Ripper Street is a triumph on many levels. The acting is superb, the mysteries are riveting, and the narrative from week to week makes you more immersed and vested in the characters. The concept allows us to see how detectives solved crimes way before CSI, DNA, and forensics. But here's the real appeal of the show: There are many strong characters (police, prostitutes, girlfriends, mistresses, wives, criminals), each of whom have very differing motivations and aspirations, that constantly collide with each other. Their secrets, their intentions, and their loyalties add a fantastic backdrop to the "mystery of the week" making for one compelling drama. Bravo!
97 Reviews
Good Period Piece and well worth a watch.
fleetstar31 December 2012
I was surprised by this new TV series, as I haven't been used to the BBC producing a well thought out, piece of drama for quite a few years.
One review that I saw in a national newspaper said, 'Yawn, Yawn' it's all been done before. I am glad I read that after I saw it. If it has been done before, then I haven't seen it.
The acting was really good, and although the subject matter and gore was about as far as you would want to go on TV, I would sooner have it this way, than toned down to suit the more prudish element amongst us.
As this was the first outing, normally you get the feeling that the actors are finding their feet with their new characters. I didn't feel that with this episode, they all looked comfortable in their roles and the show was much the better for it.
I am looking forward to episode 2, to see if they (BBC) can keep up the good work.
One review that I saw in a national newspaper said, 'Yawn, Yawn' it's all been done before. I am glad I read that after I saw it. If it has been done before, then I haven't seen it.
The acting was really good, and although the subject matter and gore was about as far as you would want to go on TV, I would sooner have it this way, than toned down to suit the more prudish element amongst us.
As this was the first outing, normally you get the feeling that the actors are finding their feet with their new characters. I didn't feel that with this episode, they all looked comfortable in their roles and the show was much the better for it.
I am looking forward to episode 2, to see if they (BBC) can keep up the good work.
Great period mystery/drama
flobro667 August 2013
In my opinion, the British mystery/drama "Ripper Street" leaves the US "Copper" for dead. To all who have based their reviews on a single viewing, please give this show another chance. The acting and writing are brilliant and the characters are well-developed. Each episode leaves you wanting more. I particularly like the forensic scenes. Very interesting to see how far the science had developed during this period in British history. The stories are also well-paced, combining a good balance of action, drama and mystery. Don't give up on "Ripper Street" just yet because you just might be surprised by this British take on a "whodunnit?"
Well written, not over-acted. Spectacular
erinlindseysjunk2 October 2013
I set up an account on IMDb solely for the purpose of raving about the show Ripper Street. I love it. The show is a period piece but doesn't get swallowed up by the kitsch of it. The dialogue is sharp and the storyline is excellent. The storyline doesn't adhere strictly to the Ripper mystery, because if you know anything about the actual events, it would make for a very short series. And that would be a shame, clearly. The characters have compelling, individual backgrounds & story lines which are beginning to flesh themselves out. I eagerly anticipate series 2.
And if you don't agree, that's fine. But I had to voice my support.
And if you don't agree, that's fine. But I had to voice my support.
An excellent take on 1800 East London
dragovich201120 February 2013
When i first saw this show it felt a lot like i was watching the Sherlock Homes movie..But i have to admit it's nothing like that
The Plot is managed superbly..The acting of all three lead men is just great..Not once it felt unnatural..Giving all three of them different back stories and their twisted personal lives is clever writing indeed..Different plots in every episode just keeps the audience hooked..Villains from episode to episode are also well written and the mystery just keeps you on the edge of your seat..
The sets of this show are just amazing and i was just hooked after the first Episode..This production from BBC is a fantastic piece of TV..You should definitely give this show a try .
The Plot is managed superbly..The acting of all three lead men is just great..Not once it felt unnatural..Giving all three of them different back stories and their twisted personal lives is clever writing indeed..Different plots in every episode just keeps the audience hooked..Villains from episode to episode are also well written and the mystery just keeps you on the edge of your seat..
The sets of this show are just amazing and i was just hooked after the first Episode..This production from BBC is a fantastic piece of TV..You should definitely give this show a try .
Amazing, enticing, suspenseful, endearing, keeps you longing for your next "fix".
browncm-800-68092624 September 2013
I truly love this show!!! The actors are so captivating and addicting. I can't get enough. You are instantly drawn in from the second it starts. Through their performance they make you feel connected on such an emotional level. I really enjoy "getting lost" in a show that i watch; this show is so consuming that you cannot help but get lost in it. I cannot wait to see what comes next season. I just hope that the series continues as triumphant as it began; with all the wonderful writers, actors, directors, producers, and everyone else that made it such a great success. Shows such as these make "movie" night suspenseful and enjoyable! The shear talent/gift that it takes to create these story lines/plots/themes never creases to amaze me!
Wonderful dialogue with some story wrapped around it - excellent
dormston26 November 2013
I watch little TV and even less pot-boiler dramas, but Ripper Street drew me in from the start. The dialogue is so beautifully written, and delivered that it underlines the differentiation of the age that the program is set, and the age that we now inhabit. So clever is it though that it is always transparently clear.
In this way the show reminds me somewhat of the recent Spartacus series.
The fact that there is light and shade in every character, and there are no absolute heroes or villains really does demonstrate the ambivalence of the times.
It is a cartoon, for sure rather than a factual historical program, but it does tell a lot of the early days of the police force in London.
I am yet to be disappointed by a single episode. Bravo BBC !
In this way the show reminds me somewhat of the recent Spartacus series.
The fact that there is light and shade in every character, and there are no absolute heroes or villains really does demonstrate the ambivalence of the times.
It is a cartoon, for sure rather than a factual historical program, but it does tell a lot of the early days of the police force in London.
I am yet to be disappointed by a single episode. Bravo BBC !
IMMEDIATELY ADDICTIVE GUV'NOR
lopezpatricia-061391 August 2021
Really enjoying this immensely. A crime drama and a history lesson all in one. It's also gritty ie: drug use and prostitution, a bit of swearing et cetera. The main cast characters are very likability which makes the difference for me.
Near-Perfect Period Production
sscanf28 October 2014
Do you like period productions of crime and punishment? Then this is for you. Gritty, reasonably suspenseful with complex story lines and scripts that work well for the setting, albeit with a few anachronisms for the time.
Acting is top notch, positive role models are presented, sets are amazing and overall production is intriguing.
I am constantly amazed at how much work was invested in each scene of this show, how much thought was put into script and storyline.
That being said, English entertainment simply is not for everyone, but if that's a hurdle you can jump and you like a good period mystery series this is as good as almost any.
Acting is top notch, positive role models are presented, sets are amazing and overall production is intriguing.
I am constantly amazed at how much work was invested in each scene of this show, how much thought was put into script and storyline.
That being said, English entertainment simply is not for everyone, but if that's a hurdle you can jump and you like a good period mystery series this is as good as almost any.
Ripper Street (BBC1) – Review
mail-479-2411235 January 2013
It was only a matter of time before we got another Jack the Ripper spin-off. The sport was to try and guess which genre or genres they were going to attempt to combine it with this time.
The BBC have obviously racked their brains over this one, and after diligently flicking around a few hundred digital channels, have come up with the franchise's latest contrived mash-up: Jack the Ripper meets CSI in the Wild West.
With "Whitechapel", ITV have also had a stab (no pun intended) at Jack. But unlike ITV's modern day setting, the Beeb's version is set in 1889 and miraculously resists the temptation of casting the usually ever-present Phil Davis. Ripper Street is set six months after Jack the Ripper began his gory exploits, and everyone is more than a little jumpy.
The "Deadwood" Wild West filming style and heavy-handed, discordant music score make Ripper Street feel like a darker, nastier version of Guy Ritchie's 2009 re-make of Sherlock Holmes, and the programme's brutal, blood-spitting, flesh ripping visuals would be just as at home in a Quentin Tarantino movie.
Jerome Flynn used to be in pop duo Robson and Jerome. I will never forgive him for that, but I have to admit he is rather good in Ripper Street. As is Matthew Macfadyen as Detective Inspector Edmund Reid, a smart, progressive copper intent on dragging the Met out of the Dark Ages and into the glossy, soft focus crime labs of CSI Miami.
This unlikely League of Gentlemen is completed by an American surgeon played by Adam Rothenberg – an ex-employee of the Pinkertons Detective Agency, drafted in, no doubt, to more graphically underline the Wild West parallel.
So, we discover a slaughtered prostitute in a dark alley. She's all slit up a treat, proper nasty-like, guv'nor, and everyone immediately assumes it was Jack. But not clean-cut, modern-thinking Inspector Reid. He pins a load of photos of Jack's previous victims on a great big blackboard and paces up and down peering at them like Mandy Patinkin in an episode of Homeland. Will this method of policing ever catch on? Jack the Ripper has been turned into movies, musicals, TV shows, cartoons and board games. No doubt it will one day be turned into a quiz show hosted by Noel Edmonds or a 'Big Brother"-style reality show set in a police station in Whitechapel. In the meantime, Ripper Street is probably one of the more inventive incarnations of the franchise, and is likely to maintain a strong following, if only among fans of Robson and Jerome.
Read more reviews at Mouthbox.co.uk
The BBC have obviously racked their brains over this one, and after diligently flicking around a few hundred digital channels, have come up with the franchise's latest contrived mash-up: Jack the Ripper meets CSI in the Wild West.
With "Whitechapel", ITV have also had a stab (no pun intended) at Jack. But unlike ITV's modern day setting, the Beeb's version is set in 1889 and miraculously resists the temptation of casting the usually ever-present Phil Davis. Ripper Street is set six months after Jack the Ripper began his gory exploits, and everyone is more than a little jumpy.
The "Deadwood" Wild West filming style and heavy-handed, discordant music score make Ripper Street feel like a darker, nastier version of Guy Ritchie's 2009 re-make of Sherlock Holmes, and the programme's brutal, blood-spitting, flesh ripping visuals would be just as at home in a Quentin Tarantino movie.
Jerome Flynn used to be in pop duo Robson and Jerome. I will never forgive him for that, but I have to admit he is rather good in Ripper Street. As is Matthew Macfadyen as Detective Inspector Edmund Reid, a smart, progressive copper intent on dragging the Met out of the Dark Ages and into the glossy, soft focus crime labs of CSI Miami.
This unlikely League of Gentlemen is completed by an American surgeon played by Adam Rothenberg – an ex-employee of the Pinkertons Detective Agency, drafted in, no doubt, to more graphically underline the Wild West parallel.
So, we discover a slaughtered prostitute in a dark alley. She's all slit up a treat, proper nasty-like, guv'nor, and everyone immediately assumes it was Jack. But not clean-cut, modern-thinking Inspector Reid. He pins a load of photos of Jack's previous victims on a great big blackboard and paces up and down peering at them like Mandy Patinkin in an episode of Homeland. Will this method of policing ever catch on? Jack the Ripper has been turned into movies, musicals, TV shows, cartoons and board games. No doubt it will one day be turned into a quiz show hosted by Noel Edmonds or a 'Big Brother"-style reality show set in a police station in Whitechapel. In the meantime, Ripper Street is probably one of the more inventive incarnations of the franchise, and is likely to maintain a strong following, if only among fans of Robson and Jerome.
Read more reviews at Mouthbox.co.uk
Rule Brittania
eoinej-538-11480331 December 2012
British drama knocks Coppers into a cocked hat (helmet??). I love Tom Weston-Jones and the Irish ruggedness is very appealing, but for quality acting and set believability, despite the slickness, Ripper Street sets the new standard in period TV detective series.
I thought the break in Boardwalk Empire would leave me nothing to watch, but this new BBC series absolutely does the business if, like me, you like the genre. For me,despite his talent, Matthew Macfadyen has struggled to dispense with the Spooks mantle which has likely served rather albatross- like for some time (even the M&S adverts failed in this respect). That is over. It will be scriptwriters and production teams that determine the continued success of this series. And I haven't even mentioned the wealth of other talent on display here....... enjoy!
I thought the break in Boardwalk Empire would leave me nothing to watch, but this new BBC series absolutely does the business if, like me, you like the genre. For me,despite his talent, Matthew Macfadyen has struggled to dispense with the Spooks mantle which has likely served rather albatross- like for some time (even the M&S adverts failed in this respect). That is over. It will be scriptwriters and production teams that determine the continued success of this series. And I haven't even mentioned the wealth of other talent on display here....... enjoy!
Brilliant at first; then faded just as theme music
jamiecmay13 January 2021
First few series were excellent; but around the time Amazon took over it became too concerned with the characters and not the crimes. It also became too far-fetched to believe the plot lines and coincidences. Then the theme music was castrated too. A shame, as it was good for many series and two main actors were superb. (I'm half way through series 5 at mo!)
Series Finale
ginamariehayes20 August 2017
Warning: Spoilers
So disappointed with the series finale, ugh!!! I have been watching this series since the beginning and I have loved every minute of it. The story line, acting, actors, all top notch - so you can imagine my disappointment when I read the series was coming to an end. Who wrote that last episode?!? It was too ridiculous for words!
I don't understand the thought process as to why Matthew had to die. Wasn't it enough that he was sent back to America as part of the deal? The only thing that made that a little easier was that he was taking Conor and finally that poor child was going to be loved and looked after by a parent - not for long however!
How about Matilda! The last words she had for her father - what was that about?!? I thought that was rather harsh considering the poor man had been tormented most of the show because he felt responsible for her death (although he never stopped looking for her).
And poor Mr. Reid....I adored his character and in the end they made him out to be this unhinged lunatic moving in and out of reality, with everyone he loved moved away or dead, and with no life or friends outside of work. What a sad, pathetic ending for such a brilliant, and yes at time, tormented character. Sooo disappointed. He certainly deserved a happier ending.
I don't understand the thought process as to why Matthew had to die. Wasn't it enough that he was sent back to America as part of the deal? The only thing that made that a little easier was that he was taking Conor and finally that poor child was going to be loved and looked after by a parent - not for long however!
How about Matilda! The last words she had for her father - what was that about?!? I thought that was rather harsh considering the poor man had been tormented most of the show because he felt responsible for her death (although he never stopped looking for her).
And poor Mr. Reid....I adored his character and in the end they made him out to be this unhinged lunatic moving in and out of reality, with everyone he loved moved away or dead, and with no life or friends outside of work. What a sad, pathetic ending for such a brilliant, and yes at time, tormented character. Sooo disappointed. He certainly deserved a happier ending.
A long haul to the end of season 5 but Ripper Street keeps on getting better.
macfadyen9983 January 2016
Originally a BBC series now a joint Amazon BBC production Ripper Street stands head and shoulders above other detective dramas set in the late 19th century. The Ripper Street follows Detective Inspector Edmund Reid and his the team of detectives based at Leeman Street in the East End Of London. Reid had hunted Jack the Ripper. The Police's failure to catch the infamous serial killer forms a backdrop to the story. However Ripper street is not a reworking of The Ripper story it is firmly set post-Ripper and follows Inspector Reid as he struggles to protect the largely poor immigrant population of the East End from murder, organized crime, anarchist plots and assorted mayhem.
Played by to remarkable effect Mathew MacFadyen Inspector Reid is very loosely based on a real life Inspector Edmund Reid who was a remarkably forward thinking man with a love of science described by newspapers of the era as "the best all detectives". However the script writers have created for Reid a new back story that explains why this very moral policeman is prepared to bend the rules in the interest of the greater good.
Reid is accompanied by a posse of strong well drawn characters some pretty dubious all their own back stories and played by an amazing good cast, who make well written dialogue come alive. The result is western set in Victorian London, more Hell on Wheels than Sherlock Holmes.
The production values are remarkable, sets and costumes are flawless and the script, direction, editing, cinematography and sound are near perfect
Played by to remarkable effect Mathew MacFadyen Inspector Reid is very loosely based on a real life Inspector Edmund Reid who was a remarkably forward thinking man with a love of science described by newspapers of the era as "the best all detectives". However the script writers have created for Reid a new back story that explains why this very moral policeman is prepared to bend the rules in the interest of the greater good.
Reid is accompanied by a posse of strong well drawn characters some pretty dubious all their own back stories and played by an amazing good cast, who make well written dialogue come alive. The result is western set in Victorian London, more Hell on Wheels than Sherlock Holmes.
The production values are remarkable, sets and costumes are flawless and the script, direction, editing, cinematography and sound are near perfect
High quality production with majorly underrated actors
kathypig111 September 2015
Warning: Spoilers
This series has absolutely gripped me from the beginning. Set in the grimy Whitechapel area of Victorian London in the immediate aftermath of the Jack the Ripper murders, this show is just flat-out sublime in casting, sets, costumes, period atmosphere, writing, and soundtrack.The hugely underrated Matthew McFadyen is glorious as Detective Inspector Edmund Reid, who is haunted (in more ways than obvious ones) by the unsolved Ripper killings. His colleague , Inspector Bennet Drake, is played to weary perfection by Jerome Flynn, who is thankfully by no means relegated to a secondary "sidekick" role. Drake and Reid are joined in their crime-fighting efforts by the American Civil War veteran/physician/medical detective Homer Jackson, who as portrayed by Adam Rothenberg, is a combination of chain-smoking Byronic hero and lab geek. If you're tired of shallow characterizations and inept screen writing masquerading as substantive TV dramas, then this is the show for you!
Fine Period Drama with Muscle
gailforce1223 March 2016
Just caught up with this and admittedly was initially dubious given the earth of literature and movies on this most infamous of unsolved crimes. This series combines strong narrative with detailed period history, never failing to disappoint by bringing in forensics, the development of The Met, social history, criminology all via the strong characters of Reid, Bennett, Rose et al. We see all from Freak Show Victoriana, to Molly Houses, back street abortionists and Music Hall. A lot of work and love...it shows. Sheer craft. The make up for the episode including John Merrick rivals that of Chris Tucker for The Elephant Man and the anatomical post mortem work cold readily compete with the likes of Dexter and Six Feet Under. Simply unmissable and vital viewing for Americans.
Amazing (Possible Spoiler)
FlynnGillie7 August 2013
Warning: Spoilers
As soon as I saw the add for this TV series on channel 10 (australia), I instantly fell in love with it. It has one of my favorite actors, Jerome Flynn, in it, who is also from Game Of Thrones. This series has great music, acting and a really good plot. I love movies, well pretty much anything that is to do with the Victorian era. Crime stories in the Victorian era are probably some of the best stories ever (just my opinion). Jerome Flynn suited the mercenary type role really well, as he does in anything. All round, this is an amazing series that anyone with a fascination with the Victorian era should watch. This is my first review, so I hope it was helpful and you liked it. Thanks
Ripper Street is fantastic, very sad they stopped it.....
laurie195328 April 2014
Warning: Spoilers
I cant get enough of British Actors and writers, they kick the poop out of most N.American TV!! Creative period piece with all the juicy crime thriller "who done it" that I love. I hear they are coming out with some more seasons but not through BBC some other reality show beat them out??!! OMG what is our world coming to? I love the lead actor,Matthew Macfadyen and admired his work in another period piece he did called Little Doret, which is also excellent but quite different from this. In this Season of Ripper Street I love how the time is right around the Ripper murders but not about them, creating some true life feel to the imagined murders of that day. I am hanging on as every episode ends to get to the next one. I will look to contacting BBC to urge them to sign this show up for another season. If you haven't watched it I encourage you to do so and know you will enjoy every minute!
21st century man in the 19th century
ofmanyone11 October 2018
Warning: Spoilers
It never ceases to amaze me how incredibly forward thinking inspector Reid is. Here it is 1889, and he understands Ohm's Law! The concept is entirely foreign to the rest of the world, but not our dear inspector! What's more, he has the tolerance of a 21st century man when it comes to suffrage, men in drag, and surprisingly open homosexuality. The good Yankee Doctor is incredibly adept at criminal forensic science, as if he learned from the future!
And not just medicine, but chemistry and physics too!
In short, the writing contains themes and ideas that were extremely unlikely to exist in the hearts and minds of the primary characters. Viewers are bathed in modern political agendas that were exceptionally rare for the period. It's nothing more than a new vehicle to push modern politics wrapped in an inoculate package of 19th century London. Truly shameless.
The actors were excellent, as were the costumes and sets. If the writers and directors could keep their political leanings in the present and stay true to the period, then it would all be excellent. Alas, they not only bleed through, they hemorrhage!
In short, the writing contains themes and ideas that were extremely unlikely to exist in the hearts and minds of the primary characters. Viewers are bathed in modern political agendas that were exceptionally rare for the period. It's nothing more than a new vehicle to push modern politics wrapped in an inoculate package of 19th century London. Truly shameless.
The actors were excellent, as were the costumes and sets. If the writers and directors could keep their political leanings in the present and stay true to the period, then it would all be excellent. Alas, they not only bleed through, they hemorrhage!
Without much fanfare, may I introduce the best show of the 14-15 season
craigrupert3 September 2015
Warning: Spoilers
This show continues to improve each year. Each of the cast members are top notch, including those in supporting roles, but it is Jerome Flynn who truly shines. Set up to be a tragic figure on whose shoulders must reside the weight of each of the several worlds he has to juggle between Whitechapel and his social life. He is a classic Shakespearean angst-ridden hero. The only of the three male leads that can always be counted on, even if doing what needs to be done is to his own detriment. Jerome Flynn seems to have fun in Game of Thrones. In Ripper Street, he is Prometheus unbound.
The other true notable among this ensemble cast is MyAnna Buring, who plays the character Susan. Once a daughter of privilege, her fortunes rise and fall like the sea. And Buring's face shows every triumph and tragedy as they pass. Being a true ensemble, it would be hard to nominate any of the cast as a lead actor, but Flynn and Buring deserve supporting nods.
Streaming now on Amazon Prime, this is a show you do not want to let go by.
The other true notable among this ensemble cast is MyAnna Buring, who plays the character Susan. Once a daughter of privilege, her fortunes rise and fall like the sea. And Buring's face shows every triumph and tragedy as they pass. Being a true ensemble, it would be hard to nominate any of the cast as a lead actor, but Flynn and Buring deserve supporting nods.
Streaming now on Amazon Prime, this is a show you do not want to let go by.
Requires Some Binge Watching to Appreciate
RileyOnFilm16 December 2016
Warning: Spoilers
This is a great TV show not because of its period dramatic scenery and wardrobe. It's not great either because it's like Downton Abbey meets a crime thriller. It's an amazing show simply because it has a clever formula.
Ripper Street takes its name from the famous killer of England's past but the show is not about him. It starts out with a small group of policemen trying to decide if serial killings are linked to Jack the Ripper. We learn how this team goes through its rudimentary CSI and time specific police tools to solve a class. By the 3rd episode, we learn Jack the Ripper isn't part of this show, he only inspired the title. It is after all a great title I'm sure you will agree.
It's a good cast that runs this show. It really does make me think I am in the time period when I'm watching. Once the formula is established, it opens the way for so many stories. The many themes and visual effects keep this show interesting. Let me restate that the actors give it their all and they are brimming with talent. Timely characters appear here and there. For example, in season one we meet and see the Elephant man deliver dialog with other characters we hae become familiar with.
Because this show does follow a formula, I think a person could skip episodes and still get the story. It's not necessarily "full" of personality but to those who get into period pieces and good crime stories, I recommend this show. You might call it a Downton Abbey crime drama.
Ripper Street takes its name from the famous killer of England's past but the show is not about him. It starts out with a small group of policemen trying to decide if serial killings are linked to Jack the Ripper. We learn how this team goes through its rudimentary CSI and time specific police tools to solve a class. By the 3rd episode, we learn Jack the Ripper isn't part of this show, he only inspired the title. It is after all a great title I'm sure you will agree.
It's a good cast that runs this show. It really does make me think I am in the time period when I'm watching. Once the formula is established, it opens the way for so many stories. The many themes and visual effects keep this show interesting. Let me restate that the actors give it their all and they are brimming with talent. Timely characters appear here and there. For example, in season one we meet and see the Elephant man deliver dialog with other characters we hae become familiar with.
Because this show does follow a formula, I think a person could skip episodes and still get the story. It's not necessarily "full" of personality but to those who get into period pieces and good crime stories, I recommend this show. You might call it a Downton Abbey crime drama.
Seasons 4&5: Dreadful Seasons 1-3: Good
tinyone223 October 2016
Even though season 4 was a disappointment I persevered with season 5 with the hope that some of the glory of earlier seasons would resurface. But it was all gloom and doom with no more spark left.
They should've left season 3 be the last because what they've created thereafter is an abomination.
Seasons 1 - 3: Every episode was about solving a crime, but being aware of the characters' flaws. There was a main thread throughout due to Reid's daughter that kept us wondering. They kept the stories surprising and interesting. The acting was superb, especially Inspector Reid.
Season 4: They introduce a long winded hairy story about a wolf that runs episode to episode. There is no more crime busting, only egoistic characters that make it a chore to watch each episode.
Season 5: The same monotonous wolf story persists, except the writers have decided to create more flashbacks, darker sets and more unhinged story lines. It was like each episode became darker, drearier and more delirious. But at the same time the episodes were dragging on, as it became apparent that the writers were stumbling through the series with writer's block and a deadline and inflicting their hatred of the show on us. So I skipped an episode as I figured that I wouldn't miss much, and I didn't. During the last episode I couldn't believe that anyone could make such flummery. The last episode was like a blotch of ketchup on a wedding dress. It was the worst piece of film making and script writing that I have experienced since watching Alexander. This ruined Ripper Street.
They should've left season 3 be the last because what they've created thereafter is an abomination.
Seasons 1 - 3: Every episode was about solving a crime, but being aware of the characters' flaws. There was a main thread throughout due to Reid's daughter that kept us wondering. They kept the stories surprising and interesting. The acting was superb, especially Inspector Reid.
Season 4: They introduce a long winded hairy story about a wolf that runs episode to episode. There is no more crime busting, only egoistic characters that make it a chore to watch each episode.
Season 5: The same monotonous wolf story persists, except the writers have decided to create more flashbacks, darker sets and more unhinged story lines. It was like each episode became darker, drearier and more delirious. But at the same time the episodes were dragging on, as it became apparent that the writers were stumbling through the series with writer's block and a deadline and inflicting their hatred of the show on us. So I skipped an episode as I figured that I wouldn't miss much, and I didn't. During the last episode I couldn't believe that anyone could make such flummery. The last episode was like a blotch of ketchup on a wedding dress. It was the worst piece of film making and script writing that I have experienced since watching Alexander. This ruined Ripper Street.
All round fantastic.
clarejameser13 January 2014
Ripper Street is a wonderful series, with both brilliant acting and story lines. Although set around the same time as Jack the ripper and references occasionally made, it focuses more on other elements from that time period which is refreshing. I normally do not take much interest in period dramas, however Ripper Street has me hooked 100%! If the BBC do decide to continue down the route of cancellation they will be making a huge mistake,there is a massive fan following for Ripper Street and it would be such a shame to lose one of the best shows on the BBC. There are still many stories that could be told and many characters that could be explored further.
amazing show
rover4513-795-33690922 May 2016
Warning: Spoilers
I am so glad that Amazon took over this magnificent show, and after having watched all episodes so far, I have nothing else to say except a huge thank you and I'm looking forward for Season 5. The acting, clothing, police uniforms, pubs, market places, the docks and everything else is very precise. None of the actors mumble their scripts, the accents (for example the Polish English) is perfect. My father who was a policeman, during WW2, would have enjoyed this type of series, as it shows how much the force has progressed since the 1890's. Matthew MacFadyen never stops to top the charts for me as I have followed him through all of his acting career in other shows, but in Ripper Street, he actually lives and breathes the part. Although in season 4 for he gets a demotion, one can still see that he is in full control. As for the Theme Music, couldn't have been better then this choice.
See also
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