As a working stiff it’s vital that I have at least one mindless television show to escape into after a long, hard day. Someone mentions Penny Dreadful and so I give it a try. It’s a Showtime creation and labeled as British-American, whatever that means. I watched more HBO as a kid and remember only tuning into SHO after 11pm when things like The Red Shoe Diaries aired. Even then, I liked Real Sex more. The violence and sex of today’s Showtime seems less seedy, almost antiseptic, compared to the things I saw in the 90s.As if the prudes said, “Well if you’re going to show it, at least make it clean.”

In Episode 2, two characters are having passionate sex, two pale white creatures panting in soft afternoon light. I’ve been that girl in the heteronormative sex scene more times than I can count. I’m soft, curvy and flexible. I make the same noises  – except there’s a touch more pain and urgency in my breath. That’s because I actually have a dick inside of me, pummeling my cervix and sliding against my contracting muscles. That sort of sex involves a whole lot more sweat and squishing sounds than what is portrayed on the screen. Watching the actors wordlessly gaze at each other I’m grateful for how comfortable I am with my sexuality.

The more distressing flaw in this script is the subtle bigotry in the details. The character portrayals are mostly derived from 19th century literature that’s now part of public domain. Dr. Frankenstein, Dorian Gray and Count Dracula are a few of the more notable characters seen in the first few episodes. It’s the less attributable identities that display the lazy racism and sexism of the writers. Best example: the well-dressed black man with a face tattoo and dual khukuris and very little dialogue. It’s period piece taking place in a vague historical time containing overt racial subtext. Oddly, this is contrasted against enough compassionate animal imagery to qualify as a Disney production.

This sort of thing only stokes the subtle bigotry burning like a slow coal fire underneath society. Miss Ives, the only female with much of a role so far, is portrayed as cold and tense. Clearly indebted to her male superior and the only time she let’s loose it’s due to demon possession which results in gratuitous vulgarity followed by sex with a stranger in an alleyway. Just in case you didn’t get it yet – she’s troubled. The men are all confident and affable but she’s standoffish and visible repressed – as if strength is awkward on a woman. Despite my complaints, the plot is interesting and ties between characters appears clever. If you liked Anne Rice’s vampires you will enjoy this fantasy world. Just don’t watch too close and it’ll be fine.