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IS "PENNY DREADFUL" THE SUMMER'S GAYT SHOW?{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}TVBY BRIAN JUERGENSJUNE 3, 2014/11:27 AMBY BRIAN JUERGENSJUNE 3, 2014 / 11:27 AM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"IS \"PENNY DREADFUL\" THE SUMMER'S GAYT SHOW?","DATEPUBLISHED":"2014-06-03T15:27:49.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2014-06-03T15:27:49.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"BRIAN JUERGENS","KEYWORDS":"THE BACKLOT","ARTICLESECTN":"TV"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BEFORE WE GET TO , LET ME ANSWER MY OWN QUTN: Y. Y {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}(MAJOR SPOILERS FOLLOW. FOR EARLIER REPPAGE, CHECK OUT OUR PIECE ON THE FIRST TWO EPISOS.){BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WHEN WORD WAS FIRST ANNOUNCED OF SHOWTIME'S PERD "PSYCHOSEXUAL HORROR" SERI PENNY DREADFUL, NO ONE WAS SURE WHAT TO EXPECT. THE BT GUS WAS THAT WOULD BE A HANDSOMELY-SHOT MASHUP OF A HANDFUL OF BIG-NAME GENRE INS... WH P CLOSE-UPS OF BOOBI. BUT I DON'T THK ANYONE EXPECTED THE FULL-ON MONSTER MASH THAT WE HAVE SEEN THE SEASON'S FIRST FOUR EPISOS: DR. FRANKENSTE IS NOODLG WH LUDWIG VAN HELSG AN ATTEMPT TO STOP DRACULA; FRANKENSTE'S MONSTER IS PLAYG PHANTOM OF THE OPERA AT THE GRAND GUIGNOL THEATRE, AND THE WOLF MAN JT BANGED DORIAN {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}Y, YOU READ THAT RIGHT: AT THE END OF LAST SUNDAY'S EPISO, ETHAN CHANDLER (JOSH HARTT) - AN OTHERWISE HETERO AMERIN SHARPSHOOTER AND SPECTED WEREWOLF - TOOK A NIGHT OFF OM HAVG EXTREMELY LOUD SEX WH HIS NSUMPTIVE PROSTUTE GIRLIEND, BRONA (BILLIE PIPER), TO SIP ABSTHE AND MAKE OUT WH ETERNAL PRETTYBOY DORIAN (REEVE CARNEY).{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THIS "MAD MONSTER PARTY" JT TURNED TO A MAD MONSTER {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WHEN WAS ANNOUNCED THAT OSR WIL'S NOTOR DORIAN GRAY WOULD BE BBG SHOULRS WH THE RT OF DREADFUL'S ROGUE'S GALLERY, MANY OF SHGGED. FOR S, THE TASK OF BRGG LERATURE'S MOST NOTOR TWK TO LIFE ON SCREEN HAS SUFFERED MORE MONS THAN DA VCI. AT THE START OF EPISO 4, GRAY WAS SEEN LOUNGG SHIRTLS ON A DIVAN WH ANOTHER SHIRTLS MAN, SEEMGLY BORED WH THE LISTLS Y GOG ON AROUND HIM - AND THAT WAS HONTLY ALL THE GAY ACTN I WAS EXPECTG TO GET OUT OF THIS SHOW. DORIAN IS AN EQUAL-OPPORTUNY HEDONIST, HAVG ALREADY BEDD BRONA (LIGHTG WHEN SHE UGHED BLOOD HIS PRETTY, IMMORTAL FACE), BUT AT THIS POT WE HAVE BEEN LED TO BELIEVE THAT HIS EYE IS ON VANSA IV (EVA GREEN), WHOM THE MURKY MYTHOLOGY OF THE SHOW SEEMS TO SUGGT MIGHT RRY SOME SECRET THAT ONLY HE N {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BUT THE EPISO'S SWOONG, CLIMACTIC GAY KISS (SET TO WAGNER'S TRISTAN AND ISOL), BEME CLEAR THAT DORIAN HAD BEEN SCG ETHAN ALL ALONG. IN THE VICTORIAN ANSWER TO THE TRIED-AND-TE "A PIZZA, A GAME AND A SIX-PACK" METHOD OF ATBOY ENTRAPMENT, DORIAN TOOK A LOVELORN ETHAN TO AN UNRGROUND SPORTG RG WHERE A DOG MURRED 97 RATS A MUTE (ROMANTIC SCHEMER!), SHOWED OFF HIS IMPRSIVE SELECTN OF LOGN, AND THEN GAVE HIM MD-ALTERG {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}ETHAN DIDN'T STAND A {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THERE ARE MANY, MANY THGS TO UNPACK HERE, EVEN IF WE DON'T TOUCH ON THE FACT THAT ETHAN IS PROBABLY A WOLF MAN WHO IS RATHER EFFICIENTLY SLGHTERG LONDON AT THE RATE OF A FEW PEOPLE PER MONTH. FIRST AND FOREMOST, THIS IS A STRAIGHT ROMANTIC LEAD WHO JT THREW UTN TO THE WD AND HIMSELF ONTO ANOTHER MAN. TO SAY THAT THIS WAS UNEXPECTED IS TO PUT DLY - I WAS ABSOLUTELY GOBSMACKED. I DON'T THK ETHAN IS GAY, OR EVEN THAT HE EVER ENTERTAED THE IA OF BEG WH ANOTHER MAN BEFORE THIS MOMENT. I THK HE REALLY LOV BRONA AND THAT AFTER THIS ROMP WH DORIAN AND THE GREEN FAIRY, HE'LL GO RIGHT BACK TO LIVG A PREDOMANTLY HETERO {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}ON THE ONE HAND, THIS IS PRETTY PROGRSIVE. TE, WE'RE LIVG AN AGE WHERE YOUNG MEN ARE LS LIKELY TO PANIC AT MALE TIMACY AND LS LIKELY TO LABEL THEMSELV AND WHAT THEY DO BED WH WHOM. BUT THE FACT THAT THIS LENNIAL BRAND OF PANSEXUAL EEDOM HAS POPPED UP ON A SHOW SET AT THE TURN OF THE LAST CENTURY (RATHER THAN, YOU KNOW, ANY NUMBER OF HUNDREDS OF SHOWS SET THE HERE AND NOW) IS A B {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}ADDNALLY, RAIS A LARGER QUTN ABOUT FLUID MALE SEXUALY ON TELEVISN. MANY TIM, WHEN A MALE CHARACTER HAS HIS FIRST SAME-SEX ENUNTER OR RELATNSHIP, HE BE GAY BY FLT - THE DIENCE'S EY, IF NOT THE NARRATIVE SELF. (EXAMPL CLU NOLAN OM REVENGE AND JACK HARKNS OM TORCHWOOD.) THE CHARACTERS ARE BISEXUAL, BUT THERE SEEMS TO BE A "GAY TAT" THAT LGERS AFTER THEIR FIRST SAME-SEX UPLG, MAKG VERY DIFFICULT TO PUT THE GENIE BACK TO THE BOTTLE IF THE CHARACTER CIS TO NTUE HAVG HETERO RELATNSHIPS. (THIS IS MARKEDLY DIFFERENT OM THE UAL HANDLG OF FEMALE BISEXUALY ENTERTAMENT, A TRIED-AND-TE PLOT VICE THAT ALMOST ALWAYS ENDS UP WH THE LADY SETTLG DOWN WH A NICE FELLA.){BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}DREADFUL MAY PRENT A NEW SP ON THGS. I DON'T EXPECT ETHAN TO BE PICKG OUT CHA PATTERNS WH DORIAN ANYTIME SOON AND FULLY EXPECT HIM TO RETURN TO HIS RELATNSHIP WH BRONA (WHO, CINTALLY, HAS BEDD BOTH MEN AT THIS POT - WHY DON'T EVERYONE JT THROW THEIR SHO THE RNER AND HOP TO BED TOGETHER?). IF I DIDN'T ALSO SPECT THAT ETHAN IS VOURG LTLE GIRLS THEIR OWN HOM, I'D MEND HIM FOR GRABBG LIFE - AND DORIAN - BY THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BUT LET'S ALSO REMEMBER THAT DORIAN GRAY IS SUPERNATURALLY ENDOWED (NO PUN TEND) WH ETERNAL YOUTH AND SUBLIME ANDROGYNO BETY - NO MAN OR WOMAN IS SUPPOSEDLY ABLE TO RIST HIM. AND OF URSE IF ETHAN IS FACT A WEREWOLF, ANY EXPRSN OF REPRSED SEXUALY ULD EASILY BE WRAPPED UP A BROAR METAPHORIL "CLOSETED" NARRATIVE. AT THIS POT, HOW STRONGLY ARE ETHAN'S APPET DICTATED BY FORC BEYOND HIS NTROL?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IN THE END, IF ETHAN N SURVIVE A LUPE CURSE AND REMA IMMUNE TO HIS LOVER'S TUBERCULOSIS, "GAY TAT" MAY N OFF HIM LIKE WATER OFF A WOLF'S {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}HAPPILY, THIS UNEXPECTED HOOKUP IS JT THE TIP OF THE SHOW'S GAY ICEBERG. VICTOR FRANKENSTE (HARRY TREADAWAY) HAS STALLED A VERABLE BUILD-A-BOYIEND WORKSHOP HIS ATTIC, BUT NNOT SEEM TO KEEP HIS BBLED-TOGETHER CREATNS' EY OM WANRG TO THE FAIRER SEX. THE CREATURE (RORY KNEAR) HAS AN EYE FOR LADI, BUT HIMSELF SEEMS TO DISREGARD GENR NORMS DRS AND STYLG. AND SIR MALLM (TIMOTHY DALTON) AND VANSA ARE HOOTS WH A FSY LTLE EGYPTOLOGIST (SIMON RSELL BEALE) WHOSE HIGH SOCIETY MARRIAGE SEEMS TO BE HELD TOGETHER ENTIRELY BY FABULO SEANC AND REGULAR SERVGS OF G LIBERALLY LIVERED TO HIS OFFSCREEN {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AT THIS POT ANYTHG ULD HAPPEN, AS EVINCED BY THE FACT THAT TWO OF THE SHOW'S MALE LOVE TERTS CID TO HAVE A GO AT WH LTLE OR NO WARNG. MAYBE THE SHOW WILL NTUE TO EXPLORE NONTRADNAL SEXUALY AS SUBVERTS OUR GREATT HORROR MYTHS. MAYBE THE NARRATIVE WILL REVERT TO A MORE TRADNAL HETERO LOVE STORY NOW THAT ETHAN AND DORIAN HAVE GIVEN THE SHOW S MOST BUZZWORTHY MOMENT YET. AND MAYBE WILL BE REVEALED THAT, ADDN TO SUNLIGHT, SILVER, AND A STAKE TO THE HEART, VAMPIR N BE KILLED BY EVA GREEN'S SI-EYE. WHATEVER DIRECTN THE SHOW CHOOS, I HAVE DNK THE ABSTHE AND AM ALL {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS
At the start of Episo 4, Gray was seen loungg shirtls on a divan wh another shirtls man, seemgly bored wh the listls y gog on around him - and that was hontly all the gay actn I was expectg to get out of this show.
Dorian is an equal-opportuny hedonist, havg already bedd Brona (lightg when she ughed blood his pretty, immortal face), but at this pot we have been led to believe that his eye is on Vansa Iv (Eva Green), whom the murky mythology of the show seems to suggt might rry some secret that only he n the episo's swoong, climactic gay kiss (set to Wagner's Tristan and Isol), beme clear that Dorian had been scg Ethan all along.
I don't thk Ethan is gay, or even that he ever entertaed the ia of beg wh another man before this moment. Many tim, when a male character has his first same-sex enunter or relatnship, he be gay by flt - the dience's ey, if not the narrative self. ) The characters are bisexual, but there seems to be a "gay tat" that lgers after their first same-sex uplg, makg very difficult to put the genie back to the bottle if the character cis to ntue havg hetero relatnships.