'Penny Dreadful' season 3 spoilers: Patti LuPone returns in a different role

This first look at Penny Dreadful season 3 shows Dr. Seward (Patti LuPone) comforting Vanessa (Eva Green).Facebook/ PennyDreadfulOnShowtime

Season 3 of "Penny Dreadful" will see Patti LuPone in a completely different role, and in a teaser released last month, it looks like the Broadway legend's character will be comforting Vanessa Ives (Eva Green) when the show returns next year.

In a photo released by Showtime, Vanessa is seen inside a padded cell and is wearing a straitjacket. LuPone, who will be playing Dr. Seward, is on the floor with Vanessa and is trying to comfort her.

LuPone first appeared in the series in season 2 as the Cut-Wife, but in season 3 she returns as a series regular. In the official synopsis for the third season, Dr. Seward is described as an American therapist who treats Vanessa with an unconventional approach.

The last time fans saw Green's character, Vanessa's faith in God had reached its limits and she even burned the cross. Meanwhile, Ethan (Josh Harnett) turned himself over to Scotland Yard as he was wracked with guilt over killing Sembene (Danny Sapani) while he was a werewolf. But Ethan was extradited to the United States, and while he willingly turned himself over to the authorities, the extradition is something that he never wanted.

As for Malcolm (Timothy Dalton), he left London to bury Sempene in Africa, while The Creature (Rory Kinnear) left on a boat to an undisclosed location.

With everyone going on their separate journeys, will they ever reunite again? Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, showrunner John Logan did not confirm whether the characters will see each other again, but he revealed that the upcoming season will be a change of pace for the series, particularly in terms of the show's setting.

"Season three is a real change of pace for us, which is good," said Logan. "We can get out of the alleys and cobblestone bars of Victorian London and see a bit more of the world."

The showrunner also said that there will be a "pull" that brings the characters back together and that it's going to be "supernatural, partly romantic, partly shared destiny."

"Penny Dreadful" season 3 returns to Showtime in 2016.