S05.E05: A Last Good Act

[weyrbunny]

Quote

With Reid locked in the cells it seems that all hope is lost, but is there time for one last roll of the dice?

Good job spoiling a major plot point with so few words, Amazon.

[weyrbunny]

Jackson: “I have a goddamn plan, that’s what!”

Series 5 has not been a barrel of laughs… but I cracked up for several minutes at the above line. Jackson’s exasperation was just so funny.

All but the ending of this episode was quietly riveting. The showcase scene here was probably intended to be the exchange between Reid and Dove. But, while beautifully ominous, there was nothing new in what they said, so I found the later scenes in the marsh, and even Nathaniel and Susan’s scenes, much more compelling. It was nice to have Reid lay out their two differing world views and even to connect the dots back to Isaac Bloom’s belief in entropy (a belief which Reid now shares).

As soon as Dove put on his boots, I knew Thatcher was in trouble. Was Dove wearing hunting clothes? He looked like such a country gentleman out of a sporting catalog. The pristine clothes were both a wonderful compliment and contrast to his coldly ruthless actions when he was dragging Thatcher’s body to the river. And then he went back for the boy’s body like it was nothing… well, to him, it was nothing. I was surprised that the entire scene played out almost in real time, that it wasn’t short-handed or cut away from. It made Thatcher’s fate more tragic, somehow. Such an amazing scene. And again, all lives, all rivers, lead to the ocean on Ripper Street.

Part of me wishes Dove had been swallowed by the marsh. It could have so interestingly thwarted Reid’s attempt to bring Dove to justice, if he had just vanished. I kept thinking about what Reid said to Dove about the “pitiless murk of the past be obliterated and forgot”—it was almost like the marsh mud was that murk, dragging down Dove until he was obliterated and forgotten (never found). How ironic it would have been for Dove to be swallowed by a symbol of what he most wanted to overcome.

Susan has been under-served in S5, I think, perhaps even last season, too. So, while her conversations with Nathaniel were moving, her decision to surrender felt inconsistent and rushed. I can see how, as she was convincing Nathaniel, she was supposed to be convincing herself, but I don’t think the scene got there, especially after she had just rescued Connor. Susan has needed reassurance this season from Jackson and Mimi, and has had to face her past actions with Mathilda, so there has been a sense of guilt about her—but the time was spent on exploring Nathaniel’s conscience, not Susan’s, and I think the character suffered for it.

Did Reid call Drummond a “mallard duck”? That’s now an image I can’t get out of my head. I immediately connected the dots to Drake, since "drake" is another word for male duck or mallard. I suppose it’s better than Jackson calling him “fairie queen”... Drummond is so in over his head—he seems to equate yelling at his underlings with leadership.

I can’t believe Mathilda just let everyone out of the jail cells, and they took the station hostage! It was such an irritating return to theatrical hijinks, and it spoiled the episode's gravitas. Plus, it made the police look incompetent. Abberline running roughshod over everyone, including Dove, was fun, though.

When Dove quietly said, “I do not know you, sir”, the look on Nathaniel’s face was heartbreaking. Well done, Jonas Armstrong.

Edited January 12, 2017 by weyrbunny

[pezgirl7]

NOOOOOOO Frankie!!! :( That was hard to watch.

[raven]

Aw Thatcher, you died Trying to Do the Right Thing.

I laughed at Jackson's "we'll be martyrs together!" to Reid in jail.  The chemistry in this show has always been strong among the leads and is still evident here.

I found Nathaniel turning himself in and his hurt at Dove's refusal to acknowledge him more moving than Susan's sudden conscience, even though Nathaniel had just attacked Mimi.  

I'm still annoyed that Reid justifies Buckley's death.   I didn't agree with what they did to Susan's father, but at least we knew he was evil.  Buckley was just somewhat challenged IIRC.  If anything, Susan was evil in that scenario, as she finally admits to Mathilda.  Yet Susan lived on to shoot Reid and cause a lot more deaths. 

It's nice to see Abberline again, but it feels like he was brought in to show everyone what a "real copper" is, since hapless Drummond apparently isn't it.

I feel like we're heading towards absolution for Reid, Jackson and Susan; I've always liked Reid & Jackson and been meh on Susan, but if that's what we're getting, it doesn't feel earned, it feels off somehow. 

[CoderLady]

2 hours ago, raven said:

I'm still annoyed that Reid justifies Buckley's death.   I didn't agree with what they did to Susan's father, but at least we knew he was evil.  Buckley was just somewhat challenged IIRC.  If anything, Susan was evil in that scenario, as she finally admits to Mathilda.  Yet Susan lived on to shoot Reid and cause a lot more deaths. 

I feel like we're heading towards absolution for Reid, Jackson and Susan; I've always liked Reid & Jackson and been meh on Susan, but if that's what we're getting, it doesn't feel earned, it feels off somehow. 

I can't see any absolution for Susan with all the deaths she's caused along the way to getting what she wants. No one is going to forgive her. And now, no one is going to be fooled into letting her escape another execution. This should be the end of the line for her unless Jackson can save her yet again.

As for Buckley's death, that's Susan again. Reid thought he was killing the man who had tortured and molested Mathilda and ultimately caused her death, because Susan lied to him.

I don't recall anything really bad Jackson has done besides outwit everybody at every turn and enable Susan, though that alone makes him the guiltiest person in Whitechapel who isn't a multiple murderer.

Reid? He's guilty of being too smart and too blindly obsessive for his own good. I hope he survives.

[attica]

"Goddamn you!...I have a plan." Made me laugh. Poor Jackson. He can't win for losing.

Watching other coppers insult Dove is really a delight.

So a quick google reveals that Mimi probably has measles or rubella (rash behind her ear, fever), neither of which augurs well. It seems kind of a heavy plot development so late in the series, to boot.  Also, she wouldn't brush off concern by calling it 'flu', because flu was pernicious and deadly in the days before antibiotics. (Calling a respiratory symptoms with a fever 'flu' is really quite modern -- and inaccurate.) 

[ZoqFotPik]

On 4/7/2017 at 7:24 AM, attica said:

measles or rubella (rash behind her ear, fever), neither of which augurs well.

If rubella she doesn't have much to worry about unless she is pregnant. The biggest danger from that disease is that it can cause serious, possibly fatal, birth defects in unborn babies. Measles, yeah she's screwed. It does seem rather strange to introduce something like that in the second to last episode.

On 4/7/2017 at 7:24 AM, attica said:

because flu was pernicious and deadly in the days before antibiotics.

As it is a virus, antibiotics have no effect on the flu.

Of course Thatcher had to go dig up the body alone. Sad to see him go. So it looks like Susan will finally face the music. Good.  I really don't know what to expect in the finale.

[attica]

9 hours ago, ZoqFotPik said:

As it is a virus, antibiotics have no effect on the flu.

Oh, why don't you be all correct and everything!! :)  Of course what I meant was antivirals.

[/feels stupid]