Ripper Street: 'Pure As The Driven' - 3 Things We Loved & 3 We Didn't

4. We Didn't Love: No Mention Of Emily Or Miss Goren

Emily Again, you would expect a certain amount of change in fortunes between seasons, but at the beginning of season two, things really are looking bad for Detective Inspector Reid. Season one ended with Miss Goren, of the Jewish orphanage, encouraging Reid to go back to his wife Emily. Despite everything they have been through, the final shot of Emily and Reid literally leaning on each other made me hopeful that some sort of reconciliation might be in order. But at the beginning of season two, Reid is still sleeping on that camp bed in the office. And in perhaps one of the most cringingly pitiful scenes imaginable, we find out that he has been going to Long Susan to get his shirts laundered. 'Charity, will you fetch Mr. Reid's shirts,' she drawls to one of her girls (if anyone knows who decided to name the girl Charity, I'd like to buy them a drink). Matthew Macfadyen plays the uptight and uncomfortable reaction perfectly. Despite the sense that we're re-treading ground her (Drake and Reid seem to both like looking for home comforts in Long Susan's house), the most upsetting part of this is that it means Emily and Miss Goren, both fantastic characters, are no where to be seen. Reid, so upright and driven, needs these women as a foil and without them we may, for better or for worse, be seeing a far darker side to the Detective Inspector.
Contributor
Contributor

A recent Film & English graduate living in London. Loves making films, cupcakes and taking long walks on the beach. Also, not a bad writer... Follow me on twitter: @KatieBlagden