by Hayley Charlesworth
“Heavy is the head that wears the crown” says Captain Jackson in this episode, focused squarely on Inspector Drake as he takes control of Whitechapel in the most awful circumstances following last week’s shocking conclusion. This Reid-less episode has a middling, forgettable “crime of the week”, but the importance of the episode is not on that, but rather the intersecting storylines of Drake, Rose, the Captain and Miss Susan, and the effect of Reid’s disappearance on them.
“Heavy is the head that wears the crown” says Captain Jackson in this episode, focused squarely on Inspector Drake as he takes control of Whitechapel in the most awful circumstances following last week’s shocking conclusion. This Reid-less episode has a middling, forgettable “crime of the week”, but the importance of the episode is not on that, but rather the intersecting storylines of Drake, Rose, the Captain and Miss Susan, and the effect of Reid’s disappearance on them.
Ashes and Diamond’s central mystery once again mines the locomotive disaster for all that it’s worth, with the investigation concerning the poisoning of a clairvoyant swindling money out of the grieving families of the victims. But rather than be a particularly gripping mystery itself, the storyline serves as a catalyst for introducing Drake into the role of Inspector. Ripper Street always does some of its finest work when its spotlight is firmly on the exceptional Jerome Flynn, and this is no exception. From adjusting to taking control of Whitechapel and learning to conduct an investigation without Reid, to having to lie to his superiors about the murder that led to Reid’s disappearance, Drake is the very image of conflict. But perhaps the standout comes with the long-standing romantic tension between Drake and the former-prostitute-turned-singer Rose. A scene which shows Rose performing in the music hall reveals so much in just Drake’s facial expression while watching her (and even more so with Captain Jackson watching Drake), while a later moment where the two give into their passion for one another cements their relationship as the emotional heart of this season.
While Drake takes centre-stage, there is plenty going on for Captain Jackson and his estranged wife, Miss Susan. With the girl Alice (or to go by her real name, Mathilda Reid, Reid’s believed-dead daughter) still hidden away on her estate, Miss Susan and Mr Capshaw conspire to send her away to a school in Switzerland, although Miss Susan has developed a close bond with the girl. But when Rose sees the girl and alerts Drake, they are forced to speed up their plan. Meanwhile, Fred Best, in his ongoing quest to avenge his lover, has unearthed some information connecting Susan with the train crash, and takes it to the Captain. Alice, the crash, and the villainy of Mr Capshaw are sure to be series long-arcs, with a number of twists before the undoubtedly shocking conclusion. But the big question is, how will Reid react when he discovers that the dead daughter, the one for whom he cold-heartedly smashed in a man’s skill out of grief, is alive? We know the answer to this particular mystery already. Like Columbo, the joy of watching is finding out how our protagonists discover and react to the truth.
Ashes and Diamonds closes out with both Alice’s escape, and Drake locating Reid hiding out somewhere near the sea. With Reid back in the picture but still in hiding, it can’t be long before everything starts to come to a head.
Ashes and Diamonds closes out with both Alice’s escape, and Drake locating Reid hiding out somewhere near the sea. With Reid back in the picture but still in hiding, it can’t be long before everything starts to come to a head.
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