This Forgotten Fantasy Horror Series Delivered the Biggest ‘Frankenstein’ Twist in the Monster’s Long History

Mary Shelleythe 1818 novel Frankenstein was adapted for television and cinema several times, since his first appearance on screen in 1910, in a production of the Edison manufacturing company. The latest adaptation is courtesy of Guillermo del Toro and Netflix, and while it appears to take some creative leeway, it follows the same path as any adaptation: a mad scientist takes parts of corpses, puts them together like a morbid puzzle, and reanimates his monstrous creation. An earlier version by Del Toro paid homage to the original novel, while offering a completely unexpected twist: Showtime’s. Penny Terrible.

‘Penny Dreadful’ Puts a Twisted Spin on the Frankenstein Story We Know

Penny Terrible aired for three seasons on Showtime, first premiering on May 11, 2014. The name is derived from “penny dreadfuls”, inexpensive 19th-century magazines with stories both sensational and gruesome, with illustrations to match. Grim magazines were popular in England at the time and the series borrowed heavily from Gothic fiction of the period. For lack of a better comparison, Penny Terrible it’s like Once upon a timeexcept instead of beloved fairy tale characters like Snow White and Prince Charming, the show features a who’s who of 19th century gothic fictionincluding Dorian Gray, Dracula, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, as well as Shelley’s iconic duo Victor Frankenstein (Harry Treadaway) and his creature.

We meet Dr. Frankenstein in the first episode, where he works in secret to reanimate a man’s bodya twist (but not THE twist) on the conventional monster reconstituted from body parts. He succeeds and his creature takes the name Proteus (Alex Price), a name he chooses for himself William ShakespeareIt is Two gentlemen from Verona. Physically, he looks like he did before his death, with what appears to be the ability to heal himself. Mentally he is like a child, but thanks to his mature brain he learns quickly. He looks at the world in wonder until a visit to the port brings back memories of his life.

This causes him to question his existence, wondering why Victor created him. He becomes angry, but quickly turns around, accepting his new life, and he and Victor return home, Proteus having spent the first day of his new life rediscovering the beauty of life. Victor explains to him the meaning of the word “friend”. Proteus smiles, declaring Victor his friend and stating that he will have many friends. “Ten,” he smiles, “More than ten if we…” He stops abruptly, leaping forward as bloody fingers protrude from his chest, just moments before he is torn in two, a gruesome death at the hands of Frankenstein First of all creation.

Penny Dreadful’s Frankenstein Twist is awesome

Penny TerribleThe Frankenstein twist is utterly brilliant, a bait and switch of the highest caliber. We believe that Proteus is Victor’s only creation; he seems like a normal man, an articulate one at that, looking at the world with eyes of wonderful naivety and eager to see what each new day will bring. This is apparently a bold change, but nonetheless optimistic and hopeful. But before our eyes, the Creature literally tears apart Proteus – and by extension, our expectations –. No one would have imagined that Proteus would be Frankenstein’s second attempt.a “new and improved” version that can fit effortlessly into the world, even if, in hindsight, it’s almost too good to be true.

What’s truly astonishing about this twist is how it honors Shelley’s novel.. Everything we know about Victor Frankenstein and the Creature – the patchwork body of used parts, the look, the reanimated lightning bolt, the anguish, the inner turmoil – happened, as Shelley writes. We just didn’t know about it. Not only that, but Kinnear’s portrayal has been praised by many, including Collider, as one of, if not the best, interpretations of the creature.

By its very existence, the Creature, also known as Caliban or John Clare throughout the series, says a lot about the character of its creator. Frankenstein abandoned his creation, unable or unwilling to stem the creature’s growing aggression. Proteus was the prize, the perfect golden child who fueled Frankenstein’s narcissism, and by killing him, the Creature forces Frankenstein to confront his own failures as a man and as a parentwhat it is in substance. The creature feeds on it and demands that Victor create a partner for it, lest it kill everyone Victor holds dear. There is a real threat behind these words, honed over the years by a man who did not ask to be born, who was abandoned by the only family he ever knew and rejected by society at large. And he is made even more dangerous and deadly as he sees Victor embrace his perfect creation in Proteus, watching his “brother” receive the love and attention he was denied.

Penny Terrible sees the creature outgrow Shelley’s version, becoming a real man by the end of the series, even though he has accepted that he is truly alone in a society that refuses to adopt him as one of its own. The series serves as an extension of what the Creature could have been. Interestingly, the creature’s request to Victor to create a mate for him results in Lily (Billie Piper), Frankenstein’s bride — who, like Proteus before her, appears entirely alive but also rejects the advances of the Creature and Victor. It is about a wife who channels her rage against her creator and the male-dominated society in which she lives, attracting and killing men indiscriminately. Lily is a variation on conventional depictions of Frankenstein’s bride, but it is a variation that pales in comparison to the one that revealed the original creation of Victor Frankenstein through the death of his second.