It's funny how as soon as we were done you were bragging to me that you had found somebody who was 'better' and 'treating you right' yet less than 6 months later you and her are now strangers
A while ago I wrote this post regarding those godawful It Was Foretold posters the Penny Dreadful tumblr had been releasing. Unfortunately, for me, after I posted that very long explanation as to why they were bullshit they released two more. I waited to see if those would be the last ones and they were. As a result, the need for completeness overtook me. Below is my reasoning behind why those last two posters were also, in fact, trash.
Vanessa, let me show you what I can give you. To be free of pain. To be loved, simply for who you are.
As I said in my previous post, Vanessa had this love thing down. Even when she was at her worst, in s3, she had Mr. Lyle checking up on her, and Sir Malcolm wrote her letters (letters she decided to answer saying she was fine when she wasn't -- I'm not convinced he wouldn't have come home if he knew how poorly she was doing). A lot of the problem is that she isolated herself, which is not her fault, because she was ill. Basically, what Dr. Seward told her during their sessions is exactly what's at work re: Vanessa's misery. She’s sick and she’s been through major losses. The fact she believes she isn’t loved is part of her illness, which doesn’t make it true. She was loved very much. But, you honestly want me to believe she was going to give in to Dracula after going through treatment and being aware he was who he was? Again, after shutting down Lucifer? Ok, sure. Whatever you say.
Also, to be free of pain? I reinstate that could have easily happened without the clusterfuck at the end of the finale. Seriously. Kill. Dracula. I will never understand why they didn't end it with that. It'd still be a grand finale worthy conclusion. I just--ugh.
So we walk alone.
Excuse you, Penny Dreadful tumblr. You don't get to claim this was foreshadowing when it was clearly Ethan being tragic. And Vanessa was never *actually* alone???? And let us not forget this line ended up a falsehood? No one walks alone, ultimately. In terms of faith, the whole significance of it was that God is always with you even when you lose your faith. That God isn't gone just because you think He is. God is there waiting to be found.
Besides, you can argue her death contradicts this line. She wasn't alone then. Likewise, her turning into the mother of evil (ew) meant she wasn't technically alone either because she had Dracula with her. If she had been all about that world ending death fog, I'm sure Vanessa would’ve been having a gr8 time. So, your point was what, Penny Dreadful tumblr? Aside from shamelessly attempting to cover up faulty writing, that is.
Re: those “It was foretold” posts the Penny Dreadful tumblr has been releasing
They’re a ridiculous attempt to convince folks that the finale was foreshadowed and that it made sense. The caveat, here, obviously, is that individual viewers may agree. However, the people who are dissatisfied aren’t bad readers simply because we have a slew of issues with the conclusion to the show. Hell, I have a problem with the argument these posts are making. If you want to know why, it’s under the fold. I listed all the quotations they used so far and the reasons why they are less than ideal in making a case. Again, to each their own, but I wanted to put the counterargument out there. Oh, and, full disclosure, my beef is more with the matter of how Vanessa’s storyline ended as opposed to her having gone vampire (there will be more on this below).
Onward to the long post (I had a lot of thoughts).
"Welcome to the night, Vanessa"
This gem of a quotation, you may remember, was said by Ethan as a reaction to Vanessa killing that dude in 2.07. He didn’t know she used the evil book. This quotation would predict that a. Vanessa would cross to the dark side, and b. that she’s doomed maybe.
Let’s get out of the way, though, that Vanessa killing anyone is not, a convincing enough reason for her death since Ethan and Sir Malcolm have killed loads of people and are both, magically, alive by the end of the show.
Although Ethan didn’t know Vanessa used the book, the quotation could be used to point out to her eventual surrender to Dracula. Joan Clayton had said that to use it would mean straying away from God forever. On the other hand, the show pointed out twice that God is always waiting ahead. Here is a good time to recall Ethan also strayed from God in s3. Guess who didn’t die? Anyway, in the s2 finale, Lucifer says it was as if Vanessa held him and kissed him deep when she spoke in Verbis Diablo (and used her midnight powers to kill that dude, as Mrs. Poole reminds us). Regardless, Vanessa stands her ground, and doesn’t give in to him, because her soul is her own (”that part of God is mine,” she says) and she already has enough sins (tyvm). Fascinating, that. It's almost as if Vanessa wasn't actually lost forever. Actually, it’s like she’s actively defying Ethan’s words because no matter how many sins she’s committed, she still has her soul. She still has God. To use this quotation as if it somehow predicts the finale: either her death, or her giving into Dracula, when the conclusion of the season was her NOT giving in to Lucifer, is beyond me.
"I can't live forever violated. My sleep, when I wake, when I pray...those demons tearing into me."
This quotation would appear to be making the case that Vanessa would always give up in the end, because she is just exhausted of fighting. It’s a fair point, in a way, because she fought so hard and if anyone deserves rest is her. But what’s the context here? Well, she is talking specifically about the torment Lucifer and his witches put her through. How did season 2 end again? Oh, yeah, Vanessa gave a final fuck you to Lucifer, and the head witch was killed by Ethan (the wolf of god, mind, who was doing his damn job). The power of team work is so nifty. I wonder where else that could've solved the problem. What other enemy could’ve been eliminated by getting mauled or shot. I s2g, Dracula was easier prey than Lucifer, he could be killed for good. UGH. He’d never bother Vanessa again.
You know what else? I’d be a lot more inclined in believing her plea for the sweet, sweet relief of death in season 2. Also, fwiw, if they had shown that Lucifer was still in the picture even after the events of the s2 finale, I;d be more inclined to believe Vanessa’s argument that she just needed to gtfo.
"When the moment comes, look into my eyes and pull the trigger."
Oh, now, this one is definitely foreshadowing, right? You could argue the point, and do it well. The counterargument, though, isn’t weak and shouldn’t be ignored. When Vanessa says this line in season 1, she's referring to her possession by Lucifer, and that if she is too far gone, Ethan needs to shoot her. We get a moment much like the one in season 3, where all hope seems lost (s1 is more convincing on that respect, I think). But, wait, how does this particular plot point resolve itself in s1, again? With a feat of team work? With Ethan doing his wolf of god job and exorcising Vanessa, thus sending Lucifer to plan his next attack? Well, fancy that. You know what never happened again? She was never possessed in s2. Or in s3. Fascinating. Once again, s2 had to have ended in success cause Lucifer wasn’t present at all, save for that flashback. You know what the conclusion to this storyline tells the audience? That dying is not the answer for Vanessa. She has her people, especially Ethan, to help her. She is perfectly capable of carrying on: to live with her sins, but to live with her joys, too. The fact she held on and survived the exorcism is a testament to her strength and will to live. Hell, the fact she survived the asylum and her first possession are a testament to that as well.
And let's not forget Vanessa was scared when she said this line, and the conclusion was meant to show her she didn't have to go this far. There was still hope for her. There was another way out, because Ethan was there. Her and Ethan’s fate were entwined, and I’d argue that this is a perfect example of that. They were meant to best Lucifer and Dracula together. He’s there to support her, to give her that extra boost. No one is an island. He’s not the only one with this function, though. In his absence, Dr. Seward and Cat do a great job in serving as a support system. Besides, everyone teams up to help her fight Dracula. It shouldn’t matter she was vamped up, she still seemed to be herself instead of, like, evil. But moving on.
"There cannot be a happy end, for claw will slash and tooth will rend."
Honestly, this seems to me like the kind of fatalistic prophecy heroes are supposed to defy. Yet, this is the one, I think, that carries the most weight as a foreshadowing tool. However, this quotation leads me to:
"All light will end and the world will live in darkness. The Hidden Ones will emerge and rule. Amunet. Amun-Ra."
&
"This is a spell foretelling the annihilation of man and the coming of the beast."
These two quotations also work quite well as foreshadowing. As I’ve said earlier, though, I have less of a problem with Vanessa giving in to Dracula than her just giving up and begging for death. These quotations lose a little of their persuasive power, I think, because it seemed clear that the end of days was reversible when it came down to it. Kill Dracula. Boom done. Vanessa is no longer a vampire and London isn’t plagued with death fog. Awesome. That being said, I’m also the one who was hoping she "gave in" to make Dracula think he won, so he'd be vulnerable, in his hubris. Thus he’d be easier prey for Vanessa and company (esp werewolf Ethan, because I saw no claws slashing and teeth rending and I was hoping for an epic showdown, damnit, with Van giving the final blow with a gun because she's a great shot and we know Drac was weak to bullets). Ahem. Also, Amunet didn’t seem too keen on the end of the world???
So my point is, ok, Vanessa gave in. I guess we can sort of argue that made sense?? Even though she was doing fine by that point??? She just had a weird relapse?? Which I don’t get because didn’t she already know her family was returning? And, like, Dracula was in no way more seductive than Lucifer?? This plot development was so weak, I’m so frustrated. I was so convinced Vanessa took Cat’s spy comment to heart and went hella undercover. SIGH. Honestly, it’d have made more sense if she had done that, because, lbr, her attempt at spy-killing was pathetic. I don't even mean that in a pathetic character way, but in a narrative way: it was anticlimactic af if that was her downfall. Now, if she was lying? Then the fact the audience could kind of believe her, but also find it oddly unconvincing? Now that’s hinting at a plot twist. To add to this suspicion I had, Vanessa said she accepts herself not Dracula -- and the fallen brothers are all about her accepting them, specifically. Her characterization in the finale, too, led me to believe she was faking it because there's this itty bit of a shot when Dracula tries to hold her hand, which is on his shoulder, and she smoothly moves away before he can do it. Vanessa is not into this stuff. At all. Again, we’re also shown that she's basically the same?? Actually, this is even worse because she does betray Dracula. She makes him believe she’s going to kill Ethan, but she just wants him alone so he can kill her. Why the fuck didn’t they just kill Dracula, instead? The outcome would be the same. But the this heroine wouldn’t die a most pointless death of tragic womanliness.
My other point is that her resignation to death makes no sense in light of previous storylines. Every single thing about Vanessa’s development have been about her finding hope, and purpose, and forgiveness, and love SIMPLY FOR BEING WHO SHE IS (!!!). She has exactly what Lucifer tempted her with, actually. Sure, s3 starts dark, and Sweet’s/Dracula’s betrayal takes a toll, but she’s on board with killing him. She has a new support system. Although, she could also have waited a while for her old support system? I’m foggy on the timing of Kaetenay’s vision message to her but???? it was definitely around the time she went after Dracula. I feel angry question marks are the only thing I can say at this point so I’ll wrap this post up. So, the previous development of Vanessa’s character point to the conclusion that she will overcome this Dracula struggle. Her death scene? Not that. She would overcome and live with her flawed but dear family, and she’d have her friends (like Cat, Seward, and Mr. Clare). It would’ve been difficult, but there would be love, and support, and kindness. They’d have each other. And you know what? It would’ve been realistic, because that’s the stuff of life. What does death solve? By letting her live and killing Dracula (who didn’t even die?? did he die??) means that the wonder brothers would be gone, and she could still regain her faith since God is always ahead. She could’ve found peace by living too. Like people do. But I digress.
Most of all, I wanted to express why these "it was foretold" posts by the penny dreadful tumblr are a very infuriating attempt to convince fans that the finale wasn't total bs because foreshadowing. There’s for sure room to argue here and the audience is not imagining that there’s some unfortunate writing afoot.
