For as long as anyone can remember, humanity has been afraid of the unknown… especially at night. Our collective imaginations can conjure up whispers in the dark as we envision the creatures coming to get us.
In the 19th century, the things that go bump in the night were joined by some of the greatest horror creations of all time; including Dracula and Frankenstein’s Monster. Their legends have endured for over a century.
Skyfall screenwriter John Logan has assembled several literary horror icons into Penny Dreadful, Showtime’s riveting thriller which debuted earlier this year. Classic characters including Dr. Victor Frankenstein (Harry Treadaway), Dorian Gray (Reeve Carney) and Abraham Van Helsing (David Warner) are all in the mix. But the focus of Penny Dreadful falls on three new characters: American gunslinger, Ethan Chandler (Josh Hartnett); the troubled medium, Vanessa Ives (Eva Green); and former James Bond, Timothy Dalton as Sir Malcolm Murray. Sir Malcolm is the man who brought Vanessa and Ethan together in the pursuit of his daughter, Mina Murray (Olivia Llewellyn) from Dracula.
Over the course of eight episodes, Penny Dreadful turned heads (sometimes literally) with its unsettling and occasionally erotic take on the horror genre. The first season is heading to Blu-ray and DVD on Tuesday, October 14. To mark the occasion, CraveOnline has assembled a list of the most terrifying moments from the Penny Dreadful Season 1.
Keep in mind that there are some spoilers for the first season in this list. And feel free to share your favorite Penny Dreadful moments in the comment section below!
The Most Terrifying Moments of Penny Dreadful Season 1
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The First Scare - Season 1 Episode 1
Imagine getting up in the middle of the night to take care of business in the bathroom... only to have something attack you just after you sat down on the toilet. “Penny Dreadful” set the tone early with the horrific abduction of a woman who barely gets a chance to scream as she’s pulled out of the window by an unseen creature.
Moments later, the woman’s young daughter shares her gruesome fate.
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Spiders, Spiders Everywhere - Season 1 Episode 1
The series’ introduction to Vanessa finds her kneeling before a cross in intense prayer... or is it a prayer of desperation? A single spider seems to emerge from the cross before crawling on her skin.
But that was just prelude for a later scene, in which Vanessa is startled to see several spiders surrounding the now upside down crucifix despite her hushed pleas to God. Something evil wants her... and it will not be denied.
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The Demon Within - Season 1 Episode 2
As Sir Malcolm and Vanessa search for answers to their questions, they become unwillingly roped into the parlor game of another medium who tries to summon the dead. This invitation leaves Vanessa vulnerable to a demonic possession... and the demon takes the opportunity to psychologically strike at Sir Malcolm while exerting its control over Vanessa’s body.
But the demon isn’t simply content to use its words as weapons. It contorts Vanessa’s body in unsettling ways that frighten the other members of the party... and the viewers at home.
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The Fall of Vanessa - Season 1 Episode 5
The fifth episode of “Penny Dreadful” is essentially an origin story for Vanessa as it reveals her connection to Sir Malcolm’s family and it also explores how she betrayed Mina by seducing her husband-to-be before the wedding.
Vanessa pays a heavy price for her transgressions as her psychic powers emerge and her sanity breaks. It’s a heartbreaking and terrifying fall for Vanessa, as the only voice guiding her back to herself is the voice of evil itself...
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Here Come The Brides - Season 1 Episode 6
While investigating a ship rumored to be overrun by a plague, Sir Malcolm, Ethan and Sembene (Danny Sapani) believe that they finally have a real lead on Mina’s location.
But what they actually have is the fight of their lives, as the ship contains female vampires who are extremely strong and fast. It’s a harrowing action sequence made even more unnerving by the wailing shrieks of the vampire women as they attack.
in the immediate aftermath, the trio catch a brief glimpse of Mina herself, as the vampire master spirits her away.
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Fifty Shades of... Blood? - Season 1 Episode 6
While her partners deal with the vampire women, Vanessa gets some time alone with the enigmatic Dorian Gray. Their mutual seduction is soon marked with some bloodletting as she cuts her new lover and savors the taste of his plasma in a disturbingly erotic display.
But for Vanessa, this type of sinful behavior only makes her an open door for a frightening possession that is far more intense than her previous episode. And this time, the demon inside of her will not let her go so easily...
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The Mother of Evil - Season 1 Episode 7
In the midst of her latest possession, Vanessa finds some comfort with Ethan. Their heartfelt conversation demonstrates their mutual affection for each other. With desperation in her voice, Vanessa asks Ethan to end her life rather than let the demon inside of her take control.
Except this is not Ethan. The demon possessing Vanessa has broken her hold on reality by taking on Ethan’s form within her mind. What makes the moment so chilling is that the demon finally tells Vanessa what it wants from her.
She is to be “the mother of evil.” The demon wants Vanessa to rule by his side in everlasting damnation.
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Evil Bites Back - Season 1 Episode 7
In their most desperate hour, Sir Malcolm and Ethan turn to the Catholic Church for help in dealing with Vanessa’s possession. Unfortunately, the priest refuses to perform an exorcism without Rome’s approval. Instead, the priest prepares to give Vanessa her last rites.
Well... the demon was having none of that. In a very startling sequence, “Vanessa” breaks free and takes a bite out of the man of God. And I mean a real bite that actually tears flesh from his body.
It was a gruesome act that caught everyone off guard. Top that, Linda Blair!
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Sir Malcolm's Choice - Season 1 Episode 8
The quest for Mina Murray came to an end in the first season finale, as Sir Malcolm, Ethan, Vanessa, Frankenstein and Sembene once again confronted the female vampires and their horrific master.
Forget the romanticized vampires of recent years. These bloodsuckers come off as truly dangerous creatures and the final battle was intense. In the end, it came down to Sir Malcolm’s choice: his daughter or Vanessa.
He couldn’t save both of them.
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The Secret Is Out - Season 1 Episode 8
At the start of the series, Ethan was seemingly the skeptic of the group. He was the man who didn’t want to believe in the shadow world that Vanessa and Sir Malcolm introduced him to.
But perhaps Ethan just didn’t want to acknowledge the darkness in himself.
As “Penny Dreadful” Season 1 came to a close, Ethan was confronted by private detectives who attempted to kidnap him at his father’s behest. To save himself, Ethan transformed into a werewolf and slaughtered them both. Note that Ethan was entirely unsurprised by his true nature, as he clearly triggered the change at will.
But the touch that really makes that moment work is the closeup of Ethan’s hand as it starts to shift into his more animal-like form.
