A drama set in the East End of London in 1889, during the aftermath of the "Ripper" murders. The action centres around the notorious H Division – the police precinct from hell – which is charged with keeping order in the chaotic streets of Whitechapel. Ripper Street explores the lives of characters trying to recover from the Ripper's legacy, from crimes that have not only irretrievably altered their lives, but the very fabric of their city. At the drama's heart our detectives try to bring a little light into the dark world they inhabit.
Written by Sophie and last updated on jan 22, 2023.
PS: The following content contains spoilers!
PPS: I will admit that parts of this page was written with the help of AI - it makes my work so much easier to not start from a blank page!
A beloved toy maker is beaten to death for a mysterious brass box and the coins in his pocket. The Whitechapel Vigilance Committee presents a 14-year-old culprit who refuses to deny the charge, leading Reid into the savage world of merciless child gangs.
The episode was rated 7.75 from 453 votes.
As the dock strike of August '89 takes hold of the city, the killing of a Jewish anarchist leads Reid and the team into the heartless chicanery of the British government's fight against distant empires and global terrorism.
The episode was rated 7.77 from 310 votes.
H Division and the independent City of London force are thrown together when the panic surrounding a sudden cholera outbreak leads them to scour both boroughs, searching to find some underlying pattern amidst the rising tide of sickness and death.
The episode was rated 7.80 from 372 votes.
A young woman is found brutally murdered, the hallmark signs of the Ripper upon her. One-time H Division boss Chief Inspector Frederick Abberline believes that Jack has returned, but Reid - the precinct's new master - suspects a different evil at work.
The episode was rated 7.81 from 641 votes.
A string of brilliantly masterminded robberies draw the attention of Reid and his team, while Drake is confronted with a spectre from his past in the form of his one-time colonel, returned to London to seek redress for the unjust treatment of the Empire's soldiers.
The episode was rated 7.85 from 344 votes.
The brutal clearing of a local slum for the underground railway reveals an almost indecipherable murder scene and an unreliable slum girl witness. Lucy Eames, beautiful and disturbed, is the unlikely key to a Byzantine web of conspiracy.
The episode was rated 7.90 from 353 votes.
An international shipping magnate arrives in town, with a retinue of Pinkerton Agency bodyguards, to complete the acquisition of an ailing London shipping line. Meanwhile, the murdered body of a brilliant engineer draws Reid's attention just as Jackson and Susan's forgotten past returns to claim them.
The episode was rated 8.14 from 316 votes.
Reid is adrift, his team in pieces and Leman Street shaken to its foundations following recent events. A kidnapping offers him cause to assemble his men and tackle the white slavery ring operating in their midst. But Reid is gripped by a growing obsession that this leads back to the terrible secret from his own past.
The episode was rated 8.24 from 294 votes.
