Ripper Street?

[kindkit]

Have any of you watched Ripper Street? I just watched the first episode on Netflix and I was honestly disgusted by it, but I've also read some strongly positive reviews that say it gets much better. I'd like to know if I should give it a chance.

I found the episode pornographic in the not-fun way, with a disturbing focus on women's naked and degraded bodies, plus that revolting, long, graphic rape-and-attempted-murder scene. It felt to me like the supposed condemnation of sexual violence was just a cover for showing sexual violence in a deliberately titillating manner.

Plus there was the violence generally--all the boxing scenes, the torture sequence, the dude setting himself on fire.

Also I don't like any of the characters so far.

Also the supposedly brilliant dialogue didn't impress me; to me it was moments of turgid pseudo-poetic wordiness amid long stretches of bland functionality.

. . . yeah, basically I hated everything about this show but I still want to know if I should keep watching. *facepalm* Because I also hate dropping something once I've started it. And I do think the premise--the return to what passes for normality after the Ripper murders--has possibilities.

Comments

[st_aurafina]

I read a review of Ripper Street (season 5, I think) in the Guardian that talked about its amazing use of language.

The show jumped networks a couple of times - I wonder if they picked up better writers? Maybe start with S5 and report back? I'd be interested. The characters had potential.


Yay, Black Sails! I was not going to be sucked into the show, but I am now. I give in. It's a good show.

It does have a lot of queer content, but for a long, long time there was a suspicious lack of m/m action. Like, I'm always suspicious when there's a period drama brothel without boys, for one thing. On a pirate island, ffs. But from the first episode there's some solid, well-written f/f plot in there amongst the ladies on ladies stuff that's there for the male gaze.

There's one really nasty (and presented as such, not sexualised) rape scenario that is ongoing over a few episodes. It's not graphic, but it is unpleasant.

There's a couple of episodes involving a ship with slaves in the hold, but the slaves were given a voice in the story, and there was no rape.

The violence is of the blood-spurting, ohnoes-cannonball-shot-off-my-leg kind. There's a lot of cannonballs. There's a lot of hacking with swords. You see a lot of blood fountains.

The m/m stuff appears mid-S2, and I think it's worth waiting for - if I had an iota of trust in the show, I would have really enjoyed the build-up to it. I didn't trust the show, so the fact that it actually happened was stomach-droppingly awesome. One of the characters involved is, at the moment, presumed dead but I have a strong suspicion he will be back.