Article first posted as Ripper Street Series Premiere Review on Seat42F
Grade: 88%
Grade: 88%
BBC America continues to make original
series, a fact that may irk those of us wishing they would carry more
actual British programming, since they have so few shows delivering
fresh episodes on a regular basis. The sad problem is, though, and this
divides my opinion, they make good shows. First there was Copper, and
now, beginning this week, is RIPPER STREET.
RIPPER STREET has a lot of similarities
to Copper. Half of the main characters are policemen. The tale takes
place long ago, at the end of the nineteenth century in this latest
effort. There are prostitutes. The characters don’t have the luxury of
sticking to peaceful moral codes, having to break the rules in the name
of their duties. Both look at the early days of forensic science, using
new techniques to solve crimes.
Also, like Copper, the sets and costumes are look terrific.
There are differences, too, of course.
Copper is set a little bit later, in America. RIPPER STREET is less
gritty, mostly staying away from the lowest class of citizen, unlike the
class-divided Copper. There is quite a bit of nudity, at least in the
screener I had access to. There’s porn, too, in its earliest
incarnation, making RIPPER STREET more risque than Copper. The cops
actually work in an office, rather than just roaming the streets.
RIPPER STREET stars Matthew Macfadyen
(MI-5, Frost/Nixon) as Detective Inspector Edmund Reid, a detective who
worked the murders of Jack the Ripper, and eventually gave up the hunt
for the serial killer. Like many heroes on television today, he is
wounded both physically and mentally. He suffered a terrible tragedy we
know nothing about, which has made things very uncomfortable with his
now-distant wife, Emily (Amanda Hale, The Crimson Petal and the White).
He also has some extensive scarring on his shoulder.
It’s too bad that Reid seems so
familiar. He is interesting enough, I guess, but he also comes across as
the same as many other characters. He isn’t fresh or original enough to
really stand out on his own.
The saving grace is Macfadyen. Even with
a rather trite character, he performs the part well enough to keep
viewers engaged. He does a fine job balancing the line between nobility
and doing what he needs to do, even when that goes against orders. His
face is more expressive than most of his peers, and he’s a large part of
why RIPPER STREET works.
His partner is Detective Sergeant Bennet
Drake (Jerome Flynn, Game of Thrones, Soldier Soldier). Drake is the
typical bad egg who has clung onto a good guy, and hopes to remake
himself in his mentor’s image. Reid doesn’t treat Drake poorly, but
Drake seems to feel a bit bad about using his fists so much, rather than
his brain, and aspires to be like Reid. Again, it’s the actor who
raises this character over the expectations, since his back story isn’t
particularly unique.
Drake’s counter part is Rose Erskine
(Charlene McKenna, Raw). Plenty of programs like RIPPER STREET, which
are crime-based, wouldn’t take the time to balance out the cast between
the genders. Rose is the answer to that, a prostitute that would like to
raise her station in life. Unlike some similar characters in other
shows, I believe that she can do it, given opportunity.
Then there are the true scoundrels.
Captain Homer Jackson (Adam Rothenberg, The Ex List) and Long Susan
(MyAnna Buring, White Heat, Twilight) are on the run from whatever got
them into trouble across the pond in the U.S. Susan runs the whore house
where Rose works, while Homer befriends Reid, perhaps to protect
himself, as much as because he might like the man. Interestingly, Homer
is the scientist of the group, making him invaluable to his police
friend.
Homer and Susan fight amongst each other
as much as they fight others. They are people of deep passions and
stubborn attitudes. They will create much of the conflict that should
drive RIPPER STREET going forward, and straddle the line between likable
and not enough that their actions can be unpredictable at times.
This will definitely be a show that
solves cases, but they’ve also set up enough with the various characters
to provide plenty of larger arcs and human-driven scenes. It may look
like an old-timey CSI, complete with make-shift case boards, but there’s
also something a bit more intelligent going on, too.
Plus, tying things to the Jack the
Ripper case lend it that bit of history and legend that should draw in
an audience, at least to sample the series.
In summary, the premise is slightly dull
and done-before, however, the individual elements, each of which is
well handled, combine to raise it above what it should be. I’m not
saying that it’s my favorite new show, by any means, but it’s certainly
one worth tuning into on a regular basis.
RIPPER STREET premieres Saturday at 9 p.m. ET on BBC America.
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