S04.E01: The Strangers' Home

[radishcake]

Quote

“The new season begins in the summer of 1897 with Queen Victoria celebrating her diamond jubilee. Edmund Reid (Matthew Macfadyen) has left the force which gave him his career and left the neighbourhood which shaped his life. He finds himself drawn back to Whitechapel when he discovers that his old friend Isaac Bloom (Justin Avoth, Merlin) is set to hang for a brutal murder; a murder of which Reid believes him incapable.

Detective Inspector Bennet Drake (Jerome Flynn) has now risen to the level of Head of H Division, holding a position of trust and status in Whitechapel. What’s more, he’s now married to the love of his life Rose Erskine (Charlene McKenna). The last two years have treated Rose kindly but, despite her happy marriage and successful career, she can’t help but be troubled that she and Drake have so far been unable to have a child.

Adam Rothenberg returns as surgeon Captain Homer Jackson, assisting Drake in investigating the criminal goings on in Whitechapel. When we catch up with Jackson, however, his wife Long Susan Hart (MyAnna Buring) is only weeks away from being executed for her part in the deaths of the fifty five souls who perished in the Leman Street locomotive disaster of 1894.

Now a mother to two year old Conor Judge, Long Susan has spent the last two and a half years residing in the Mother and Infants Wing of Newgate Prison. Time is fast running out for Long Susan but can Jackson save her?

[Captanne]

I don't have time to watch the trailer, does it give a start date?

[orza]

The start date is in the title of this thread.

[ganesh]

Wait, there's a new series?! AWESOME

 

This show just does not go down. 

[Captanne]

Oh -- the date is greyed out on my screen.  I didn't even see it until you mentioned it, orza.  Thanks for pointing it out.  The 15th, right?  (It's not clear on my screen.)

[ganesh]

I live for the day when I can deem the moniker "Long" on a lady friend. 

 

Although, I hope Rose's characterization isn't going to be limited to "I can't have a babeh!" because the reason Drake loves her is because she can take care of herself. Though she's not against him punching people. 

[Snarklepuss]

Will this be available on Prime in America on this date too?

[radishcake]

Will this be available on Prime in America on this date too?

I'm pretty sure but I'll double check before air date in case I need to use the new "unaired USA" tag.

 

ETA: I cannot find a US airdate for these. It looks like BBC1 & BBC America will be airing them in conjunction with Amazon Prime but I can't even get a search on Amazon Prime US for anything related to streaming the show. The first 3 seasons are for sale here in the US but there is NO trailer, no promos, no information about when it's airing, you can't even stream the show on Amazon US anymore.

This all leads me to believe that we aren't getting it in the US until later. I'm going to go ahead and pop the new tag on these threads until I find any further info.

[mledawn]

Finally managed to sit down and watch this episode in its entirety.

 

So happy to hear the opening theme, totally forgot Matthew Lewis was in this until he spoke about the telephone (and I squeee-ed).

 

I thought it was a great first episode of the season and set up the characters and plot lines well. 

[weyrbunny]

Progress has come to Whitechapel, and the show has never looked better. Ripper Street never slouched on its cinematography or production design before, but ep. 4.1 really is cinematic. And it’s not just the letterboxing, though that does add to the grandeur. There’s an energy here—an urgency even, in the second half—that I don’t remember much of in prior seasons. This is an impressive start to S4, and I'm really looking forward to the rest of it.

 

It’s still very much a continuation of season 3’s (parenting) themes and (water) symbolisms, though. Now, it’s not just the river, it’s the ocean. Honestly, I wasn’t noticing much depth or philosophy at first, at least not like in S3. But then… Croker’s and Reid’s separate conversations at the end about the “vortex” of the ocean’s currents driving new people, new power and certainly new death to England’s shores re-contextualized many details for me. The first murder victim, an Indian, is pushed by the currents to the riverbank, for example, and thus begins the metaphor for immigration. And of course, Reid is first seen standing in the ocean studying a vortex. He likewise is pushed back onto land from the sea, back to Whitechapel.

 

This is one of those episodes where the crime might be the least interesting part. The exploration of xenophobia towards immigrants and their race, religion and politics is certainly topical, but it’s also well-covered ground.

 

And unfortunately, I didn’t remember Isaac Bloom AT ALL from Season 1, so his story just felt like a plot device to set Reid in motion for a while. Isaac’s ending was heartbreaking though, especially when compared to Susan’s. We know she’s guilty. We may never know if Isaac is.

 

I really enjoyed Mathilda and Reid’s new dynamic. (MacFadyen excels at exasperated parent—the “Soot!!” lecture was so funny.) Yeah, so, Mathilda recovered really well, really quickly, after years of trauma and imprisonment, but regardless, it’s great to see the combination of rebellion and intelligence that she now inhabits. Mathilda finally looks her age too, which also helps. I suspect Mathilda was off-putting in S3 in part because she looked like an adult but spoke and dressed like a child—some of the “my daddy” scenes were creepy, as a result. Not an issue anymore.

 

Reid is a dog, though. We knew this from his prior relationships, but damn, the look of realization on that woman’s face during sex—one of the most intimate and honest moments ever on Ripper Street. And then Reid moves away without a word! Sheesh. 

 

Nice to see that the Stanhope from episode 3.8 was actually foreshadowing of police technology.

 

I don’t trust Commissioner Dove, possibly because the character seems to be borrowed from The Departed—

local boy becomes a cop, but worked for a crime lord the whole time, etc.

Dove did have one funny, snappy comeback: “Who here overrules me?” It’s good to be boss.

 

I keep thinking about how Isaac described the golem: “a monster made by other men.” That seems too laden with meaning not to become relevant later.

 

Adam Rothenberg is the episode’s acting MVP, IMO. I found the later scenes where Jackson lies in order to maintain the long con very compelling. Jackson’s “guns and fast horses” attitude, we’ve seen for years. The ambiguity and helplessness he conveys this episode add a welcome depth and range.

 

Amazon UK’s cut of this episode is 2:11, btw. For the inevitable BBCA comparison…

[Primetimer]

And other almost-burning questions about the fourth-season premiere.

View the full article

[voiceover]

Certainly glad to see it back; what a welcome respite from the 90s movie graveyard that prime-time BBCA has become.

I gotta disagree about the energy level, however.  Season 1 was a thrilling romp disguised as CSI: Victoriana, driven by the dynamic, sparky chemistry between the 3 leads.  And this here? not so much.

Fingers crossed that it'll get fun again when my boys get back together and those whiny women in their lives get less screentime.

[BindsTheTuna]

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Reid is a dog, though. We knew this from his prior relationships, but damn, the look of realization on that woman’s face during sex—one of the most intimate and honest moments ever on Ripper Street. And then Reid moves away without a word! Sheesh. 

I admit I wasn't paying THAT close attention to the show (Oh, Angry Birds. Why can't I quit you?) but this scene must've ended up on the BBC cutting room floor. Who was Reid having sex with?

[pezgirl7]

On July 29, 2016 at 10:16 AM, BindsTheTuna said:

I admit I wasn't paying THAT close attention to the show (Oh, Angry Birds. Why can't I quit you?) but this scene must've ended up on the BBC cutting room floor. Who was Reid having sex with?

He slept with the woman at the seaside town that fancied him. BBC America is splitting this episode into two, so maybe it will be in the next episode. I can't remember when in the episode it occured, but it wasn't that graphic compared to other sex scenes shown on US tv, so I don't think they would cut it, unless it was for time.

 

On July 28, 2016 at 10:18 PM, PreviouslyTV said:

And other almost-burning questions about the fourth-season premiere.

View the full article

I think a lot of the questions will be answered next week. It probably would have been less infuriating for you if BBC America aired the first episode in it's entirety! I'm curious why you think Jackson was in jail? I remember him last season going into Susan's cell to comfort her, but I don't believe he was arrested. Also, I agree Matilda watching the sex act was pretty creepy.

Edited July 31, 2016 by pezgirl7

[ZoqFotPik]

On 4/23/2016 at 11:37 PM, weyrbunny said:

And unfortunately, I didn’t remember Isaac Bloom AT ALL from Season 1, 

Neither do I. I was coming here hoping that someone had posted about who he was and the role he played in the show. 

 

On 4/23/2016 at 11:37 PM, weyrbunny said:

I don’t trust Commissioner Dove, possibly because the character seems to be borrowed from The Departed—

  Hide contents

local boy becomes a cop, but worked for a crime lord the whole time, etc.

 

Spoiler

Isn't that what they did with what's his name in season 2? The detective that was working for Benjen Stark. I'm really bad with character names. I really hope that they don't rehash plot.

It is really difficult for me to feel sorry for Susan. I'm anti-death penalty, but she is partially responsible for the deaths of 55 people, and, along with Jackson, murdered her father. Although the latter did, in my opinion, have it coming.

Edited July 31, 2016 by ZoqFotPik

[Anothermi]

10 hours ago, ZoqFotPik said:

On 2016-04-23 at 11:37 PM, weyrbunny said:

And unfortunately, I didn’t remember Isaac Bloom AT ALL from Season 1, 

Neither do I. I was coming here hoping that someone had posted about who he was and the role he played in the show. 

I didn't remember him either. I had to search IMDB to see which episode he appeared in. He was in 2 episodes. One in Season 1 and the other in Season 2. He was minor enough that he didn't even get a mention in the episode synopsis on Wikipedia, but here they are:

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Tournament of Shadows - S01E06

With the London Dock Strike of 1889 leading to protests in the streets of London, the killing of Jewish anarchist Joshua Bloom (Ferdinand Kingsley) in a bomb explosion and the wrecking of the International Working Men's Club in Berner Street sees Reid and the team fighting international terrorism led by Russian spy Peter Morris (Peter Ferdinando). Jackson, using his Pinkerton experience, goes undercover to infiltrate the strikers but Reid is warned off the case by Commissioner James Monro (Michael McElhatton) and Superintendent Constantine (Derek Riddell) of Special Branch who seems to have prior knowledge of Morris' activities, Jackson's past and Reid's daughter's death. When his wife tells Reid to clear their daughter Matilda's bedroom, he opens up to Miss Goren, telling her of the circumstances of how he received burns to his body when his daughter disappeared, and stating that he believes she is still alive.

Isaac would have been a relative (perhaps brother?) of Joshua Bloom and I dimly recall Reid speaking to him at one point, at least, about his brother and a bond of shared interest in science forming between them. Reid also consulted with Isaac Bloom in this episode:

Quote

A Stronger Loving World - S02E06

Attacks on churches and synagogues threatens to break the fragile peace between Whitechapel's religious communities. Bella Drake's 'uncle', Gabriel Cain (Paul Kaye), a charismatic scholar, and former member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, with a group of fanatical followers of his unorthodox occult beliefs of Elizabethan astrologer John Dee seek to convert Drake. Rose Erskine, seeking financial help from penniless Long Susan, falls foul of the same group. Reid is astonished to find a photograph of Bella as Cain's holy queen and pregnant. Tragedy befalls Drake when he, Bella, and Rose are brought together to take part in the groups intention to commit mass suicide.

I have the same vague, dim memory of this. It's no wonder we forgot about him. It's like trying to remember every scientific break though that attracted Reid's attention in every episode. Too much plot to keep hold of these small details.

Link to wikipedia page with episode descriptions.

Edited July 31, 2016 by Anothermi

[attica]

This show is so much my jam, I have to watch it while eating peanut butter on toast.

Part of me likes that Jackson and Susan are keeping up their London identities except in private, but part of me just wishes they'd pick a pair of names and stick with them. It's not like the rest of London is unaware of the reveal at this point.

As much as I miss the ginger-bearded Sgt. Artherton, I'm pretty excited to have HOT NEVILLE behind the desk.

[Snarklepuss]

I remember Isaac Bloom very well from Season 1.  Here's a synopsis of "Tournament of Shadows", the first episode he appeared in (from IMDB):

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Joshua Bloom is killed in an explosion at his house, supposedly by one of his homemade bombs as he was a member of a radical Jewish group. The group is linked to a strike at the docks, but Jackson establishes that Joshua was murdered. Joshua's brother Isaac tells Reid it was because he had recognized a spy for the Russian secret police, who had come to Whitechapel. Going undercover as a striker, Jackson identifies the spy, whose assignment is to whip up hatred against Jewish groups by launching a bombing campaign for which the Jews will be blamed. Reid is appalled to learn that the thuggish special branch officer, Constantine, approves this. Reid has to prevent a bombing outrage on a scale far larger than Constantine had imagined. Reid also confides in Deborah Goren how he lost his daughter, whose body was never found after a boating accident. They kiss but are observed by Drake.

Somehow I remember Miss Goren having something to do with Isaac Bloom too but I don't remember what.  Also, I seem to remember Bloom appearing in another season too but not sure what ep or how now.

I like it that Miss Goren is back, though.  I never liked it that she just disappeared from the show after she and Reid had a brief sexual relationship.  I always liked the sexual tension between them.

Edited August 2, 2016 by Snarklepuss

[Anothermi]

1 hour ago, Snarklepuss said:

Also, I seem to remember Bloom appearing in another season too but not sure what ep or how now.

I posted the season and the episode name and number two posts above yours.

[voiceover]

On August 1, 2016 at 10:57 AM, attica said:

This show is so much my jam, I have to watch it while eating peanut butter on toast.

Such a "you" comment that I may as well dub it an "Atticaism".

I miss Artherton too!! did I also miss the reason he is gone?

At least there was a noticeable -- eh, seismic -- energy shift when the boys were together again.  Even on the gallows, Susan noticed it.

[weyrbunny]

On 7/31/2016 at 6:48 AM, ZoqFotPik said:

 

  Reveal hidden contents

Isn't that what they did with what's his name in season 2? The detective that was working for Benjen Stark. I'm really bad with character names. I really hope that they don't rehash plot.

 

Yeah, you're right--there are similarities to DC Flight's story. Fortunately, Dove's power dynamic is ultimately different. (Damien Molony was so underused in Series 2, I actually forgot about him here. I need to rewatch Series 5 of Being Human as apology or something.)

On 7/30/2016 at 7:59 PM, pezgirl7 said:

Also, I agree Matilda watching the sex act was pretty creepy.

I never found it creepy, because I took it as just a form of teen rebellion or perhaps Mathilda showing off/bragging about her worldliness to her presumably sheltered friend. Now, I also interpret it as another sign that Mathilda is driven to know about everything, like her father. Her matter-of-fact description of the sex act also fits with her rejection of romanticism, which is a theme this season.

Edited August 5, 2016 by weyrbunny
Spoiler tag won't work. Tried twice to re-insert quote.

[attica]

I knew it would happen, but it still made me cackle with glee, when Reid saw the cold storage unit in the dead room. He totally geeked out, and Jackson wasn't going to resist explaining it to him, and Drake was all "FOCUS HERE, FELLAS!" Ah, soothe my sore heart, why doncha.

[raven]

On 7/31/2016 at 6:48 AM, ZoqFotPik said:

It is really difficult for me to feel sorry for Susan. I'm anti-death penalty, but she is partially responsible for the deaths of 55 people, and, along with Jackson, murdered her father. Although the latter did, in my opinion, have it coming.

I don't feel sorry for her and she annoyed me greatly last week when she was whining at Jackson for not saving her; so I was again annoyed that of course, he did.  Plus I never bought their great love - both actors are actually pretty good at trying to convey it, but something is missing for me.  I much preferred her on her own, whether trying to help other women or being an antagonist.  I do like her scenes with Rose. 

Why is Drake so angry with Reid?  I didn't think they parted on bad terms when Reid left to hang out at the beach with Creepy Matilda.  Of course Drake doesn't want Reid investigating on the sly but he was angry before that.  It will be fun for Drake to be Reid's boss (because of course that's going to happen); I am very happy to see the guys back together again.   You know Reid is not going to give up the Bloom investigation.

16 hours ago, attica said:

I knew it would happen, but it still made me cackle with glee, when Reid saw the cold storage unit in the dead room.

That was great! So much what I love about this show.  I also miss Atherton.  We could have had him and Neville behind the desk. 

[attica]

1 minute ago, raven said:

Why is Drake so angry with Reid? 

Because Reid ghosted him. He didn't write, or call, or text, or follow him on Instagram -- nothing! And he thinks he can just sashay back into Whitechapel with barely a fare-thee-well? Not on Drake's watch, missy!

[BindsTheTuna]

I just checked my DVR and BBCA is showing Ripper Street tomorrow at 5pm CST. The hell? 

[attica]

Honestly, I never know when shows air. Once I've set the record thingie, I watch 'em when they show up in my list. There's just too much to keep track of!

[Haleth]

I didn't even know it was back on until looking for something else I saw the listing On Demand.  Like others I cannot remember Isaac Bloom or why he was friends with Reid.  Shoot, it took a while for me to remember why Susan was in jail.  I was sort of frustrated and confused about how choppy the BBCA airing of episode 1 was until seeing here that it is continued in epi 2, which I will watch tonight.  Hope it starts making sense!

[lidarose9]

On 8/6/2016 at 11:37 AM, attica said:

Because Reid ghosted him. He didn't write, or call, or text, or follow him on Instagram -- nothing! And he thinks he can just sashay back into Whitechapel with barely a fare-thee-well? Not on Drake's watch, missy!

Catching up a little late... I think also Drake is irked that Reid came back not too visit and have lunch and see the new station house and cool new gadgets, but to second-guess Drake's investigation of a crime that Drake saw as open-and-shut. Having your old boss show up to tell you you screwed up on the job would be rough, even if you weren't already mad at him for not writing.

Also I think Jackson wants to keep up this illusion that he's the same old drunk, untrustworthy loser so that he can more freely devise a way to save her life, legal or otherwise (emphasis on otherwise). I think he just wants to avoid attention.