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Penny Dreadful

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 60 Critic Reviews

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74

USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 33 Ratings

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8.0

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8.0	Your Score
8.0	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 33 Ratings

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Penny Dreadful

Series Details & Credits

SHOWTIME | SYA | Release Date: May 11, 2014

Starring: Patti LuPone, Wes Studi, Rory Kinnear, Harry Treadaway, Josh Hartnett, Timothy Dalton, Eva Green

Summary: In Victorian London, Vanessa Ives (Eva Green) and Sir Malcolm (Timothy Dalton) encounter Dorian Gray (Reeve Carney), Dr. Frankenstein (Harry Treadaway) and his creature (Rory Kinnear) in this psychosexual horror series created by John Logan.

Creator: John Logan

Genre(s): Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Suspense

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Recent Episodes

tbd
S3:E9. The Blessed Dark
Air Date: June 19, 2016
tbd
S3:E8. Perpetual Night
Air Date: June 19, 2016
tbd
S3:E7. Ebb Tide
Air Date: June 12, 2016

See all Seasons and Episodes

Metascore

74

Positive:

50

Mixed:

10

Negative:

0

Critic Reviews

100

The Lincoln Journal Star

Jeff Korbelik

May 12, 2014

Season 1 Review: What makes Penny click is the chemistry among the characters, especially the psychic and the gunslinger, who end up seducing the viewer with their seductive encounters. They make you forget this is an action show Read full review

83

Entertainment Weekly

Jeff Jensen

Apr 18, 2016

Season 3 Review: Fresh blood and sharp ideas make for delicious, smart-pulp fangoria. [22/29 Apr 2016, p.105]

80

The Huffington Post

Maureen Ryan

May 8, 2014

Season 1 Review: Penny Dreadful's gory moments are deployed strategically, and the adjective that best describes this show is not "bloody" but "soulful." Read full review

80

Salon

Sonia Saraiya

May 4, 2015

Season 2 Review: This is a sumptuously produced, beautifully executed show, and if the story doesn’t always make sense, the metaphysics always does. Read full review

75

USA Today

Robert Bianco

May 8, 2014

Season 1 Review: Green and Dalton are incredibly entertaining, their world feels fully created, and in Logan, their show is in the hands of a great writer. It's not quite clear yet where he's leading us, but for awhile, at least, consider following. Read full review

70

RogerEbert.com Brian Tallerico

May 9, 2014

Season 1 Review: There’s style, B-movie charm, and a few great performances to be found in the bloody heart of Penny Dreadful. Read full review

40

Under The Radar

Lily Moayeri

May 9, 2014

Season 1 Review: Overall, it took Once Upon a Time a season to fall flat; Penny Dreadful does that immediately. Read full review

SEE ALL 60 REVIEWS

Write a Review

8.0

User Reviews

1

HannibalB

May 25, 2020

I had high hopes for this show, but it was crap. The writing was bad, the characters lacked motivation, the episodes were just the usual garbage thrown together with one or two dramatic moments contrived to make it seem like something was happening. I think the low-point for me was probablyI had high hopes for this show, but it was crap. The writing was bad, the characters lacked motivation, the episodes were just the usual garbage thrown together with one or two dramatic moments contrived to make it seem like something was happening. I think the low-point for me was probably Frankenstein's monster. He's miscast (though I like the actor, he just lacks the brute physicality the monster needs). Then he dribbles long, self-pitying, pseudo-philosophic soliloquys before tearing somebody's liver out with his bare hands. The effect is unintentionally humorous. Then there's all the hugger-mugger and cryptic looks, the misplaced glamor, etc., etc. This show is just the usual disaster with regards to character and plot. Nothing make sense. The action scenes are mindless and intended to dazzle by their sheer speed and complexity, but are always poorly motivated.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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SEE ALL

Seasons & Episodes

74

Series Overview
Season 3

83
- Season 3 Overview
  Air Date: May 1, 2016
- tbd
  S3:E9. The Blessed Dark
  Air Date: June 19, 2016
- tbd
  S3:E8. Perpetual Night
  Air Date: June 19, 2016
- tbd
  S3:E7. Ebb Tide
  Air Date: June 12, 2016
- tbd
  S3:E6. No Beast So Fierce
  Air Date: June 5, 2016
- tbd
  S3:E5. This World Is Our Hell
  Air Date: May 29, 2016
- tbd
  S3:E4. A Blade of Grass
  Air Date: May 22, 2016
- tbd
  S3:E3. Good and Evil Braided Be
  Air Date: May 15, 2016
- tbd
  S3:E2. Predators Far and Near
  Air Date: May 8, 2016
- tbd
  S3:E1. The Day Tennyson Died
  Air Date: May 1, 2016
Season 2

77
- Season 2 Overview
  Air Date: May 3, 2015
Season 1

70
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: May 11, 2014