Penny Dreadful’s Most Frustrating Death Still Haunts Fans 9 Years Later

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In recent years, Showtime’s Penny Dreadful has become a standout horror series, celebrated for its originality. The show, set in Victorian London, focuses on Vanessa Ives, a gifted medium played by Eva Green. Penny Dreadful masterfully blends elements of Gothic novels and classic horror, featuring a diverse and talented cast. While the entire ensemble was strong, Eva Green’s portrayal of Vanessa Ives was truly the heart of the show.

As the emotional core of Penny Dreadful, it’s no wonder fans still feel deeply affected by her death years later. Over three seasons, viewers connected with her triumphs and hardships. Her internal conflicts were very relatable, and while her death was heartbreaking, it felt like a natural conclusion to her story.

Penny Dreadful Season 1 Sets the Stage for Vanessa’s Sacrifice

The story brings together famous characters from horror and classic literature. Among these well-known figures is Vanessa Ives, a strong and perceptive woman who understands the hidden darkness of London. From the start, it’s clear she has a powerful connection to the supernatural and possesses abilities as a medium.

From the start, it’s obvious Vanessa is deeply troubled and haunted by a difficult past. The show hints she’s struggling with inner psychological and emotional pain. Eva Green delivers a powerful and nuanced performance, making Vanessa a truly compelling character in today’s horror landscape.

Vanessa struggles with being controlled by evil forces, feelings of guilt, and past trauma. The first season strongly suggests she’s possessed by Lucifer. From the beginning, it’s obvious she’s particularly susceptible to the dark powers in Penny Dreadful. Her powerful abilities have led to her being wrongly institutionalized and subjected to harmful treatments, leaving her deeply emotionally damaged.

The first season largely revolves around the search for Vanessa’s friend, Mina Harker, who has been missing for a while. Vanessa feels deeply guilty about Mina’s disappearance, believing that her affair with Mina’s fiancé somehow triggered her psychic powers and led to the tragedy that befell Mina’s family. Driven by both guilt and a desire to understand what happened, she helps Mina’s father, Sir Malcolm Murray, in his efforts to find her.

Vanessa experienced a deeply traumatic event as a child when she discovered her mother having an affair with Sir Malcolm, a secret she carried for years and believes led to her descent into darkness. Later, a connection with Dracula corrupted her, ultimately revealing she had become a vampire. In a tragic climax to the first season, Sir Malcolm was forced to kill his own daughter, Vanessa.

Following the first season, Penny Dreadful expands its stories, but the initial episodes establish the deep emotional pain Vanessa Ives carries throughout the series. She constantly tries to make up for what she believes are her wrongdoings. Her ultimate sacrifice in the final episode of Penny Dreadful is the result of years of feeling guilty – a decision she makes freely.

Penny Dreadful’s Eva Green Makes Vanessa Stand Out in a Series Filled With Iconic Horror Figures

What’s remarkable about this show, filled with iconic characters, is that it’s the original character who truly leads the story and provides its emotional heart. Vanessa was the central figure in Penny Dreadful, connecting all the different plotlines and making the show feel deeply personal, rather than just a collection of scary stories.

The show includes well-known characters like Dr. Victor Frankenstein, portrayed by Harry Treadaway. At the start, he’s a gifted young scientist consumed by a desire to defeat death, but motivated more by pride and inquisitiveness than by a sense of duty. His story frequently examines the limits of science and what happens when someone tries to take on the role of a creator. Penny Dreadful offers a fresh take on the Frankenstein story, presenting creatures capable of feeling and showing compassion, while Frankenstein himself struggles with these emotions.

Dracula is finally unmasked in the third season of Penny Dreadful, having secretly been the show’s main villain all along. The series portrays him as Lucifer’s brother, but unlike Lucifer who was sent to Hell, Dracula was doomed to walk the Earth forever. In the end, it’s Vanessa’s self-sacrifice that finally destroys him.

In the show Penny Dreadful, Vanessa’s central relationship is with Ethan Chandler, played by Josh Hartnett. Ethan is a compelling character, and he and Vanessa connect through their shared internal battles. Ethan fights against a werewolf curse, while Vanessa struggles with possession by Dracula and Lucifer.

I’ve always loved how Penny Dreadful set up Ethan as Vanessa’s guardian from the start. The show really flipped the classic werewolf story on its head – Ethan wasn’t just cursed by something, but actually given his curse by God, specifically to protect Vanessa, who they portray as this incredibly powerful, almost primal force. It all came to a heartbreaking head in the finale when Vanessa asked Ethan to end her suffering, which felt like the completion of both their fates. It was a powerful, tragic moment, and a clever twist on the usual monster mythology.

Although Vanessa and Dr. Jekyll don’t meet in the story, both characters struggle with a dark side they see as a personal torment. Vanessa views her inner demons as a spiritual problem, while Dr. Jekyll considers Mr. Hyde a medical issue he can try to cure with science.

Vanessa’s Sacrifice in Penny Dreadful is a Fitting End for the Series and the Character

In the final episode of Penny Dreadful, Vanessa Ives doesn’t ask Ethan to end her life out of hopelessness, but as a way to reclaim her agency. Her death is a meaningful conclusion to her story because the series consistently explored her internal struggles with faith and the darkness within. Throughout the show’s three seasons, she battled a constant inner conflict.

John Logan, the creator and showrunner of Penny Dreadful, believed Vanessa’s story was primarily about her spiritual journey, and he considered her death a triumph, not a tragedy. He saw it as her consciously choosing to end her suffering and finally exercising her free will. The show established that Vanessa’s very existence made her a magnet for evil, constantly endangering everyone she loved and driving the plot forward. Ultimately, she realized there was no way for her to find peace while alive and decided to control her own destiny.

Eva Green played a key role in deciding how her character’s story would end. She felt Vanessa needed a genuine and peaceful resolution, and given her internal conflicts, a sacrificial death felt like the right conclusion. This ending ultimately felt true to Vanessa’s journey and offered her the peace she’d been searching for.

Green felt very connected to her character, Vanessa, so the film crew shot an additional scene after the original one where Vanessa survives. Although Green understood the decision to kill off Vanessa, she didn’t want her final moment playing the role to be her character’s death. This extra scene provided her with personal peace of mind and a chance to honor Vanessa’s resilience. However, a subsequent attempt to recreate that same emotional feeling wasn’t successful.

Penny Dreadful’s Vanessa Ives is One of the Best Characters in Modern Horror Television

As a huge fan of great characters, I have to say Vanessa Ives is the soul of Penny Dreadful. Eva Green delivers what I truly believe is one of her finest performances as this incredibly complex and tormented woman. Even with all the iconic literary and horror figures around her, she still manages to captivate and stand out. Honestly, the whole show feels like it’s being filtered through her perspective, and it’s brilliant.

She’s a deeply spiritual person facing constant challenges, feeling lost in a world that often seems uncaring. This struggle feels especially relatable, even amidst all the mystery and supernatural elements around her.

Eva Green delivers an exceptional performance, truly embodying the character of Ives. She’s captivating, powerful, and incredibly realistic. Every time she’s on screen, she commands attention and dominates the scene. Green brilliantly portrays the character’s complex emotions, showcasing everything from fear and sorrow to fleeting moments of optimism. Ives is a remarkably well-developed character, and that’s largely thanks to Green’s talent.

Even with a strong cast and famous characters, Penny Dreadful feels incomplete without Vanessa. A lot of Vanessa’s appeal comes from Eva Green’s incredible performance. The writing, acting, and the character’s ultimate story arc all come together to make Vanessa Ives a truly unforgettable character.

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2025-11-24 03:09