(In partnership with Penny Dreadful)
Our look back at the scariest scenes from Penny Dreadful Season 2
The 19th century was an unusually fertile time for horror, as some of the most iconic monsters in literature came into being. Penny Dreadful on Showtime brings together characters from several of those classic horror stories, including Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Picture of Dorian Gray for brand new tales from the mind of John Logan, the screenwriter of Skyfall.
The first season of Penny Dreadful introduced viewers to Eva Green’s haunting depiction of Vanessa Ives, a woman coveted by darkness and cursed by evil’s touch as she attempted to redeem her past sins by saving Mina Harker (Olivia Llewellyn) from a powerful vampire alongside Mina’s father, Sir Malcolm Murray (Timothy Dalton) and the American gunslinger/werewolf, Ethan Chandler (Josh Hartnett), alongside the enigmatic Sembene (Danny Sapani) and the infamous Victor Frankenstein (Harry Treadaway).
In Penny Dreadful Season 2, Vanessa and her friends were assailed by a coven of witches while their own inner darkness threatened to consume their very souls. Victory came at a high cost, even as new threats emerged and Ethan’s former lover, Brona (Billie Piper) was reborn with a sinister new agenda alongside the ageless and amoral, Dorian Gray (Reeve Carney).
Ahead of the upcoming third season of Penny Dreadful on Sunday, May 1 at 10 p.m., ComingSoon.net is taking a look back at the most terrifying moments of Penny Dreadful’s second season. These are the scenes that made our hearts race! But feel free to share your picks for the scariest moments from Penny Dreadful’s second season in our comment section below!
Also, there are big time spoilers ahead from Penny Dreadful Season 2, so consider yourselves warned!
It’s In The Blood
Season 2, Episode 1
The witch, Evelyn Poole (Helen McCrory) made her move on Vanessa early in the second season premiere, as she sent her a horrifying vision of Vanessa cutting herself and performing a blood ritual. And Evelyn was far from finished with her target…
Attack of the Nightcomers
Season 2, Episode 1
Evelyn’s coven of witches didn’t hide their inhumanity as they attempted to overpower Ethan and kidnap Vanessa. Along the way, the Nightcomers slaughtered the driver and the horse of Ethan and Vanessa’s carriage. That was just a taste of the terrors ahead for the season.
The Witch Among Us
Season 2, Episode 4
As if the Nightcomers weren’t freaky enough, they displayed an uncanny ability to disguise themselves. After Hecate failed to get closer to Ethan in her human form, she literally camouflaged her skin to blend into the background as she and her coven stalked Ethan and Vanessa. This was definitely a shiver-worthy moment.
The Telltale Heart
Season 2, Episode 6
Remember that baby that Hecate grabbed? His heart was used to make this “fetish doll” of Sir Malcolm, which the coven used to cast a spell on him…and they literally reanimated the heart within the doll. That was purely haunting, capped off by Evelyn’s kiss.
Dogmeat
Season 2, Episode 7
While Ethan prepared to settle an old score on behalf of Vanessa, she apparently beat him to the punch with a Nightcomer spell that set the man’s dogs upon him, and they proceeded to tear him apart in front of Ethan. As if the act itself wasn’t scary enough, it seemed to further Vanessa’s descent into darkness.
Evil Within
Season 2, Episode 8
After several episodes as a pawn of the witches, Sir Malcolm’s body was overtaken by Lucifer himself. And while Sir Malcolm was eventually freed of his possession, it was one of the most startling moments of the season.
The Death of Sembene
Season 2, Episode 9
Ethan trusted Sembene with the secret of his werewolf nature, and he clearly had a bond with the man. When Ethan transformed during the final battle with the Nightcomers, Sembene didn’t even try to fight back. He simply laid down his weapons and allowed Ethan’s wolf-form to kill him, perhaps out of a desire to save Ethan’s life and the hope that the werewolf would turn the tide against their common enemy. Either way, Sembene demonstrated uncommon bravery all the way to the end.
Sins of the Past
Season 2, Episode 10
In the “memory room” of the witches, Frankenstein attempted to free Sir Malcolm from evil’s grasp. However, both men were given haunting reminders of their failings, as their loved ones (living and otherwise) appeared to torment them and destroy their sanity. Even the knowledge that their visions couldn’t possibly be real wasn’t enough to protect the two men from the guilt that they carried inside.
Lucifer Comes Calling
Season 2, Episode 10
As if the fetish dolls weren’t creepy enough, the season finale found Vanessa speaking with Lucifer through one of the dolls as he reminded her that she’s a murderer and her soul may already be forfeited to him. Even Vanessa’s refusal to give in to Lucifer may only be prolonging her possible transformation into the Mother of Evil. But on this occasion, it was Vanessa who was the “master.”
