r/PennyDreadful • u/AML1987 • Sep 01 '26
Brona vs Lily
Doing my 4th rewatch and I’m still confused how Vanessa didn’t recognize Brona when she was introduced to her as Lily.
Vanessa is extremely observant and I know their meeting was brief the first time, but she was together with Ethan and you’d think that would make her look twice at her.
And Billie Piper has a pretty rare look to her.
What do you all think? Was the transformation enough to fool Vanessa?
Side note: after all these years I’m still mad we never got to see Ethan’s reaction to her and what he would’ve done to Victor.
18
u/ashessnow Sep 01 '26
I thought she did recognize her? Maybe I need to rewatch the scene but it was my impression that Vanessa DID recognize her while (maybe) Lily did not and she just decided not to say anything.
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u/ItsThe_____ForMe Sep 01 '26
I SWEAR she had that look to her when she sat with Lily and Victor at the restaurant that was like “hm I think I know you from somewhere but I am woefully too awkward to mention anything”.
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u/FeelingCouple5880 Sep 01 '26
This annoyed me too.
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u/AML1987 Sep 01 '26
There just wasn’t a point! Plot wise her going to eat with them didn’t serve any purpose.
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u/No-Resource-8125 Sep 01 '26
She recognized John Clare from somewhere in her subconscious, so she must have known on some level.
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u/Friendly-Help8523 Sep 01 '26
this is definitely a simple plot device situation.
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u/AML1987 Sep 01 '26
I know but it irks me. There really wasn’t any need in the plot for Vanessa to go out to breakfast with her, so I never knew why they bothered with it in the first place.
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u/Character-Craft-575 Sep 01 '26
Same question.. I asked to one of my friends and he said that maybe because of the contrast of makeup and lighting , Venessa could not Identify Brona as Lily with Victor..Also I am annoyed that Ethan never got to meet Brona as Lily
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u/AML1987 Sep 01 '26
That’s why I posted the side by side pictures because I guess I could maybe see how in the dark Brona has that red hair and a lot of makeup on. I just found it hard to believe after an entire season of Vanessa being very observant and sometimes just feeling when someone was off would just forget this little detail.
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u/Character-Craft-575 Sep 01 '26
Right?? She had all the intuition power , she can sense the person and stuff but still she could not..
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u/extimate-space Sep 03 '26
The same way she doesn’t recognize nightshade in S1 despite being taught herbs including nightshade by the cut wife, and the same way she doesn’t recognize madame kali, and the same way she doesn’t….
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u/AML1987 Sep 08 '26
Maybe she was just playing dumb to flirt with Dorian?
As far as madam kali she never saw her face while with the cutwife. They make that a very big point that she hides behind her hood whenever Vanessa looks outside.
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u/The_Zuh Sep 01 '26
Maybe Vanessa knew and understood it was a deep secret to Victor? Maybe she didn’t even want him to know she knew?
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u/AML1987 Sep 08 '26
That doesn’t make any sense in the context of the show. Especially that season. They are literally being attacked from all angles and were distrusting of everyone possibly being compromised by the witches. She wouldn’t just let a thing like Victor reanimated the love of Ethan and just be chill with it.
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u/Kat-Martell Sep 01 '26
I always considered that the biggest plot hole of the season, either because Ethan didn't meet Lily or find out what Victor did.