Vanessa finds an ally in her fight against Dracula
Lets say youre an ancient, bloodsucking fiend.
Say youve got a reputation.
If youre smart, you use it you play against punch in.
Credit: Jonathan Hession/Showtime
History reports that you strike when your victims are isolated, so you become someone your prey can trust.
Dracula is a genius.
But while hes away, Catriona should do quite nicely.
Every decision reduced to back and forth, thrust or parry, Catriona says.
A clarity forms during it that the rest of the world is sadly lacking in.
Life and death without the death most of the time.
Even there, the analogy is accurate: As Vanessa explains to Catriona, Dracula doesnt want her death.
He wants her submission.
At least for now.
Vanessa and Catriona are a pair, instantly impressed and intrigued by one other.
Vanessa doesnt run away from Catrionas unconventional career as a thanatologist (I study death.
Its every ritual, every guise.
There is only one defense against isolation, Catriona says.
Be with those you love.
Shed better mean that innocently, because I like her and her Dana Scully hair.
(Cell Block Tango, but with the women ofPenny Dreadful: I need it.)
Trust me, honey, Seward says.
This would all be great advice if not for the fact that Sweet IS DRACULA.
And it doesnt seem like Lyle is moving of his own accord, anyway.
It could have been a red flag, if not for the music playing in Vanessas head.
Vanessa isnt sorry for herself, and she doesnt blame Ethan or anyone for leaving.
(Note that she says, He left, not, He left me.
She doesnt make Ethans decisions about her.)
Not everyones attempts at seduction are going so well.
(I wonder why.)
Lily is proud of Justines progress.
She has the soul of me, she tells Dorian.
The very heart of who I was before I was this.
She has the anger and the hate and the loss.
Dorian asks if they might not be able to just pretend that all of her societal debasement never happened.
Thats exactly the kind of forgetfulness Victor wants to force with his serum.
As Dorian loses his footing with Lily, could he turn to Victors side?
Im surprised that they make it out of the scene alive.
Victor almost doesnt Justine has her razor at his throat but Lily spares him, citing her own sentimentality.
Before she banishes Victor, Lily makes it clear that she has no interest in forgetting her sadness.
Ive suffered long and hard to be who I am, she argues.
I want my scars to show.
Is there a connection onPenny Dreadfulbetween self-acceptance and violence?
You have to love families and their half-truth guilt trips.
Ethan says a nihilistic grace.
Ethan pointedly keeps cutting his food.
(Josh Hartnett finds great, unexpected comedy in all of this.)
Rusk shoots her, so Ethan shoots Rusk as a mysterious shooter takes out the man whos cornered Malcolm.
Snakes have nothing on him.
The gunfight leaves only Ethan, Malcolm, Kaeteney, and Talbot standing.
He walks away, but Talbot promises to find his son again so Sir Malcolm fires.
Jarod Talbot, we hardly knew you.
