In Review: Penny Dreadful – This World Is Our Hell

Synopsis: In this episode of ‘Penny Dreadful’. Hecate and Ethan struggle to survive in the harsh desert wasteland. Which can only be described as hell on earth.

Review: Ethan and Hecate are having a hell of a time in the desert and Hecate is seemingly determined to corrupt Ethan and take advantage of his loss of faith.

Back in London Dr. Jekyll and Victor Frankenstein are still experimenting on the patients in Bedlam. Things are not going well however and the two cracks in their working relationship are starting to show.

Back in the desert Hecate casts a murderous spell summoning the powers of hell in order to see off Rusk and the men that are hunting her and Ethan.

Also making their way across the desert are Malcolm and Kaetenay are doing their best to try and catch up to Ethan before he makes it to his father. But they have to sort out the obstacle of Rusk and his men. Kaetenay covertly goes through the camp murdering each man, but is surprised by the results of Hacate’s handy work as a load of snakes appear out of the sand.

By time the morning comes Hacate is pretty much exhausted and dehydrated from the energy she spent on her spell. This pretty much gives Ethan little choice but to carry her out of the desert.

The final few minutes of the episode see Ethan meeting his natural father who is played brilliantly by Bryan Cox. In the closing scenes Ethan’s father talks about how his association with the Apache resulted in hell coming to him and the family. He tells Ethan that he should repent or go to hell. Ethan who has been somewhat corrupted by Hacate chooses hell and dares his father to shoot him down.

We see a lot of character development in this episode and it was interesting and fun to watch Hacate get under Ethan’s skin and pretty much argue that all god has given him is guilt. She pretty much tells him that he should embrace his sins instead of being remorseful. We also learn that Hacate was initiated into her late mothers coven when she was just five years old. The ceremony involved Lucifer clawing across her five year old body.

The stuff happening in London with Dr. Jekyll and Victor is starting to get interesting. I loved the part where Jekyll asks Victor if he’d have the gumption to put a needle through Lilly’s eye in order to change her personality. The moment where he injects the serum into the patients eye was a little disconcerting.

You can find out about forthcoming episodes of ‘Penny Dreadful’ at: www.sho.com/sho/home