Penny Dreadful – “What Death Can Join Together” Review. Unleashed.

Penny Dreadful – “What Death Can Join Together” Review. Unleashed.

Season 1, Episode 6

Air Date: Sunday, June 15, 2014, 10PM E/P on Showtime

Rating: ★★★★★

“No more let life divide what death can join together…” – Victor

Control. We all think we have it in regards to ourselves. We control our urges, suppress dark desires, and even deny our deepest, primal instincts for fear of judgment and retribution. What happens when you give in, just a little, to those urges? What happens when you give up a bit of control and let the darkness in? For Vanessa (Eva Green), bad things happen when she lets her hair down, so to speak.

Penny Dreadful does it again with “What Death Can Join Together,” as we are taken on a journey down a dark lane full of malice, mayhem, and a dash of penitence. We get a little sampling from all the major players, Dorian (Reeve Carney), Ethan (Josh Hartnett), Brona (Billie Piper), Victor Frankenstein (Harry Treadaway), Sir Malcolm Murray (Timothy Dalton), Sembene (Danny Sapani), Mina (Olivia Llewellyn), and of course, the mysterious Vanessa Ives.

Poor Brona…can she be saved from her illness?

While we don’t get to see anything about what actually transpired between Dorian and Ethan, we do see Brona again. Her health is rapidly deteriorating and in spite of himself, Ethan continues to kiss her to show how much he cares for her. I’m a bit wary of them professing their love after such a short courtship, but love can be a mysterious thing. The sound department gets an A+ for making Brona’s coughing so realistic. You almost believe Piper has consumption with the way she coughs so violently, and her teeth stained with blood. I have a Wild Hair Theory about Brona and her fate. What if she can be cured using some of the blood they extracted from the creature’s corpse in “Night Work?” Of course, this would essentially be damning Brona to an eternal life of blood drinking, but at least she wouldn’t be completely dead. I originally thought Brona might become one of Victor’s projects but now I’m not so sure. I also thought she could have a portrait made, similar to Dorian’s—a portrait that can absorb her ailments.

Sir Malcolm, Sembene, and Ethan discover many creatures on board the quarantined ship…

Sir Malcolm takes a bold step in venturing to the boat docks to investigate a “quarantined” ship from Cairo, Egypt. I knew he was going to find something but I didn’t expect it to be so profound. Taking Sembene and Ethan along for the ride is a smart move, but I am in agreement with Sembene’s earlier sentiments about if and when they find Mina. What if she cannot be saved as Sir Malcolm so wholeheartedly believes? At the end of “Closer Than Sisters,” Vanessa said something that struck a chord – she loves Mina enough to kill her. I don’t think Sir Malcolm can. Speaking of Sir Malcolm, I must say how impressed I am with Dalton’s performance. He becomes Sir Malcolm, a tenebrous man, who has woven a web around us, encasing us with his distinguished brilliance in order to hide his darkest fears. Dalton commands the screen, and for a man who is 70 years old, he is still quite handsome.

Victor is still too afraid to confide in his old friend Van Helsing about his monstrous creation.

Victor consults with his trusted friend and colleague Professor Van Helsing (David Warner) about the blood curse afflicting Mina. I love the relationship these two men have—the elder taking the younger under his wing like a father would his son, with a mutual respect for each other’s individuality and areas of expertise. Van Helsing reveals something to Victor about creatures known as “vampires” but it would seem Victor isn’t ready to share his story about his own creation at this juncture. Treadaway brilliantly portrays Victor’s internal conflict and anguish with such tenacity. You believe Treadaway harbors dark secrets and has a creature terrorizing him. Speaking of said creature, Caliban (Rory Kinnear) is both monstrous and pitiful. One moment he weeps because the girl he fancies doesn’t see him as he sees her. Next, he becomes a ruthless killer, destroying another person in Victor’s life to prove he’s superior. Will Victor be able to create a female companion for Caliban or will the pain of losing another friend be too much?

“Don’t ask permission…” These two are magnetic but Dorian seems to bring out the evil in Vanessa.

Finally, the moment I’ve been waiting for since these two met in “Séance” — Dorian and Vanessa come together in a carnal way. Something about these two is electric. Carney is absolutely mesmerizing as Dorian. The way he walks, the way he smirks, and definitely the way he talks, all invoke something primal in me just watching him on screen. I want to unbutton my blouse, trail my finger down my neck… It seems the effect he has on Vanessa is similar but what happens when she lets her guard down is terrifying. Their passionate display of affection becomes marred when Vanessa hears a voice from her past. The ending of “What Death Can Join Together” leaves me in agony as I wait for the next episode.

The dark forces that so desperately want Vanessa are inching closer and closer. Will she be able to repel them long enough to save Mina, or will she make the ultimate sacrifice? Plus, Dorian has a secret of his own. Remarkable how his wounds healed, isn’t it? Will we ever see what Dorian sees down in the mirrored room?

Let me know what you thought of “What Death Can Join Together.” 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.

For more on the show, go to the official site http://www.penny-dreadful.com/.

Visit the Production Blog http://blog.penny-dreadful.com/.

Like Penny Dreadful on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PennyDreadfulOnShowtime.

Follow Penny Dreadful on Twitter @SHO_Penny, as well as these cast members: @reevecarney and @billiepiper.

Biography of the Author(Read Below)..
Latest Posts (view them )..

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.