paramitch

I liked this episode, and despite the messiness, I'm liking the season. I am biased however since I'd happily watch an entire show in which Eric and Pam dress up in crazy outfits and infiltrate parties like snobby vampire ninjas barely hiding their contempt and distaste for humanity. It could run for ten seasons and I'd still be there on the couch, eating popcorn and reveling in the awesomeness. Like a few others, I was happy poor Sookie actually finally heard some people thinking nice things about her. I also loved every moment with Andy because the actor is so freaking talented. I don't know if Arlene will act on the cute vamp who saved her meanwhile, but I would happily wave him in my direction. The guy was really gorgeous and intense and interesting-looking and did a lot with just a few moments. I wasn't thrilled with Lafayette and James or with Jessica and Jason. I feel like there are times when this show shifts into love scenes into a really awkward way tonally, as if it's one show in one moment, then suddenly, BAM CHICKA BOW it's all Cinemax After Dark stuff. (The funny thing is, so few scenes on this show are actually sexy at all, but that's a conversation for another day.) I felt like everyone was in the wrong and worse showed terrible manners when a simple conversation would have ensured that everyone could go do what they wanted, guilt-free. But that's not drama, so there you go. I also agree with those who wish television would discover and acknowledge bisexuality as an actual thing. I found it weirdest of all that Jess would be that way (after shipping Tara with Pam) although I can see why Jason would (he's clearly higher on the Kinsey scale than he would ever admit to himself, way back as far as season 1). I find Violet really interesting as a character. She's grown on me since last season -- the actress is gorgeous (and was really pretty amazing in a minor role last season on "Justified") and to me plays her with an interesting edge. She's blunt and brutal but she's one of the few characters on the show who truly succeeds at making me believe she is centuries old. Her bluntness feels intrinsic, like it comes from a medieval place, so I like that. I feel the same way about Godric (first and foremost), and for the same reason enjoy Bill's courtliness and Eric's brutality and romanticism. (I've never quite bought that Pam was a Victorian, but I love her too much to care.) Meanwhile, I agree with the poster who would have liked it if Eric had been kind to Ginger and glamoured her one last time -- but for kindness. I think that would have been sweeter than one more screaming scene, although it was mildly humorous. And... I'll be in my bunk. ;-)

I liked it. I thought the production and design of the world were really beautiful -- very clean, sterile and elegant. The premise is interesting enough for me that I have that "I want to know what happens" feeling, and will stay with it, at least for a few more episodes. I thought Halle did just fine actingwise. I think she's one of those actors who does best with more reactive situations, so I actually found her very strong here. I do think she doesn't always choose her projects well, but I'll always love her a little just for "Cloud Atlas." (Which I thought was extraordinary, despite most of the rest of the world.) I thought the encounter on the ship was genuinely creepy, and I forgave her for her non-protocol reactions because it seemed to me that there was something hypnotic or even druglike about the entity. She definitely appeared drugged when he was close to her. I also thought she hurried with the file deletion because normally it would have been simulcast back to Earth, which was why she was hurrying to delete it before communications came back on line. THANK YOU for helping me to realize that the kid is the kid from "Looper!" He was amazing in that, and he did a great job here, even if he did have to have the obligatory creepy-child-AI scene. I also like Goran, and am intrigued by his super-humanistic approach to the AI. He's interestingly flawed -- almost blind -- so I'm interested to see where it goes. The mix of him, the robot child (that Halle rightly fears) and the astronaut wife are potentially fascinating. (Note: I plan to watch "Helix" but haven't done so yet, so am doing my best not to be spoiled, so I just skimmed those comment sections. I like the actor though, who has enormous presence.) So far, I liked it more than I expected to. I'm still in.

I agree -- I still remember how surprised Matthew Zoller Seitz was (his review of the first two episodes literally called the show a "wonderful surprise" because he had almost assumed that it would be terrible. It's like there's a strange thing with this show where I've noticed in several cases, there's this kind of weird assumption that "the show sucks," when it actually received fairly glowing reviews early on, and strong (if not ecstatic) reviews after the finale. Yet I was watching Wil Wheaton's show a week or so after the finale, and he basically made a joke about how everyone knew how much "Penny Dreadful" sucked like it's common knowledge, and I was really surprised and bummed at his assumption that the show wasn't worth watching. (I normally like Wil, especially his championing the geeks and underdogs among us.) And I definitely agree that Eva Green was completely overlooked for her performance here, but honestly, that's more the norm (as with the criminally underpraised Maslany) -- genre TV so rarely gets any respect. Still, as with Maslany for Season 1 of "Orphan Black," even if she was ignored by Emmy voters, I'm hoping Green may yet get a BAFTA nomination out of it. Either way, she was really a revelation here.

Oh, I just couldn't bring myself to like Maud! I wanted to. Perhaps it was the actress's choices (or the writers' -- who knows?) -- but she came across to me as someone who was only a few steps into the setup of a cruel joke (and I thought it was telling that he did witness her mocking him with her lover). I never felt she was genuine, ever, what with all the face-touching and breathy confidences. She just came across to me as someone who was (at best) indulging in some private fantasy of herself as ministering to the beastly stagehand, or (at worst) who was quietly laughing at Caliban the whole time. There was too big a disconnect for me between her behavior and his (predictable) reactions to it. I agree, but that also means we could be in for a really rich arc next season. I'm encouraged by this season -- I found him so maddening and potentially boring (despite the actor's beautiful voice and performance) then in the finale did truly feel for him and felt exhilarated by his newfound companionship with Victor and where he might go next storywise. I found it very moving as well, and it was the moment I went from finding Caliban rather tiresome outside the theatre (I adored him inside it) to actively rooting for him to find love and peace. Victor also became far more interesting in that moment to me as well, as his abandonment did lead to everything that followed, and I found myself hoping his love and acceptance might help turn Caliban toward a gentler future. (I know, I know, but I can hope...) I think that Rory Kinnear (Caliban) is a marvelous actor, and his monologues this season were things of beauty, even if I found him rather tiresome and whiny when not within the bowels of the theatre. The interesting thing for me though is that I found Caliban rather handsome, if picturesquely damaged -- the only time he looked grotesque to me was when he tried to "pretty" himself up for Maud. (Which also kind of annoyed me, he's a theatre professional but he looked like he applied the makeup with a trowel in order to be deliberately grotesque). I'd totally date normal-Caliban, except for him being, you know, a murderous living/dead psycho. And I'd still probably save his beautiful flowery voicemails though anyway. I so agree with this. While I absolutely adored Eva Green, and was riveted by a Josh Hartnett I had never even imagined existed (thank you, show!), I do think that Dalton was one of the show's quiet MVPs. He brought such strength and complexity and weakness to Sir Malcolm that I always liked the character even when his inner conflicts and deviousness were revealed. It's like there are two Sir Malcolms -- one is a ruthless egotist and opportunist who can abandon his own family, wife, and dying son (and near-familial loved ones like Vanessa) for his own ends, while the other side of himself cannot forgive those very same actions and lives in a constant state of guilt. The scene of Vanessa's big possession during the seance killed me, because of the pain and anguish in poor Sir Malcolm's face (and the entire moment was played by Dalton as if he endured it because that was what he deserved). Most male actors seem to play those scenes with an attempt at hiding their reactions, but the image of Dalton, sitting there watching Vanessa's possession, tears just streaming openly down his face, will stay with me for a long time. Even his occasional rather staged cruelty to Vanessa simply echoed the culpability she already felt and did no harm (and deep down his little kindnesses to her I felt were richer, as when he covered her in sleep, etc.). And all this culminated so beautifully in the gorgeous moment when Sir Malcolm shot Mina and claimed Vanessa as the spiritual daughter she had become. It moved me enormously. The final moments when he wept in her arms were the denouement to me of that moment, but it was still lovely. Agreed! And more everything. It's my favorite new show of the year by far, and its beauty and emotion and Gothic landscape resonated for me in ways so many other lauded new shows (FARGO, I'm looking at you) did not. I'm so delighted that it will be back next year, and with a longer season with which to explore these beautiful and damaged characters. (And hey, they won't have to waste anymore time looking for Mina!)

I don't see how Sookie/Bill can be a Twilight ripoff, when Dead Until Dark came out in 2001, four years before Twilight was published, and both "True Blood" and Twilight (the film) were released in the same year (2008) so it's unlikely that either influenced the other. (Although I admit that I'm biased, because I can't stand the Twilight franchise and actually really enjoy TB (well, this season not so much, but I loved Season 1, and that was certainly the high point for Sookie/Bill). This is a really intriguing idea, and I think you're right. Although it would be so sad to discover -- however since I think Lettie Mae is pure poison (although the actress is fantastic), it wouldn't surprise me. I do think there's something tired about this season, which is a shame, because I remember being so unexpectedly interested in last season, which I thought was a bit of a renaissance for the show. So far this season, everyone seems kind of sparkless and tired. And I hate the stupid mob of townspeople because year after year, all we see are more mobs and pitchforks and watching stupid people be stupid (and sheeplike) gets boring for me. I did enjoy the scenes between Sookie and Bill, only because it's been literal years since we saw them simply and honestly talking to one another. And I really like Willa, the preacher, and Andy, and I got a kick out of Pam and Eric (minus the Sylvie aspect, which wasn't helped by the staggeringly bad actress they cast as Sylvie). So I'm still hoping things will turn around and the show goes out on a high note.

I agree that the annoying thing with the inaccurate technobabble is that the information is so accessible. There's no reason to get it wrong. And if they simply got it right, if written well, it would simply move into the background and we could concentrate on the plot and character stuff. The techspeak doesn't have to be front and center (and in fact, the attempts to put it there often come across as heavyhanded). But if everything they did and said here was accurate and simply present as background, texture and detail (and worldbuilding), the show would be far less frustrating. But I'm increasingly enjoying the characters and more than anything, I want to see where the heck this is going to go. The fact that I don't know yet could be frustrating but it's really intriguing me anyway.

Great posts on the technical myths vs. realities, Scowl, ganesh and annlaw78. One thing HACF is getting right, for me, is the question of how to position a PC and its brand back in this time of its infancy (and it's the thing that makes me most nostalgic as I was in college during this period, and working in tech/computing for several years during and after). The show does show the conundrum well -- the idea is great -- everyone should have a computer! -- but the fact is that especially back then, they were confusing to navigate, very un-user-friendly, and one wrong command could lead to total catastrophe for a neophyte. So I like that the show is capturing the core conflict of branding -- that people creating/selling computers wanted them to be seen as appliances, as ubiquitous, but that there was this significant hurdle that they simply weren't button-push appliances, they weren't all that accessible, and they did require some pretty decent learning and training even to do basic things. A more accessible OS was the difference between widespread success and failure, and Bill Gates, for instance, capitalized on that and changed everything. (The Mac was always easier and friendlier but it was also badly priced and marketed for years). So Cameron's obsession with the OS makes sense here, and I really like that she's addressing this because it brings up topics that are very relevant today with the continued move toward more 'human-seeming' AI with Siri, movies like "Her," etc. (Cameron's dream OS reminded me very much of 'Edgar,' the fake OS in the 80s movie "Electric Dreams" -- anyone remember that one? I loved it back in the day...) I'm glad Gordon's creep factor is out in the open now, since he's totally given me the willies ever since he searched Cameron's stuff. There's something imbalanced about him and I won't be surprised if he ends up dangerous. It's like each week, he crosses another subtle line. Meanwhile, I think Lee Pace is just a ridiculously gorgeous human being, and I'm happy for this show simply to gaze at him for an hour each week. It's interesting to see him play such a dark character after his adorable turn as the sweet pie-maker on "Pushing Daisies," and I do think Pace pulls it off successfully and that he must be having a blast. He has a lot of charisma, and it's fun to see him navigate Joe's little narcissistic moments as well as his more likable ones. I was glad to see him humanized a bit this week with both Cameron, as well as with Donna and the kids. Overall, I still like the show, but there's something very awkward about the writing to me. There are so many scenes that feel like 'telling vs. showing' and I thought the scene in the yard with the flashlights was clumsily staged and just too much. The show continues to extend scenes to points I find just very clunky and awkward as if it doesn't trust us to get the obvious subtext -- for instance, Joe swinging the bat in spite of his injuries, Joe sledgehammering the car last week, and now this week, with Joe defying the heavens themselves. It's just too heavyhanded for me. However, I do find myself liking Joe and Cameron more each week, adore Donna, and I'm intrigued by where we're going by the end of this season. I'm sort of sensing a big swerve coming, where the show is a kind of alternative timeline offering a different potential future.

I have to chime in here on the finale. I was writing up a piece on another show, and the SFU finale came up in the discussion, so I jumped back over to take a look again after many years, and if anything, I found it more moving and resonant even than before. And needless to say, I ugly cry every freaking time. (sniffle) I didn't love the entire show -- it was beautifully done, of course. But I had a hard time caring about most of the characters, and I found the opening sequences increasingly bleak and depressing (but I was caring for a terminally ill relative at the time so it probably simply hit too close to home for me). But man, that finale. One of the best final episodes of TV I've ever seen, if not the best, and one that completely managed to sum up the crux of the show in a way that felt personal, gentle and human. The gorgeous use of Sia's "Breathe Me," the light, the beautiful luminous images as we lose each of those characters while the dead wait patiently (it kills me when we see Nate in Claire's rearview, or when we see Nate Sr. smiling into Ruth's eyes during her last moments)... just incredibly moving and poignant.

I find Max to be frequently insufferable, but I like that about the character. I like the show's willingness not to sugarcoat him or his condition -- or his parents' tendencies to spoil him. I've worked with autism networks and have seen what the parents go through firsthand, and it's heartbreaking because so many big victories are so small -- eye contact, a brief allowance of contact, etc. My understanding is that with the character of Max, writer/producer Katims is drawing on his own experiences as the parent of an Aspie child, and I would definitely say that I've never seen anything on TV that paints Aspergers or autism with quite such a raw, real brush. Yet while I agree that Max is difficult to love, it makes me love Adam and especially Kristina more when they try so hard to do the right thing for him. One thing that's interesting is that it would be so easy for the writers to make Max lovable and to make Kristina lovable. But they don't take the easy route, and I respect that. What feels real to me about "Parenthood" is the fact that Kristina can be so protective of her family that she often overreacts in an unlikable way -- as with her reaction to Sarah (who I thought was actually completely in the right over the printer issue with Max), or to poor Amber back during the whole Haddie/triangle. But then her kindness and willingness to speak up make me love her anyway. While I thought Adam and Kristina were wrong in the scene with the Principal, what's interesting is that in the scenes of Max disrupting trips, classes, to me it's pretty fairly presented that nobody wins, that the students are exasperated, the teachers frustrated, that there is no right answer. But then in the meeting the administrators were barely shown defending themselves. I keep wishing, as with the History teacher scenario earlier this year, that the meeting had showed the teacher and principal better equipped to defend themselves, that they had for instance, quietly referred to a list of past incidents, to the amount of time and manpower the incidents involved, etc. (I remember wishing that with the history teacher, after the first dozen (out of 20-plus) times, had taped Max's outbursts with a hidden camera and played them for Adam and Kristina, not in an effort to shame them, but to show how very disruptive he can be, and how he absolutely stops the class in its tracks). I empathized with the principal in those scenarios -- but not here, not with the outright bullying of Max, nor with the school's lack of willingness to address it (especially when Max named the bully, who evidently admitted and laughed about his actions). Feeding a special-needs kid urine and not addressing it -- especially with two of the loudest, most involved parents in the school, one of whom was a high-profile political candidate? For PR reasons alone, they would have called in the parents and kid in question and addressed it. I don't agree with those who feel that Max is a bully. I think he can be obnoxious, but bullying is something accomplished with the intent to humiliate, scare, shame, and intimidate, and I totally felt for Max here. I just wish in the aftermath that his parents had addressed the fact that he had obviously regressed (however temporarily) after the incident, and that (among themselves, and with the school) that they need to quietly agree to work more on his social skills to minimize the chances of a repeat incident in the future. Where I feel the show is less successful with its unlikable characters, for me, is on Joel's total about-face this season, which just feels false to me. I don't understand the character's actions -- they don't feel like what ultimate family-man Joel would do. And I normally love the actor, but this season he plays every single scene with this undercurrent of icy rage that is really off-putting. I loved this, and great point. I love Lauren Graham, who does make me see the vast insecurity beneath so many of Sarah's actions, but I still can't stand Sarah (or what the writers have done with her). It was really sad to me how desperately Amber was overplaying how "great" her Mom was doing because of those simple grownup strides she had made. Speaking of which -- I remain really puzzled by Amber, who never revisits the possibility of returning to school, who is boozing and getting high pretty constantly, and who lately doesn't appear even to be working at the Luncheonette anymore. In a show that gets so many small details right, the large ones about both Sarah and Amber and how they are existing without seeming to actually support themselves just feel very fake and TV-ish to me. Lastly, since I am one of the few, the proud, who liked Mark Cyr and felt incredibly sorry for him last season, I was glad he got his own happy ending, and that he was able to give the news to Sarah with just a tiny bit of polite satisfaction.

Kat, I'd love it if Carney could sing next season! I wasn't a huge fan of Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark but Carney does have a great voice. Besides, I like Dorian and am intrigued by him -- to me, Carney plays him with this kind of refreshing innocence. It would be so easy to make him jaded, but my favorite thing about him is what appears to be a real appreciation for the ways in which people can surprise you (helloooo, Ethan!). Ahem. I feel like next season, we'll either see Dorian drawn toward some kind of attempt toward redemption, or he'll be a surprise alignment with the season's Big Bad(s). LittleIggy, I was interested in this as well but it appears to be a deliberate mishmash like so much else on the show, with "Penny Dreadful" taking creative license and moving the Parisian Grand Guignol to London (according to the "Penny Dreadful" Wikia, the show's London Grand Guignol is based on Wilton's Music Hall, which is still standing and which was founded in the 1700s). I love the show's creative use of the Grand Guignol because the very point of the Grand Guignol was for it to provide an escape -- often into disturbing fantasy or violence that titillated the crowds -- which makes it a perfect setting for Penny Dreadful's combination of the superficially forbidden and repressed with underlaying total violence and abandon. Which is also a pretty good definition of Vanessa Ives herself. And Ethan. And Victor. It's perfect for the setting, all that quiet seething.

Furryfury, that's interesting to hear because it does explain why Ormond's American accent was perfectly good in "Temple Grandin" and in her guest appearances on "Nurse Jackie" yet her accent here is so very odd. It doesn't bother me, but it did take me awhile to get used to it.

I actually find it refreshing that the vamps on this show are relatively easy to kill. It's become a cliche that they are superpowered semi-unkillable modern monsters when actually, in the original Dracula, both Drac himself and the female vamps he created were not superhuman and had significant moments of human-sized mortality and weakness. The women (basically his nestlings like we see here) were young and fairly easy to kill, as were other young vamps in the book. I also didn't mind the sameness of the female nestlings because it's more disturbing to me -- the implication that when these women were turned, they lost all individuality and became a kind of swarm or hive mind of dead things. The show's changes to the 'Dracula' motif -- meaning that the Penny Gang didn't actually need silver or stakes to kill the nestlings at least -- works for me because it brings everything back to a place that feels real. They may be supernatural but they are still alive (as was the poor boy they captured) and they can still die. So it works for me, especially as part of the fragile Victorian world in which they all live. Meanwhile, it did appear that they needed Malcolm's special silver stake to kill all the 'master' vamps this season, so again, that works for me. I forgot to add that I really liked the surprise that Mina was actively complicit the entire time, and that she has been manipulating Vanessa and her father. I found it really interesting that (in a neat reversal of the Victorian trope) she never needed to be saved at all. She appears to have gone willingly to her own damnation. Neurochick, I agree that Vanessa has a completely Victorian view on sex as something depraved and evil, and that it is a part of the dark side of herself. What I'd like to see next season is that she come to a healthier realization that, in effect, shuts that door as a weak point for the demon. Wonderful observation! I didn't notice this at all, but did find there to be something sort of predatory and unsettling about her (and I love McRory so I hope she is back with the character next season). Speaking of which -- in reading several online recaps and discussions of the "Penny Dreadful" finale the past few days, I had no idea that Timothy Dalton was freaking seventy. The man looks fantastic -- I thought he was perhaps late-fifties myself. Damn. I'm still conflicted over Dr. F, since I was hopeful for Victor to find the human companionship and connection he so obviously and desperately needs with his new makeshift 'family.' His sympathy for Caliban is a good thing in a momentary way, but a very bad thing when it comes to the big picture, as it feeds that little bit of madness he has, and nudged Victor in the one direction he didn't need to go. It will almost certainly lead to death, tragedy and sadness all around (which would make for a great second season though).

I loved the finale, even if I didn't find it wholly satisfying and hope that next season's 10-episode arc will allow them to be richer and to explore more stories. But it doesn't matter. I adored the entire season and love the show. More than any other show I've seen in ages, "Penny Dreadful" for me succeeds as this perfect confluence of atmosphere, actors, and story. I barely care about the plot, this show's acting, art direction, music, directing, etc., are all so gorgeous that I practically fall into a dream with each episode. I find the show incredibly mesmerizing even if it's not always dramatically successful for me and that held true for me with the finale. I'm also a huge fan of storylines in which characters form alliances and offbeat family units or Scooby gangs, so that's another thing that I really enjoyed about PD this season, and I felt that was a lovely subtext to the finale with Vanessa, Malcolm, Ethan, Dr. F. all in mortal danger and yet risking themselves for one another and for Malcolm (and Mina). This same subtext was also present in the beautiful scene between Victor and Caliban -- for me, I was just glad (1) Caliban finally acknowledged what an ass he actually is, and (2) that Victor finally felt and showed some real emotion for the monster he had created. (This show is so interesting because while I have hated Caliban and his brutality around the Doctor's world, I've loved the Caliban we saw in the theatre, and cringed for him here, when he attempted to make himself beautiful for the ingenue.) Victor is also the one Malcolm has tried to shield, as the sweet, weak boy who reminded him of his son. Interesting, then that Victor is perhaps far colder and more brutal than Ethan -- and in the end more ruthless? Ethan acts from his id, as an animal. Victor acts from the brain. So the family aspect of our little group also became all the more disturbing because of Victor's actions with the dying Brona -- the way he used the circumstances to lie to Ethan (and remove him from action) and then brutally to end poor Brona's life. Like others, I wondered why he killed her, unless it was simply to put the timetable of her death under his control (he gets the body, he gets to handle it all, instead of her dragging it out for hours more). But poor Brona. I'm interested to see what Billie will do with the Bride next season -- I love her work here and found Brona tragic, scrappy and lovable. It's interesting -- in the beginning, I assumed Dorian would become a member of the Penny gang, yet he never quite did -- nor did he become an outright antagonist. I found him fascinating, especially if he isn't just an endless thrillseeker -- Dorian as someone seeking meaning in his life would be a stronger plotline for him next season, for instance. Meanwhile, Vanessa's delicate and formal social interactions with Dorian in this episode were one of my favorite things about this show. Here you have Dorian and Vanessa sedately and politely navigating Victorian social mores in a flower garden when in their previous encounter, she was carving him up during animalistic sex. So weird and yet I totally buy that this is the era in which they live. I haven't seen a single sign that Vanessa is actually Malcolm's daughter. Their parents were simply having an affair when she was in early adolescence -- I don't think that means they were also together 12-13 years before (besides the fact that I think the show has actually accounted for Malcolm's travels in throwaway comments that would pretty much negate this possibility). And I'm biased because I would hate what this would do to Vanessa and Malcolm. I loved their moment in this episode precisely because of his realization that she had become a daughter to him, that her loyalty and bravery, her willingness to risk her physical and mental selves in sacrifice to Mina, had made her precious to him in her own right. I loved Malcolm's final moments with Vanessa, his admission to her about his journey (the subtext also there about his rescue of Mina) and the absolutely heartbreaking way he broke down and she comforted him. I love those two as a manufactured family they have created for one another. Meanwhile, for me the MVP of this season -- even beyond Green's superb work as Vanessa or Dalton's as Malcolm -- is Josh Hartnett, simply because I never even noticed the guy before except as a handsome cookie cutter Ben Affleck Jr. type during the 'Pearl Harbor' years. I never found him all that believable or affecting and yet here I thought he brought both delicacy, grace and emotion along with a gorgeous sense of physicality to his work as Ethan. I loved every acting choice Hartnett made here, and my favorite scenes for him actingwise included his evening with Dorian as well as the beautiful extended scene when the 'demon' took his face and attempted to seduce Vanessa again. I also feel sorriest for Ethan, as it appears he is a victim -- a kind of Jekyll/Hyde character who has no control over what he becomes in his transformations, and who feels real sorrow afterward (even if we also saw that he allows himself to revel in the fierce joy of the transformation as well). There is such longing and pathos beneath the surface with Ethan (most notable in his genuine uncomplicated love for Brona, and in his moments within the group); I thought Hartnett was fantastic from first to last this season and can't wait to see what he brings to the character next season. I was surprised by the episode's final scene, yet I found it dramatically satisfying, as well. I was so glad the priest seemed genuine and not another evil manifestation, and thought he had a good point in the end when it came to Vanessa's desire to rid herself of the demon. The way the show ended left me pleased, surprised, and wanting ten more episodes right away. This show was easily the biggest surprise for me on TV this year, and I found it gorgeous, dreamlike and electrifying. I'm hoping we'll get a slightly bigger and better plot next season, but the Bride offers lots of potential for drama, pathos, love, hate, death, and more.

I'm such a fan of Graham's show, and like so many others, my favorite past episodes have to include the Harrison Ford/Benedict Cumberbatch episode, which I thought was the most funny, relaxed and charming I've ever seen Ford to be on a talk show. He really seemed to be enjoying himself, which was nice to see (and Graham really did subtly go the extra mile to keep him included and having fun). Although to echo Valerie the one with Cumberbatch and Pine was absolutely wonderful too (the guys were both so funny and generous with the audience). I agree -- this one goes in the Hall of Fame. One of the funniest things ever. Just the shot of O'Dowd's face and that little crumpled fly on the table after Dowd spit it out -- and everyone laughing themselves silly (and Wiig looking sympathetic yet horrified at the same time). So funny! To echo many others, I also adored Paul Rudd and Helen Mirren (even if Leslie Mann didn't offer much to the discussion, and Rudd kissing Mirren -- while playacting as Jack Nicholson kissing PAUL RUDD! -- was fabulous), as well as the recent episode with Matt Damon, Bill Murray and Hugh Bonneville (Hugh Bonneville's hilarious lipstick and sweater anecdotes!) Bill Murray doesn't always have the warmest reputation, so great to see him having so much fun in that episode. I always love Judi Dench's appearances (remember the one when she found out her name had become a slang term?), although my favorite is the one with Daniel Craig after Skyfall. They just seemed so chummy and cute together. I also enjoyed the Man of Steel couch (way more than the actual Man of Steel, truthfully) and it was nice to see Crowe enjoying himself (and genuinely interesting to know he had once actually taken the time to encourage Cavill as a kid). Another past favorite moment for me was when Graham played the "Anna Paquin" song for Anna Paquin 3-4 years back (and he was such a fan of the song he was bouncing up and down and singing along -- it was quite catchy). I also loved Emma Thompson this year, who blurted out, "Oh, GOD, no," when Graham asked if Arnold Schwarzenegger could act. I also always get a kick out of Will Smith because he's so soft-hearted when it comes to the Big Red Chair ("Don't you DARE!"). My favorite single guest moment ever, though, will always be the one in which Liam Neeson acted/recited his entire Taken speech for an audience member as her outgoing voicemail (then cheerily ends with, "Leave a message!"). Just in case it's of interest, Graham gave a pretty insightful interview last year on the art of "Chat Choreography" -- I thought it was fascinating: http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2013-11-08/graham-norton-reveals-the-secrets-of-chat-choreography--and-why-he-wouldnt-work-on-itv.

sjohnson, great analysis of the original Jonathan Harker from the original Dracula. I highly recommend reading the original novel to anyone who is only familiar from the show. The novel is pretty much a textbook example of a great "penny dreadful," it's all high gothic horror and sexual repression and it's awesome. Like many have mentioned here, I was unhappy with Sir Malcolm as well for his harsh treatment and judgment of Vanessa, but I liked the fact that we saw him come around pretty fast. I thought the addition of a sexual subtext to their relationship here was also pretty amazing -- it's one of those things where once you see it, you can't unsee it. So now their relationship is if possible even more messed up to me because he's the fatherly sex object (of her repressed longings) and she's the daughterly being who is also the most openly sexual person on the show. One thing I thought about after this episode was that, in a way, Vanessa's harsh self-judgment is almost innocent in its over-the-topness. She's shown to be a free-spirited and brave kid, but it's like when she's exposed to the sexual world (in witnessing Malcolm's liaison with her mother), she both revels in her own curiosity about sex (and her eventual sexuality as an adult) while completely damning herself for it. It's very Victorian. I'm interested in what the demon actually is and what it wants. The sad thing is, I found the scene of Malcolm's seduction of Vanessa rather beautiful -- he wasn't treating her like a damaged child, acknowledged her beauty, intellect and sexuality, and they had that amazing exchange about Keats's poetry. It's interesting because the Malcolm-demon kind of reminded me of Dracula from a scene in the novel

To me what's fascinating about Vee is that Toussant doesn't play her from moment to moment as an ice-cold bitch. It's the charm and warmth that get me. For instance, in so many scenes with Red, she has seemed to be a real person -- warm, laughing, genuinely connecting with Red even while acknowledging that they are enemies. That warmth and charm feels unforced so I kept wondering in this episode what Vee's actual feelings for Red were. Was she regretful about the violence? Did she really feel that camaraderie with Red but feel that she had to resort to violence because it was expected of her? Or is she simply a psycho? I think Vee's a sociopath but it's just interesting to me that she's not remote or aloof -- in most scenes she has seemed very present, often warm and approachable. It's a new take on this kind of character and I find it really fascinating and effective. And scary.

I don't really see Don Draper in Joe at all, and I'm a fervent "Mad Men" watcher. Except for the fact that both men are arrogant and assume they're right about whatever they do, I don't really see any similarities there at all. Joe seems to me to be a far more mercurial, explosive and straightforward character thus far. I'll revise my opinion, of course, if it turns out he grew up in a whorehouse, changed his identity, or marries and then cheats on his spouse. I rewatched the first two and am totally on board with the show. I don't know if it will succeed (I suspect not, since I've officially decided I like it, which usually dooms shows like this, "Rubicon," etc.) but I'm in for the ride. There's definitely an element of nostalgia for me and this show captures that dual feeling of excitement and frustration that came with computing on IBM clones in the early days. Although I was a teen during the events depicted, I still remember that my computer in 1988 -- a monochrome Compaq that I got after my college graduation -- cost over $2200. (I remember how excited I was by what I could see on the horizon -- by what computers would eventually do.) And at $2200 my first PC was very much a budget version. PCs frequently cost $4000-$5000 back then if they were loaded (with what will now seem like incredibly tiny hard drives, RAM, etc). What companies like Compaq did -- and what Joe and his team are doing -- did help to slash those numbers by huge percentages pretty quickly. They are why PCs became ubiquitous, appliance-level items and not specialty curiosities. Then not too long after, I was a computer magazine editor in Dallas from 1993-1995, and this show just totally captures that world -- the clone PC proliferations and BBS community and the infancy of the online world, the old-school modem noises (I still get nostalgic when I hear one)... even at my computer mag, there was this aspect of working at 90 mph or zero -- we worked insane hours, often took Mondays off after 80-hour work weeks, and more than one of us napped in our offices. This. I lived in Dallas for 5 years, working in production and then publishing, and have incredibly great memories of that entire time. Dallas wasn't where I wanted to spend eternity, but a few years there was awesome, and I still remember watching the tech sector expand from Las Colinas as well as from North Dallas along the toll road out north toward Plano. I like Cameron thus far but do hope she relaxes a bit from showing how edgy! she! is! all! the! time! Meanwhile, did anyone else find Gordon's search of Cameron's bag kind of creepy? He seems like the type who could get a bit stalkery -- I was actually relieved when he admitted to his wife (whom I like a lot) that Cameron was a girl. I agree with those who also like Joe's boss. I've always liked the actor and find him really rootable and sympathetic here.

I loved this episode -- so many events snowballing into one another, and yet all of them true to character. Vee shocked and scared me -- the woman is ice-cold. I knew Red was in trouble even after their 'truce,' but the flashback to Vee sleeping with RJ and then coldly having him killed was pretty scary, and so sad. However, I did think it was cool that this show is so equal-opportunity about the nude scenes for its characters. I really find it refreshing to see old bodies, young bodies, men and women, etc., on this show. It lends the show its cinema verite feel but also a warmth and humanity -- and kudos for Lorraine Toussant for letting it all hang out, too. I was really expecting the nutmeg high to go horribly wrong, as nutmeg in high enough doses can also be a poison. But they seemed to come through okay. Lastly, I can't believe I'm saying this, as I hated the character and actress last season -- but I find Pennsatucky absolutely adorable this season. If this is her growth after the shrill constant proselytizing last season, I'm all for it. She is so much nicer now that she's had to get a taste of life as a lonely peon, evicted from her role as a tiny dictator. The conversation with Boo was one of the funniest yet sweetest moments of the episode. Speaking of which, Soso has grown on me too. Anyone who can start up a prison singalong to "Bitch" and "Stay" is fabulous. I laughed out loud.

I found this episode both necessary, painful yet weirdly hypnotic. I thought it was a fascinating one-off that showed us what we badly needed to know about Miss Ives and her relationships -- especially how she'd teamed up with Murray to seek salvation for Mina. I really liked it but I didn't love it as much as the first four -- not least because it was incredibly painful to watch Vanessa undergo all those tortures -- fascinating and very true to the times. I felt like so much of it was her endlessly torturing herself for her betrayal of Mina's trust, as well as for her own sexual appetites. Performancewise, I loved everyone we saw -- Dalton was both sympathetic and magnetic, and Eva Green was absolutely amazing here. I just think she's absolutely fearless as an actor, and I love what she brings to the character. But I'll be glad to be back to the whole gang of Penny Dreadful monsters and heroes next week. I missed them this week, especially after last week's sensational ending.

I really loved this episode, and Lee Pace blew me away. I always love him (why isn't he a bigger star?) but here I thought he was really explosive. I'm enjoying him as a character I don't even like, but who interests me and rivets my attention. I thought the interesting thing about Joe's final monologue here about their enterprise, their commonalities, and his scars, was that even if every word was a lie, somehow his desperation and desire to connect with them was still true -- and drew them in. I just found it so powerful, and knew that he was both lying and telling the truth at the same time. I'm okay with Cameron -- she's a cliche but is also bringing some vibrance to the character. I did laugh at her mainlining orange soda (it's a geek reference). And I have never liked Cameron more than when she showed that she knew Joe's monologue was BS -- and she showed up at 7 a.m. anyway.

Spaceghostess, interesting theory about Dorian as Vanessa's 'vampire' -- I do think there is something else going on there that we're not aware of yet, and for me it's specifically because of the way Eva Green plays Vanessa whenever she is around Dorian. She appears drugged when she's around Dorian, and it seems to me to be a very specific and careful performance choice. In almost every scene with him, she zones out in this drugged or drunken way that is very different from her usual wary listening quality. And then she'll kind of shake her head and wake up. So for me there's definitely something Dorian is doing to Vanessa, I'm just not sure if it's a side effect of who he is (perhaps she's psychically picking up on the 'portrait' side of him) or if it's something he's doing to her with conscious intent. The odd thing is, so far I don't get an evil vibe off Dorian so much as an amoral one. There's something about him -- his raw honesty -- that I really like, despite the decadence. I'm hoping he's a grayscale character and not the villain of Wilde's story -- for instance, when he saw Vanessa in the alleyway in the rain, his expression seemed to be one of real pity. Same with his expressions as he watched Ethan in this episode. But then again, his "favorite picture" is the portrait of his depravity that we don't see... hmm. (For me, I almost hope they never show us the portrait. I always think nothing can really live up to the mind's vision of it.) I really hope Caliban becomes more complex and that his arc doesn't fall into predictability (I want a beautiful wife! She doesn't want me! Hulk smash!). I still resent him because of poor sweet Mr. Proteus. Last but not least -- Yay! Penny Dreadful has been renewed for season 2 (ten episodes)!

I love this show, and am really especially enjoying the cinematography and performances. There's something lush and unsettling about it -- it's all so lush and tactile. And the sound design is absolutely fantastic -- there are all sorts of weird sounds and aural undercurrents (moans, whispers, and sighs) that are just as unsettling as the visual shadows and mold and blood. I also love how the camera seems to try to get as close to the people's faces as possible -- it was practically counting Eva Green' pores (of course, she still looks amazing even millimeters away). I had a hard time with some scenes in this episode -- I admit I'm a wimp, but the brutal killing of the kitten onscreen for the kid to feed on was pretty tough for me, as was the scene with the dog and the rats. The show's general gore level I can usually deal with, but there were others tonight that disturbed me. However, the scenes I did like were many. I'm enjoying Billie Piper in this, and I find Brona heartbreaking. The accent isn't bothering me, and I also like that Piper manages to very effectively 'act' a cough -- it probably sounds dumb that it bothers me, but so many actors do these fake little "Camille-like" coughs. However, Brona's coughs seem to come from her core in a way that feels very visceral and real -- especially the way so many times a cough seems to surprise her. I think Victor's interesting, but thus far I'm still missing poor Mr. Proteus, who was far more interesting. I want to like Caliban, but at the moment he just seems rather tiresome and stereotypically egotistical. I would find him so much more interesting if he ever exhibited empathy. I get that he is a reflection of Frankenstein's own ego, but when he demanded that his mate be "beautiful," I sighed again. I would prefer that we saw even an attempt at connection from him with Victor but we'll see where it goes. The show's little human touches are what are most fun to me thus far -- Murray's surprising small moment of tenderness with Victor, Brona's joy at the theatre, Caliban's happiness backstage (although you'd think they could afford more than one stagehand!), Miss Ives's talk with Lucy, even the vampire kid's final word ("Mother?")... the show wouldn't work if it were all darkness, all the time. I especially loved those final minutes this week, when for once the subtext didn't stay subtext and was brave enough to become text (to paraphrase Giles on "Buffy"). The chemistry between Hartnett and Carney was terrific and also poignant. I like Dorian and I love Carney in the role. He has a nice, sly sensual about him. I like that he's a contradiction in terms -- that he's someone whose every word seems to come out as a lie, yet at the same time he also always seems utterly honest. I'm also enjoying Hartnett as Ethan -- the sadness just seems to be a part of him. This is by far the best work I've ever seen him do, and maturity suits him. There's a melancholy, slightly worn quality to his beauty now, and that final scene was truly operatic and really well done. Also, it was great to see David Warner as Dr. Van Helsing -- and nice touch to make him a hematologist! I've loved his work ever since Time After Time years ago.