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"The fifth episode of Ripper Street starts off strong and doesn&amp;#039;t let up, opening with a dynamically-directed sequence helmed by Colm McCarthy (soon to be turning his hand to Doctor Who&amp;#039;s 2013 premiere). While Bennet Drake refreshingly steps away from his rather limiting role as Reid&amp;#039;s muscle to romance his beloved Rose (Charlene McKenna), a gang of thieves across London are committing an expertly-planned heist... I&amp;#039;ve complained in previous weeks about Ripper Street&amp;#039;s insistence on prioritising the case of the week over character development, which has meant that what could be a fantastic drama has been disappointedly run-of-the-mill. But &amp;#039;The Weight of One Man&amp;#039;s Heart&amp;#039; strikes a more satisfactory balance between character and plot, delving deep into Drake&amp;#039;s emotional life. The show&amp;#039;s impressive list of high-calibre guest stars grows longer still this week, with the fantastic Iain Glen (Game of Thrones, Spooks) arriving in Whitechapel as Madoc Faulkner - Drake&amp;#039;s old brother-in-arms... Watching actors like Glen and Matthew MacFadyen face off is predictably involving television, and Faulkner&amp;#039;s arrival means the episode delves still deeper into the past and dark heart of Jerome Flynn&amp;#039;s tough-as-nails copper - the brief but graphic flashes back to his wartime experiences and his later near-breakdown on Whitchapel&amp;#039;s streets are both wonderfully vivid.  Best of all, character and plot are neatly - if somewhat obviously - tied together when it&amp;#039;s confirmed that Faulkner is the one committing the rash of robberies that are so confounding Reid and his team. A conflicted Drake is tempted away from Reid not only by his feelings for Rose but also by his loyalty to Faulkner, who mocks his new role as Reid&amp;#039;s &amp;quot;slavish henchman&amp;quot;. We&amp;#039;ve lamented Drake getting nothing more to do than beat suspects bloody and kick down doors for Reid, and now it transpires that it&amp;#039;s been taking a toll on the man himself - a nice touch. The only problem with revealing Faulkner as the villain so early in the episode is that it means the viewer&amp;#039;s attentions wavers when the episode shifts focus to Reid&amp;#039;s ongoing investigation, since we&amp;#039;re always two steps ahead of him.  The size of Adam Rothenberg&amp;#039;s role this week doesn&amp;#039;t match his co-star Flynn&amp;#039;s, though by way of compensation his Yankee medic gets all of the episode&amp;#039;s best and filthiest lines. Unlike some previous adventures, this episode&amp;#039;s robbery plot - boosted by Drake&amp;#039;s personal connection to the thieves - is complex and compelling enough to hold the viewer&amp;#039;s interest for the near-hour running time. And the episode&amp;#039;s climax - involving a daring attempted heist at the London Mint and the already unstable Faulkner bidding farewell to what little is left of his wits - resolves matters in a tense and exciting fashion.  There&amp;#039;s also a nice line in ambiguity here - did Drake really turn to the dark side, albeit briefly? Or was it all a ruse to bring down the robbers? Faulkner lying about his fellow soldier being held at gunpoint and Drake&amp;#039;s apparent near-confession would suggest the former but we&amp;#039;re never provided with a definite answer either way - a far more interesting option than blatantly stating the character&amp;#039;s motivations.  The emotional torture isn&amp;#039;t over for Bennett though - Rose&amp;#039;s retort to his declaration of love, &amp;quot;You will always be my friend&amp;quot; has to be up there with up there with &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s not you, it&amp;#039;s me&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;I think of you like a brother&amp;quot; as one of the most painful lines a man can ever hear. And the final revelation that he had purchased her the two birds she had desired - likely spending the last of his meagre earnings to do so - makes for a powerfully emotional final sting. This is the Ripper Street we&amp;#039;ve been waiting for - a visceral and exciting drama that focuses on plot, character and emotion in equal measure. Let&amp;#039;s hope it&amp;#039;s not a one-off and that this promising new series has finally found its feet.  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ripper-street/review/a453904/ripper-street-episode-five-the-weight-of-one-mans-heart-review/>