The show looks great. The period looks authentic and I like the atmosphere. But the writing and the acting for the first episode was simply horrible. I sure hope this gets better!
14 Reviews
Hope this gets better!
newpapyrus4 May 2020
A new volume in the Penny Dreadful legacy
Delleroneill27 April 2020
The original creator of Penny Dreadful has returned to the world of the supernatural with a mostly new cast and setting. There are some underlying themes that call back to the original series, the centrality of religion and demonic siblings waging a war with humanity, but this is a new show. You don't need to have seen any of the original series to enjoy this show but having director Paco Cabezas and cinematographer John Conroy back on this series adds a touch of the visual style of that show. Overall it's an intreguing beginning with some wonderful acting particularly Natalie Dormer, Lorenza Izzo, Adriana Barraza and Daniel Zovatto. I'm looking forward to the rest of the season.
Great change up
an-mumsdale3 May 2020
Throughly enjoyed the change up from the first Penny Dreadful series. It is bringing light on a whole new era and I'm looking forward to where it will take us. Different is good. If it was the same as the original.... what's the point in that? Love it so far
Not related to Original Series, but good.
tt195127 April 2020
The expression,Penny Dreadful, is American and came into use in the late 19th century as a pejorative term for the numerous cheap crime magazines that purveyed poorly written and hackneyed storylines.
I'm excited to see how this storyline develops. Lots of fun possibilities
Santa Muerte
bobcobb3018 May 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Interesting visuals and setting, but overall the show is not quite there yet.
I didn't watch the original Penny Dreadful so I don't have anything to compare it to, but I feel like this could improve as the season goes along.
I didn't watch the original Penny Dreadful so I don't have anything to compare it to, but I feel like this could improve as the season goes along.
Brilliant !!
samtimoney-7975816 May 2020
Such a good start to a new penny dreadful. At first I was very skeptical because I loved the last 3 seasons and this looked like such a bad change in direction. But I was wrong, I love it so far, crazy and new idea. Natalie Dormer was brilliant as usual, great performance from other actor and it's just a lot of fun.
Santa Muerte
Prismark1030 January 2024
As I have previously observed about noir crime thrillers based in 1930s or 50s Los Angeles. They have impeccable visuals but humdrum stories.
It's like they cannot get over that Roman Polanski and Robert Towne did it so much better in the Oscar winning Chinatown.
Penny Dreadful: City of Angels is a spin off that brings in the pulpish supernatural.
Set in 1938. The first episode explores racial tensions between the Hispanic community of LA and the local politicians and the police. The council want to build a freeway through their houses.
Tiago Vega (Daniel Zovatto) is the rookie detective caught in the middle. His brother is an activist who is leading the protests against the council.
Tiago and his new partner Lewis Michener (Nathan Lane) have also come across a grisly ritual murder. It implicates the Mexican community.
Spurring on the tensions is Magda (Natalie Dormer.) A supernatural demon that can whisper evil thoughts and inhabit human bodies. She even finds German American Nazis to feed on.
That leaves her sister Santa Muerte (Lorenza Izzo.) An angel who is the caretaker to the dead. Unbothered what is happening to the living.
Both the supernatural and the Nazis in America could be the show's saving grace. Bringing a different dimension to a hackneyed genre.
It's like they cannot get over that Roman Polanski and Robert Towne did it so much better in the Oscar winning Chinatown.
Penny Dreadful: City of Angels is a spin off that brings in the pulpish supernatural.
Set in 1938. The first episode explores racial tensions between the Hispanic community of LA and the local politicians and the police. The council want to build a freeway through their houses.
Tiago Vega (Daniel Zovatto) is the rookie detective caught in the middle. His brother is an activist who is leading the protests against the council.
Tiago and his new partner Lewis Michener (Nathan Lane) have also come across a grisly ritual murder. It implicates the Mexican community.
Spurring on the tensions is Magda (Natalie Dormer.) A supernatural demon that can whisper evil thoughts and inhabit human bodies. She even finds German American Nazis to feed on.
That leaves her sister Santa Muerte (Lorenza Izzo.) An angel who is the caretaker to the dead. Unbothered what is happening to the living.
Both the supernatural and the Nazis in America could be the show's saving grace. Bringing a different dimension to a hackneyed genre.
Pretty good but not Penny Dreadful by a Longshot
alexandros-niklan30 April 2020
Penny Dreadful originally was about a paper costing a penny at London region with dark goth tales of horror in the past. It has a certain audience with according expectations
It's more like a mystery thriller series ..kinda good but far from being a chapter of the original series. Watch but do not compare
It's more like a mystery thriller series ..kinda good but far from being a chapter of the original series. Watch but do not compare
See where it goes but not Penny dreadful
sweensa27 April 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Firstly as much as Americans like to claim things as theirs, the Penny Dreadful was an English small printed book sold for a Penny. Such as Spring Heeled Jack etc. As for this new show, I see that it is its own show with the Penny Dreadful attached to it. The only problem being its very dull, there is very little to enjoy. Religion, WWII and racism. You could argue that was somewhat the theme of most 19th century horror literature, but this feel it is all a bit forced.
What is this?
mearacolin26 April 2020
If you want to enjoy this show then try not to compare it to the original Penny Dreadful. I don't get how Showtime went from creating the original material to this. The dialogue in this show is off somehow. It doesn't seem natural at all. I'll give the show a few more episodes but I don't see myself being a follower of this show.
Truly embarrassing.
W011y4m55 August 2020
It's almost inconceivable to believe how the vast majority of the creative team involved with this absolute SHAMBLES are somehow also responsible for the creation of the original seasons of Penny Dreadful - from writer & executive producer John Logan, executive producer Mendes (who requires no introduction), cinematographer John Conroy & even the director of the final episode of S3 Paco Cabezas... All returning to gift us with this unwelcome, lacklustre heap of inadequacy like a child presenting their parent with a handful of its own excrement.
Honestly, how the mighty have fallen.
Nothing works. The visuals look cheap & akin to the aesthetic you'd usually see whilst subjecting yourself to get another generic ITV drama. The direction is really especially terrible with several questionable creative choices laden within the runtime of the episode. The editing is jarring. Abel Korzeniowski's absence becomes increasingly apparent when the music fails to make any kind of impression whatsoever. Tonally, it's incoherent, themes have all the subtlety of a sledgehammer to the skull & characters are rarely emotionally consistent throughout the space of a single sequence. Even John Logan's noticeable signature skill for crafting masterful dialogue seems to have gone amiss. The performances are unfortunately appalling. Not to mention, Natalie Dormer - a formidably talented actress - is utterly wasted here, forced to partake in some genuinely ridiculous scenes (which to her credit, she does her best to work with - despite the little she's been provided in order to showcase her abilities).
If this is any indicator of the deterioration in the creator's ability to maintain quality of their work, then I'm so glad "Penny Dreadful" stopped preemptively at S3... That was bad enough but this is appalling.
Honestly, how the mighty have fallen.
Nothing works. The visuals look cheap & akin to the aesthetic you'd usually see whilst subjecting yourself to get another generic ITV drama. The direction is really especially terrible with several questionable creative choices laden within the runtime of the episode. The editing is jarring. Abel Korzeniowski's absence becomes increasingly apparent when the music fails to make any kind of impression whatsoever. Tonally, it's incoherent, themes have all the subtlety of a sledgehammer to the skull & characters are rarely emotionally consistent throughout the space of a single sequence. Even John Logan's noticeable signature skill for crafting masterful dialogue seems to have gone amiss. The performances are unfortunately appalling. Not to mention, Natalie Dormer - a formidably talented actress - is utterly wasted here, forced to partake in some genuinely ridiculous scenes (which to her credit, she does her best to work with - despite the little she's been provided in order to showcase her abilities).
If this is any indicator of the deterioration in the creator's ability to maintain quality of their work, then I'm so glad "Penny Dreadful" stopped preemptively at S3... That was bad enough but this is appalling.
8 shot revolvers? I don't think so
0w021 May 2020
There's a huge plot hole in this episode... the revolver the guy was shooting with is a 6shot revolver, yet he already shot 7bullets with it, and was going to shoot an 8th shot? lol, that's a huge plot hole... and beside the fact: The guy's brother would have known that he didn't have any bullets left in his gun and he wouldn't have shot him (if this story was even remotely realistic).
Biggest heap of garbage on TV
hughpearse-534491 July 2020
John Logan's original Penny Dreadful (2014-16) series was gripping fantasy with all sorts of supernatural characters. His use of the PD branding on this 2020 show is completely abusing his fan base to get rich. This show is the biggest heap of garbage I've ever watched. It features the tired American story line about race issues. The story moves as slowly as a Mississippi detective investigating the murder of a young black man. The only redeeming quality of this show is that I have lots of time to use my mobile phone.
Don't waste your time with this tripe.
Don't waste your time with this tripe.
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