Ripper Street A Series Overview (spoilers if you haven't watched the whole season)

So I'm getting around to this a bit late, but whatever I want to chat about Ripper Street so I shall!  All and all I have been nothing but thoroughly impressed and entertained by this show's first season.  Though, I often wonder if the title "Ripper Street" holds the show back a bit.  We know historically that Jack was never caught nor did he murder any more women past the point the show begins, but the constant illusions to Jack and his victims get old.  I mean, obviously they couldn't call the show Whitechapel because, well, that's been done.  That being said, I still love the show's writing, I only hope that expands even farther next season.

Now, as far as season finales go... well this one wasn't at the top of it's game.  And it involves Rose, getting kidnapped and nearly dying again.  Rose, GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER.  You are literally a dumb whore.  DS Drake has practically thrown himself at you, he's gives you his whole heart, nearly commits a robbery to win your heart and what do you do?  Respond to a lonely hearts ad and get yourself kidnapped and nearly human trafficked.  Well done.

Anyhow.  The tired plot of Rose's kidnapping was made up for with fantastically beautiful shots like these:

As if to distract you from the fact that Captain Jackson had been jailed, accused of being the Ripper the episode before and it really didn't get addressed it much during the episode.  As everybody is out looking for Rose, and apparently Reed is not having a full on affair with Ms. Goren now (which, btw people who didn't watch on BBC America, did they edit the shit out of that scene?  They were just suddenly in bed, were the Americans robbed of a sex scene?).

During the episode though, Reed (after Ms. Goren pretty much tells him to grow a pair) finally tells Emily what happened to their daughter, and how, not only is it his fault, but he thinks she may still be alive.  See, the bad guy of this episode who kidnapped Rose was with their daughter when the boat crashed and he survived.  And we are constantly shown him and his kidnapping family with a little girl.  You want to believe it's Reed's, but let's be honest  this is a British show and they aren't big on happy endings (I'm looking at you Doctor Who and Being Human).  I'm going to spoil it for you now.  It's not her.  But that's beside the point, Amanda Hale NAILS this scene, she deserves a billion awards just for this one single moment.  Seriously she needs to be in more things all of the time.

Anyway, my personal favorite part of the show comes after the bad guy was shot to death before Reed could find out where he was keeping Rose (and possibly his daughter who is not his daughter).  Basically, Captain Jackson performs an autopsy on the bad guy and the whore he supposedly ripped solving both cases while fucking handcuffed.  Now that's badass, clearing your own name while your wearing handcuffs.  Loved it.

But that's not even the best part.  After he clears his name, Jackson scalps the body of the bad guy in order to convince the kidnapper's sister that they are torturing him so the police could ascertain the location of the kidnapped women.  I am very pro Captain Jackson, and he's American so woot woot!

Anyway the episode ends with a bit of a sigh of relief, everybody is safe and sound.  All three men are back together again and ready to solve a new case.

So yeah, kind of a "wah, wah" ending, but I think part of the disappointment comes with the editing on American TV.  I really hope we weren't robbed of a sex scene between Reed and Goren, but it's more than that.  Seeing blurred out body parts on the dead bodies seems kind of silly and takes me out of it.  Any how,  I loved this show and look forward to another season.  I really hope the cast gets high praise and lots of awards because they were fantastic.  Really, bravo Ripper Street, Bravo!