Ripper Street
Rated: Not Rated
Genre: Television, Mystery
Street Date: March 12, 2013
Available On: DVD and Blu-ray

The Film: It’s been six months since Jack the Ripper last struck, but Inspector Edmund Reid (Matthew Macfadyen) isn’t prepared to give up his relentless search for the infamous killer. Even if Jack has reformed or left London entirely the city is still thick is gruesome souls and even more vicious murders to investigate.

The Extras: Character Profiles, “Jack the Ripper: Prime Suspect” “Three Inside Looks” and “London Calling: White Chapel” featurettes

Recommendation: Initially I expected “Ripper Street” to be strictly about Jack the Ripper, which was an intriguing but limited concept considering we all know how well that played out for London’s finest detectives. Fortunately the series uses Ripper as a backdrop rather than a central character. There are similarities visually and thematically with Guy Ritchie’s “Sherlock Holmes,” but the tone is anything but comedic as the majority of the episodes are packed with ample nudity and gore. Fortunately the art design is first rate, the acting decidedly above average and the writing, while seemingly generic at first, is well paced as it manages to reveal the major characters’ back stories bit by bit through out the first season’s eight episodes. I’m interested certainly interested in seeing where the second season (due sometime in 2014) takes us.

-Ryan Michael Painter