Penny Dreadful (2014–2016): Season 1, Episode 2 - Séance - full transcript

NARRATOR:
Previously on Penny Dreadful:

ETHAN:
What might I do for you?

I need a gentleman

not hesitant to engage
in dangerous endeavours.

This is the individual?
Yes.

MALCOLM: We're looking for someone.
Do not be amazed at anything you see.

[GROWLING]

[GROWLS]

MALCOLM: It's not her.
VANESSA: 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 one we killed.

MALCOLM: 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.

VICTOR:
What's this?

LYLE".
The source of the writing,

the Egyptian Book of the Dead.

The body 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.

[SCREAMS]

MALCOLM:
Carnage. It's like a battlefield.



Damn him that did it.
Right to hell.

[SHIVERING]

[CAT MEOWS]

[BLOWS AIR]

[METAL CLANKS]

[CLANKING CONTINUES]

[METAL CLANKING ON GROUND]

[METAL CLANGS]

[PANTING]

Vi“

[WHIMPERING]

[SCREAMS]

Vi“

[GASPS THEN GROANS]

MAN 1:
Take the topsail down!

[GROANS]

MAN 1:
Wait for the next tide!

[GROANS]

MAN 1:
Tie it up!

MAN 2:
Go, men, go!

[SQUEAKING]

MAN:
Tie the line! All aboard!

[ALL CHATTERING]

[ETHAN GROANING]

[SIGHS]

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.

[GRUNTS SOFTLY]

Hmm.

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.

Okay.

[HUMS]

[BOTH CHUCKLE]

[HUMS]

Your turn.

VICTOR:
Proteus.

Vi“

Proteus.

Proteus.

Vi“

[PROTEUS GRUNTS]

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.

Proteus.

Shh. Shh.

It's all right. I'll be here again
before you know it.

[DOOR OPENS]

[DOOR CLOSES]

[LOCKS CLICK]

[WHIMPERING SOFTLY]

[SIGHS]

MAN:
Of course.

[MEN CHATTERING]

Well, nice to meet you too.

And you.

[GASPS]

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
in entertainment business.

Jesus, not an 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 theatre?

I don't think so.
What trade do you have?

I could shoot the ace out of a card
at 50 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.

I worked over in a factory
in Shoreditch

but 'twas a dispiriting endeavour.

One by one, we were all replaced
by better, new machines.

It's no harm.

There's 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.

[COUGHING]

Me lungs are buggered. Ahem.

I'd like to say it was from
working conditions of the factory.

It's more likely God
being a right playful fucker.

I'm Ethan Chandler.

Brona? Brona Croft.

It's Gaelic.
What does it mean?

Sadness.

[CHUCKLES]

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.

Dr Frankenstein,
thank you for coming.

You remember Miss Ives?

How do you do?
Doctor.

This way.

MALCOLM: And how go your
researches, doctor?

VICTOR: Ooh! I would say
distinctly promising. Heh.

VANESSA:
You are unusually jovial, sir.

VICTOR:
The caprices of science, Miss Ives.

Vi“

God.

How did you remove the skin?
Carrion beetles.

Essex?
Suffolk.

Fair enough. Well, 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.

Ah.
MALCOLM: Do you know it?

Not intimately

but I've studied theology.

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.

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

BOTH:
What man has made of man?

VICTOR: Well, I can confirm that it's
human blood, or at least vertebrate.

Has erythrocytes and thrombocytes.

The more unusual properties
are beyond my expertise.

Speak to a haematologist.

Then I'll engage one
and you'll consult with him.

I'm not sure I have time. My work--
MALCOLM: 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.

MAN 1: I'm thinking I may
have to look elsewhere.

A line has to be drawn.
MAN 2: Well, I can only apologise.

WOMAN: Perhaps you can help
me with somebody else.

MAN 2: I'll see what I can do.
MAN 1: Out back.

[DOORBELL RINGS]

[OPERA MUSIC
PLAYING OVER SPEAKERS]

Thank you so much for coming.

My name is Dorian Gray.

Vi“

[KNOCKING ON DOOR]

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
about Spitalfields' murders.

GALSWORTHY:
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?
Not for the fainthearted.

My heart's never fainted.

They were Welsh,
in the vegetable trade,

mother and daughter.
Not an enemy in the world 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 that up

we have lunatics coming out
to confess.

Every man-jack in the East End
pointing at everyone else.

MALCOLM:
Were they drained of blood?

GALSWORTHY:
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.

GALSWORTHY: 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,
and 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.

[OPERA MUSIC
PLAYING OVER SPEAKERS]

[FLASHBULB POPS]

Would you remove your corset,
Miss Croft?

[COUGHS]

There's blood.

Is it consumption?

Shall I go, sir?
DORIAN: 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.

[FLASHBULB EXPLODES]

[PANTING]

[BOTH MOANING]

I've never fucked
a dying creature before.

Do you feel things more deeply,
I wonder?

Do you feel pain?

Do you?

Find out.

[DORIAN GROANS]

[DORIAN & BRONA MOANING]

[FLASHBULB EXPLODES]

[MOANING CONTINUES]

[GRUNTING]

[COUGHS]

[FLASHBULB EXPLODES]

MAN:
Excellent. Stamp this for me, will you?

Cable for you, sir.

ETHAN:
Ethan, it's time for you to come home.

You can't run away forever.

I can handle your legal problems.
The federal marshal has been paid.

Stop your foolishness
and do as I instruct.

Your father.

♪ Oh, the times was 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 recognise that?

Boa-- Boat.
Boat

Boat

[TAPPING PAGE]

Do you recognise that? That animal?

Whale.

Yes, it's a whale.

A sea creature. Whale.

Whale.

Hunting.

Vi“

[SOBBING]

It's all right.
Shh, shh.

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 N'

[VIOLIN PLAYING
SOFT CLASSICAL MUSIC]

LYLE:
Sir Malcolm.

Sir Malcolm. Miss Ives.

I'm so glad you could attend.

Thank you for coming to my wee fete.
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.

My wife is somewhere about,

close by the gin, I would hazard.
In the parlour, perhaps.

Why don't you
make an introduction?

Of course, Sir Malcolm.

Come along. Let's just stroll,
see what wickedness we can find.

[ALL CHATTERING]

WOMAN 1: Come!
WOMAN 2: You're too sweet.

Vi“

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.

[BOTH CHUCKLE]

Are you a friend of Mr. Lyle's?
Never met him.

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.

LYLE: Ladies and gentlemen,
your attention please.

Your attention please,
you must pay attention to me.

My friends,
our guest of honour has arrived.

May I present
the renowned Madame Kali.

[ALL APPLAUDING]

LYLE: 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.
Excellency.

Sit. Sir Malcolm, take a seat.
Splendid.

Sit. Sit.

[GUESTS CHATTERING]

Gentlemen,
please remove your jewellery.

What's going on?
KALI: Ladies, remove your gloves.

I believe we're about
to commune with the spirits.

MAN 1: This is such fun.
KALI: Please.

MAN 1: Is it true?
Join hands.

MAN 2:
Join hands.

KALI:
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.

[HISSES]

[GUESTS MURMURING]

[KALI GROANS]

KALI [IN DEEP VOICE]:
What summoned me?

I speak for the dead.

For the undying.

Vi“

[GASPS]

[IN NORMAL VOICE]
There's another here.

Vi“

There's...

another here.

WOMAN:
What does she mean?

Amunet.

Amunet.

Amunet.

[HISSES]

Amunet. Serpent. Hidden one.

Know your master.
Your lover. Your master.

[GRUNTING]

[GUESTS GASP]

[GRUNTING]

[PANTING]

Vi“

[GROANING IN DEEP VOICE]

[SPEAKING IN DEEP VOICE
IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE]

[IN DEEP VOICE]
Father.

[IN CHILD-LIKE VOICE]
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.

[PANTING]

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!

[ALL GASP]

[PANTING]

[IN RASPY VOICE]
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 N'

lam...

weak.

[GASPS]

Can't feel my hands.

There's no water.

[RASPY GASP]

I can't swallow.

You knew I was dying.

Didn't you, Father?

Did you name a mountain...

after me?

Vi“

[SIGHS]

[SNIFFLES]

[SIGHS]

[GUESTS GASP]

[VANESSA GROWLING]

[IN DEEP VOICE]
Amunet, girl? No, much older.

[ALL SCREAM]

Father, Mina's waiting.

No!

Shh.

[VANESSA MOANING]

I wonder.

I wonder when was the moment
you knew you wanted to fuck her?

Why were you not more discreet?

Vanessa heard you. The two of you.

She heard you fucking
and she was curious.

She walked, 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!

[SHOUTING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE]

[GUESTS SCREAMING]

[GASPS]

[VANESSA SCREAMING]

[ALL SCREAMING]

[GUESTS SCREAMING]

[THUNDER RUMBLING]

Vi“

[GRUNTS]

Vi“

[BOTH MOANING]

[THUNDER CRASHING]

[MOANING AND GASPING]

Vi“

[BOTH MOANING]

[SIGHS]

Breakfast, Miss Croft?

Our usual repast?

I won't say no.
And call me Brona, will you?

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 risqué.

What will the bishop think?

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?

[CHUCKLES]

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.

Vi“

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.

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've had some translated,
haven't you?

No.
No?

This figure, the snake-headed one,
that's Amunet,

who performed such
a spectacular star turn last night.

Who is she?
A goddess. The hidden one.

MALCOLM: Why "the hidden one"?
Despite her outward divinity,

she had a monster within her,
not unlike your Miss Ives.

Vi“

This is new.
What do you mean?

LYLE: This hasn't been
seen before by anyone.

How do you know?
Because it's impossible.

Is there more? 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 are hunted by the devil?

Vi“

PROTEUS:
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 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.

[CROWD CHATTERING]

[PANTING]

[BREATHING SLOWLY]

Don't be frightened.

Here it is.

Everything.

Vi“

[PEOPLE CHATTERING]

Everything.

Vi“

[DOG BARKING]

Dog D09-

Dog. Dog.

MAN: Spices! Spices from the Orient!
Look at these.

A horse.

[HEARTBEAT THUMPING]

[PROTEUS GASPS]

PROTEUS: Warm.
VICTOR: Hot.

Hot. Hot.
Hot.

VICTOR: No. No, no, thank you.
No, thank you.

Hat.
Yeah.

Hat? Hat.
No, no, no.

Hat.

Vi“

VICTOR:
Chestnut.

Hmm?

Vi“

Fairy lights.

What? No, that's something
called gas lighting.

It's an invisible chemical,
you can't see it.

It has combustible properties
that produce flame, thus Illumination.

Victor, fairy lights.

Who am I to argue?
Oh!

[PROTEUS GASPS]

[BIRDS CAWING]

[SHIP HORN BLARES]

VICTOR:
Frigate.

[SHIP HORN BLARES]

MAN:
Aye, aye!

Sloop.

Scow.

Barque. Top sail. Bowline. Jib boom.

Vi“

Wife.

What did you say?
On the dock.

Wife.

Doreen.

Victor, what am I?

Tell me.

Tell me.
ETHAN: 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. Mm.
VICTOR: Miss Croft.

Uh, this is my friend, Mr. Proteus.

Ethan Chandler.

How do you do?
My name is Mr. Proteus.

Oh, and this is Miss Croft.

How do you do, Miss Croft?
My name is Mr. Proteus.

ETHAN: 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? Ha-ha-ha!

[DOOR OPENS]

VICTOR:
And what else?

PROTEUS: 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 'IO if we--

[GASPS]

Vi“

[PANTING]

[WHIMPERING]

Your firstborn has returned,

Father.

Vi“