Critic Reviews

Ripper Street is a well-acted, well-written and compelling mystery series. And even better, there's no waiting around, wishing it would improve. It's alluring from the start.

The series is gripping, nicely styled, and smartly written, with a solid leading performance by Matthew Macfadyen as Inspector Edmund Reid, the head of H Division.

Ripper Street is mighty fine bloodsport.

It is well-written and certainly well-acted, with plot and psychological twists as numerous and tantalizing as the streets on which they occur.

It all works. Although Ripper Street does move at the slow pace characteristic of most British dramas, every scene and every line has meaning.

Ripper Street was clever enough not to hang its hat on the over-examined killings of the five Ripper victims, and clever fans of police procedurals will relish spending eight hours with cops who have to invent the crime-solving tools at their disposal.

An entertainingly sinister dip in the cesspool of 19th century criminality. [21 Jan 2013]

While "Copper" took some time to get into a groove, Ripper Street is riveting from the first cry of murder.

Ripper Street is pretty ripping good for the most part.

There's enough intrigue, suspense and interesting characters here to make Ripper Street a worthwhile viewing endeavor.