Forget the Penny Dreadful title. This has nothing to do with Gothic Horror, London, or the bleak literary melancholia associated with the Penny Dreadful original 19th century publications. This shows primary flaw is the naming. Consider it as "City of Angels" as a stand alone show by the same producers as Penny Dreadful, and it holds up. An extensive list of interconnected characters makes for intricate plot lines and a palpable build of tension. The casting is solid. Strong performances by Dormer, Bishe, Kinnear, and Lane cover the plot holes and occasionally disingenuous writing. Take it as a an American period thriller and it holds up. As a Penny Dreadful title; it fails

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