The Ubiquitous Absence of Jack: Ripper Street and the (Neo-)Victorian Obsession

Despite the title reference, the BBC’s Ripper Street (2012‒2014) was not intended as another Jack the Ripper story; the infamous killer’s absence is acutely felt in its first three seasons, though. The paper examines the way his acts are being recalled for the characters and viewers, but also reconstructed in a performance and copycat murders, and how, even though the Ripper is long gone, people may become his victims. The absence as echoed in the series plot and setting is a commentary on both the Victorian and modern fascination with the unsolved case.