After the explosive events of Season 3’s opener, it is clear that Ripper Street has no intention of taking its foot off the accelerator.
While continuing to explore Long Susan’s outwardly philanthropic business Obsidian Estates, this episode grapples with one of the show’s long-standing mysteries.
When Obsidian’s repugnant lawyer Capshaw (John Heffernan) visits a defaulting tenant, threats turn to violence and he accidentally kills the man’s wife. It transpires that they pair were protecting far more than just river flotsam in their cellar, as it has been used to house a prisoner.
Meanwhile Reid (Matthew Macfadyen) is still resisting the advances of Scotland Yard and, assisted by Drake, he begins a murder investigation. They go in search of Homer Jackson for his help and find him at a music hall where they also encounter Rose Erskine (Charlene McKenna) again. Now a successful act, and much to Bennett Drake’s shock, she is engaged to a venue’s proprietor so it looks like we will see plenty more heartbreak for the pair.
Jackson appears to be carrying on his relationship with Mimi Morton, to whom we were introduced in the first episode, and after Reid brings him back on side with a grudgingly given apology, they use his skills to help decode the crime scene.
With the young prisoner, a traumatised young girl, in the custody of Long Susan, it is no surprise when she is revealed as Matilda, Edmund Reid’s long last daughter. Long Susan relies upon Dr Frayn to unlock her memories and discover how she came to be there; while at first we suspect foul play, it appears that the simple couple kept her safe, weaving a story about fairies and an evil water king.
Pulling on this thread, the loss that tore his family apart, takes Reid to the very edge. Tricked by Long Susan and Capshaw, and with the assistance of a deceived Dr Frayn, they concoct a tale which shifts the blame for the murder away and leads Reid to believe that his daughter’s protector was in fact a predatory captor who abused the girl.
The episode’s brutal, bloody denouement is not for the faint hearted as Reid’s anger turns to bloody vengeance when he is told that his daughter is dead. As a result, it is difficult to see how Reid can come back to his position now, and this surely takes Long Susan across the line from misplaced morality to outright villainy.
Aired at 9pm on Friday 7 August 2015 on BBC One.
> Order Season 3 on DVD on Amazon.
> Buy the Season 1-2 box set on Amazon.
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