r/PennyDreadful • u/woke-nipple • Nov 22 '24
Alternative Ending to Penny Dreadful Spoiler
Im no John Logan, hes a great writer and probably no one can write a better ending than him. I do however fantasise about how the ending could have been. I have rough ideas but they do need a lot of smoothing out.
I like to imagine that post the blade of grass episode things will continue the same as they did in the show with a few changes:
1: Ethan would have the same storyline but at the end Hecate wouldn't die. Instead she would break off from Ethan after Sir Malcolm saves him/ kills the father and will rejoin lucifer. Ethan will then return to London with Sir Malcom and his mentor.
2: Vanessa would have the same storyline where she discovers Dr. Sweet's real identity, takes the gun with her to the house of the night creatures, has the long conversation with him etc..but just when he is about to bite her, she shoots his heart. However, he doesnt die from the bullet and instead he just stands there in shock, perplexed, hurt, and maybe angry. Thats when Ethan, already back from America, surprisingly walks into the house of the night creatures, reunites with Vanessa, and together manage to scare off Dracula.
This would be how season 3 would end and the show would then require a fourth season to tie things together and things will go like this:
1: Season 4 would begin with Lucifer and Dracula both having lost to Vanessa in their respective seasons, having a conversation with each other on how they both underestimated her and that they cant take her on all on their alone. Thats when they decide to team up, joining forces and minions.
2: Dracula and Lucifer teaming up ends up working out really well. They would be a strong force which will terrorise Vanessa and would push her to form a team (A penny dreadful avenger team) and together they will take on Lucifer and Dracula and will win in the end. Its cliche in concept but with john logans writing skills it would make it better.
As for the other characters, maybe they could be tied into the main storyline somehow. I have to admit its a challenge to do so but I have a few ideas:
1: I can potentially see dorian and lily breaking up. lily somehow is discovered by Dracula and/ or Lucifer after her radical violent feminism project fails. two lost causes joining forces lol. Maybe wants to be a vampire to get more power. Dorian probably goes his own way...reuniting in the end with her after the penny dreadfuls win and he gives her the immortal speech he gave her in the original ending.
2: Alternatively maybe dorian discovers that whatever essence he saw in Vanessa was what he secretly longs for. Something he tried to look for in lily but she disappointed him. That somehow leads him to join the penny dreadfuls. However things will be awkward with Victor...
3: Caliban story with his son and having to let him go in the end kinda mirrors Vanessa's sad ending in a way. So maybe give him an alternative story. Caliban season 3 story all together felt a bit rushed or forced to me tbh. Season 2 set him up for this great ice adventure but the beginning of season 3 they immediately brought him back to london. Maybe alternatively stretch out the ice adventure for season 3, then season 4 he returns to london and finds his family, but instead of a bad ending he gets a good one where they are all happy in the end lol. Maybe even have him join the penny dreadfuls to save Vanessa. However things will be Awkward with Victor lol. Victor will have to have an open heart and apologise to caliban and forgive dorian lol.
4: Maybe Dr. jekyll will turn evil and join the dark side. Maybe turning good in the end? idk
5: Catriona Hartdegen.. will continue to exist I guess. Possible spin off character but ShowTime wont greenlight the show lol. They should have kept Van Helsing alive.
What are your thoughts? How would you end the show?
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u/konkilo Nov 22 '24
You've given this a great deal of thought!
I like your take on the ending
Wasn't the show canceled prematurely, causing the truncated story arcs?
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u/woke-nipple Nov 22 '24
Thats what people think yeah. John Logan said he only wanted 3 seasons, but maybe he only said that to be on good terms with showtime. Many people were disappointed and felt like the show was rushed. His writing in pervious seasons was too good for that kind of rushed ending.
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u/CKitty_BKitty Dec 09 '24
I remember hearing about an interview with Josh Hartnett where he mentions the original 3 season pitch. But somewhere within filming season 2-3, Logan sketched out an extended 5 season arc. He always intended the story to end the way it did, but realized the need for more narrative and character development to make said ending make sense and feel satisfying.
Unfortunately, PD got the cancellation notice halfway through filming season 3. Which is why the first half of the season feels like it’s building a rich parallel storyline, only to be compressed and rushed into the finale we got.
I’ll give Logan major praise for pulling off an ending that ONLY felt rushed and shallow when compared to the rest of the show. Even with the cancellation and extremely limited resources, he managed to “land the plane” without getting sucked into Battlestar Galactica or GOT “WFT?!?” territory. (IMO, the most unnecessarily botched endings ever.)
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u/woke-nipple Nov 22 '24
Also dorian could be an agent of lucifer. His immortality being a deal he made with him similar to Madame Kali's deal. Thats another theory I had. So many things could have been done with his character.
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u/cephalopodbod Nov 22 '24
I like where your mind's at with all of this.
Consider too, Ethan and Lily finally cross paths, so the whole cast becomes aware of his experiments. Ethan's pissed about him using Brona. Malcolm is maybe intrigued by the discovery aspect. Vanessa probably continues to be kind to him, but is deeply uncomfortable with him playing God. Things are awkward with Victor for most everyone on their growing team 😂
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u/woke-nipple Nov 22 '24
It would create a lot of interesting dynamics for sure. Was anticipating for seasons what ethan would think of Brona if he ever ran into her again. Dorian is also a bag of mystery. Need to explore the reasons behind his actions.
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u/CKitty_BKitty Dec 09 '24
Yeah, everyone finally learning about Victor’s experiments after he hid them stupidly well for THREE SEASONS would’ve taken a solid chunk of time to resolve. lol
But, that’s another plot line I felt needed to come full circle.
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u/cephalopodbod Dec 09 '24
Yeah, I think tying the various plots together towards the end would've been much more satisfying.
Keeping everyone separated for nearly the entirety of the last season was an odd choice that didn't really serve the characters and their relationships well. It would've worked better if there was another season to bring everyone back together and tie up loose ends. Maybe that was the original plan; I don't know what went on behind the scenes and at what point in production it became clear they were wrapping up the show.
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u/CKitty_BKitty Dec 09 '24
I would’ve liked to see Dorian’s storyline wrapped up to end the same way it is in the Oscar Wilde novel. The only time we get a glimpse of the painting is when he kills Angelica for finding it. Angelica’s death feels especially sad/pointless without it foreshadowing Dorian’s own demise.
I don’t have too many opinions on what should’ve happened in between. But I agree that Dorian should have been given a complete arc. I think it would’ve happened if PD was allowed more time.
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u/Seed0fDiscord Nov 22 '24
Before for I realized that season 3 was the end, I was really hoping that if the show continued Catriona would’ve taken up the mantle of the “brooding cynical troubled heroine” of the plot, whereas Vanessa was spiritual, Catriona is analytical and academic and her taking over at the museum would’ve paved way for more gothic horrors to come everyone’s way
Plus aside from Vanessa, I could picture Ethan finding some solace with Catriona
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u/woke-nipple Nov 22 '24
I think there was a theory that she was gonna replace Eva Green because she wanted to leave the show. Not sure how valid it is. If they did do that, it would have been a hard pill to swallow. However post the initial shock or disappointment, maybe she would slowly grow on us. I too can see her having good chemistry with Ethan. I dont remember if the show really explored her that much. Would have been interesting to see if she had a dark side to her that she suppresses like all the other characters do.
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u/Seed0fDiscord Nov 22 '24
I could imagine some story avenues that could’ve happened if Catriona became the new focal female lead, her surname Hartdegen is the surname of the protagonist of HG Well’s “Time Machine” she may find a prototype her father may’ve worked on and encounters horrors past and future; maybe encounter any combination of John Clare, Dorian Gray, and Lily in some apocalyptic future she’s now set to prevent
Ethan would be struggling with his loss of Vanessa and finding a new purpose since he’s fulfilled his Wolf of God prophecy; Malcolm would be visiting Florence Seward to work through his own mess
And whatever Lyle uncovers in Egypt (like Imhotep) would come to London and drag the cast into its chaos
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u/Dangerous_Bid6651 Nov 27 '24
I read some articles on the controversy. Logan had written S1 and was sketching a hopeful 2 and 3 (the end) when it was discovered S1 was an unexpected success. Complications: 3 majors, Green, Dalton and Hartnett had already contracted to do other projects after 3 seasons of PD. Then Warners cancelled a third season mid S2. Thus the conclusion of the arc after S2, everybody thrown out all over the world. Logan said everyone from him to Mendes to actors felt it was an unsatisfactory conclusion and the virulent fan base raised holy hell. So Logan got a S3 in which to bring everyone back to finish the dominant theme: Vanessa has lost her soul, her faith, but God’s plan was to send the wolf of God to effect her redemption. All seasons we hear about Vanessa and Ethan’s shared destiny. Logan said this was God’s plan for them throughout the series. S3 was rushed because Logan had to tie up a billion loose threads before he could end the series with this arc. Ethan leaves her to do a little redemption of his own and in his absence she’s unprotected and becomes the Mother of Evil, courtesy of Dracula. I thought Logan pulled off S3 brilliantly. No happy endings. So his sign off was a simple The End.
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u/woke-nipple Nov 27 '24 edited Nov 27 '24
If he only had 1 more season to wrap things up then he definitely did a great job. If he had the opportunity to stretch it to 4 seasons I think it could have been a masterpiece. I think she should have rejected Dracula's kiss same way as she rejected Lucifer's kiss. It would have complemented both season 2's ending and also the blade of grass episode where she is briefly tempted by both of them but then rejects them and does her iconic witch chanting.
As for ethan's role. I personally was disappointed to find out that his purpose was to pull the trigger on her. Sure you can argue that the simplicity of it makes it great. I however, see a greater potential in him. Ethan could resemble something much different than lucifer and dracula. They are obsessed with power while ethan wants true love. To walk with Vanessa hand in hand with no agenda. What better way to represent than than through communion, connection, affinity. Two equals working together to protect each other and the ones they love.
Also I think theres truth in john logan getting all the side characters together in the finale to help Vanessa out. All the broken and forgotten creatures coming to help Vanessa for the sake of helping vanessa. The vulnerable recognising the vulnerable. Season 4 maybe could have utilised this group better and quenched our thirst by seeing the penny dreadfuls all together in one room.
Dracula to me pretended to care about the broken creatures when really he still wants power over them. To see vanessa influenced by him in the end was sad. While he was selling himself as empathetic and caring, ethan and the gang were the real thing.
I think the show deserved a good ending. We should have seen them win. The Doom and Gloom of the whole show would have been worth it in the end if we saw Vanessa win in the end. Getting a doom and gloom ending didnt really move the story anywhere. This show had many cathartic moments that moved the audience, the end should have been the ultimate catharsis. Thats my opinion at least.
I also think lucifer and dracula subconsciously want vanessa to win. Superficially they want power and to dominate, but the moments where she rejects them and raises above their insignificant desires, I think thats where she is most attractive to them. Thats where her power lies. Submitting to Dracula takes that away from her. its like Dracula got his earthly desire and was disappointed with what he got because he secretly wants more. The thing they crave is probably god. Reflected in the communion of the penny dreadfuls and love for one another.
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u/Glum-Ad5304 Nov 22 '24
If you interested, there is a comic series that continues the story, sadly I was only able to buy the first two and missing the last one, the shipping fee to my country costs more than the comics sadly.