Created by writer John Logan, Brona begins the series as an Irish immigrant living in London.
An original take on the Bride of Frankenstein story, Piper's character and acting have been acclaimed by critics, calling her "alternately elegant, bewitching, coarse, and frightening.
"[1] Through conversations with Ethan Chandler (Josh Hartnett) and Victor Frankenstein (Harry Treadaway), Brona recounts tales from her past.
Born and raised in Belfast, Ireland, she went to London, England to get away from her abusive fiancé, whom her mother was trying to force her to marry for his money.
Penniless and alone, she was forced to become a prostitute in order to survive, and suffered frequent beatings and sexual assaults at the hands of her customers.
Lily claims to have no memory of her life before the "accident," and is informed that she is Victor's cousin, and was engaged to marry the Creature, calling himself John Clare.
During sex, she strangles him to death and lays with his corpse until morning, claiming to a livid Victor that she fell asleep on a park bench.
With a gun pointed at her, Lily reveals that she knew what was going on all along and who she was before, and claims that she was only pretending to be in love with Victor, waiting for the right time to strike.
The two rescue a young prostitute named Justine (Jessica Barden) from her murderous owners, slaughtering the men who had gathered to watch her death.
With the help of his friend Dr. Henry Jekyll (Shazad Latif), Victor devises a serum that will cure Lily of her anger and pain, and turn her demure and passive.
Dorian, who has been growing disillusioned with Lily's revolution, claims Victor owes him his life, and intends to collect his debt eventually.
Her violence turns to despair as she recounts the death of her daughter years before, and she begs Victor not to take away her memories and her grief, claiming that they are only things that make her human.
Actress Billie Piper plays a dual role in the series, first as Brona Croft, then the resurrected Lily Frankenstein.
Creator John Logan has said that the character's third season arc was influenced by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu's 1871 erotic vampire novella Carmilla.
TV Line named her "Performer of the Week," saying "In last Sunday's episode, the actress delivered the former Brona Croft's mad speech to her army of fallen women with such intensity and conviction that we didn't just nod along as she decreed "We must be bloody or nothing else!"
No, Piper had us so drunk on her character's power that, had she given the order, we, too, might have marched into the streets to retrieve Lily the right hand of a bad man.