by Hayley Charlesworth
A phoenix rising from the ashes is probably the best way to describe Ripper Street. As one of the most intelligent period dramas and police procedurals on television, there was outrage from the legions of fans when the BBC saw fit to cancel the show after two seasons. Enter Amazon Prime, who seeing the outpouring of love for the show, agreed a deal to co-produce a third season with the Beeb. With the first two episodes currently available (further episodes to be added every Friday, with the whole series to be aired on BBC One in the New Year), it’s clear to see that Ripper Street is back with a bang, both metaphorically and literally.
A phoenix rising from the ashes is probably the best way to describe Ripper Street. As one of the most intelligent period dramas and police procedurals on television, there was outrage from the legions of fans when the BBC saw fit to cancel the show after two seasons. Enter Amazon Prime, who seeing the outpouring of love for the show, agreed a deal to co-produce a third season with the Beeb. With the first two episodes currently available (further episodes to be added every Friday, with the whole series to be aired on BBC One in the New Year), it’s clear to see that Ripper Street is back with a bang, both metaphorically and literally.
That literal bang is the devastating train crash that forms the basis of Whitechapel Terminus. Set four years after the close of series two, our protagonists are isolated. Drake (Jerome Flynn) has been promoted to Inspector up in Manchester, Captain Jackson (Adam Rothenberg) and Long Susan (Myanna Buring) are divorced, with a mysterious falling out with Reid keeping Jackson away from policing, and following the death of his estranged wife, Inspector Reid (Matthew McFadyen) is losing himself in his work. But what begins as a mere “crime of the week” involving the hijacking of a train becomes the catalyst for the whole series, as the train, which is ferrying Drake back to Whitechapel, collides with another over Whitechapel, causing death and devastation.
The strength of Whitechapel Terminus is how it interweaves the various dangling and new plot threads in only an hour. In the wake of such a tragedy, Reid and Jackson are forced to work together and confront their animosity towards each other, Drake has to keep his true reason for returning to Whitechapel (replacing Reid as Inspector) secret as they fight to find those responsible, even involving of journalist Fred Best, a minor character in previous seasons, becoming one of Reid’s greatest resources in investigating the crash. But most surprising of all is the involvement of Long Susan. Now known as Ms Susan Hart, a brothel madam she is no more, but the controller of Obsidian Estates who, it transpires, are the ones responsible for the crash.
The strength of Whitechapel Terminus is how it interweaves the various dangling and new plot threads in only an hour. In the wake of such a tragedy, Reid and Jackson are forced to work together and confront their animosity towards each other, Drake has to keep his true reason for returning to Whitechapel (replacing Reid as Inspector) secret as they fight to find those responsible, even involving of journalist Fred Best, a minor character in previous seasons, becoming one of Reid’s greatest resources in investigating the crash. But most surprising of all is the involvement of Long Susan. Now known as Ms Susan Hart, a brothel madam she is no more, but the controller of Obsidian Estates who, it transpires, are the ones responsible for the crash.
Susan’s motivations are further explored in episode two, The Beating of Her Wings, which shows that she has not simply become the villain of the story. The main plot involves her solicitor (and the true evil of their partnership) Mr Capshaw killing the wife of a local shop owner in debt, only to discover a child locked away in their basement. As Reid, Drake and Jackson search desperately for the girl, Capshaw brings her to the hospital which Susan has set up to train girls in nursing. Susan’s motivations, we discover, are only to give opportunities to women in Whitechapel and save them from the whorehouse that she once belonged to, and she is consumed with a desire to protect this girl from “The Wicked King”, her real father, who plagues her nightmares. This also gives us the opportunity to meet Louise Brealey’s Dr Amelia Frayn, who is also driven to support women so much that she agrees to protect Capshaw, a man with a clear bloodthirsty streak.
This episode is the breeding ground of anti-heroes. In all instances, you can condemn the action of both Susan and Reid regarding the girl, and the fact that both of their actions could be read as both right and wrong is what drives the tension until the thrilling and unexpected climax.
This episode is the breeding ground of anti-heroes. In all instances, you can condemn the action of both Susan and Reid regarding the girl, and the fact that both of their actions could be read as both right and wrong is what drives the tension until the thrilling and unexpected climax.
Even with its move to an online format, Ripper Street has lost none of its famous attention to detail. The storylining, costuming and locations, and especially the dialogue, remain loyal to Victorian London, making for some particularly poetic dialogue scenes which only emphasise the beauty of the language used by the writers. Far from looking cheaper, the co-funding from both the BBC and Amazon have made Victorian Whitechapel look more authentic, and the train crash scene is truly a spectacle. But most crucially of all, season three has delivered the most effective opening hook the show has ever had, and it will be an agonising wait until episode three on Friday.
New episodes are added to Amazon Prime every Friday, so check back every weekend for I’m With Geek’s reviews. And if you’ve never given Ripper Street a shot before, seasons one and two are available on Amazon Prime also!
New episodes are added to Amazon Prime every Friday, so check back every weekend for I’m With Geek’s reviews. And if you’ve never given Ripper Street a shot before, seasons one and two are available on Amazon Prime also!
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