Hey ghouls, it’s Jackie and for this fine Witch Wednesday I want to talk about one of my most favorite characters from a little series named Penny Dreadful, and that will be Vanessa Ives. Although not a witch per se but a powerful medium who’s dubbed “The Mother of Evil”, and if anyone has seen this series you can understand why. But let’s go on for those who may have not even seen this series to understand why her character is such a heartbreaking yet wonderful type.
Vanessa Ives, being with the gift and curse of sight has the most interesting yet saddest backstory I have ever seen compared to the other characters of Penny Dreadful, being grown up with her childhood friend Mina who has this amazing sisterhood like relationship goes sour, not because of some boy or changes but because of an affair Vanessa witness between her
mother Mina’s father that ends up making Vanessa spiral into the beginning stages of her “darkness”. Jealous and enraged she takes out her feelings by hurting Mina, not by words but by having sex with her fiancee which tarnishes their friendship so bad that Vanessa, feeling regretful gets possessed by the devil himself.
With Vanessa being a powerful medium, not fully knowing it at the time becomes possessed and transformed into a being unrecognizable, not appearance wise but personality-wise. Irritated easily, falling into this darkness and despair she gets visited by the devil himself and scaring the shit out of mother who walks in on it, I mean I too will be freaked out if I witness my daughter engaging in such an act with a demon. After this, she sends herself into an insane asylum because she desperately needs help, although it helps “calm the beast” from within, she ventures off into society again where the story begins, the quest to find her best friend/sister Mina and find out the origins of “why her”.
The series has 3 seasons and getting into the needy greedy of who and what Vanessa truly is, throughout the series as the viewer you just want one thing, happiness for her. She loses so much and yet gains so little in return. One can say she develops a new form of a family with whom she surrounded herself to protect her but it comes at a cost, many have died or suffered because of what she truly is and honestly, it broke my heart so many times because she is as I mentioned one of the most tragically written characters of this series.
Despite my deep admiration for Creature, Vanessa Ives is just a phenomenal character, and it couldn’t be done without the talents of Eva Green and if any of you have seen that séance scene will know this woman deserves all types of awards for her performance. She physically, psychologically, and emotionally makes you suffer with her to the point you just want it all to end and let her be in true peace which comes to the ending of her story. After battling this beast from within, she succumbs to it by the introduction of the legendary Dracula and truly becoming the mother of evil, but as Vanessa is very smart, knows this was the only way to defeat him and set herself free, which is by death. Her death scene was so tragic yet so hopeful because as she’s dying in the arms of a man who truly loved her for her (Ethan), the final words are “I can finally see God”, something she never thought she’ll be able to see, with being cursed by the devil and at the moment she’s finally free. Romantically tragic, as fitting for the theme of this very Goth Series. Here’s to Eva Green, for bringing to life and end of this most potent character.