CarterMatt’s Scare-O-Ween: Should ‘Penny Dreadful’ season 3 celebrate the spirit of October 31?

For those of you who are massive “Penny Dreadful” fans, the wait for season 3 is a long one. While there is no official premiere date just yet as confirmed by Showtime, our guess is that you will see Josh Hartnett, Eva Green, and the rest of the cast in either April or May.

For the sake of this latest article in our CarterMatt Scare-O-Ween article series (which profiles shows that either have or could benefit from Halloween specials because they are already in the horror genre), we are here to pose one simple question: Should this show consider airing a one off episode in October? Is there something more that the show should be doing in order to capitalize on the holiday?

One other question: Is there anything that the show would even need to change for a Halloween episode? Our answer, to be frank, is no: This show seems ripe to capitalize on the “Halloween episode” trend in a way that some other shows, such as “Pretty Little Liars” and others that have tried.

Why it would work – People love to watch scary stuff around this time of year, and while we’re not necessarily sure that “Penny Dreadful” is a frightening show, it’s got Dr. Frankenstein, monsters, werewolves, Dorian Grey, witches, and almost every element of supernatural spookiness that you could really want. It’s a Gothic horror show if there ever was one. This show doesn’t hold anything back when it comes to shockers, whether it be violence, sex, gore, and some other content that you just cannot show on major networks.

Also, remember that there is a thirst for adults to try to relive the magic of Halloween now as a part of this never-grow-up generation. It’s not socially acceptable for grown men and women to dress up and ask for candy, but could they find a different way to celebrate? Sure; it involves watching a show like this, making a ghoulish meal, and drinking some sort of Halloween-related beverage (may we suggest a Bloody Mary?)

The downside – This is not a show that airs around this time of year, so while the ratings for a Halloween special (or at least one with Halloween themes, since the time period doesn’t really make for jack-o-lanters and the like) would probably be very good, Showtime would have to market around it and make people aware of their plans. That’d be difficult, especially for people who subscribe only for the months that the show is on the air. Also, the number of episodes each season is limited by the story that John Logan wishes to tell; in airing what would probably be a standalone Halloween hour, you’d be taking most likely an episode away from the main story. Do you really want to do that?

Upon considering it, maybe “Penny Dreadful” is the sort of show that you just have to watch repeats for around Halloween rather than getting a standalone special. As cool and appropriate to the season as it would be, we’re not sure it is worth the trouble.