All Episodes Talk: Mr. Darcy And Bronn Go On Adventures

[Snarklepuss]

A place to discuss particular episodes, arcs and moments from the show's first two seasons. Please remember this isn't a complete catch-all topic -- check out the forum for character topics and other places for show-related talk.

[am1994]

I'm happy to see Ripper St here in this forum, I am looking forward to the next show, I am very curious in the development of the relationship between Reid and Ms. Codbun.

[molshoop]

Can someone tell me what happened to Reid's wife.

[Morrigan2575]

I had a hard time understanding Reid and Jackson but it seems that she went a little nuts after the S1 finale.

I think she took up drinking and hanging out in bars, she left Reid and Jackson found her on the streets or in one of those bars he frequents. After that I don't know what happened, she might still be on the streets or in a hospital.

[dramachick]

That cult action was intense.  Loved Paul Kaye! 

I don't understand why Drake can't find a nice school teacher or nurse to hook up with.  I've had enough of his love angst and would rather see more of Reid and his new girlfriend. 

Nice surprise to see Gina Bellman in this episode.

[thuganomics85]

One of the things I love about this show is how Game of Thrones actors keep popping up in various roles (Clive Russell/Blackfish is the Chief Inspector, Joseph Mawle is Jebediah this season, and Iain Glenn, Ian McElhinney, Michael McElhatton, and Kristian Nairn have all showed up at one point), so when Paul Kaye popped up as Gabriel, I was like "Yes!  Bronn vs. Thoros of Myr!"  I'm still waiting for the day they cast Charles Dance as the ultimate bad guy to pit against Reid, Drake, and Jackson.

Clearly, Drake just needs to take a break from dating.  Right now, his love life has completely become depressing.  Then again, it figures that he and Jackson will both have relationship problems, right when Reid starts to get his groove back.  Hey, you know what this could mean?  Drake and Jackson as roomies!

[mrsdalgliesh]

This season has been rough -- though after a near perfect first season, I'm not surprised it's a bit of a disappointment.  I'm still a fan because of the actors and locations, but too many of the episodes seem forced as the writers try to focus on one Big Issue or another.  I was thrilled to hear that Amazon picked it up because I'd like to see the writers relax a bit.

[Captanne]

Riipper Street reminds me a bit of Sherlock Holmes (the canon) in the way that it's got that Victorian, "Wait.  Just wait.  The solution is an Asian snake?  A snake? Or, for the love of mike, an orangutan?  Seriously?"  

The Victorians loved their exotica.  (Poe is the same way.)

So, I don't begrudge RS the occasional Doomsday Cult storyline but -- man, Rose gets into these hokey places all the time, doesn't she?  First series wasn't she drugged up by some lunatic snuff film maker who spirited her off to his mansion to take film?  (That, I read, was actually grounded in some sort of historical fact.)

ETA:  I was delighted by the Merrick storyline and was sorry to see him gone.  

(I do know he died of suffocation caused by his own physique but I never once heard rumors of murder.)

 Btw, that's not really a spoiler, technically, but I don't think folks who haven't googled or read the story of The Elephant Man should be spoon fed. 

Edited March 30, 2014 by Captanne

[am1994]

So much manpain for Drake in this episode, my heart just broke for him at the funeral scenes.  I'm thinking he and Rose just may end up reuniting, but maybe not until the end of the season.

The cult story with Bella was not as interesting as it should have been, maybe because I found it hard to believe Bella would betray Drake to this group.  She seemed to just let Gabriel take her over so completely, it made no sense to me.

Loved how once again Jackson saved the day with his medical skills, concocting the antidote so quickly and saving Drake.  I love those 3 guys together, the snark is good but the emotional stuff is also great to watch.

Edited March 30, 2014 by am1994

[ShaggyDog]

I really love this show; the costumes, locations and speech patterns evoke a strong feeling of place in Victorian London. I do like that it illustrates the harshness of crimes in East London, but having two episodes in row with graphic throat slitting amd head bashing, I'm starting to approach my limit of goreporn. Too bad since the interactions bewteen the main characters is compelling enough on its own. I know it is viewer beware when the show title is "Ripper Street", but I think show doesn't need to rely on it to be a good watch.

[Morrigan2575]

I really don't like what they did with Bella and Drake and I hate the idea of Drake getting together with Rose.

[rove4]

I don't much care for Rose either.  And on that topic, what a brilliant idea, Rose.  Watch Bennett get beat up every night rather than tell Reid, who you know is also looking for him, where he is.

Very disappointed in Flight.  Now I'm thinking he was only pretending to sleep when Shine murdered John Merrick.

[CarpeDiem54]

So who did Drake discover dead in that coffin at the end?  Was it Jackson?  I couldn't tell since everything was dripping wet which made it difficult to see the person clearly.

[merylinkid]

I think it was the jeweler who had been defrauded by Warner.

I thought the same thing about Rose.  Some "true friend."   I'm just going to be watching instead of going to get someone who can help.   It's not like Reid can't knock some sense into Drake's head.   Literally apparently.

But oh Reid and that final scene.   So hot.   Although I worry about that reporter hanging outside the door.   Not sure if he was happy for the lady or happy he can blackmail Reid.

[plurie]

I thought it was Jackson. Drake wouldn't have recognized the jeweler; he came in to make his complaint after Drake left the police force.

[BradandJanet]

I thought the body was Jackson's at first too, but then wasn't Jackson doing the autopsy on it later? Killing off Jackson so unceremoniously would be a problem.

[dramachick]

I thought it was Jackson. Drake wouldn't have recognized the jeweler; he came in to make his complaint after Drake left the police force.

It was definitely the jeweler.  Drake saw the dead man's neck and realized he had been murdered, so his police instinct kicked in and he took the body to the station.

Very disappointed in Flight.  Now I'm thinking he was only pretending to sleep when Shine murdered John Merrick.

Same here.  I was just starting to like Flight.  I wonder what Shine has on him?  Whatever it is, I doubt it'll be enough to absolve him of delivering two men to their deaths.

Susan's story line with the sex-obsessed landlord is tiresome to me. 

[mrsdalgliesh]

I, too, was a little confused about Drake "recognizing" the jeweler -- but I suppose it makes sense that Rose's insistent speech sparked something which was then set aflame by noticing the man had been murdered.  It's not like Drake has layers of subtlety to work through; he dealt with his guilt by seeking actual, physical punishment.  After being a soldier, the only identity he has is as a cop.  Seeing a murdered man who needs justice would suggest only one option to him.

MM and the councilwoman got things hot as well.  Yowza.

It's tough for me to see Jackson be such a fool.  I've enjoyed the character's vast knowledge (and, ok, I've been in lust, alright?) -- and while I intellectually understand that a person can be book smart and still lack common sense, I didn't necessarily want to see it in this character.  My crush dims a bit.  Just a bit, though.  I appreciated Susan's rejection of Jackson's latest plan, but I don't like the plotline that had her keeping the financial picture a secret from Jackson until it was this late in the game.

And Shine?  Evil incarnate.  Hope the show has a suitable end in mind for him.  Something painful.

[rove4]

Oh yeah, I just want to punch Shine in the face.

[Haleth]

Did we know before that Flyte was working for Shine?  Did I miss something?

Lots of gore this episode.  Lots of beatings and a garroting.  But the most disturbing thing?  Jackson's brother swallowing then passing that big ass diamond.  

[Snarklepuss]

I do love this show but I have to say I agree with Mrsdalgleish that this season has been a little disappointing after what was a great season 1.  I don't feel they tied up some loose ends from season one well enough, such as the Mrs. Reid situation, and the Jewish orphanage lady (Miss Goren?).   Although I never thought Drake belonged with Bella and so part of me likes seeing Rose back in the picture, although I'm not really loving how this is working out.  It feels a little too forced.  And Reid's new romance has promise but it could feel less predictable and forced too....Although far be it from me to complain about a little hot action involving M. McFayden and a lovely lady!

Mr. Snarklepuss and I have decided that there has never been an episode where a knife doesn't go across Jackson's neck and Drake doesn't get the shit beat out of him, nor an episode where there isn't at least one murder.  Kind of like "The Sopranos" except with British gentlemen...

A little too many exploding ketchup packets this season, too.  Although, like I say, I do love this show!

[dramachick]

I really enjoyed this last episode of season 2.   

I'm glad that Drake retained his humanity and didn't kill Shine.

Inspector Reid has been revealed to me to be somewhat of a lesser man than Drake because Reid has used Drake as his henchman to physically hurt men in ways that Reid cannot bring himself to do, and yet he considers himself to be superior to men like Drake, Shine, and Abelard.  I hope that last scene where he sees that his girlfriend has gotten a glimpse of his ugly ways will cause him to regroup.  Even Sergeant Atherton was shocked when Reid was yelling at Drake to kill Shine.

Looking forward to season 3!

[merylinkid]

I wonder if Reid did that on purpose so she would dump him.  After all he was told to break it off with her and retire.  He certainly doesn't want to retire. But after his declaration of love he was not going to break up with her either.   And honestly, did the good councilwoman think no one would mind she was stepping out publicly with a married man?   This is Victorian England for god's sakes.   Image matters.   Good girls don't, not if they want to continue to be councilwoman.  

Honestly, the men on this show have such sad love lives.   And they are all good decent men trying very hard to do a difficult job.   

Rose needs to work on her diction if she wants to be an actress.   Even singing you could tell she came from the slums.  Not Cockney, but not gently born either. Even in the music hall that mattered.

[mrsdalgliesh]

 

Honestly, the men on this show have such sad love lives.   And they are all good decent men trying very hard to do a difficult job.

This is part of what works.  The place they live and work is chaos and they are knee deep in it.  More than that, they revel in it more than they admit (this is certainly part of what Drake was telling Reid).  It would be an exceptional relationship to survive that.

What was in the note that Reid sent the councilwoman?  Was it a note to meet him at the boxing match?  If so, merylinkid may be right, because why else would she show up there?  

Sad for Jackson, but it made sense that Susan used him as much as anyone else to get her revenge and freedom.  She's another strong woman damaged by that wretched time and place.  One of the things S2 didn't do as well as S1 is balance the horrors with the lights of discovery -- and it's too bad, because that's one of the reasons the creators mentioned for setting the show at that point in time.

At any rate, I'm still on board and so relieved there will be more to come.

[Happytobehere]

Never thought I would dislike Reid, but his bloodlust via Bennett when he is incapable of stepping up to the plate to exact his own revenge, was too much. Bravo show for not sticking to cookie cutter characterizations. All people are capable of going to dark places and taking Reid there adds a new layer that I hope both he and Bennett can reflect on to expand and strengthen their friendship.

I loved that Bennett remained true to himself and his assertion that he would no longer be Reid's billy club. He is so much more than his ability to pummel a man and I am glad that he now sees this truth in himself. It is this level of depth that makes Bennett my favorite character. I want Bennett to get a happy ending most of all the main characters. But he deserves so much better than Rose.

Wonder where they plan to go with Jackson and Susan?

[Jordan Baker]

I loved that Gale from "Breaking Bad" made an appearance in the last two episodes. And he's still doing science stuff when he's not stealing diamonds. I half expected him to quote Walt Whitman.

 

Bravo show for not sticking to cookie cutter characterizations. All people are capable of going to dark places and taking Reid there adds a new layer that I hope both he and Bennett can reflect on to expand and strengthen their friendship.

Agree completely. It's what makes this show so interesting and, sometimes, so uncomfortable.

I can never decide which of the actors is my favorite. Maybe it's a three-way tie. In these last two episodes, however, I'd have to give the nudge to Jerome Flynn. He looks as though he was born to play Drake. And he has quite possibly the bluest eyes I've ever seen.

[ApathyMonger]

Interesting that the first two S3 episodes are longer than usual (66 and 68 minutes respectively). Are they going to trim them down to the standard 57 or so for the BBC airings?

[mledawn]

Just watched the first episode - so pumped to have the gang back together. So many open plots to start the season.

I didn't realise Lousie Brealey (Molly, from Sherlock) would be in the series - or I don't recall it. So far, so good!

[weyrbunny]

I’ve spent this Fall catching up on British dramas, and by coincidence I finished Ripper Street just in time for Series 3 to premiere.

 

I liked but didn’t love S1 and S2, I think because they suffer in comparison to other thematically similar shows like Copper, Whitechapel, Luther, even From Hell. Had I seen Ripper Street first, my opinion might be the reverse, for example. And, as others have mentioned, I too grew tired of the repetitive violence. I also didn’t care for the show’s habit of “fridging” women or girls for man-pain or plot device. It makes sense within the context of the show, of course, the context being the Jack the Ripper murders.

 

...too many of the episodes seem forced as the writers try to focus on one Big Issue or another.

Well put. I did/do like the show’s main characters, and at one point in S2 I realized that I was actually missing them, especially Drake, because the history lessons were taking up the screen-time. Even the new supporting characters seemed under-served: I was disappointed for example that after initial promise, both Shine and Flight just…stagnated. Joseph Mawle and Damien Molony are capable of so much more as actors, I think. (Molony was excellent in Being Human and Suspects, and anyone else seen Soundproof? Such a great performance by Mawle.)

 

All that said, the last two episodes of S2—“Our Betrayal Pts 1-2”—might be my favorite of the show. They finally pulled the trigger on multiple plots and themes, including Reid’s descent! And I’ve watched the first two episodes of S3 and found them to be really strong, with more really interesting developments. I hope it continues like this, because I'd love to love S3.

 

Shall I create a S3 thread with a SPOILER prefix that can be removed later? Because I was genuinely surprised by

the daughter reveal

, for example, and have questions. I was even more surprised that they managed to accomplish the reveal without it seeming like total soap opera. It was highly melodramatic, of course, but the acting sold what could've been desperate and eye-rolling, IMO.

[mrsdalgliesh]

 

And I’ve watched the first two episodes of S3

 

Where are you all seeing S3??  My Amazon Prime listing doesn't have it posted.  I want to see it, too!

[radishcake]

It's available on Amazon Prime UK only. Some people are "flying to England" to see them and also as an international site some people are actually in the UK so they can watch on Amazon Prime. Supposedly the episodes will air in the US next year. 

[Deanie87]

I just finished binging most of seasons 1 and 2 and am getting ready to start season 3. I'm so bummed that I didn't rediscover the show in time to watch it live! I watched the first couple of episodes when they aired originally but also started Copper which I stuck with instead, not the wisest move in retrospect. Anyway, I I finally finished the first two seasons and am mildly obsessed with the show.

But because I watched in fits and starts, I have a couple of questions about the history between Jackson and Susan. My show obsession has a lot to do with these two, despite the fact that she is rather humorless and he grosses me out more often than not. My vague understanding/remembrance goes like this:

She is the daughter of a rich/powerful man and he is the son of a doctor, but also worked for Pinkerton. Her father hires him to guard her but either they fall in love and they run away together or he abducts her and they fall in love? Not really clear on that. Then they go on the run, somewhere along the way they change their names and get married, and she becomes a madam somehow. They love each other, but he still sleeps with her girls for free? Even though he lives with her. Then they are sort of happy again, then not. Whew!

I need to go back and watch the first few episodes again I guess, but can anyone confirm this backstory that I have pieced together and tell me the deal with why he was sampling the merchandise under her roof, etc? And the circumstances of their meeting? I am only up to the end of season 2 so I know there is more to come but any clarification on their previous history would be appreciated. What I wouldn't give for a flashback episode or even a prequel spinoff of these two crazy kids on the run!

[raven]

Hey Deanie87, I think you pretty much summed up the Jackson/Susan relationship.  I've seen all three seasons and was a little confused also; I never was really convinced that they were in love.  He was a Pinkerton hired to guard her and they fell in love and ran away from her controlling father who wanted her to marry someone else and thought Jackson was beneath her.

 

There was some kind of theft involved while they were on the run, they went into hiding/changed their names because of that and because of her father.   I think the hiding stressed their relationship, he drank and gambled and she became angry/colder, so he would sample the wares as you say.  This wasn't really spelled out, more my assumption because their relationship wasn't really clear to me.  Then at the end of S2 they are back together and in love.

 

Hopefully someone will fill in whatever I missed! 

[pezgirl7]

I don't remember there being a theft, but maybe they stole some of Susan's father's money when they fled? I also don't remember Mr. Swift hiring Jackson to watch Susan, but its been a while since I've watched season one. Mr. Swift was a shipping magnate, and the dock workers in Chicago were on strike, so he hired the Pinkerton's which included Jackson, to infiltrate the strikers. Then he ordered them to set up some bombs, which killed a bunch of people. I don't think Jackson was involved in that, but I think that's when he fled with Susan. I think Jackson may have also killed Frank Goodnight's brother, who may have been one of the Pinkerton's who was responsible for the bombing. That may have been a reason he fled. So then Jackson and Susan got married and were happy for a few months, but then I guess they sort of separated, even though Susan let Jackson live with her. I guess he gave medical services to her girls, so maybe that's one reason she let him stay. That, and the fact that she still loved him. Their relationship is definitely a strange one, but I like them together!

Edited July 1, 2015 by pezgirl7

[Deanie87]

Thanks everyone! I just started season 3 (but have only seen the first episode, halfway through the 2nd). So far Susan seems even colder and more reserved than normal and I like Jackson's new paramour kind of a lot.

I really would love to see some flashbacks to when Susan and Jackson were happy.

[weyrbunny]

Bumping up this All Episodes Talk thread, since it's the original for discussion of all seasons, all episodes. (The other thread is a character topic for Homer Jackson, and hopefully its title will be corrected soon.)

Back on topic...

Does anyone remember an episode where Reid uses the phrase "a dream deferred"? Or a paraphrase? That phrase came to mind during ep 5.4, The Dreaming Dead, but for the life of me I can't remember (or Google) which episode it was in.

[raven]

Season 1 was so good!  We all know Jackson is smart but I forgot that Reid was observant and a good investigator.  The chemistry and humor with the the three leads makes this season so much fun.

Susan kills someone this season, which I also forgot.  Nope, I still don't buy her and Jackson's great love.  The Drake-centric episode "The Weight of One Man's Heart" is one of my favorites - good Drake backstory and Rose breaks his heart, but gently.  Jackson is kind to him when it happens.  After that type of good writing, it is disappointing that the show decided to have Rose love Drake.  In "A Man of My Company" he knows she didn't come to him for love.  Aw, Drake :(   Now I'm bummed again about how things turned out.   Jerome Flynn is really an unsung hero; his performance is really good, whether being loyal friend, tough guy, or tough guy in love.

Jackson was a good mentor to Hobbs.  

Aw, Reid, I love ya, but man was he clueless about how he treated Hobbs and especially Drake.  This is one of the reasons that I like the season finale so much, Drake calls him out on it.

Reid is also damseled three times this season!  That was one of the things I liked about him, he needed to be saved quite a bit.  Matthew Macfadyen and Lucy Cohu (Ms. Cohen) had a lot of chemistry too.

My fave is probably "The King Came Calling" with a good mystery, icky deaths, good character stuff and an evil villain. 

I found Emily more interesting this time then when I first watched it.  Damn, character tragedy all around.  Still, it was a good rewatch, with excellent performances, outstanding costumes, settings and dialogue.  I wish the series had ended differently.

[weyrbunny]

On 4/17/2017 at 0:21 AM, Snarklepuss said:

 I think the show really started to change when Amazon got involved.  It went down an unnecessarily dark and depressing route starting with the train crash.

 

On 4/30/2017 at 7:33 PM, Neurochick said:

The first two seasons were like "CSI 1890's" and I thought it was interesting; the chemistry between the three leads was wonderful.  I really enjoyed those first two seasons.  Unfortunately, this show went the way of too many shows on TV today.  Some people think it's not "art" unless the show is depressing and sad.

I'll be the voice of dissent and say that I much prefer Series 3, 4 and, even though it wasn't as well executed, 5. They were a leap up in novelistic storytelling and symbolic richness. I like S1 and S2, but I was never that invested in the CSI 1890's police-procedural aspects. Series 1 and 2 didn't surprise me. Series 3 did. Series 4 did. (Exhibit A: Susan shooting Reid in the head. Exhibit B: Nathaniel biting out Drake's throat.) The complexity of later seasons helped to differentiate Ripper Street from the other cop shows that I (and everyone) had compared it to, and I really appreciate that, too.

I do grasp why you (collective you) object to the show's sullenness, and the series finale's joylessness gave even me pause, but... the show was always about the spectre of Jack the Ripper. A growing darkness seems fitting.

[raven]

Having re-watched S2, I think there were already hints of the show becoming darker each season.    Unfortunately it also makes me focus on some OOC behavior in the final season.

Emily disappearing off screen, having been committed or whatever, was a sign of the bleakness coming I think,  Emily had shown no signs of suddenly taking to booze in S1 and this struck me as a careless way to write her off. 

I had forgotten how evil Shine was - killing Joseph Merrick early in the season and then the jeweler a few episodes later.  I had also kind of forgotten that S2 opens with Drake married to Bella, and the weakest episode for me this season is the cult one where we find out who she really is.  The ep is way too melodramatic and the cult leader is obnoxiously over the top. 

I enjoy Councilwoman Cobden and her relationship with Reid; I think she is never seen again after witnessing Reid's bloodlust.  More proof that, as Drake says to Reid in the S2 closer, that anyone who becomes close to them are doomed.  I had also forgotten that Abberline tells Reid to stop seeing Cobden or to quit the force.

Which leads me to Jackson and Susan.  She really seems to dislike him, beyond just being angry with him (one of the reasons I never bought their Great Love) and that's even before he loses a bunch of the house's money in investments.  There's a lot of Jackson promising Susan he will do this or that, and if you think about it, he never really came through - even all the way to the end of the series, he dies and leaves Connor alone.    This helps a bit in my mind to somewhat explain Jackson's enabling of Susan in the later seasons.   To be fair, he also asks her several times to leave Whitechapel with him and she refuses.

Susan has an interesting, if degrading arc this season - having to sleep with her odious landlord to keep the house.   Susan shows her best side in "Become Man" - the ep with the Matchstick girls and I like her friendship with Rose.  They confide in each other and it makes Rose's exclamation in the final season that they were never friends even more of a headscratcher.

I like Rose this season, who proves a friend to Drake.  She is shown as someone trying to make her own way and probably should not have marred Bennett.   

"Threads of Silk and Gold" is a good episode with some interesting character work for Fred Best.  This is the one with the telegraph boys acting as prostitutes and blackmailing the banker. 

Really, the main characters use violence or killing as a way to solve their problems, whether justified or not.  I can't decide if it's lazy writing or if the show is trying to make some point about Whitechapel.  Since it's a theme that runs through all seasons, I tend to think the latter.   It's ironically the lack of wanting to kill that is Drake's downfall and the seeds of that are planted in S2.  

I think the show's weakness is in making some of the crimes too big if you will, with this conspiracy or that one, making Shine so evil, etc.  They would write themselves into a corner in some instances.   Still, the acting is always top notch and the chemistry of the three male leads is what makes the show.  

Though they sniped at each other, Jackson obviously feels friendship for Drake; the scene of the three men at Bella's funeral is nicely shot and it's these types of character moments that made these seasons worth re-visiting. 

[ganesh]

I can't believe there's a 5th season. I only just started the fourth.