Penny Dreadful - S02E01 Fresh Hell (2015)

Review

Vanessa is walking through a winter clad park when she comes under attack from witchcraft, not quite sure that was about but whatever. Meanwhile Ethan wakes in the Mariner's Arms to discover the mayhem caused by his lupine attack on the Pinkerton team. Ethan decides to get out of Dodge but first wants to say goodbye to Vanessa, this involves a night time carriage ride through the streets of London and yet another witch attack by Night Crawlers. With the Scooby gang assembled we now face fresh supernatural enemies and quite possibly Lucifer himself!

Meanwhile Victor is going Frankenstein's Bride as he attempts to resurrect Brona Croft for his creature Caliban. Given a dark and stormy night the good Doctor is successful. In other developments Caliban scores a job in a wax museum, we aren't expecting that to turn out all wine and roses, and Sir Malcolm is estranged from his wife. Hey it's the season of the Witch, will season two of Penny Dreadful cast its spell on us again?

There was some discussion about which new television series we should tackle first up in 2016 as there's a whole bunch of new horror out there, including three slasher first season entries, Damien - a much anticipated new TV product, and the bring it on Bates Motel - which admittedly is in series three or something. But end of day we couldn't pass on Penny Dreadful season two, mainly cause season three is coming at us with a snarl and I rocked out to the first season. So tighten up the safety harness kids, this one promises even more demonic mayhem with added witchy woman shenanigans.

So it looks like each season we will tackle a new supernatural evil.

Thankfully all our major characters are back, including the entire Victorian Scooby gang, though Dorian was nowhere to be seen in episode one. We even get Madame Kali back with a vengeance; the chick is heavily into Satanism and has one purpose in season two - present Vanessa as bride to the Dark lord! Now for my money that's exactly what we want from the second season, more blood, more tension, and a heck of a lot more atmosphere, all of which Fresh Hell delivered on in blood dripping menace.

There is probably the odd person out there already holding forth on the season, due to the Witch element following the less than successful season three of American Horror Story, which went with the whole witchy woman concept and blew bubbles with it - no offence to the late Michael Jackson yo! Well let me set your mind at rest cupcake, Penny Dreadful isn't pulling punches with the concept, these bitches aren't taking prisoners and are already cutting a bloody swath directly to Sir Malcolm's London townhouse door. The Night Crawlers were simply an awesome concept and are sure to have us on the edge of our sofas in coming episodes, equally the whole coven bat cave was more creepy than a Jason Voorhees tribute to the decapitate head of his mother. I'm expecting some more gruesome discoveries in that manse in coming weekends, hold onto your knickers kids it just won't be pretty y'all.

As we have to come to expect from Director James Hawes, well based on season one anyways, the atmosphere is so thick you could carve it up for your Sunday roast, there's this menacing vibe going down helped in no small order by Victorian London. Once again Jack the Ripper is referenced as the streets of the East End hold their collective breath that the maniac with a knife isn't back for an encore performance. Murder most foul has been committed and the constant snow fall just seems to keep everything slightly on the claustrophic and a little deranged side of the scalpel. Hawes is working it for all he is worth and it's rocking the house down.

There are any number of subplots brewing away that might latter in the season derail the show from the main event. Caliban might be getting more than he is expecting from his new job at the Wax Museum, young Victor is showing a tad too much interest in the Brona Croft situation, and a new Detective can inform us they have a survivor from the Mariner's Arms' massacre! This isn't all going to be season of the witch and brimstone puddings, other dangers are lurking within the city for our Scooby gang.

Of course nothing would be complete without some further nuances to our main characters. Ethan, remember he showed a surprisingly dab hand at exorcisms, seems completely oblivious to the fact that he is a werewolf, he simply blacks out and can't remember what mayhem he caused. The jury is still out on whether or not Ethan was the monster in the dark at the beginning of season one, but heck it sure is starting to look that way. Madame Kali was something of a bumbling mystic in one episode of season one, but this looks to have been cover for her intention of pimping out Vanessa to the Dark Lord. She sure does have a nice style in home decorating and is a whiz when it comes to speaking the verbis diablo, though Vanessa can match her one on one when it comes to the demonic language. I'm looking forward to further revelations as the season unfolds.

Season two of Penny Dreadful is off to a powerful start, with Fresh Hell picking up from where we were left at the end of season one. There's a powerful new enemy to combat and any manner of side tracks opening up. The show maintains its multi-dimensional approach and I can't wait to see where the season might take us. Arguably the best horror outing currently on television, full recommendation kids, don't miss this one.