At the beginning of the episode, Mathilda Reid (Anna Burnett) has a nightmare of her time with Horace Buckley (Charlie Creed-Miles). She recalls the man telling her that he saved her from the wicked king. She wakes up and peeks outside of her window. Jackson (Adam Rothenberg) and Edmund Reid (Matthew Macfadyen) meets with a man and purchase a cadaver. After the intro, we see Leonard Waters (Ross Armstrong) and his wife, Myrtle Waters (Jodie McNee). Leonard promises his wife that everything will be fine from now on. She responds that he should only do what he has been told and nothing more. He agrees, before heading to Dove’s (Killian Scott) mansion. He tells the guards outside he is the handyman and gives the name Leonard Potters. He is given permission to step inside.

At the police station, Frank Thatcher (Benjamin O’Mahony) fights with Drum (Matthew Lewis). Thatcher accuses Drum of betraying their trust to Edmund. Inspector Shine (Joseph Mawle) watches from a distance before finally stepping in. He explains to Thatcher that Drum is physically superior and he should be prepared to lose before picking a fight with the man. Nonetheless, Shine rams his cane into Drummond’s genitals, before instructing Thatcher to report such accusations in the future. Leonard is introduced to Agatha Chudleigh (Ellie Haddington). Leonard is ordered to light a fire in the master’s study. He heads there immediately and finds Shine speaking with Dove. They continue their conversation, while Leonard works with the fireplace.

Dove and Shine speak about the morning’s newspaper, which praises Reid. Dove expresses his concerns that Shine simply isn’t doing enough to capture Reid. Shine asks Dove about the dog fights and the man, who rescues the dogs. Dove remains mum and refuses to give up any information regarding Nathaniel (Jonas Armstrong). Leonard is sent outside. He listens in on the conversation from outside of the door with Connor nearby. Shine tells Dove about Reid’s suspicion that Abel wasn’t Drake’s killer. Before Shine leaves, he is told to leave Drummond alone for the time being. Dove heads back inside and tells Agatha to get Connor ready. Jackson reads the newspaper and seems disappointed that his name is scarcely mentioned. Mimi (Lydia Wilson) brings the group a bag, which contains false teeth. Reid is forced to show Mimi the body and also reveal his plan to her.

Jackson and Reid quickly work to undo the dead man’s rigor mortis. Susan (MyAnna Buring) and Mimi leave the men to their work. They use the false teeth to try to perfectly replicate Nathaniel’s bite marks. Moments later, Dove arrives at the newspaper’s headquarters and speaks with Rachel Castello (Anna Koval). Castello explains her reasoning for siding with Reid. Dove lashes out and insists she needs to change her way of thinking. He tells other the trio were responsible for evil deeds and it should be known to the public. Before he leaves, he threatens to turn the police against her, unless she begins to tell the right story. Next, Dove takes Connor to pick out a puppy. Agatha doesn’t like the ideal, but Augustus insists it will be fine. Dove tells Connor about his childhood and how a man took him under his wing. He promises to do the same for the boy. Augustus then speaks with Sparks (Eddie Jackson) about his other order.

Sparks confirms Jamrachs was able to find the animals Dove ordered. He also agrees to keep the order a secret. Thatcher meets with Shine at a restaurant. He tells Shine about his snitch, who gave him information regarding Mimi. Reid and Jackson have finished preparing the man’s body. However, they’re forced to hide the cadaver, when the police begin banging on the door. The trio hide away, while Mimi speaks with Shine and Thatcher. Shine flirts with Mimi, while she criticizes Jackson. Shine sets the theater’s curtain on fire and orders Thatcher to put it out. After the police leave, Reid insists they have overstayed their welcome. Mimi refuses to allow the group to leave. She admits she wants to see Dove punished for his crimes. With that, Reid and Jackson grab the body. Susan visits Leonard, while Reid and Jackson prepare to stage the crime scene.

Leonard passes information along to Susan, but she isn’t satisfied with his offering. She attempts to convince him to delve deeper. Myrtle is obviously concerned about her husband’s safety. Leonard draws a map for Susan, while Reid and Jackson dump the body. That night, Mathilda tends to Drummond’s wounds. Drum admits the others know about his betrayal. Mathilda thanks him for his help and promises to never make him do such again. Mathilda offers for Drummond to sleep in her room to night, but he refuses. He insists it would not be proper. Again, Reid watches through the window as his daughter goes to bed. In the morning, Thatcher finds the body. Dove learns about the situation and rushes out of his home. This gives Leonard time to snatch the paper from Jamrachs. He hides it in his pocket, before nearly being caught by Miss Chudley. Shine, Thatcher and Dove examine the body at the morgue.

Shine again questions Dove about his case against Croker, before Dove orders Drum to have the body closely examined by a professional. Rachel Castello confronts Dove and questions whether or not the police have gotten the wrong man again. Dove has Rachel escorted to Shine’s office so he can speak with her in private. Dove provides her with a copy of Reid’s files. When Dove steps out of the office, Shine asks if he is going to share his information. He refuses to do so. Rachel returns to her office and looks through the files associated with Reid’s crimes and his justifiable homicides. She quickly writes up an article and has it published immediately. Next, Edmund and the others read the paper. Mathilda does the same. She learns about her father killing Horace Buckley. Next, Shine and Thatcher visit Rachel in her office.

Shine demands to know more from Rachel. He wants to know precisely why Dove handed over the information about Reid. Shine gets very violent. Thatcher attempts to convince him to stop, but he is told to leave. Thatcher steps outside as the violence continues. The interrogation continues and nearly turns into a rape. Shine finally learns the truth about Dove and his brother. He admits he knew the dead body was a fake all along. Afterwards, Mathilda breaks into the cellar where Swift was stored. She finds Swift’s writing on the wall, before curling up into the fetal position. Susan, Jackson and Reid look at the paperwork Leonard took from Dove’s mansion. They discover that Dove has purchased a pair of Russian forest wolves. The animals arrive via boat and are lowered onto the pier. Nathaniel watches as the animals are uncovered.

Reid confronts his daughter. He gives her a note to pass to Drum. The note instructs Drum to notify the police about the animals, so they can capture Dove and Nathaniel together. Mathilda asks about her father’s crimes and the newspaper article. Reid promises to tell her the truth at a later time. That night, Nathaniel visits the wolves and gives them food. He is confronted by Dove. Nathaniel promises he has learned to control his hunger and hasn’t killed anyone else. Edmund and Jackson arrive moments later. Their plan is foiled. Dove reveals Drum handed the note to him. Dove releases the animals and makes a run for it with his brother. Jackson kills the wolves, while Susan comforts Leonard’s wife. We see Agatha beat Leonard to death at the mansion.

Myrtle lashes out at Susan and sends her away. The police help Agatha dispose of Leonard’s body. At home, Mathilda removes the candle from her window. Drum steps inside moments later and finally drops his standards. They pair apparently sleeps together. When Jackson and Reid return, they are confronted by Thatcher. He admits he saw the bag for the false teeth. He complains about Shine’s cruelty and admits he cannot work with the man. Instead, he agrees to team up with Reid and his bunch. The next day, Connor watches as Dove and his brother leave the mansion from the back. Dove escorts Nathaniel to a hidden cabin and agrees to hide him away, until their enemies are removed.

 

Ripper Street S5 E2 Review

Wow! Initially, I thought the death of Drake would be the death of Ripper Street. I was wrong. Ripper Street has progressively improved season after season and episode after episode. This episode was by far one of the best in many seasons. The addition of Joseph Mawle has been excellent. He brings a humorous insanity to the show. And, he is beginning to slowly unravel Augustus Dove’s secrets. What are his true motives? Does he intend to bring down Reid or will he settle for Dove?

Mathilda has slipped back into the Stockholm syndrome. How will Edmund be able to convince her his actions were justified? Will Jackson and Susan be able to reclaim Connor? We now have a three-way battle. Will Reid be able to outsmart his enemies? A great episode. A 9.5 out of 10 is earned. Catch up with previous recaps of Ripper Street right now!