Ep 4. The Good of This City

In the fourth episode of Ripper Street season 1, titled The Good of This City, we see Inspector Reid and his team continue to work on solving the various crime cases that seem to plague the Whitechapel district of London. This time around, the team is working to solve a murder case involving a young woman whose husband is the prime suspect. But as they dig deeper, they find that there is much more to the case than meets the eye.

The episode starts with the discovery of the body of a young woman named Martha Tabram. The team is called to the crime scene where they find that Martha has been brutally stabbed multiple times. At first, it seems like an open and shut case as Martha's husband, John Tabram, is found with a bloody knife in his possession. However, as Reid and his team start to investigate, they find that things may not be as straightforward as they seem.

The team finds that Martha had a history of prostitution and had recently been behaving erratically. Her husband, John, was known to be a violent man and had a history of beating his wife. Reid and his team start to investigate both the victim and the suspect's past to try to uncover more evidence. During the investigation, they come across a group of vigilantes who take matters into their own hands when it comes to punishing those they deem to be criminals.

The vigilante group, known as The Whitechapel Vigilance Committee, is a group of men who believe that the police force is incapable of protecting the citizens of Whitechapel. They take it upon themselves to capture and punish those they believe are guilty of crimes. Reid and his team are initially suspicious of the group, but as they delve deeper, they realize that the group may have some valuable information that could help to solve the Martha Tabram case.

As the investigation progresses, we see more of the personal lives of the main characters. We see Reid struggle with his own demons as he continues to grieve the loss of his daughter. We see Captain Jackson struggle with his addiction to opium and his continuing relationship with Long Susan. And we see Sergeant Bennett deal with his own feelings of inadequacy as he struggles to keep up with the demands of his job.

In the end, Reid and his team are able to successfully solve the Martha Tabram case, but not without some casualties. They learn that there are some people in Whitechapel who will do whatever it takes to protect their own interests, even if it involves taking the law into their own hands. The team comes away from the case with a renewed understanding of the complexities of the criminal underworld in Whitechapel and a renewed determination to bring justice to the streets they patrol.

Overall, The Good of This City is a gripping episode in Ripper Street season 1. It combines the gritty realism of a crime drama with the historical backdrop of Victorian London, making for a truly immersive viewing experience. It also explores the personal struggles of the main characters, adding an extra layer of depth to the episode. Fans of crime dramas and historical fiction will not be disappointed by this episode.