Everything we think about Penny Dreadful Season 3 on Showtime!
The second season finale of Penny Dreadful on Showtime shattered the heroic alliance between Vanessa Ives (Eva Green), Ethan Chandler (Josh Hartnett), and Sir Malcolm Murray (Timothy Dalton). To save Sir Malcolm and Vanessa, Sembene (Danny Sapani) allowed himself to be killed by Ethan’s werewolf form. Out of shame, Ethan left Vanessa behind and he allowed himself to be forcibly returned to America while Sir Malcolm resolved to bring Sembene’s body back to Africa for burial. In the end, Vanessa seemingly gave up on her faith in God after besting Lucifer in a contest of wills.
Penny Dreadful Season 3 was unleashed on Sunday, May 1, however most of the story details are still under wraps. That said, ComingSoon.net does have some guesses about several of the new characters joining the series, as well as a few additional tidbits about where the show might be going with its storylines. Everything we know about the third season is right here!
After two seasons, we’re finally going to meet Ethan’s father, Jared Talbot, as played by screen legend Brian Cox. Talbot is said to be a very wealthy rancher who has a powerful influence. It’s also likely that this season will explore how Ethan became a werewolf and why he fled America. In the first season of the series, it was implied that Talbot had cleaned up Ethan’s legal problems and it was stated outright that Talbot had paid the Pinkertons to retrieve his son. It’s less clear if Talbot is aware of what Ethan has become, but considering the fact that the first Pinkertons to approach Ethan expected him to wear restraints, it seems like a strong possibility that Talbot did know about his son’s fate.
Malcolm will keep his promise to honor Sembene’s remains in Africa. And that may be where Malcolm will encounter Kaetenay, an Apache warrior played by Wes Studi. Kaetenay is an old ally of Ethan’s who will track down Malcolm in a bid to help their mutual friend. To do that, they’re gonna have to go to America as well.
As for Vanessa, she’s not doing well at all. This season, Vanessa will once again be institutionalized as her sanity slips further and further away. After her turn as the Cut-Wife last season, Patti Lupone is returning to Penny Dreadful as Dr. Seward, Vanessa’s new psychiatrist. Supposedly, Dr. Seward can help Vanessa. But can Dr. Seward be trusted when her secretary is literally Renfield (Sam Barnett) from the well-known novel, Dracula? The trailers for Penny Dreadful Season 3 have hinted that the vampires from the first season will return. Does this mean that Dracula is coming as well?
Even if we don’t get to meet Dracula this season, there is a major literary character coming to the series: Dr. Henry Jekyll, as played by Shazad Latif. It’s unclear if Jekyll will already be afflicted with his Mr. Hyde persona when the season begins.
As for Frankenstein’s creature, John Clare (Rory Kinnear), he’ll be back as well. Despite John Clare’s stated intention to leave, he will return in pursuit of his own agenda. Knowing John Clare, that usually means making life miserable for his “father,” Victor. But perhaps Clare will turn his hate towards the reborn Brona Croft/Lily (Billie Piper) and her new lover, Dorian Gray (Reeve Carney).
Last season, Lily appeared to have plans to rise up and rebel. This season will follow up on that plotline as Lily and Dorian gain an acolyte named Justine (Jessica Barden). The trailers have also implied that Dorian may not be fully on board with Lily’s plan, as he appeared to be suggesting they act more like humans than monsters. There has also been some suggestion that Lily and Dorian may be this season’s big bads, but that rumor remains unconfirmed.
The series will also explore how Vanessa, Ethan and Sir Malcolm deal with their inner and outer darkness without the emotional support of their friends and makeshift family. What do you think will happen in Penny Dreadful Season 3? Share your predictions in the comment section below!