Penny Dreadful is masterful television and I expected no less from it than to end without getting all hackneyed. This is exactly what has happened. The showrunners have beautifully, albeit a little abruptly, wrapped up the series while it was still going strong. That being said, we all would have loved for PD to continue, and it could easily have been drawn out to at least a couple more seasons but it would have lost much of its creative punch by then. Something a show of PD's caliber doesn't deserve.
Coming to the episode, it was perfectly paced. The penultimate episode was brilliant in itself and set up a great stage for the finale to shine through. There is action, heartbreak and singular pathos. And like the rest of the series the acting is top notch, the writing is pristine and the music impeccably adds to each scene.
Conclusively, I admire John Logan for running a series that was always better than it had to be, while not quite garnering the attention it deserved. It was rich and alluring, poignant and artistic, dark and mysterious - all at the same time, a truly nonpareil show. I would be very surprised if it doesn't win at least a couple of Emmys this year.