Ripper Street S3E1 - "Whitechapel Terminus" Recap

1894. East London. Reid is still working as hard as ever as an inspector for Whitechapel and he's disinterested in the promotion he's offered as he believes it will keep him sidelined instead of out on the streets keeping work done. His boss warns him to not let this job swallow him whole. Some thieves plot to crash a locomotive train as part of a larger heist. Drake is on his way back to Whitechapel on a different train while Jackson is at his own place sleeping with a woman. The thieves accomplish their heist, and the two trains collide right outside of the Whitechapel police department and Reid and the other officers run outside to see the destruction. Reid shouts that the people need to be helped, as many begin to start screaming out in pain, while others simply lie dead.

One of the men planning this scheme, Gregory, shoots another of the men on the team dead. Jackson arrives at the scene of the train crash to offer up his medical skills to help those injured. It's then that Drake reveals himself as being relatively uninjured and carrying a woman who is. Rose Erskine also arrives on the scene and spots Drake helping people. Long Susan also arrives on the scene so the band appears to be back together again, albeit broken and harbouring resentment towards one another. But with a disaster as great as this, there's no time to hash things out. There are lives that need to be saved.

The main trio discovers the man who was conducting the train that went off course. He's injured and Reid and Jackson clash over whether to save him, causing Drake to step in and question the man, who reveals the fact there were masked men robbing the train before it crashed. While the Whitechapel crew carry on with their investigation, there is dissent amount the thieves. One thief feels tremendous guilt over the many deaths their heist caused.

Susan has been working to create a business out of her brothel but things are running less than smoothly. Her money's not doing what she wants it to and now she would rather help all the injured folks but if Reid or any other officers find out what she's been up to she'll likely go to jail, not to mention her business will be shut down.

The main trio is able to determine that they're looking for a shooter that once worked for the railway but suffered from an injury that is a significant hindrance to him, as well as a lead on the weapon they're searching for. They also have a suspect in custody already that they question again. The heist was for some Winchesters. Through these combined leads, they're able to find the name, Gregory, and the address of the shooter they're after. When they visit his home, Gregory is able to get the jump on them and hold them at gunpoint until they turn the tables and hold him at gunpoint instead. Reid wants to know who was the mastermind of the crime and Gregory admits that he himself was only in charge of railways. He and the other men were chosen for one skill or another but didn't see the mastermind. They're set to meet the man later that morning to receive their share of the loot.

At the police station, Reid coldly and publicly declares that Jackson isn't welcome to come along as they apprehend the criminal. Jackson responds by telling one of the young new officers that he would do well to get out from underneath Reid as soon as he can. When Jackson returns to his place, he finds Long Susan waiting for him. Things are awkward, to say the least.

The meet takes place and Reid is ordered to have all the men at the meet-up apprehended though the mastermind himself has not revealed himself. Reid's boss is still insistent that Reid take this promotion and that Drake will come back and have Reid's job as inspector. Reid also has an awkward encounter with Counsellor Cobden, the woman he was formerly involved with, but things have ended between the two romantically speaking. Long Susan then approaches Reid with her solicitor, Mr. Capshaw, and Reid immediately becomes suspicious of the man for some reason even looking down at his shoes. He goes down to speak with his suspect in custody but the man has been murdered with a small knife to the neck.

Ripper Street airs on Fridays on Amazon Prime.