Ripper Street
Jan. 28th, 2013 12:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
redfiona99When I saw the adverts for this I thought I'd give it a try. And then missed the first three episodes because I was busy.
So I started on episode 4 which while it's a non-traditional point to start watching the series at least made me think that it would have settled down and got it's early season bumpiness out of the way. Having now seen episodes 1 and 2, I think it had and unfortunately they all share the same major weaknesses.
The main problem is that that of the three main characters, the lead, Inspector Reid (Matthew McFadyen) is the one I like least. Sorry, I just don't have time for emo manpain. I have never had time for it and I have less as I grow older. It's made worse by this lead character's tragic and emotional past having something to do with a dead woman that he's refusing to talk about. So far, so okay. The problem is when he refuses to talk about it to his wife who blatantly needs to talk about it. It's less emotionally constipated woobie and more utter jerk. Also Matthew McFadyen is one of those actors who just doesn't work for me.
That problem is made worse by the other two male leads being character types that I do ping for. You've got Sgt. Drake (Jerome Flynn aka Bronn in Game of Throne who appears to be having a renaissance) who is battered old warrior trying to escape his past and desperately trying to better himself and ... okay sod it, with the exception of Rose and the costume/scenery, he's my favourite thing about the show. And then you've got Jackson (Adam Rothenberg) who is amoral, charming, and I suspect is hiding a truly unpleasant secret. But at least is interesting.
The next problem is that, except for Reid's wife, every recurring female character is a prostitute. It's Frank Miller's whores, whores, whores problem all over again.
The other problem is the traditional I recognise that actor and he's not a regular problem i.e. guessing who done it the minute you see who is in it. Episode 4 was probably the worst, because when you have Paul McGann and Anton Lesser who have about 60 years of acting experience between them but only about 5 good guy characters (and 4 of those are McGann), obvious doesn't even come close.
The writing is more than a wee bit too obvious too.
Episode 5 has soured me for it totally though. I only saw the first five minutes but they featured Reid being an utter snot to Drake (Drake asks for a raise/promotion and Reid assumes it's Rose that's actually done the asking and is all over Drake's choices because Rose is a prostitute and they're just after your money. Which she is, so she can be an actress instead of a prostitute and did I mention that Rose and Drake are my favourite characters) and I just give up. I loathe the main character.
It's not that it didn't have good parts. As I said, the sets, clothes and music were excellent and some of the bits are fabulous like Julian Bleach (who you have seen being sinister and creepy in a great many things) as one of the bad guys in episode 1 but I just can't get over my problems with it.
So I started on episode 4 which while it's a non-traditional point to start watching the series at least made me think that it would have settled down and got it's early season bumpiness out of the way. Having now seen episodes 1 and 2, I think it had and unfortunately they all share the same major weaknesses.
The main problem is that that of the three main characters, the lead, Inspector Reid (Matthew McFadyen) is the one I like least. Sorry, I just don't have time for emo manpain. I have never had time for it and I have less as I grow older. It's made worse by this lead character's tragic and emotional past having something to do with a dead woman that he's refusing to talk about. So far, so okay. The problem is when he refuses to talk about it to his wife who blatantly needs to talk about it. It's less emotionally constipated woobie and more utter jerk. Also Matthew McFadyen is one of those actors who just doesn't work for me.
That problem is made worse by the other two male leads being character types that I do ping for. You've got Sgt. Drake (Jerome Flynn aka Bronn in Game of Throne who appears to be having a renaissance) who is battered old warrior trying to escape his past and desperately trying to better himself and ... okay sod it, with the exception of Rose and the costume/scenery, he's my favourite thing about the show. And then you've got Jackson (Adam Rothenberg) who is amoral, charming, and I suspect is hiding a truly unpleasant secret. But at least is interesting.
The next problem is that, except for Reid's wife, every recurring female character is a prostitute. It's Frank Miller's whores, whores, whores problem all over again.
The other problem is the traditional I recognise that actor and he's not a regular problem i.e. guessing who done it the minute you see who is in it. Episode 4 was probably the worst, because when you have Paul McGann and Anton Lesser who have about 60 years of acting experience between them but only about 5 good guy characters (and 4 of those are McGann), obvious doesn't even come close.
The writing is more than a wee bit too obvious too.
Episode 5 has soured me for it totally though. I only saw the first five minutes but they featured Reid being an utter snot to Drake (Drake asks for a raise/promotion and Reid assumes it's Rose that's actually done the asking and is all over Drake's choices because Rose is a prostitute and they're just after your money. Which she is, so she can be an actress instead of a prostitute and did I mention that Rose and Drake are my favourite characters) and I just give up. I loathe the main character.
It's not that it didn't have good parts. As I said, the sets, clothes and music were excellent and some of the bits are fabulous like Julian Bleach (who you have seen being sinister and creepy in a great many things) as one of the bad guys in episode 1 but I just can't get over my problems with it.
