The coming season of Showtime’s neo-Gothic horror drama Penny Dreadful promises to be every bit as bone chilling as the last. The iconic Patti LuPone, who was featured last season as Joan ‘The Cut Wife’ Clayton, the witch that teaches Vanessa Ives (Eva Green) the darkest black magic, will return in a new role altogether. Lovers of the literary themes of the show will be excited to hear Robert Lewis Stevenson’s Dr.Jekyll (and, presumably, one Mr. Hyde) will also join this season.

*Spoilers, Darling*

LuPone’s new role, an American therapist called Dr. Seward, will join to help Ives work through some of her “issues”. Could the fact that LuPone was cast give us hints about the impending story line? Is all of this a misadventure inside Vanessa’s addled mind? We shall see. Joining Dr. Seward will be Samuel Barnett as her “mysterious young secretary”. Barnett, like LuPone, is a Tony award winner whose fame stems mostly from his work in theater and has been making quite a name for himself indeed. The two will, no doubt, make a perfectly creepy addition to the vastly talented cast.

Other exciting news for those who watch for the literary backbone of the show, the Gothic characters that people the fantastical version of reality in which the show takes place, the troubled Dr.Jekyll joins the cast. Shazad Latif has been cast in the role, though beyond that his role in the story remains cloaked in shadow. The character famously has two distinct personalities, but there is no telling if audiences will meet him after his “change”, or have the chance to witness it themselves?

Wes Studi, long time Hollywood actor and all around legend, joins the cast as;

an “an intense, enigmatic Native American” with close ties to Ethan (Josh Hartnett), whose werewolf persona was in full effect last season.

Does this mean audiences can expect a lot more meat on Ethan’s backstory? Can he find a cure for his pesky lunar issue? Rumour has it Studi’s character will also bond (pun totally intended) with Sir Malcolm Murray (Timothy Dalton), who lost his right hand man Sembene (Danny Sapani) last season.

Lily (Billie Piper) and Dorian Gray (Reeve Carney) will take in a young admirer Justine, to be played by Jessica Barden (The Outcast, Hanna).

The release date for season three has yet to be announced.

Are you looking forward to the coming season of Penny Dreadful? Let us know in the comments below or visit GrizzlyBomb’s Facebook page.

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Images:© PEEK Films ltd, © Joan Marcus, HBO, Speakerpedia