The second episode of Penny Dreadful began very much like the first: an innocent (albeit rough around the edges) woman strolls through the dark, foggy night. She hears a sound. She looks up. A creature slowly approaches through the mist. Just as we begin to make out what sort of beast draws near, she screams and we’re left with only a few bits of her dismembered body as the sole proof of the supernatural attack.
We then cut to Ethan Chandler, groggy and half-awake under a pier in the early morning. Having refused to help Vanessa and Sir Malcolm, Chandler’s fortunes seemed to have gone from bad to worse. Discombobulated, he stumbles to the nearest Inn. After ordering a bottle of whiskey, he meets yet another prostitute- Brona Croft (Billie Piper). Croft and Chandler begin a flirtation which serves as the episode’s B Story.
If I’m going to be frank, I’m not that impressed with Ethan Chandler yet. I’ve heard through the grapevine that his character is explored in more depth as the series progresses, but at present, it’s hard to have any sort of connection to him given that so little of his history has been revealed. The advantage of using characters like Dorian Gray and Victor Frankenstein is that though we are only given hints of their motives and pasts, we are familiar enough with their stories to want to invest in them. Vanessa Ives has the benefit of being played by an incredibly charismatic actress while inhabiting a very specific archetype. Chandler has neither of those attributes, and so he seems, comparatively, a little two-dimensional.
On the opposite end of the spectrum is Victor Frankenstein. His relationship with his creature, whom he names Proteus, walks a line between fatherly and romantic. Or maybe romantic is the wrong word—but intimate in a kind of Lord Byron-y way. Victor feeds Proteus, bathes Proteus and ultimately gives meaning to Proteus’ life. Their interactions are gentle. Frankenstein is incredibly interesting, and I don’t think we’re used to seeing two men so gentle with each other on TV.