Penny Dreadful (2014) s01e02 Episode Script

Séance

Previously on Penny Dreadful What might I do for you? I have a need for a gentleman who's not hesitant to engage in dangerous endeavors.
- This is the individual? - Yes.
We're looking for someone.
Do not be amazed at anything you see.
- It's not her.
- She's not here.
Is there another creature like that? Tell me what this is all about? Sir Malcolm's daughter was taken by a creature such as the one we killed.
To save her, I would murder the world.
- Join me, Doctor.
- Why me? Because you were unafraid to pull back the skin and look beneath.
Hold on, what's this? The source of the writing, it's from the Egyptian Book of the Dead.
The body you bought was not human.
- Are there more? - At least one.
You seem to be a free thinker who might imagine a world where science and superstition walk hand in hand.
My name is Victor Frankenstein.
Carnage.
It's like a battlefield.
Damn him that did it.
Right to hell.
- Take the topsail down! - Wait for the next tide! One of those nights, has it been? Do you have any whiskey? The more pertinent question might be as follows: Do you have money? Much as you like, friend.
We should give you a name.
You're a form of new mankind, so perhaps Adam? No.
Theological connotations aren't very "us" are they? I know, you shall choose your own name.
My mother taught me many things.
Among the most useful, is one must always have Shakespeare close to hand.
Your turn.
Proteus.
Proteus.
Proteus.
No.
I'm sorry, I I have to leave you now.
I won't be long.
I have an appointment to make some money.
After all, I have two mouths to feed now.
No, no, you stay.
I'll be back presently.
Mm P Proteus.
Mm Shh shh it's all right.
I'll be here again before you know it.
Good evening.
Can I help you? Well, nice to meet you too.
And you.
What happened to your hand? Long story.
Lucky it's early.
Challenging night.
Aren't you mysterious? Other than the damnable goddamn sailors, we don't get your kind in here much.
You mean Americans? That'll serve.
I was employed here in the entertainment business.
Jesus, you're not actor are you? Not precisely.
Praise the lord for that.
I knew an actor once.
Always sucking up the oxygen from the room, he was.
I was ever faint.
Are you still in the theater? - I don't think so.
- What trade do you have then? Well, I could shoot the ace out of a playing card at fifty paces.
Well, that'll come in useful, I'm sure.
You'd be surprised.
Not much surprises me.
I see you live here, I take it? Upstairs.
It's palatial.
You been in London long? A couple of years.
I came in search of those green pastures you hear tell about.
I tried it in the looming trade but it's all industrial now with the big machines.
I worked over in a factory in Shoreditch, but 'twas a dispiriting endeavor.
One by one, we were all replaced by better new machines.
It's no harm.
There is always a way to make a living when you've a bit of flesh, isn't there? I couldn't say.
I'll bet you could.
Me lungs are buggered.
I'd like to say it was from the dire working conditions of the factory.
It's more likely God being a right playful fucker.
I'm Ethan Chandler.
Brona Croft.
Brona? It's Gaelic.
What does it mean? Sadness.
Thank you for the breakfast, Mr.
Chandler.
Properly fortified.
I'm off to look for work that a machine can't do yet anyway.
You have any rooms available? He's here.
Unbutton the top of your dress.
Doctor Frankenstein, thank you for coming.
You remember Miss Ives? - How do you do? - Doctor.
This way.
And how go your researches, Doctor? Oh! I would say distinctly promising.
You are unusually jovial, sir.
The caprices of science, Miss Ives.
God.
How did you remove the skin? Carrion beetles.
- Essex? - Suffolk.
Fair enough.
It won't last forever, so let's get to it.
- Blood, you say? - If you would.
Have you translated the hieroglyphics? I went about it.
They're apparently from the Egyptian Book of the Dead.
Do you know it? Not intimately, but I've studied theology over the years.
The Ancient Egyptian religions were unique in a way.
They had a singular goal.
Not transmutation to an afterlife, but something even more profound: Eternal life.
But I'm no expert.
Well, we're seeing a specialist, Friday in fact.
I'll let you know what we discover.
Oh, that won't be necessary.
I'm only a dabbler.
Romantic poetry, Doctor? Man does not live only in the empirical world.
We must seek the ephemeral or why live? "If this belief from heaven be sent, if such be nature's holy plan " "Have I not reason to lament " "What man has made of man.
" Well, I can confirm that it's human blood, or at least vertebrate.
It has the standard erythrocytes and thrombocytes.
The more unusual properties are beyond my expertise.
You'll want to speak to a hematologist.
Then I'll engage one and you'll consult with him.
I'm not sure that I have the time.
My own work No, you will.
Your remittance.
I hope it's satisfactory.
I'm sure it will be.
Good afternoon, Sir Malcolm.
Miss Ives.
Oh! If you discover anything pertinent in the hieroglyphics, let me know.
Or even something ephemeral.
What was all that poetry? Our young doctor has a secret.
Thank you so much for coming.
My name is Dorian Gray.
Inspector, Sir Malcolm Murray is outside.
Well, show him in.
Sir Malcolm, how do you do? Sit down.
Inspector Galsworthy, pleasure to meet you.
This is my man, Sembene.
How may I be of service? I wish to know more about the Spitalfields' murders.
So do many people.
I'm not "many people.
" Nonetheless, our investigations are private.
A couple murdered on the street in hackney a month ago, then a family slaughtered in the heart of the Metropolis.
You need all the help I can give you.
Can you help? Are these from Spitalfields? Uh, they're not for the faint-hearted.
My hearts never fainted.
They were Welsh, in the vegetable trade, mother and daughter.
Not an enemy in the world that we know of.
He took an arm and some of the internal organs.
Which organs? Liver, kidney, and some of the reproductive matters.
And you have no suspects? A hundred, and none.
Now that the newspapers and penny dreadfuls have taken it up, we have lunatics coming out of the woodwork to confess.
Every man-jack in the east end pointing the finger at everyone else.
Were they drained of blood? Excuse me? Were they drained of blood? No.
How old was she, the daughter? Seven.
What was her name? Charlotte.
Charlotte.
Is it the Ripper, back again? Unlikely.
He only did whores.
When the next one occurs, I shall need to see the crime scene immediately.
Will there be a next time? Assuredly.
Thank you for your time, Inspector.
When I have information to share with you, I promise I shall.
I'll tell you one thing though, and you can take it to heart, if you don't change your tactics, you'll never stop him.
You see, you're hunting for a man; you need to start hunting for a beast.
Would you remove your corset, Miss Croft? There's blood.
Is it consumption? Shall I go, sir? Not unless you want to.
May I? Sir, you shouldn't.
I don't know the word.
I mean, my sickness, sir.
Expose your plates, Mr.
Frawley.
You don't mind? No.
I've never fucked a dying creature before.
Do you feel things more deeply, I wonder? Do you feel pain? - Do you? - Find out.
Excellent.
Stamp this for me, will you? Cable for you, sir.
"Ethan, it's time for you to come home.
You can't run away forever.
I can handle your legal problems.
The Federal Marshall has been paid.
Stop your foolishness and do as I instruct.
Your father.
" oh, the times wuz hard and the wages low leave her, Johnny, leave her but now once more, ashore we'll go and it's time for us to leave her Do you recognize that? Boa - Boat.
- Boat.
Boat.
Do you recognize that? That animal? Whale.
Yes, it's a whale.
A sea creature.
Whale.
Whale.
Hunting.
It's all right.
Shhh calm down.
Did you did you kill a whale? You know the word.
- Proteus - Perhaps this was your trade.
You could've been a whaler as I am a doctor.
You needn't feel ashamed of that.
Kill.
Yes, I know.
As you grow up, you'll learn we all do things which cause us shame.
Sins we have committed.
Thank you, Proteus.
Victor.
Leave her but now once more ashore we'll go and it's time for us to leave her Sir Malcolm! Sir Malcolm.
Miss Ives.
I'm so glad you could attend.
Thank you for coming to my wee fête.
Thank you for having us.
I have the additional photographs in my coach.
How forthright he is.
Must have served him well in Darkest Africa.
Uh, my wife is somewhere about, close by the gin, I would hazard.
In the parlor, perhaps.
Why don't you make an introduction? Of course, Sir Malcolm.
Come along.
Let's just stroll, see what wickedness we can find.
Come! You're too sweet.
My name is Dorian Gray.
Vanessa Ives.
It's a pleasure, Miss Ives.
I couldn't help but notice your skepticism.
Am I skeptical? About the room.
Rather aggressive in the chinoiserie and geographically capricious to say the least.
In this one room, there's Japanese, Siamese, Egyptian, Balinese, and something I take to be last season's Panto of Aladdin.
Are you a friend of Mr.
Lyle's? Never met him before tonight.
It was more of a random invitation.
Do you get many of those? Entirely.
You could say "no.
" I never say "no.
" I wasn't skeptical about the room.
What then? Shall I guess? Have on, Mr.
Gray.
You do not belong here.
Even less than I.
You are not frivolous.
Your eye is careful and appraising.
This is not a careful room, although there is much to appraise.
That can divert you for only so long.
You do not like it here.
You are closed to it.
Yet you're the only woman in this house not wearing gloves.
Your hands want to touch, but your head wants to appraise.
Your heart is torn between the two.
You were skeptical because you thought This was going to be a wasted evening, but now you're not so sure.
Ladies and gentlemen, your attention please.
Your attention pl please, you must pay attention to me.
My friends, our guest of honor has arrived.
May I present the renowned Madame Kali! So come along, come along around the table.
Those of you without fear, we need at least eight people of courage.
Well done, well done, well done.
Excellent! Sit.
Sir Malcolm, take a seat.
Splendid.
Sit.
Sit.
Gentlemen, please remove your jewelry.
What's going on? Ladies, please remove your gloves.
I believe we're about to commune with the spirits.
This is such fun.
Please join hands.
Join hands I ask forbearance.
I ask you to suspend your disbelief and imagine your minds floating in the darkness of time.
Let your imaginations be liberate and roam with me back in time to the ancient seas.
Back in time to the time before when the spirits walked, when the sun was new and the old gods walked.
I call forth Mut, mother goddess.
I call to the speakers of the dead.
Come to me, come to me.
What summoned me? I speak for the dead.
For the undying.
There's another here.
There's another here.
What does she mean? Amunet Amunet Amunet.
Amunet.
Serpent.
Hidden one.
Know your master.
Your lover.
Your master.
Father.
Father, mine, let me come with you.
What a ripping time we'll have.
Let me come with you.
It'll be an adventure.
You'll teach me! I'll prove myself a proper explorer.
Peter loves you, Father.
But Father, if the porters go, how are we to survive? I'm not frightened, I'm not.
What an adventure.
It's so green, so beautiful.
But the porters are dying and I can't go on, I'm sick.
Is it the dysentery? I'm bleeding.
Oh God, I'm bleeding.
I'm shitting blood now.
I have no more clean trousers.
I'm sorry.
I'll stay at base camp.
You go.
Leave me.
Will you name a mountain after me? Are you proud of me? Go! Goodbye.
I'll see you soon, Father.
Father.
Cold.
close the window, my true love and gently drops the rain I have never had but one true love I am weak.
Can't feel my hands.
There's no water.
I can't swallow.
You knew I was dying didn't you, Father? Did you name a mountain after me? Oh! Amunet, girl? No, much older.
Father, Mina's waiting.
No! Shhh I wonder I wonder when was the moment you knew you wanted to fuck her? Why were you not more discrete? Vanessa heard you.
The two of you.
She heard you fucking and she was curious.
She walked closer, she rounded the corner and discovered you, the two of you, you know, fucking.
Fucking her cunt.
Vanessa saw that.
Fucking animal.
You man.
You animal.
You man.
You animal.
Betrayer! Creature! I look into his eyes and they are red with blood like from Peter's ass.
His lips are red like blood from her cunt when you fucked her.
His teeth are sharp like yours when you bit her cunt and it's so cold and dark and wet like the jungle.
Like tears, I am crying.
I am so afraid, Father.
Find me! Find me! Save me! Save me! Breakfast, Miss Croft? Our usual repast? I won't say "no.
" And call me Brona, will ya? The way you say that is ridiculous.
"Mizz Croft.
" There's no "Z" in it.
Just being laconic, I suppose.
- Oh, like all Americans.
- Precisely.
So how goes the job hunt? Employment on your feet is hard to come by.
I've found a bit of a sideline though.
Photographic subject, don't you know.
For the calendars and such? If you keep your calendar in a whorehouse.
The pictures are a tad risque.
What will the bishop think? And what about you? Don't you need to be pursuing work? I have work.
I am a maritime supervisor.
I sit here and make sure all the boats get past okay.
Almost had a collision last night.
It was thrilling.
- You eaten? - No.
Let me buy us some real breakfast.
I've got to sleep, but thanks.
Well, how about dinner tonight? You're not mistaking me for a sweet little debutante at the summer fair, are you? That kind never did take my interest.
Oh, you like things back-alley.
I like things to be what they are.
Then dinner it is.
Anywhere but here.
Well, I don't know London much.
I do.
I'm not asking her back.
Although she put Madame Kali to shame, I must say.
It was a riveting performance.
The dilettantes among the company were outraged, but if one is to engage with the primordial forces of darkness, one must expect a bit of social awkwardness.
Although the language tsk-tsk-tsk-tsk! My apologies.
My wife mortified, although the gin helped.
All right, then, let me see them.
Yes, these are the three I've seen.
You have had some of this translated, haven't you? - No.
- No? This figure, the snake-headed one, that's Amunet, who performed a spectacular star turn last night.
Who is she? A goddess: "The Hidden One.
" Why "The Hidden One"? Because despite her outward divinity, she had a monster within her, not unlike your Miss Ives.
This is new.
What do you mean? This hasn't been seen before by anyone.
- How do you know? - Because it's impossible.
Is there more of this? More pictures? - Yes.
- I'm going to ask you to do something.
Wherever you came across this, whatever your interest, whatever need you think you have, you must forget you ever saw it.
First, you tell me why.
Amunet was the consort of Amun-Ra, one of the great gods.
He was the first "Hidden One.
" The original serpent prince.
So named not for any particular reptilian qualities, but for the power of rebirth; like a snake shedding its skin.
Everlasting, perpetual life Sustained by feeding on the souls of others.
Amunet and Amun-Ra never appear in the same incantation.
It is inconceivable in pharaonic religion to conjoin them; their narratives are kept completely separate.
- Why? - Because If they ever came together, Amunet would become the mother of evil.
All light would end and the world would live in darkness.
The hidden ones would emerge and rule.
Amunet-Amun-Ra conjoined.
This is a spell foretelling the annihilation of man and the coming of the beast.
I would not tell Miss Ives this.
After all, who wants to know they're hunted by the devil? How long? Victor, how long do we walk? Long walk, yes? Victor, yes? Everything in one day.
One night.
It's coming to night now, not day.
Night.
Night.
Yes, night.
Why are you slow? Now listen, Proteus.
This is your very first time outside of this room and it's all going to be very new to you, so try to stay calm, yes? Yes, Victor.
Don't be frightened.
Here it is.
Everything.
Everything.
- Dog.
- Dog.
Dog.
Dog.
Spices! Spices from the Orient! Look at these.
A horse.
Warm.
- Hot.
Hot-hot.
- Hot.
No.
No, thank you.
No thank you.
- Hat.
- Yeah.
Hat? Hat! - No.
No-no-no.
- Hat.
Chestnut.
Fairy lights.
What? No, that's something called gas lighting.
It's an invisible chemical, which means you can't see it.
It has combustible properties that produce flame, thus illumination.
Victor, fairy lights.
Who am I to argue? Frigate! Sloop.
Scow.
Barque.
Top sail.
Bowline.
Jib boom.
Wife.
What did you say? On the dock.
Wife.
Doreen.
Victor, what am I? Tell me.
Tell me.
- Doctor.
- Sir? You don't remember.
We met with sir Malcolm and Miss Ives where you work.
The American, of course.
How do you do? Well, thanks.
This is Miss Brona Croft.
- Hello.
- Miss Croft.
Uh this is my friend, Mr.
Proteus.
Ethan Chandler.
How do you do? My name is Mister Proteus.
Oh, and this is Miss Croft.
How do you do, Miss Croft? My name is Mister Proteus.
- Fine evening, isn't it? - Yes.
Yes, very.
Enjoy the evening, Mr.
Chandler.
Miss Croft.
Chestnut? Thank you.
That's very kind.
Enjoy the fairy lights.
I always do.
What? And what else? Then we saw the frigate and the sloop.
Oh, and the barque.
Then we met Mr.
Ethan Chandler and Miss Brona Croft, our friends on the river Well, perhaps not friends, passing acquaintances, more like.
Why? Friends are something different.
They're people you've known for a while.
You're comfortable with, close to.
Like Victor.
Yes.
Will I have many? If you're lucky.
I shall have many.
Ten.
More than ten if we Your first born has returned Father.

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