The Frankenstein Chronicles

After a difficult start, the second season of the British show 'The Frankenstein Chronicles' truly comes to life. This can be interpreted both figuratively and literally.

Former inspector John Marlott (Sean Bean, Lord of the Rings) is alive at the start of this season, but he's stuck between fact and fiction. His dreams, his hallucinations and even his real situation make it difficult to follow the first couple of episodes. After a while it becomes clearer that season 2 actually takes place 3 years after the end of season 1. After that an increasingly exciting and exhilarating story starts to unfold.



The most important topic of the story is John Marlott's quest to find Daniel Hervey (Ed Stoppard, Upstairs Downstairs). This man is the reason as to why John is in a precarious situation.

an increasingly exciting and exhilarating story starts to unfold.

Besides that, John is already connecting Daniel to new developments in the city of London as several bodies are found, with their hearts cut out. When John tries to bring this to the attention of his former partner, the cop Nightingale (Richie Campbell, Liar), it becomes clear that he shouldn't expect help from the police.

In the wake of these developments John meets Frederik Dipple (Laurence Fox, Lewis). This unusual, strange man has secrets that absolutely cannot be revealed. John found a relatively safe hideout with seamstress Esther Rose (Maeve Dermody, Serangood Road). When she gets involved in the dark game of Fredrik Dipple, John tries to warn her. The outcome of this is both shocking and surprising.

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The second season of The Frankenstein Chronicles is darker and grittier than the first season. It's also more serious. The humoristic undertone that was still present in the first season has completely disappeared. By introducing several new characters, but also keeping some of the older ones the transition from season 1 to 2 is smooth. The camera work, style and colour provide just the right atmosphere. The lower class of society plays quite a big role in this series. The walls without wallpaper, all the filth and even the rags lying around provide a good image of London in the 19th century. When the show displays several of the more well-to-do characters there is always a sense of deceit and mystery. The show also tries to make a statement about the classic struggle between rich and poor. Taking everything into account, the second season is definitely an improvement over the first.