NB: SPOILERS Within

The Frankenstein Chronicles depict to a close this week, every bit John Marlott must make stark choices in club to save those he loves and end the madness and murder stalking Westminster one time and for all.

We left John Marlott in a particularly bad mode last week – mortally wounded and at the feet of his curvation-nemesis Daniel Hervey, just as he'd finished killing Esther with his 'life tonic'. Unfortunately for the resurrected detective, things weren't going much better in this week'southward episode, awaking to find himself locked up in chains inside Hervey'south lair. Suddenly overcome by an urge to tell Marlott the whole truth, Hervey admits he killed many people in his pursuit of achieving eternal life. Frederick Dipple is actually the son of his mentor Johann, who taught him the art of resurrection – and that the german aristocrat has "lived longer than whatever human being". John lies helpless every bit the sinister duo perform surgery on Esther and create the third member of the living expressionless posse.

Meanwhile, Renquist is spurned by the Dean of Westminster when he asks for his protection as the investigation closes in on the Church building's part in the contempo murders. In a desperate bid to extract himself from suspicion, he gives Pye Street journalist Boz the real dissection reports and lays the blame squarely at the Dean's door before instructing Winlocke and the Parish Watch that Frederick Dipple is the man responsible for the clergymen murders. Not to be outdone, the Metropolitan Police are as well gearing upwards for a second arrest of the human, after Queenie finds Sergeant Nightingale's pocket lookout man in the corridors beyond the locked door at Dipple's house.

With both forces converging on the Dipple residence, he demands the life tonic Hervey administers and then he tin can make good his escape. But Hervey needs the scientist's final secret to chief his fine art of resurrection, and so they have an unconvincing fight for a few minutes whilst the police effort and kick down the laboratory door. Once through, they are besides late to apprehend Dipple – who swiftly escapes with a barely witting Esther – but instead slap the cuffs on Hervey, defenseless red-handed (literally) in his creepy operating rooms. Dipple agrees to free John if he can show him a way out from the uppercase, and the trio go on the run pursued by the Parish Watch.

Esther struggles with her new rebirth as they observe sanctuary in Spence's erstwhile rooms, and Dipple explains he needs her to alive and "in time you will come to realise y'all need me too". Presumably now imbued with some sort of  zombie super forcefulness, Esther finally comes to her senses afterwards six episodes and knocks him out cold with a chamberpot, proclaiming "I am no one's property!" before escaping into the night with John. That'due south that relationship done and dusted then.

The side by side morning brings the news of the Male monarch'south death, and with it the ascension to the throne of his socially progressive brother. Sir Robert Pare suddenly has the upper hand once again and with that, the Dean of Westminster realises he must clean house immediately to avert any leads coming back to him. Renquist is quickly stabbed to death by the Church building's henchmen and dumped into the unmarked grave of a plague victim, whilst poor Boz is sacked from the Pye Street newspaper after trying to print the truth of the Dean's plans. Crucially, the Dean will not vouch for Hervey anymore, leaving him languishing in prison and facing the gallows when Peel refuses to help every bit all the testify points to him existence the Pye Street Murderer. With his one source of life tonic about to perish, Dipple forlornly skulks dorsum to his house to die now his sustaining tinctures are gone forever.

And…that'due south it. John sees Esther off as she travels out of London with Billy Oates' circus and ponders his ain future as he faces out to body of water, finally gratuitous of his tormentors. Done. A thoroughly clammy catastrophe for a drama that never threatened to ignite. Whilst there was an inkling of something entertaining underneath the leaden direction and lamentable dialogue throughout, the series never really had enough confidence in itself to try something new. Conspicuously, it had little conviction from information technology'due south broadcasters likewise, shoved unceremoniously into the schedule back end of a digital-simply aqueduct. What could take been a great premise for a horror and crime hybrid instead settled for a cosy and comfortable menses drama which underwhelmed every step of the style. Unfortunately, with all the key players still alive at season'southward terminate, the greatest scare it e'er produced is the thought they might re-committee it for a third series.

Andy D

For all our news and reviews of The Frankenstein Chronicles, go here