempt her with her ultimate wish – to be normal which leads to a vision of life, married to Ethan and with two kids. Vanessa calls the vision cruel while they described what a wonderful peaceful life she would have (and, in classic Victorian gothic, that includes a beautiful death) with her friends free

Vanessa pulls back. She knows what she is – and a normal life isn’t in her dreams any more. And she growls and it is perhaps the most terrifying thing this show has ever had. She has a Verbis Diablo duel with her possessed puppet, the whole building shaking from it and Evelyn cowering from the noise. The puppet is destroyed and a wave of scorpions (Vanessa’s symbol) crawl from within.

“Beloved know your master”, the puppet shatters. Along with the epic scale. Evelyn, her master defeated, ages rapidly – and Hecate releases Ethan who runs free and slices out her throat with his claws

He then confronts Vanessa and calms. He runs from her. Sensible man. Vanessa absorbs a scorpion into her hand – where it leaves its image as a scar in the palm before fading because she clearly hasn’t maximised the creepy yet

Victor is confronted by his ghostly “kids”, all his creations – they all accuse him of the terrible ways he’s treated them (including Lily outright calling his touching her abuse). Malcolm is confronted by his ghostly dead kids. With all the guilt they push them to “atone” – suicide.

As Evelyn dies, the visions tormenting Victor and Malcolm fade. Leaving them both a little shaken in the aftermath.

And Lyle manages to shoot the witch holding him. His parting lines are: “never underestimate the power of a queen with lovely hair, my dear.” Oh… Lyle.

They reunite and Malcolm shoots and kills another naked witch. They unite with Vanessa and find Sembene’s dead body.

Hecate is left along among the destruction, singing merrily and leaving it to burn behind her.

Penny Dreadful, Season 2, Episode 9: And Hell Itself My Only Foe

The mauled American hunting Ethan seems to have found him and Vanessa in their getaway on the moors. In between threatening them at gun point he also takes off his mask to show his terribly scarred face. She orders Vanessa to chain Ethan then threatens to rape Vanessa. Because, y’know in TV land it’s absolutely impossible for us to know a sinister bad guy is a sinister bad guy if he isn’t a rapist.

Ethan and Vanessa attack him, though Ethan is chained up. They get beaten up a bit and Ethan stabbed before Vanessa kills the man with repeated stabbing. Lots of repeated stabbing. Stabby stabby stabby

They bury him while morbidly accepting that they’re both murderers together – and Vanessa confronts Ethan about what he actually is. A carriage arrives before he can answer – Victor has come to collect them since Sir Malcolm got himself all kidnapped.

Malcolm is in the witches castle being tormented by the zombie ghosts of his family who all taunt him quite revoltingly.

Evelyn isn’t super happy about all this (having truly seemed to care for Malcolm) and Hecate continues to challenge her and mock her, claiming again that Evelyn is far too old (which, she does point out, it entirely because of the youth obsession that Evelyn has taught her). We also learn that Hecate knows absolutely nothing about palaeontology.

Victor, Ethan and Vanessa return to the house to find Inspector Rusk waiting for them. Ethan walks with him, carefully not letting him speak to Victor and Vanessa while continuing to refuse to answer Rusk’s questions. He rather poetically talks about something overworldly happening. Ya think? And he’s going to be stalked by the police constantly because Rusk has infinite resources. He also causes Ethan “Mr. Talbot” which strikes a nerve – his real name; Rusk is getting Ethan’s war dossier.

Ethan returns to the house looking stressed and Sembene offers to help him with that night’s full moon before the whole gang gathers for Lyle’s confession about working with Evelyn. He is now turning against Evelyn. Victor is quite judgy, but Vanessa is more forgiving, recognising their need for allies and how no-one there is a saint – she also wants to ride to Malcolm’s rescue. On the night of the full moon. She adamantly refuses to listen to Ethan’s objections or Lyle’s warnings – calling it a battle of faith: hers vs the witches

Sembene is the one who seems to settle it – they go in, during the day (per Lyle’s warning) and all of them, to save Malcolm (a subtle reminder, I think, that Vanessa isn’t the only one who cares for Malcolm) and kill Evelyn. Something he dubs an “unholy slaughter”.

Penny Dreadful, Season 2, Episode 8 Momento Mori

Lily reflects on how she likes her men boyish and full of games and… dead. Just like the corpse she created last week (and kisses his staring dead eye – uckies uckies uckies).

Back at Frankenstein’s, John comes home to find Lily missing and rages at (a probably hung over) Victor for letting her go out with a man – threatening him with a live wire. All his comments about letting Lily chose go out the window as John growls that Lily is made for him, is his – not Victor’s and not Dorian’s. He now intends to leave with her and, one day, come back to get Victor and do terrible things to him.

Lily returns to Victor the next day, surprised by all the destruction. Victor yells at her for being out all night but she is amazingly calm and collected, tells him to settle down while casually telling him about her evening. She’s also received flowers from Dorian who she considers immensely charming but just a little too sophisticated. Victor tries to convince her to run away from London with him – but she doesn’t want to go, London is her home.

Victor goes to see Sir Malcolm and I’m not sure whether to talk about opiate addiction or being in love or both (I think love) – either way he needs his surrogate father for some advice to which Malcom has little except mutual supporting confusion to offer. Malcolm reflects on his own failings – his past of cruelty which he has only recently come to recognise; he recognises how he has changed, how he is now happy but also how that, fundamentally, isn’t him.

The woo-woo seems to be fading as well, since he seems to have grasped that he was at a ball during his wife’s funeral which just Is Not Done and certainly is not him.

Lyle is visiting with Evelyn and he muses about vanity, appearance and youth – which also leads to a note on Evelyn’s youth (eternally preserved by her demonic master) and her dangling that carrot before him. He pretends not to care about Vanessa & co and cuts of her attempts to tempt him as unnecessary since he’s already her creature (after all, if she’s already blackmailing his obedience more is just gilding, or the fiction that he’s a willing accomplice). And he has absolutely no knowledge to offer her – which is why she threatens him; but he has been very careful to ensure he knows nothing to tell. She forces him to kiss her before he leaves, much to his obvious disgust – and hers. As he leaves Hecate as her own questions – and is still plotting against mother dearest

Inspector Rusk is still doing his detecting guided by his bizarre psychic instinct - which leads him to Malcolm. He wants to know why Malcolm told his predecessor to hunt a beast rather than a human killer and Malcolm tries the really terrible excuse “it was just a silly whimsy of mine.” The inspector does not buy this. The Inspector remarks about his excessive security and lack of staff (and I call shenanigans, there is no way Sembene can maintain that house by himself). He tries to confront Malcolm about the clandestine nature of his daughter’s burial which Malcolm absolutely refuses to be questioned about – and he denies knowing Ethan Chandler.

Penny Dreadful, Season 2, Episode 7: Little Scorpion

In the basement of the mansion, Ethan is back to humanity and Sembene says some weird things about consuming animals and becoming a strange melange which is not how digestion works. He’s talking about wereanimals his people know about. He has a lot of questions but few answers – but decides it is a blessing because he knows Ethan. (What because he’s good? That would make it a curse, sureuy?)

Ethan wants to know what Sembene saw, because he never remembers his wolfy moments.

The other drama is addressing that Vanessa fainted at the party and Malcolm has the audacity to suggest female hysteria (Vanessa doesn’t even give him the “I shall flay the skin from your bones with my eyes” look, he’s not worth it) and Vanessa snaps back at the insult of such nonsense. It’s very clear that Malcolm isn’t thinking clearly as he thinks Vanessa was “overstimulated” and doesn’t think Vanessa can sense things – something even Victor has come to believe in.

Vanessa decides it’s time to leave London to be safe – taking Ethan with her. Lyle quickly agrees, adding that she shouldn’t even tell them where they’re going. Malcolm disapproves but Victor can see the wisdom when their enemy is something that can’t see or sense or stop.

She does trust Victor with where she’s going (and no, she’s not running, she’s finding a better weapon) and adds that he needs to watch and look after sir Malcolm. Also she wants to reassure Victor that Lily will totally come back to him.

Vanessa and Ethan go to the Cut Wife’s home – with lots of poignant emotion from Vanessa. She speaks of the Cut Wife, remembering her fondly before seeing the terrible book she left to Vanessa.

When foraging, Vanessa also speaks of his relationship with Sir Malcolm, how they bonded over their mutual rage and pain – and how Malcolm has now lost that and their relationship is damaged because of it. She both misses that closeness and recognises the selfishness of it

That night they both share childhood stories and it’s such fun to see them like that (and fear of Victorian dolls is quite healthy because they are beyond creepy) as they turn serious and reflect on how they’ve been made into what they are now - and the monster/demon inside them. Before Ethan goes out under the moon, telling Vanessa to bolt the door behind her.