Penny Dreadful made reference to Jack the Ripper during the show's pilot episode on Showtime, but recent news of the ripper draw him back into the series.

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On Sunday The Guardian revealed that DNA testing has positively linked early Jack the Ripper suspect Aaron Kosminski to 1888 "ripper" victim Catherine Eddowes. Some publications are taking this news as confirmation that Kosminski was the ripper, though there are others who remain skeptical.

Nonetheless, Jack the Ripper has remained a haunting and iconic figure throughout history and with his identity at last revealed, he could perhaps be viewed at least in passing on Showtime's Victorian supernatural drama.

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Jack the Ripper was originally mentioned in an early scene during the program's pilot, when newspapers suggested perhaps the infamous serial killer had returned after a mother and child were found butchered in their home.

On a historical level, the timing works. Penny Dreadful takes place in 1891. Since Kosminski didn't die until 1899, there is certainly room for some overlap. After all, Kosminski would make for a compelling character. The 23-year-old Polish Jewish immigrant who worked in England as a hairdresser. In between living with his siblings the man was committed to a number of asylums before his death. History's fixation on the ripper legend would surely only lend to any interest on the matter.

John Logan's Showtime drama does have a tendency to root the strange and inexplicable in grounded history facts and legend, which could make this recent discovery a natural fit for the story.

Russell Edwards, who made the Kosminski discovery, has written a book on the subject entitled Naming Jack the Ripper, which was released in England on Tuesday.

Penny Dreadful returns to Showtime for a second season in 2015.

Tags: Penny Dreadful showtime television