Factual error: Inspector Rusk uses the term "trope" in its modern meaning of a theme or motif. This usage did not come into vogue until the late 20th century; the first such usage recorded by the OED was in 1975. The series is set in the 1890s and the language used is generally that of the time.
Necrothesp
7th Jul 2015
Penny Dreadful (2014)
7th Jul 2015
Penny Dreadful (2014)
Factual error: Educated characters, including an eminent scholar, continually translate 'Lupus Dei' as 'Hound of God'. Even someone with the most basic Latin would know it actually means 'Wolf of God'.
7th Jul 2015
Penny Dreadful (2014)
Factual error: Inspector Rusk lost an arm while serving in the army before he became a policeman. A one-armed man would never have been allowed to join the police in Victorian England - as today, all police officers had to join as uniformed constables and they had to be completely physically fit and able-bodied. Only the most senior officers (well above inspector) could join directly in a senior rank.
6th Jul 2015
Penny Dreadful (2014)
Factual error: Sir Malcolm and Evelyn fire the Mauser C96 Broomhandle pistol. The series is set in 1891 or 1892 and this weapon was not introduced until 1897.
6th Jul 2015
Penny Dreadful (2014)
Factual error: Sir Malcolm tells Vanessa to wear a facemask when they go to minister to the poor as cholera is rife in the area. However, the series is set in the 1890s and it had been well-known since the 1850s that cholera was caused by contaminated food and water and not by airborne germs. As an educated man, Sir Malcolm is bound to know this.
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