Showtime’s gothic horror dramaPenny Dreadfulhad afantabuloussecond season, and one shining spot in it was Broadway legendPatti LuPone. LuPone has made an appearance in several series recently (Girls,American Horror Story), and though she was only in onePenny Dreadfulepisode, her character the Cut-Wife had a huge impact on Vanessa’s (Eva Green) arc. Wisely, show creatorJohn Loganis now bringing LuPone back for Season 3, but as a new character: Dr. Seward, an American therapist who “treats Vanessa with an unusual new approach.” Of course, everything is unusual onPenny Dreadful, so there’s no telling what that means.
There is certainly precedent for actors returning as different characters (onLaw & Order, for instance, someone might return several times playing different roles), though it’s fairly rare in cable dramas.Garret DillahuntinDeadwoodis one example. I’m not a huge fan of it happening (because it can be confusing for casual viewers, and distracting for everyone else), but I’m definitely intrigued by what LuPone will bring to this new character, especially given how haunting and powerful her Cut-Wife was.
In addition to Dr. Seward,Penny Dreadful’s third season will also be addingRobert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Henry Jekyll, played byShazad Latif(The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel). While I thinkPenny Dreadfulis really successful in creating new characters (rather than pulling everyone from literature), I’ve been impressed with the new places its taken some otherwise familiar stories – like with Frankenstein and his Creature – so Jekyll/Hyde will be a new, welcomed (and unstable) addition to the cast.
According to a press release, other new Season 3 characters include:
(RegardingKaetenay, he just sounds like a substitute for Sembene … why did we have to lose Sembene in the first place?) What do you guys think of these new characters and LuPone’s return?
Penny Dreadful’s third season, which will run for nine episodes, will return in 2016 on Showtime.
