The final entry in this seriesexamines the third volume of
Ripper's Curse, and provides
an epilogue.
PART THREE The Doctor and
Rory travel to modern-day
Whitechapel to question a
Ripper walk tour guide. They
want to know "how many
Ripper murders are canon?"
and are stunned by his reply
- twelve!
The Ripperologist begins to
list the victims: Nichols [1],
Chapman [2], Stride [3], Eddowes [4], Kelly [5], then Mary Warner and
list the victims: Nichols [1],
Chapman [2], Stride [3], Eddowes [4], Kelly [5], then Mary Warner and
Amelia Marple! He informs them that the bodies of Marple and Warner
were found in a yard off Hanbury Street [2] the night after Kelly's
death and "Unlike the others, these two were murdered elsewhere."
Meanwhile in 1888, Amy is being held captive in a cellar with Mary.
The TARDIS returns to Spitalfields, and the Doctor tells Abberline of
The TARDIS returns to Spitalfields, and the Doctor tells Abberline of
the night's impending double event. Although officially off the case,
Warren's doppelganger arrives and the Doctor persuades him to
reveal his true self to the inspector. 'Clouseau' is then put in charge
of the manhunt, and the Doctor finds a tracking device (similar to
the one used to locate the Krafayis in Vincent and the Doctor).
As night approaches, Amy assaults her captor's "tympanic mem-
branes" by making as "much unbearable" noise as she can, with a
metal bar. Amy helps the paralysed Mary from the cellar. The new
chief of police reaches the Ripper's lair just as the two women
escape. The 'Warren' reptile and Mac'atyde now battle for survival.
The Ju'wes cannot reason with his enemy, and so forces the Re'nar
back into his base. Both are then consumed as the alien time portal
explodes - the 'Ripper' is dead!
Abberline will continue the investigation for now, but with no further
killings, the newspapers cannot scare the populace and "the Ripper
killings, the newspapers cannot scare the populace and "the Ripper
will be forgotten."
As the travellers depart, the Doctor says that the crimes will "never
As the travellers depart, the Doctor says that the crimes will "never
be forgotten because [they] can never be explained."
As a neat coda to both this blog and to the programme's links to
Saucy Jack, we finally get a definitive on-screen reference in
A Good Man Goes to War (2011). Here in 'London, 1888 AD' the
scene is set for a resurrected Silurian warrior to actually find and
execute this legendary killer. On her return home to Paternoster
Row, Madame Vastra asks her maid, Jenny to inform Inspector
Abberline of Scotland Yard that Jack the Ripper is dead!
Finally, both the Ripper and Abberline appeared in The Wax
Princess, part of the Jago & Litefoot audio series (2014).
KEY Canonical Murders:
[1] Mary Ann Nichols - Buck's Row, Friday August 31st 1888
[2] Annie Chapman - Hanbury St. Saturday September 8th
[3] Elizabeth Stride - Berner St. Sunday September 30th
[4] Catherine Eddowes - Mitre Square, also September 30th
[5] Mary Jane Kelly - Miller's Court, Friday November 9th
