S05.E04: The Dreaming Dead

[weyrbunny]

Quote

Thatcher discovers a fresh lead of a double murder committed by Nathaniel, giving Reid cause for hope.

[weyrbunny]

A return to form, to the urgency of the investigation, and one of those episodes that puts all the pieces together. Ep. 5.4 payed off so many plot details, it felt like a season finale, really. (And, it reminded me of the Series 2 and 3 finales, which speaks to its quality.) I especially appreciated how the multiple plot twists managed to be surprising but ultimately organic.

I was surprised to see Shine exit so quickly, for example, though it was heavily foreshadowed. Weirdly, he got a happy ending—Drake didn’t even get a happy ending. It was happy in that he physically triumphed over Reid, was his “own master” after getting the better of Dove, and, thinking back to Reid’s words in the S3 finale, chose his own conclusion. At least Ms. Costello and Mimi can spit on Shine’s grave now.

Speaking of happiness, Shine giggling during his interrogation by Reid and Jackson was really disconcerting. I couldn’t figure out if he was hysterical or in pain or what. Later, I realized that Reid had been confirming everything Shine needed to know to overpower Dove—that’s why he was giddy, I think.

The public brawl between Shine and Reid struck me as showy melodrama. Sure, it mirrored the fight in the S2 finale, as Shine himself said. But it didn’t fully pique my interest until Reid put his hands around Shine’s neck, in a pose that was a callback to Reid murdering Buckley. For a moment, I didn’t put it past Ripper Street to have Reid truly strangle Shine in front of a crowd. (Because apparently the police don’t intervene at these things.)

Dumb Drummond, such a pawn. It’s too bad he was so easily persuaded and manipulated by Shine and Dove. He had no good options, really, since either could’ve ruined his career. (Or killed him.) Better to blame Reid, perhaps, for not telling Mathilda and Drummond, to begin with, that Dove and Shine were monsters.

I shook my head at Jackson saying “It is broad daylight! We can’t just go…” followed by Reid finally being recognized—three episodes too late.

Of course, I must mention the return of the water-as-death metaphor. In the beautifully done scene where he and Reid find the boy’s body, Jackson says, “Let the ocean take him. It’s coming for us all.” It’s lines of dialogue like that that make me love Ripper Street. The frequent mention of London’s River Lea also brought to mind the River Lethe references in S3, as did Reid saying “I will not see your memory washed away…”. The River Lethe is the river of forgetfulness, if you recall.

Ripper Street’s Gothic ambience returned fully, too—the mist, fog, and shadows playing a part in the story again. There were even a few Gothic horror tropes, like when Dove and the evil governess emerged from the carriage shadows to loom over the little boy. (Seriously, that Abel employed this amoral woman to raise Dove makes Abel look terrible.)

The music at episode’s end was very evocative, like something you’d hear at the end of an opera. It complimented both Shine’s demise and the way that Dove entered frame, blade first.

It was also fitting that Jackson and Susan simply stopped overthinking things and pulled a heist for Connor. It’s what they do…

[raven]

Who will take care of Connor's puppy, now I have to worry about that.  I applaud Susan for shooting the murdering nanny,

Aw Drummond, what did you think Matilda was going to say when she realized you had set up her father?  I know you were in a tough spot but bad decision there.

Again in this episode with focus on characters I don't care about - Shine, Dove, Nathaniel.    I wasn't happy that Shine was allowed to triumph physically over Reid - though that happened because Reid got distracted by Matilda, so I guess you could say that mercy (Matilda's) played a part there - but at least Shine is dead.  

Dove really is an evil bastard, killing that little boy.  His protection of Nathaniel - who at least feels awful about what he's done - is reaching ridiculous levels now.  I suppose Dove thinks he is protecting himself as well, but really that doesn't fly, he could cover for himself in any number of ways. 

On 1/9/2017 at 10:25 PM, weyrbunny said:

In the beautifully done scene where he and Reid find the boy’s body, Jackson says, “Let the ocean take him. It’s coming for us all.” It’s lines of dialogue like that that make me love Ripper Street.

I liked that also, as well as the quiet scene with Reid and Jackson by the fireplace "We tried".

[WatchrTina]

Damn.  This show.  I'm not sure the I really enjoy it anymore because really . . . who do you root for?  In the prior episode I actually found myself empathizing with Nathaniel's loneliness and then when he came to his lady-friend's rescue I was all: "Yeah!  Beat the hell out of that sister-beating, sister-fucking arsehole!  Oh!  You ripped his throat out with your teeth.  Oh yeah, that's how you killed my boy Bronne Drake.  I almost forgot you were a batshit-crazy, murdering psychopath.  Aaaaand now you've snapped the neck of that nice lady who gave you head. Wanker."

That was last episode.  This episode I was just so frustrated with everyone.  Yay Long Susan killed the mean nanny!  Long Susan . . . the thief who is personally responsible for a train disaster that killed dozens and who escaped her own hanging.  So . . . I should be happy that a woman like that is reunited with her son?  And Matilda -- whose PTSD gets her off the hook for a lot -- gets betrayed by the man she loves.  Well THAT sucked.  

Shine's dead so, yay.

Dove's not dead . . . yet.  Though I think the brothers are headed for a show-down now that Nathaniel knows his brother killed that boy after Nathaniel asked him not to.  I'll be happy if the season ends with Nathaniel ripping out the throat of his own brother and then being shot down in the street by an ordinary citizen who has just had ENOUGH of this shit.

Reid's in custody.  Well, that was inevitable.  I was so irritated by his whole investigation of the latest killings.  What was he going to do if he found the bodies?  Drive them in the Whitechapel and say "Look! Look at these dead bodies!  I totally did not kill them.  It was the presumed-dead brother of the new chief of police." (Or whatever Dove's title is.)  How was fishing the bodies out of the river supposed to accomplish ANYTHING?

Everybody in this show is guilty of something -- has betrayed someone.  I suppose that makes this show more realistic and some people like that complexity but for me, I'm just so worn down I don't think I care what happens to anyone anymore.  There is just no one to root for.

BTW -- this episode HAS aired in the USA now.  Someone should change the tag on this and the prior season 5 episode folders.

Edited April 1, 2017 by WatchrTina

[raven]

2 hours ago, WatchrTina said:

 What was he going to do if he found the bodies?  Drive them in the Whitechapel and say "Look! Look at these dead bodies!  I totally did not kill them.  It was the presumed-dead brother of the new chief of police." (Or whatever Dove's title is.)  How was fishing the bodies out of the river supposed to accomplish ANYTHING?

Heh, I've thought the same thing - Reid didn't kill those people but he did kill Buckley and Susan's father.   Is Whitechapel supposed to ignore that because he's solved these murders?

If it's supposed to be justice for Drake, well, the show isn't doing a good job of showing that.  I understand that Reid, being who he is, doesn't want Nathaniel running around murdering people, and Dove is an awful person, so maybe I'm supposed to be rooting for Reid's overall sense of justice.  He's obviously not going anywhere with Matilda putting down roots in Whitechapel now. 

I am disappointed that I can't really root for anyone anymore.  Matilda maybe?  I like Mimi and I like the reporter.   Jackson and Reid were never really close friends, but being forced together this way does work for me, they play off each other well.    Though I liked her shooting the nanny, Susan frustrates me at every turn. 

The acting and atmosphere is still very good and I want to see where everyone ends up.  I just hope we spend more time with the Whitechapel regulars now.

[Snarklepuss]

8 hours ago, WatchrTina said:

Everybody in this show is guilty of something -- has betrayed someone.  I suppose that makes this show more realistic and some people like that complexity but for me, I'm just so worn down I don't think I care what happens to anyone anymore.  There is just no one to root for.

That's how I feel - completely worn down.  Can't care anymore.  Only I don't find anything realistic about this show whatsoever.  Hubbie and I are just watching because we got hooked on the show in the first couple of seasons and just want to find out how it ends up for the original characters.  But if not for that we would have totally ditched it by now.

8 hours ago, WatchrTina said:

BTW -- this episode HAS aired in the USA now.  Someone should change the tag on this and the prior season 5 episode folders.

I said that last week but nothing changed.

[ganesh]

On 4/1/2017 at 5:06 PM, raven said:

Jackson and Reid were never really close friends, but being forced together this way does work for me, they play off each other well.

There's been a lot of subtle back and forth between them that's actually hilarious. Jackson's "hey SHUT UP" or Reid's "WE GO NOW," with Jackson exasperated. 

[supposebly]

I'm finally watching this season. I kept postponing because I wasn't really looking forward to watching them without Drake.

What struck me in this episode was in how much violence these men are kind of steeped. I know, I know, what show have I been watching? I don't know why it didn't leave my mind. It very much brought home to me how they are wading through a morass of violence similarly to how Jackson and Reid were wading through the mud and water only to find the dead boy. These are men have inflicted violence, so they are carrying this with them continuously.

What also struck me was how they appear so large, filling the screen, Jackson, Reid, and Shine, while Dove seems small, clean and untouched, despite the countless deaths he causes. The way he was about to kill Shine seemed so clinical, so matter-of-fact. No drama, no physical violence while Shine, Jackson and Reid are all fists and choke-holds, blood, sweat, tears, and broken noses.

Can I give an award to the actor who plays Shine? I couldn't look away, such a compelling portrayal.