Ep 5. The Weight of One Man's Heart

The Weight of One Man's Heart is the fifth episode of the first season of the British television drama series Ripper Street. Set in 1889 in the aftermath of Jack the Ripper's killing spree, the episode follows the detectives of H Division as they investigate a murder involving an Indian man, a local shipping magnet, and a gang of Irish immigrants.

The episode starts with a raid on a brothel run by Long Susan Hart (MyAnna Buring), the ex-girlfriend of Detective Inspector Edmund Reid (Matthew Macfadyen). During the raid, a man named Karim (Naveed Khan) is found dead. Karim was the personal secretary of Jonah Rookwood (Anton Lesser), a wealthy shipping magnate with ties to Long Susan's brothel and other criminal enterprises.

DI Reid and his team of detectives, Sergeant Bennett Drake (Jerome Flynn) and Captain Homer Jackson (Adam Rothenberg), begin their investigation by questioning Rookwood's employees and associates. They soon discover that Karim was involved in some sort of smuggling operation and that the Irish gang, known as the Bonnaughts, were also involved.

Meanwhile, Long Susan is being questioned by Detective Sergeant Donald Artherton (David Wilmot), who believes she was involved in Karim's murder and wants her to turn against her former lover, Rookwood. Long Susan denies any involvement and instead suggests that Artherton focus on the Bonnaughts.

As the investigation continues, DI Reid discovers that Karim was carrying a valuable piece of jewelry that belonged to Rookwood. He theorizes that the murder was a result of a power struggle within Rookwood's criminal empire. However, things take a surprising turn when it is revealed that the murderer is someone much closer to Karim than anyone could have imagined.

The Weight of One Man's Heart stands out as a particularly intense and emotional episode of Ripper Street. The themes of race, class, and power are explored in depth, as the detectives navigate the complex world of Victorian London's criminal underworld. The episode also features several standout performances, including Anton Lesser as Rookwood, who brings a sense of danger and unpredictability to his character, and MyAnna Buring as Long Susan, who portrays a deeply conflicted and complex woman struggling to survive in a world that wants to destroy her. Overall, The Weight of One Man's Heart is a gripping and thought-provoking installment of an already excellent series.