Penny Dreadful – “Evil Spirits in Heavenly Places” Review. Born Fresh to Suffer.

Season 2, Episode 4

Air Date: Sunday, May 24, 2015, 10PM E/P on Showtime

Rating: ★★★★★

“…found us to be evil angels so he cast us out; he took us by our winged backs and raised us over his head, thence…” – Ferdinand Lyle and Sir Malcolm

The puzzle begins to take a dark shape as our clever curator Ferdinand Lyle (Simon Russell Beale), along with Sir Malcolm (Timothy Dalton), pieces together the cryptic curios retrieved from the depths of the British Museum in episode two “Verbis Diablo.” With the urgent warning about Lucifer given to Vanessa (Eva Green) by the Cut Wife/Joan Clayton (guest star Patti LuPone) in “The Nightcomers,” the more the scribbles of a mad monk make sense. “Evil Spirits in Heavenly Places” finds the witches circling their prey, but with a wolf protecting Vanessa, will they be able to strike?

As “Evil Spirits in Heavenly Places” begins, you immediately get a sense of urgency as if something is going to happen at any moment. I raised my guard and watched the entire episode with trepidation, recognizing the eerie calm before the storm as it approaches. While there are some lighter scenes in “Evil Spirits in Heavenly Places,” make no mistake; the darkness lingers close by and the walls have eyes, among other things.

Vanessa imparts her tale to her companions but I’m concerned the information she gives will be used against her by one of these men.

Ethan (Josh Hartnett) urges Vanessa to recount the tale of the Cut Wife to the rest of our deft adventurers— Sir Malcolm, Sembene (Danny Sapani), Dr. Victor Frankenstein (Harry Treadaway), and, of course, Ferdinand, who is along for the ride, so to speak. We know he’s working with the deliciously wicked Evelyn Poole (Helen McCrory) but we know it’s not by choice but by blackmail. Again, Beale’s performance is outstanding. Again, Beale’s performance is outstanding, particularly the reaction Ferdinand has upon hearing Sir Malcolm say he’s “courting” Evelyn. Beale’s facial expressions, albeit subtle, give nothing away to Sir Malcolm, but for those of us who know Ferdinand’s duplicitous nature, we see the hints of fear twitching behind his eyes. His warning of caution about Evelyn, and then expertly concealed with a comical remark about “those little dalliances” becoming “…so byzantine,” seems to perplex Sir Malcolm.

Throughout “Evil Spirits in Heavenly Places,” we learn a bit more about the strange “Verbis Diablo” dialect through the artifacts from the museum. As Ethan mentions, this is a “puzzle” and each piece goes in order. The words tell an “autobiographical” story, as Ferdinand puts it, of the devil himself recounting his tale of woe through a monk centuries ago. What’s unclear is the devil’s vehemence in claiming his prize, Vanessa. There is more to Vanessa than being a powerful witch – much more than that. I hope series creator John Logan divulges more hints about Vanessa’s abilities and why the devil wants her so desperately. It obviously pains Evelyn to know her master covets Vanessa so.

Although Hecate had a good American accent, it’s not enough to convince Ethan.

The witches make their move to divert Ethan away from Vanessa. Hecate (Sarah Greene) does her best but she should have done a better job of researching where she supposedly hails from in the United States. Ethan believes Hecate is an agent for his father (unseen) trying to entice him to come home; he will find out soon enough what she truly is. The special effects in “Evil Spirits in Heavenly Places” play tricks on your eyes. Every piece of wallpaper appears to be a shadow of something or someone lurking. I combed the screen with my eyes thinking I knew exactly where the witches were camouflaged, only to be deceived. They infiltrate Sir Malcolm’s home with unnerving ease claiming what they came for – a piece of Vanessa. I’m sure what they take will be added to the puppet in Evelyn’s doll room but to what end? I’m anxious to find out!

Observations

Dorian’s heart may be temporarily appeased, his feelings for Vanessa have not vanished. But I’m concerned about Angelique’s motives.

Our uniquely handsome Dorian Gray (Reeve Carney) is doing a bit of courting himself. Although the lovely Angelique (Jonny Beauchamp) seems quite taken with Dorian, could she have ulterior motives? While it’s normal to be inquisitive of your suitors, her questions regarding his age are quite specific. Does she know something?

Victor needs to be careful about his new pet project, the lovely “fair haired” Lily (Billie Piper). His growing adoration for Lily, formerly the consumption riddled Brona, may have a devastating outcome. Lily is meant for Victor’s first born creature John Clare (Rory Kinnear), who will certainly have issue with Victor’s attachments. Although, the shopping trip with Vanessa did amuse me. Watching Vanessa relish in Victor’s obvious discomfort at being in a woman’s dress shop tickled me.

Overall

“Evil Spirits in Heavenly Places” moves the story line regarding Vanessa and the devil’s fascination with her a bit further while presenting us with new avenues yet uncharted. Green continues to impress me with her emotional range. The way she portrays Vanessa as she embodies both physically and emotionally the stress of what she knows and learns is truly mesmerizing. What will Evelyn do with the voodoo doll of Vanessa she created? Now that a locket of hair has been snagged, will it be the string needed to control Vanessa? Ethan’s alter-ego is in jeopardy of being discovered by the intrepid Inspector Rusk (Douglas Hodge). Mr. Roper (Stephen Lord), the sole survivor of the Mariner’s Inn massacre at the beginning of the season, continues to be mum on the events that transpired that night. He may be harboring a secret of his own. I wonder if Mr. Roper will feel a bit frisky during the next full moon.

Let me know what you thought of “Evil Spirits in Heavenly Places.” Leave me a comment below or tweet me @judybopp. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Tune in to Penny Dreadful, Sundays at 10PM E/P, only on Showtime.

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Judy Manning

Dream chaser extraordinaire! Judy tends to be a tad sarcastic and kind of goofy! She is an avid admirer of all things supernatural, paranormal, celestial and mystical. She loves to read, write, and watches way too much TV. She enjoys many genres of film and music (and let's be honest, most music from the 80s). She also has a wicked sweet tooth. Cupcakes beware.