'Our Betrayal Part 2' -- Ripper Street 2x08

Warning: Spoiler Alert

Interesting. So, we've had somewhat of a reversal of the characters of Drake and Reid (where Drake started off being the bulldog, and Reid started off as the lily). Even if his job hadn't already started to make things difficult between him and his new lady friend, the fact that she saw him demanding that Drake kill Shine will certainly put a damper on whatever may happen between the two of them in the future (which, at this point, doesn't seem like much at all).

And it seemed a bit out of bounds to keep demanding that Drake be the one who got Shine's blood on his hands, instead of Reid doing the deed himself (if that's really what he wanted to happen). It didn't sit all that well with me that he wanted the violence to be done, but he was unwilling to do it himself. It wasn't even just that it smacked of hypocrisy to me ... it was also the fact that what he was demanding of Drake would have taken away of Drake's soul. Granted, this is exactly the sort of thing that Drake would have been fine with doing not that long ago, but he's not alright with doing it anymore (cuz he's changed).

Even as much as I would like Susan and Jackson to make up and get back together, I don't get the feeling that Susan is going to be able to forgive him for what happened. It seems like they may have flirted with love when they first got together, but their relationship may have been based much more on passion than love ... and that passion may have finally run out (despite looking like it may have been enough to save them last season).

I am really glad that it was Susan that was the one who knifed Duggan. In another show set in the same time period, the writers could have feasibly have had one of the boys do it for her (most likely Jackson, since he was so desperate to make things up to her and try to win her back). But the fact that it was Susan that Duggan was holding over the barrel (and who he was forcing to do things that she really didn't want to do), I am glad that it was her that was able to exact the revenge and get her free ... even if it was her taking advantage of the moment that was created by Jackson and his brother.

Speaking of Jackson's brother, I don't know why Jackson would have trusted him at all, if he knew that his brother was so untrustworthy. Sure, he wanted to get the plan worked out so that he could get the money that Duggan would have paid for the diamond (so that he could pay Duggan back with it to free Susan), but if he really wanted it to work out (and knowing that his brother was likely to skip town with the cash), he probably should have gotten someone else to help him out. I'm not sure who he might have gotten to do it (since he seemed reluctant to let anyone else know anything that was really going on between him and his brother), but there had to've been someone that he could have trusted (maybe one of Susan's girls?).

I'm glad that the show was picked up for a third series, and I'm looking forward to seeing what is going to have happened between the series two finale and the series three premier. The fact that it's supposed to start up again a few years down the road will probably mean that there will have been all manner of fall out from this episode.

'Our Betrayal Part 1' -- Ripper Street 2x07

Warning: Spoiler Alert

I knew it!! I knew that there was something going on with Flight!! The way that the writers started off that episode that centered around him with him in confession saying about how he needed to be forgiven for lying. That whole thing seemed far too hinky to me (even though it only lasted for a 30 seconds or so). And now we know for sure that he is doing something that he feels all kinds of guilty about.

I really want him to go to Reid (before Reid figures everything out) and let him know what's been going on. It's not just that it would makes things a million times easier on him when this whole thing comes out, but it will also make things tons easier on him when everything starts to blow over. I kind of have the feeling that he probably will at least start to say something before Reid finds out, only cuz he does seem like he's a decent person in hi core, and everything that's been happening with Shine has probably been eating away at him (and I still do believe that he is a good person at his core ... a good person who was caught in a bad situation and tried to do the best that he could cuz of it).

The guy playing Daniel Judge (Jackson's brother), this is the third show that I watch that he's been a part of in the past couple of years, and it's starting to freak me out. And he played someone named Daniel on another of them as well. At this point, I'm kind of surprised that I haven't seen him on "Criminal Minds," since they tend to have all manner of people as guest stars that have been part of other fandoms that I have been a part of. But he started off as a Daniel on "Suits," then, he was on "Grimm," and now he's been on "Ripper Street." I almost have the feeling that this is probably not the last time that I'm going to see him within my fandoms.

As much as I want Susan and Jackson to get back together (cuz I like the two of them together), I have the feeling that they're probably done for. As much as they love each other (or have loved each other in the past), they really don't work together. Their relationship (at its core) seems to have been based almost exclusively on sex, and it doesn't seem that something like that is going to last forever ... unless they are able to find some other common ground and trust with each other; but the way that things are now, I don't see Susan trusting Jackson again, no matter how much either of them might like for her to be able to.

Rose saying that she has never been with anyone that she's ever loved ... I don't really believe that. I think that she does love Drake ... maybe not the way that he may have wanted her to in the past (or the way that he probably still wants her to now), I do think that she cares deeply about him. And I'll admit to still wanting the two of them to be together (and not just cuz I want at least one of the boys to have a love life that works out ... or that having the one that works out be Drake's makes me all the more happy at the idea).

Finally with getting back to Shine. There has been too many episodes where Shine hasn't been involved, when they set him up in the beginning as the one that Reid really needs to look out for. And I'll admit that I am wanting the fight that happens between the two of them to be something kind of epic (or as epic as anything that is going to come out of a period drama).

'A Stronger Loving World' -- Ripper Street 2x06

Warning: Spoiler Alert

So, now we have a backstory for Bella, and why find out why she's been kind of cagey about letting anyone know anything that has happened to her in the past. And to have her past be full of a cult which was trying to cause all kinds of trouble with other people felt again like the writers were trying to touch on things that were happening in the world right now ... but I will admit that I did have a bit of a flash of Charles Manson with the cult that was going on in this episode. It wasn't just the way that the women seemed to be in so awe of him ... it was the fact that he seemed to be trying to create a war between peoples of different faiths. True, the Manson family didn't try to create a war along religious lines, but they did try to do it along racial lines, so there could be at least a bit of a correlation that way. And I'll admit that the dude that was the leader of the cult did kind of remind me of the look that Manson had in the '60s (the long hair and the Ren Faire shirt type of look). I'm not sure that the correlation between the two of them was intentional, but that's where my brain went to.

I'll also admit that I was kind of glad that we found out bad things about Bella, and that she was gotten out of the way. Sure, Drake is wrecked about what happened (even though he loves Rose, and he will always love her (I think), and he loves her more than he probably will love anyone else, he still loved Bella), but I don't think that Drake should have been with Bella in the first place. Dude should always have been with Rose ... and she should always have been with him, even if she didn't always realize it. I have a feeling that the writers are trying to move the two of them toward getting together (which would make me all kinds of happy inside that place where I should have feelings). It will probably take them a bit to finally get together, what with how wrecked Drake is right now, and how much he is feeling like he's cursed, but I do have the feeling that it's going to happen eventually.

But I do find it rather curious that all of the boys who are our main characters are having love problems in the moment. It's almost as though the writers got together and decided that they were going to mess with the boys where their love lives where concerned, cuz they don't have enough problems going on as it is. I want to know if there was some kind of over-riding reason as to why they would have all of the boys going through all of these love problems at the same time, but I'm not sure that there is some over-arching reason (other than it maybe seemed like a good idea to the writers at the time).

I still really want Susan to be able to get out of her contract with dude, so that she can be free and clear with her girls (and not have to have that hanging over her head). I also still want to know what's going on with that other inspector that was all up in Reid's grill at the beginning of the season. The writers made such a big deal of him at the beginning of the season, it seems like something should happen with him later on. There's still two more episodes this season for them to deal with this stuff, and I hope that it makes it in.

'Threads of Silk and Gold' -- Ripper Street 2x05

Warning: Spoiler Alert

Oh, look at you, "Ripper Street," being all topical and everything. I'm so very proud of you for taking a stand and saying that love is love, regardless of who is involved (provided that the people involved are consenting adults). I also really enjoyed the fact that you made one character part of the LGBT community (even if it's on the DL within the world of the show), the main character accepting of the people that he encountered who where gay, and another major character question his opinions on the LGBT community at large (and have him do it for the better). Good on you.

Is it wrong that I was hoping that the two boys who where doing the blackmailing would be able to get away with what they were doing, and they would be able to get some kind of money out of it (so that they could get at least some of the things that they were dreaming about having)? Blackmailing is bad, blahblah, I know, but I wanted them to have nice things, and to be able to move away from Whitechapel ... maybe into the country (where they could grow vegetables and flowers and everything would be nice).

And when everything went to shit, I was at least glad that the one who survived was able to get his revenge. It won't bring back the one who died, but at least dude won't be able to hurt anyone else anymore (even if it's just hurting them by lying to them about their investments and how much money they're not making with them).

Speaking of investments ... if only that whole thing had worked, and Susan would have been able to get out from under the contract that she has. That would have been fantastic. And even if Jackson thought that the investment that he heard about was a sure thing, I don't know why he would have put in all of their money. I kept thinking that maybe they should put some in to test the waters and find out if they could get anything back from it, but that they should only put in a portion of what they had. That way, they wouldn't lose everything if the whole thing went belly up. But I guess he was wanting to get rich quick, so that Susan would be able to have all the money that she needed to buy her way out of the contract ... which still wouldn't have worked out, since I don't get the feeling that any amount of money is going to be enough to buy her freedom. I get the feeling that Jackson is going to have to get Reid and Drake involved in the whole thing and that the boys are going to have to make up some charges to send Duggan away for a good, long time.

I also am getting the feeling that the relationship between Susan and Jackson is on very shaky ground right now. First, he shot the woman who Susan was trying to talk into giving herself up a couple of episodes ago, and now, he's lost all that money. I get the feeling that the resentment that Susan is feeling for Jackson is going to fester until the two of them aren't going to be able to fix things between them. I don't want things to go that way, since I would like the two of them to work out, but it would make sense if she kicked him out on his ass (the way that the story is going).

'Dynamite and a Woman' -- Ripper Street 2x04

Warning: Spoiler Alert

I don't know why, but for like half the episode, I was thinking that the setting was Five Points instead of Whitechapel. ::facepalm:: I have no idea why I had a momentary brainfart into thinking that I was watching "Copper," or something. Probably had something to do with the fact that it's a period cop shop, and there were Irish all over the place in this episode (and there was probably a bit of the fact that the shows are kind of similar with the tropes that they use ... and season one had a big deal made of an explosion). Not a great excuse, but that's all I have at the moment.

I'm wondering just how many friends Reid has, if he doesn't understand how people tease each other when they like each other ... or maybe that's maybe more of an American way to go about showing that you like someone? Cuz it seemed obvious to me that Jackson was being affectionate with him.

I was really glad that the Chief Inspector mentioned the fact that the constable died in the last series (and that it might color the way that Reid is looking at putting kids in harms way), since I loved that character, and I didn't like the idea of everyone forgetting about him ... besides the fact that homeboy's death would have to color the way that Reid is looking at things afterwards.

The beginning of the episode with Flight going to the priest and confessing that he had lied ... I think that the writers were trying to go for a bait and switch with that ... making us think that he was talking about something else, but revealing that he was actually talking about what happened in the episode. The thing is that I still don't completely trust Flight; I still think that he's up to something, and that even though we have found out some things about him (like that his mother died when he was small, and his father drank himself to death (and that's why he doesn't want to drink now)), I still don't think that we can completely trust him. I can't shake the feeling that there's something about him that is kind of suspicious, and that he is going to turn out to be someone that is going to fuck everyone's shit up. I may be completely wrong about him, and I will admit that right now; it could very well be that I am feeling suspicious about things that are completely innocent ... but that doesn't stop me from being suspicious of him. And I'll admit that now that we know a little bit of something about him, I am curious to know more about him, and want to know what his deal is.

I was kind of happy by the fact that when Flight was in the pup, they played a trad song that I hadn't heard before. The fact that I listen to so much music from that area of the world, the chances of me knowing the song that is being played when a character walks into an Irish pub is pretty good. (and let's not get how annoyed I got during that episode of "Castle," where Beckett and Castle went into the Irish pub, and they were playing a song by "The Real McKenzies" ... a Scotch-Canadian band. Still Celticly influenced, but splitting hairs over here)

'Become Man' -- Ripper Street 2x03

Warning: Spoiler Alert

I was expecting there to be a bit more of Inspector Shine in this episode (or for there to be really any of him at all), what with the way that the writers were building him up as being the new big bad in the show ... or at least to be the main antagonist for Reid. But to not have him around (especially when the seasons are so short), it seems like they might loose some of the momentum that they might have been wanting to create where he is concerned. I would also really like for there to be some kind of closer over what happened to Merrick (since I liked him so much), and that may be coloring how I am looking at what's going on.

I really wish that Rose and Drake could have ended up together. It's obvious that the two of them care about each other, even if things didn't end up the way I would have liked. And I get the feeling that she may have regretted turning him down last series (when he offered her the lovebirds), but I'm getting that impression from the way that she was looking the newly minted Mrs. Drake when Drake and the Mrs. were together after they were trying to ID the dude's stuffs. I do think that Drake cares about his Mrs., but I get the impression that he still prefers Rose to anyone else.

The new youngin' detective that they have now ... I really don't want to like him. If he had been around in series one, I think that I might have liked him, but the way that things were written, it feels like he's supposed to be kind of a replacement for Hobbs, and I am not ok with that. I liked Hobbs ... a lot ... and I'm still mad that he was killed off (and they way that he was killed off). Yeah, I suppose that they wanted to have something that was kind of a shocker for the end of the series, but hot damn, why did they have to kill the baby? He was just learning how to be a proper inspector. ::epic frowny face::

This new guy is going to have to do a lot of big time awesome for me to even be ok with him (despite the fact that he seems like he's pretty decent, and stood up for Merrick and all). He'll probably need to take a bullet for someone for me to start to be ok with him; a bit extreme, maybe, but such is my love for Hobbs.

I'd love to see some more of Jane Cobden, especially since the female characters are so scant (at least where it comes to being something other than the Madonna/whore thing), and to be able to have a strong female character who isn't secretly being manipulated by the men in her life ... or who isn't being motivated by revenge ... would be kind of refreshing (especially since they've written off Emily Reid).

Even with the introduction of a female character that I think that I can get behind (at least after first viewing), this episode felt kind of like a throw away (in that it didn't really seem to move the story-arch of this series, and it felt like a move away from the tension that the first couple of episodes were trying to build up). But maybe some of that tension will come back in the next episode, and we can get some more of Shine.

'Am I Not Monstrous?' -- Ripper Street 2x02

Warning: Spoiler Alert

Hizzah!! It looks like there really will be a series three after all!! I'm so very happy about that, since I did not like the idea that there wouldn't be anything more of it. I so very much like this show.

I didn't like the idea that Merrick was killed, even if I knew from the preview that it was going to happen. I liked the idea that he was going to be added to the show, and not just cuz his character was so very sweet (and made me wanted to snuggle him for being such a good guy). Though, I will completely admit the fact that the scene where he was killed disturbed me more than a character in a show's death has disturbed me before. I can usually separate myself from stuff that happens to characters in movies, shows, or books (even if they're based on real people, cuz what happens to them isn't actually real), but this left me not feeling all that good afterward, and I know exactly what it was; it was having him say "no" to the inspector who ended up killing him, and the pleading tone in his voice ... the kind of pleading tone where you knew that there really was nothing that he could have done to stop it, and he was really begging the person not to hurt him. Yeah, it left me with an icky feeling on the inside.

So, Reid's wife has been written off the show. I'm disappointed that the writers went that way with her, since I would have liked to've seen more of her, as well as more of her working in the women's shelter. It's disappointing to only have Long Susan left from series one to represent the ladies, and it would have been nice to have at least one more of the ladies from series one who looked like she might have become something more than the Madonna or whore (and someone who was doing something good for the community and for the ladies in Whitechapel). Plus, it feels rather cheap to have the things that happened to her happen behind the scenes, instead of on camera (and to just have Reid tell us about it after the fact); cheap and lazy.

But writing her off the show also takes away the possibility that their daughter is going to be found again, and that was part of the dynamic of Reid's character in series one (his hope and faith that their daughter was still alive). Taking it away feels like they are taking something away from Reid and what motivates him as a person, but it also feels like they are just giving up on her after having all of series one filled with his faith that she was out there somewhere. Just cuz she wasn't the little girl that he ended up finding in the finale doesn't mean that she isn't somewhere else; she very really might be dead, but we still don't have the proof that she is (and until there's a body, there is hope that she could be out there somewhere).

Whatever else is going to happen in this series, I think that Reid is going to have a throw down with Abberline ... at least, I really hope that there is one, cuz that would be fantastic (especially after what he did to Merrick).

'Pure as the Driven' -- Ripper Street 2x01

Warning: Spoiler Alert

So, I go into series two of "Ripper Street" already knowing that there won't be a series three (since it has been cancelled by the Beeb), which I find rather disappointing, since I was looking forward to there being at least a few more seasons of this show. I saw some of the comments from that article, where people said that the show was kind of cliché, and while I can't really argue with them all that much, I still really enjoy the show and want there to be more of it. So, there's a big-time frowny face over here.

I'm wondering where Reid's wife was when he got home. The writers seemed to be making a point that she wasn't there when he got there. I don't get the feeling that she is dead, but maybe the two of them have been having more trouble, and she's gone off to stay at the half-way house that she's set up? The two of them seemed to be really iffy at the end of series one, and I wouldn't be surprised if they were still really iffy now (especially since I get the feeling that she probably still thinks that their daughter is dead, and he probably still thinks that she's alive).

I liked the introduction of Joseph Merrick into the show, since I thought that it was an interesting move on their part, and I liked even more that he was friends with Reid. I worry about what is going to happen to him with our new baddie, since it seemed from the preview that the baddie knew that Merrick had seen what he did (and was going to make sure that Merrick didn't tell anyone about it). Hopefully, he will tell Reid what's going on before something bad happens to him, since I don't want bad things to be going on for the poor boy (he probably has it bad enough as it is).

I'm always struck by the way that Jackson takes the drugs sometimes to figure out what they are supposed to do. It doesn't seem like the smartest thing for him to do ... even if it may be the only way that he can really be sure of what's going on with some of them (since, like with the Heroin, it's something new, and they don't really know all of the effects of the drug). So, yeah, I know that I'm coming at this from a more modern POV, and not one that might have been feasible for the time frame, but damn ... that stuff is no good and will end up hurting him in the end if he keeps testing it on himself.

This new baddie, I'm really hoping that he turns out to be something outstandingly evil, cuz that would be completely amazing. And even though I don't think that it will happen (since the show runners probably weren't prepared for the cancellation), I would really like to get an answer (one way or the other) as to what happened with Reid's daughter.

'What Use Our Work?' -- Ripper Street 1x08

Warning: Spoiler Alert

Damn it!! I was sure that the little girl that the Warner brothers, and the Warner sister Victor and his sibs had was actually Matilda. ::shakes fist at the writers:: But then, I'm quite sure that's exactly what the writers wanted us to think, getting our hopes up that Emily and Reid would finally be able to be reunited with their daughter. But I suppose that only the first eight episodes of series one would be far too soon to be able to reveal what ever happened to her. If anything, it will be one of those things that we never actually find out about (giving the show as a whole an undercurrent of mystery) ... or maybe once the writers realize that the show is going to be coming to close (whether because the show runners no longer want to work on the show anymore, or the peeps in charge of the BBC decide that they are going to cancel it). I really hope that we do find out what it is that happened to her, and that she is alive somewhere ... even if that seems like it might be a bit unlikely at this point.

I'm really glad that Jackson wasn't labeled as the Ripper (and not just cuz he really isn't). Even though I still don't completely trust him, since I have the feeling that he and Susan both would end up doing whatever it was that they thought was the best thing for them ... even if that meant turning on someone else that they had been allied with before. Yes, he likes Reid, but liking someone doesn't mean that you are always going to be able to be trusted. He's always going to butt heads with Drake, and that's a fact. I get the feeling that what his helping Reid with that bit of information about our baby!Bobby and his body was more out of the fact that he was fond of the baby (just like everyone else was).

Speaking of the baby!Bobby ... he was married!! Oh, his poor wife!! She married such a sweet boy, who had such potential to be a really good inspector if he had been given the chance. And if he had been able to grow up a little bit more, he would have been a good man (he is still too young inside of my mind to be anything other than a sweet boy). ::woobie::

I'm really hoping that things get better between Reid and his wife after this ... even if things are still going to be kind of strained for a while because of their grief for their daughter. I almost expected that they were going to keep Mary for their own, but I wonder if that would have made things even harder for them, since she may have been a little bit too close to Matilda's own age (and may have done nothing more than to remind them of what they had lost). So, maybe it's better that she went to the orphanage? Maybe. That is yet to be seen at this point.

Also, we have now been given at least one of the suspects that they had thought had been the Ripper (and they have now gotten rid of him). I'm wonder if we are also going to be able to see some more of the suspects later on (since there is going to be at least one more series of the show). I don't think that I'll have a problem if they go through a few more of the suspects, but I don't think that I want them to actually settle on any one of them and say that this one suspect really was the Ripper. It seems like it would take away from some of the mystery of who the wo/man actually was.

'A Man of My Company' -- Ripper Street 1x07

Warning: Spoiler Alert

Well, that was a bit of a letdown. I was expecting there to be a bit more when it came to the reason that Jackson and Susan were trying to hide, and why they were pretending to be people that they weren't. The writers kind of made a big deal about why they were hiding, and made it seem like it was something so very, very important that people from America not find out where they were now. But to have the reason be that they were running away from her father, cuz he didn't like Jackson ... disappointing. Very disappointing.

But I was very happy with the fact that Reid was still willing to cover for Jackson (and by extent, for Susan as well). I think that it says quite a deal about him as a man that he is willing to be so very loyal to the people that he considers to be his friends ... and I'm using that term kind of loosly in this respect (since Reid and Jackson's relationship is complicated at best). Also, that he was willing to pretend like he didn't know where Susan was, and tried to get that Pinkerton that was looking for them to think that he had forced Susan to leave the area. Even if dude realized that he was lying for them, good on him for keeping up with the lie (and good on Drake for not saying anything to the contrary, even though he and Jackson don't see eye-to-eye ... and probably never will).

I do have a giant beef with the writers cuz of this episode however. What is that beef? The fact that they killed off Hobbs. He was such a sweet boy, and he was trying to do the right thing, even though he was afraid. And what did he get for his trouble? He got murdered. I don't think that I'm going to be able to forgive them for killing off the baby ... even if it was completely emotional, and it gave them a chance to show that Drake had a gooey center (by having him be shocked and sadned by Hobbs' death), and they had the others in H Division double check with Reid that it would be ok if they killed the guy who killed Hobbs (cuz they were so hurt and angry by the baby's death).

I was really glad that Jackson cheated in the fight with dude that killed Hobbs ... and the fact that he had the ok from Reid to do it made it a little bit better. I completely admit that I wanted there to be a bit of revenge for what happened to Hobbs, and I am not sad that it happened ... or that Jackson was able to walk away from it afterward without anyone blinking an eye (even though there were police everywhere). But I really want to know who it was that gave the commissioner the information that Jackson supposedly killed the prostitute that Emily was trying to help. It seems like it might be significant to know who it was that was trying to make trouble for Jackson ... though, I wouldn't be surprised to find out if it was the Pinkerton that Jackson had the beef with ... or Susan's father ... and neither of them can/could be trusted when it comes to Jackson.

'Tournament of Shadows' -- Ripper Street 1x06

Warning: Spoiler Alert

So, now we finally have a bit of information about what happened with Reid and Emily's daughter (as well as now having her name). And I'm glad to now know why it is that he throws himself into his work: he blames himself for what happened to his daughter and to everyone else that happened to that day (and thinks that everyone else blames him as well ... I wouldn't be at all surprised to find out that Emily really does blame him as much as he blames himself for what happened, even if I'm not convinced yet that what happened was actually his fault). And the fact that he thinks that Matilda is actually alive, I think maybe says as much about him as the fact that Emily thinks that she is dead. It seems like he needs to believe that she is still alive (even if it means that she's out in the world without the people that are most likely to protect and love her, and that she is possibly being forced to do things that no child should ever be forced to do).

But if she is alive, it makes me wonder what happened to her ... wonder like whoa. Could someone have taken her after finding her? Could she have wondered off after coming out of the water, perhaps with no memory of who she was? And if Reid ever finds her again (providing that she is still alive), what state will she be in? Will she be glad to be back with Reid and Emily again? It's possible that she might not be found again for several years, and she may have changed a great deal in the time that she has been away from her family. But it's also completely possible that she really is dead, but her body wasn't in the proper place to be found (maybe it was moved by someone, or by the water). Gah!! I need to know what happened to her and where she is now!! Cuz I'm sure that not knowing is going to drive me a bit bonkers ... which probably means that we aren't going to be told this series, or even next series (since it provides an underlying mystery to the show).

But WTH with Reid kissing Miss Goren? Yeah, I get that Emily is pushing him away (cuz she apparently blames him for what happened to Matilda), but still ... YOU'RE MARRIED, MAN!! She was nice to him, yes, but that doesn't mean that he shouldn't be loyal to his wife, yo.

Finding out that Homer Jackson isn't actually Jackson's real name wasn't really much of a revelation (since I didn't suspect that it actually was, nor do I think that anyone suspected that it was at this point). Still, it would be nice to know what he and Susan are trying to run away from, since it is super clear that the two of them have something that they really don't want finding either of them from when they were still in America (and it pretty clear that it's something pretty serious). And from the preview for next week, it looks like there is probably going to be something about what is actually going on with the two of them going on, and we might actually find out what it is that they are running away from.

'The Weight of One Man's Heart' -- Ripper Street 1x05

Warning: Spoiler Alert

I'll admit to feeling bad for Drake with the whole thing with Rose (he just wants to have someone to love, and have someone love him), but I'm glad that she was at least honest enough with him that she made it quick and didn't draw it out. Things could have been far worse if she hadn't been willing to let him know right then (when he was telling her that he wanted the two of them to be together) that she didn't see them being together like that. I'm not overly fond of her (what with her seeming to be trying to take advantage of him before that point with the lovebirds), but I think that I would have liked her even less if she hadn't been willing to be truthful with him in that moment. But seeing that he has the ability to be more than just the bulldog (and that he has a gooey center) makes me want him to be able to find someone that he can be happy with (and who will be happy with him).

And at least we've finally gotten some additional information about his past, and what happened in Egypt. True, it wasn't all that much, but at least it was something, and that's better than nothing, right? And I wouldn't be at all surprised to find out that there was a whole hell of a lot of PTSD involved with his time in Egypt, since he seemed to have been showing some signs when he was having his mini-flashback.

I'm really glad that he was willing to tell the colonel that his loyalties where with Reid now, cuz it was looking kind of iffy there for a second. Ok, there probably wasn't going to be much of a chance that Drake was really going to not go back to Reid after he came back to his senses, but he did seem like he was questioning and doubting a lot there for a second. And very cool that Reid was willing to accept that Drake had been pulled into what was going on against his will (even though he probably knew exactly what was going on with all of that). It makes me like Reid a little bit more that he is so loyal, and is willing to over-look things that the people he cares about may have done (especially when it looks like they are having a bit of trouble when it happened).

'The Good of This City' -- Ripper Street 1x04

Warning: Spoiler Alert

Good on Erin for calling the fact that it was a fire that killed Reid and Emily's daughter. And now that we have a reason that is canon (and not just hinted at), I want to know what it was that happened with the fire. It's obvious that Reid ran back into whatever building was on fire that his daughter was stuck in (hence the burn scar that is on his neck and shoulder), but where was it? What led to the fire in the first place? I'm still leaning toward it having to do with Jack somehow (whether it being Jack himself that started the fire, or it was a copycat of some kind), but I would love to find out through canon what the details of it were.

I'm also becoming more curious as to what it was that led to Jackson and Susan hiding out in London. The two of them have no problem causing harm (or killing) other people, that's become more than obvious now that we know that Susan killed a man for Lucy's benefit. Not that this wasn't something that could have been guessed at before (their willingness to do things to other people that is), and that's probably what it was that they're running from. I wouldn't be at all surprised to find out that the two of them got mixed up in something that they shouldn't have been, and one (or both) of them was involved in a murder somehow ... one that they wouldn't be able to talk their way out of (the way that Susan seems to have talked her way out of this one).

Is it wrong that I really wanted something horrible to happen to that doctor? What a horrible man. I don't feel sorry for any kind of awful things that may have happened to him through the course of his life ... not after what he did to Lucy. Sure, he may have helped other people, but it was obvious that he was willing to do some truly awful things (whether it was in the name of science, or just in the name of covering up so that he didn't get caught for the things that he had done). And really, I wasn't surprised that he was willing to do something to Lucy, especially after I saw that one random patient with the scars all over her head (like the douche had operated on her brain for some reason ... but it was probably to get rid of any pesky kind of memories that he didn't want to have to deal with later on). I'm still cringing at the idea of that jerk almost hammering metal into Lucy's eye to mess with her brain. Ick. I'm so glad that Drake is the bulldog that he is, and clubbed the guy over the head before he could do anything.

I'm also not sorry at all that Bone was electrocuted by his own railway. Screw that guy. After what he had done to Lucy over the past couple of years, and then, him knowing exactly what was going to happen to her, but still not making any kind of protest about it ... I don't feel sorry that karma came and bit him as hard as it did.

'The King Came Calling' -- Ripper Street 1x03

Warning: Spoiler Alert

I'm so very glad that Emily didn't die from the poison that dude was putting into the flour. Not only cuz it seems like Reid has been through enough lately (when it comes to the death of loved ones), but also cuz she seems like she really wants to do some good in the world (and that she might actually accomplish it). Also, hizzah! on her for being someone who genuinely wants to help, and who is willing to not judge the people that she is trying to help (as well as not trying to force them into a religion that they may not want, and which will probably only turn away the people that she is trying to help. As she said, they may not for the help that they so desperately need, if they think that they are going to be judged, converted, and forced into feeling even worse about mistakes that they may have made in the past).

I was glad that the Mrs. Gable was able to see that she may have been wrong in her attitudes, and that she may have been placing blame on the wrong people as far as her resentment for her husband was concerned. After all, only he can be blamed for the things that he decided to do (since no one forced him to sleep with prostitutes). And the fact that she realized the errors that she was making, and she was willing to bankroll Emily's efforts to help other people makes me happy inside of my happy place (since the change in her attitude seemed genuine).

They had a daughter that died!! Ok, I have to admit that I felt rather pleased with myself when they revealed that it was their daughter that was gone, since I guessed that that was what was going on. But now that we know for sure that it was their daughter, I am wondering even more what happened to her, cuz I still get the feeling like Reid is throwing himself into work cuz of her death ... that he feels like since he wasn't able to save her, that he is going to do everything that he can to try to save as many other people as he can. I don't think that Emily understands that about him, but hopefully, he will be able to explain it to her so that she knows why he is the way that he is.

I really didn't dig the fact that after they had caught the baddie, Reid made a point of telling him that Jackson was American, cuz the implication he was making with that statement was that Americans (as a general rule) are violent people and that we are the only ones who are capable of such things. This may not have been what was intended by the writers, but this isn't the first time that I've come across this particular blanket statement on a British television show. And the fact that this particular show is dealing with the aftermath of a British serial killer, I think should probably come into play when trying to say such a thing (since violent people aren't excluded from any culture).

'In My Protection' -- Ripper Street 1x02

Warning: Spoiler Alert

So, Reid and Emily are both grieving for someone. Why do I get the feeling that part of the problem that Emily has is the fact that Reid as thrown himself into his work? She's made it clear that he is distant with her (though I get the feeling that that isn't from lack of emotion or empathy (after all, he did say that he would take away all of her pain and suffer it himself if he were able), but is just how he copes with his own pain), and he does seem to spend quite a bit of time at work (far more than he spends with her).

I'm beginning to wonder if the two of them are grieving for a close family member. At first, I thought that maybe it might have been an elder sister of Emily's ... that perhaps Reid was originally in love with (and going to marry) her, but that she was killed (or died through some sickness that they didn't have the proper medicines for at the time), and so he married Emily instead. But the fact is that the pain seems like it is far too new for that, and it seems like it is rather significant that we learned that they were grieving for someone in an episode where children took such a prominent role in the episode. So, now, I'm thinking that maybe what we are seeing here is the grief of parents who have lost a child. I think that maybe she might have been murdered (perhaps as a result of the Ripper's actions, but probably not by him directly ... but perhaps by someone who fancied himself a fan of the Ripper) and that is why Reid has thrown himself into his work (body and soul) to make sure that the Ripper doesn't come back (and that there aren't any copycats of his crimes). It's true that Reid may have taken the Ripper's crimes kind of personally anyway, seeing as he seems to be the type of man who wants to protect those who can't protect themselves from such things, and he seems to think that there should be order and peace (even if it's hard to come by ... and maybe even more because their hard to come by), but he seems to be taking the Ripper's crimes a bit more personally than that (as well as the crimes of Rudy Carmichael, which seem kind of despicable since children were involved ... even if what he did gave them a small amount of security on the streets by banding together).

And the thing with the ring and the owner of it being "dead" ... yeah, I don't believe for a second that the owner is actually dead. It seemed far too much like we were being given a nod and a wink where that was concerned, and that the real owner of the ring was actually Jackson. We already know that something happened in America that Jackson and Susan are trying to get away from; so, what if they resorted to taking someone else's identities to do so? Ok, so maybe this theory isn't as plausible as the one about the possibility that Reid and Emily may have lost a child through murder, since Jackson's medical expertise would give him away if someone was really wanting to find him ... but they are trying to hide from something ... and the fact that they are helping the police (even if it's the police in another country) seems like it's something that will come back to bite them in the asses (since Reid doesn't seem the type to just let something go. He's not the obvious bulldog that Drake is, but I get the impression that once something starts to eat at his mind, he's going to want to figure out what the solution is so that his mind can rest). There is definitely something there with the ring; too much of a big deal was made about it for it not to turn out to be significant later on).

I kind of think that the writers want us to believe that the reason why Drake was having trouble sleeping was because of his military service (and that maybe the reason why he is such a bulldog is cuz he is trying to protect himself, or at least give the impression that he doesn't have a heart ... but the way that he was trying to reassure Thomas makes me think that he may be kind of a softie on the inside), but I'm wondering if it isn't more than that. I got the impression that he may have seen (and perhaps done) things that were particularly awful, and he wasn't able to shake it. It couldn't have been what he saw in Whitechapel, since he got the tat in Egypt (and the implication was that he got it when he was still in the military). Maybe he was somehow involved with torturing someone for information? Or maybe he saw killings that he couldn't justify? I'm not sure, but I have a feeling that there is something significant there.

'I Need Light' -- Ripper Street 1x01

Warning: Spoiler Alert

Oh, I have a feeling that I'm going to adore this show. Yes, it kind of reminded me of "Copper," but I don't see how it couldn't have (what with the two of them both having the same kind of visual feel to them, and both of them being about police detectives). And because of the fact that they reminded me of each other, I kept wondering if Erin had seen the episode (since we have had some fannish moments over "Copper").

I want to know what the heck is going on with Jackson and Long Susan, cuz there is obviously something going on with the two of them. But it was only the first episode after all, so we probably aren't going to find out what is going on with them for a while. I can't even think of what it is that they might be hiding from at this point, unless it has something to do with him as a doctor. I really hope that we don't find out that he is Jack (and that she knows all about it), cuz that would seem kind of like a cheap way out for the mystery of who Jack is/was (and to have him be Jack, and to have him be there in Whitechapel, helping the police, doesn't seem like it would be entirely smart on his part)

There seems to be a bit of tension between Inspector Reid and his wife, and I get the feeling that it might have something to do with all of the hours that he's probably put in at his job (and maybe even more specifically with the ripper case). I would imagine that she would love having him home far more than what he actually is. There may be more to it than that, but that is the feeling that I'm getting at this point about it.

I'm still not sure what I think of Drake at the moment, other than to think that the man is a complete bulldog. I have a suspicion that he is going to be the muscle of the show, but I'm kind of hoping that they don't keep putting him in bare-knuckle boxing matches. That would get rather old pretty quickly.