More Antics At The Opera On Showtime's "Penny Dreadful"

"It must be the Wagner": Evelyn Poole (Helen McCrory) and Sir Malcolm (Timothy Dalton) get wet post-opera.

In season 2, episode 5, "Above the Vaulted Sky," we find two couples attending the opera: "A somewhat more healthy relationship continues to blossom between Dorian Gray and Angelique, although the public nature of it finally catches up to them at the opera where Angelique is recognized and spit upon. Back in Gray’s gallery, a humiliated Angelique appears dressed as a man, but Gray assures her he cares for who she is, not what she was born as. These scenes continue to have no real bearing on the rest of the show and play a bit like a Very Special Episode spaced out over the course of the season, at least until the lovers take off their clothes and all bets are off. It’s interesting to see how director Damon Thomas presents the various sex scenes visually: the more comfortable the characters are in their own skin and with their sexuality, the closer the camera and the more explicit the scene. In the case of Gray and Angelique, it’s about as graphic as Showtime gets. At the other end of the spectrum we get a high overhead shot of a fully-clothed Victor humping spasmodically atop Lily. Evelyn Poole and the mind-clouded Sir Malcolm are somewhere in between." [Source] Music cues up just before the scene at the opera house. It is a syncopated brass section and we hear a voice sing, "Elsa." Next we find Dorian Gray (Reeve Carney) escorting Angelique (Jonny Beauchamp) into a hall during the intermission of the opera. She remarks that the performance is scandalous because the plot involves brother and sister. After the performance is over, we see Evelyn Poole (Helen McCrory) and Sir Malcolm (Timothy Dalton) exit straight to a hotel where they kiss for the first time in the pouring rain. He apologizes for being so forward and she credits their passion to Wagner. So what did they see at the opera? The lead-in music hints at Lohengrin (Count Friedrich von Telramund does accuse Elsa of murdering her brother in order to become the Duchess of Brabant), but it could also be Die Walküre (where we are introduced to Siegmund and Sieglinde, twin brother and sister turned lovers), or even Siegfried (since the opera is about the love-child of the incestuous couple). The viewer is left to guess. Be sure to check out the previous post about Penny Dreadful by clicking here. Watch the full episode by clicking here. See more than twenty photos of the episode, including the NSFW sex scenes, after the jump.

A (Rough) Night At The Opera: Dorian Gray (Reeve Carney) and Angelique (Jonny Beauchamp) find trouble.

Love's First Prick: Sir Malcolm (Timothy Dalton) and Evelyn Poole (Helen McCrory) at the opera.

"Penny Dreadful" Makes Dorian Gray A Sex-Craved Opera Lover

Nothing comes between a man of eternal youth and his needle: Reeve Carney as Dorian Gray.

"Some of literature's most terrifying characters, including Dr. Frankenstein, Dorian Gray, and iconic figures from the novel Dracula are lurking in the darkest corners of Victorian London. Penny Dreadful is a frightening psychological thriller that weaves together these classic horror origin stories into a new adult drama." [Source] Showtime's latest original series, Penny Dreadful, features some of the best writing, acting, and scenography, in recent television. Creators, John Logan and Sam Mendes, have truly designed a turn-of-the-century atmosphere that encapsulates the British mentality moving away from rationalism into mysticism. One unique trait of the Dorian Gray character is his love of all things sensual, including opera. The audience is treated to several risqué scenes at his mansion where there is generally In flagrante delicto with opera playing for ambience. In one scene, it actually acts as a catalyst for a tête-à-tête with fellow actor Josh Hartnett. Listen to sound clips of the music sampled in the show, read more about the television series, and see some (NSFW) pictures of Dorian Gray's escapades, after the jump.