Living In "Whitechapel" Can Be Deadly

Whitechapel: Season 1 (2009)

Not Rated

Starring Rupert Penry-Jones, Phil Davis, Steve Pemberton

Created by Ben Court, Caroline Ip

The Story:

Jack the Ripper, or at least someone copying his infamous murders, is back terrorizing Whitechapel, London. Young Detective Inspector Chandler (Penry-Jones) is assigned the case by the top brass so that he can check off the "murder" block, and move up towards the higher ranks at headquarters. Of course, he doesn't realize it's a Ripper murder, nor does Detective Sergeant Miles (Davis) the gruff, streetwise detective that is forced to follow this rookie Inspector. It's only when Ripperologist Edward Buchan (Pemberton) shows them the connections that the department begins trying to stop the new Ripper before he strikes again. Yet, how do you stop a murderer who was never caught?

It's easy to become enamored with the BBC shows, as they are usually well acted, well written and well crafted.

They are also 3-6 episodes long, so they don't overstay their welcome, or get bloated with subplots that seemingly stall the narrative to barely keep the wheels of the plot in motion.

Season 1 of Whitechapel is 3 intense episodes that are focused on the Jack the Ripper killings, and the oil/water relationship between that of Chandler and Miles (and the rest of the Department for that matter).

It's always been a compelling narrative when you have two dynamic leads who both believe in their ideals and it conflicts with the other.

Each will bend, yet never break, and the partnership usually comes out stronger in the end.

I'm hesitant to try the subsequent 3 seasons, as they have nothing to do with Jack the Ripper, which was my initial interest.

However, the characters were compelling enough to pull me back, so maybe in the near future?

Currently streaming for those with Amazon Prime.

Final Grade: Solid B / B+

America's First Serial Killer..."Madness in the White City"

Jack the Ripper's got nothing on H.H. Holmes!

The Story:

1893, Chicago, home of the World's Fair.  Chicago pulls out all the stops to be awarded the spectacle that will bring thousands of people and dollars to their city.  Meanwhile, just outside the city, a deranged man begins constructing an elaborate hotel... of death!

This is the true story of how both stories intertwined.

Courtesy of the National Geographic Channel comes an interesting if somewhat uneven documentary that chronicles two different things.

One, is the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.

Talk about a blast from the past, this one had it all, electricity, motion pictures, the Ferris Wheel.  It's an amazing walk down memory lane at how inventive Americans were, and how many cool things came about at that fair.

It also discusses how Chicago had to work at a breakneck speed to prepare for the Fair, and literally finished just in time.

The second, is Holmes, who would become America's first (known?) serial killer.  This madman devised a torture chamber hotel and lured women who came to Chicago for the Fair to their doom.

The exact number of victims will remain lost to time, but it's pretty creepy from start to finish and puts a scary twist on the otherwise impressive feat that Chicago pulled off.

It's amazing how Holmes was eventually caught, and the suspicious circumstances of what became of his hotel of horrors...

Fun Fact of the documentary: They explain how Chicago became known as the "Windy City", and it's not for the reason you might think!


Now available for streaming on Netflix as of this writing.

Final Grade: B

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I think I'm good with watching it once, but I hear there is another documentary out there on the Fair itself, and I think I'd like to learn a little more about that one.  I'll let you know if/when I see it. : )