Adam Rothenberg - Captain Homer Jackson
If he’d had it his way, Jackson would be long gone - safe on the other side of the Atlantic with his wife and son.
Published: 13 June 2017
Edmund will burn the world down to get these people to justice and Jackson actually has people to look after, so that's the difference.
But the heist that he and Long Susan attempted went catastrophically wrong, and it has left them stranded in the very place they most want to escape: the belly of Whitechapel. It has never been Jackson’s natural instinct to put others or the greater good before himself, and - more than ever before - he will find himself forced to stare deep into his soul and decide what kind of man he wants to be, and what kind of sacrifices he is willing to make.
Q&A with Adam Rothenberg
Where do Reid, Long Susan and Jackson find themselves at the start of Series 5?
This season follows pretty hot on the heels of where it left off last season, so you have Jackson, Reid and Susan still in the sewer in hiding with absolutely no plan. They don't have any idea what to do: Jackson’s one idea is a pretty desperate shot in the dark.
What is the dynamic like between the trio - post Drake, and under the stress of the situation they find themselves in?
The dynamic without Drake is interesting because it's still a trio, because now Susan is very much the third musketeer. The interplay between Jackson and Reid is different because they are now quite literally thrown together and inseparable, whereas before it was a figurative thing. And if it wasn't for the emergency of the situation and the focus of the situation, they probably would have taken each other's heads off. But it is a good working partnership still.
Does this series of Ripper Street feel different to previous series?
Yeah this season does feel really different. The show started out almost purely crime of the week and you'd have a little bit of long-form intrigue, and then progressively it became quite equal and I think it came to a point where the story of the week would then start to serve the longer story of the characters, and now this year is completely one tale to be told. Plus it's over for the characters in the story, it's over for the actors, so there's a kind of a sweet kind of sadness I think creeping into a lot of the scenes and a lot of the feel on set.
What brings our heroes to the Alexandria Set and what is their life like there?
Well the Alexandria is a run down theatre that was taken over by Mimi Morton who I'm sure people will remember from Season 3 who was Jackson's second great love, who he was really hoping to make it work with when he was trying to extricate himself from his old life with Susan. So they're in hiding in the sewers and I mean these three have burned every bridge that they've ever had and it's Jackson's only idea, so that's how they end up there.
How does Jackson's previous relationship with Mimi affect Long Susan?
Well Jackson's relationship with Mimi, when we first come into it there isn't one any more, other than old wounds. I think in terms of Jackson and Susan it's kind of there more for a bit of comedic relief. I mean in the midst of this high drama, high stakes situation, there's some, you know, domestic pettiness being bandied around. What they're going through is so far beyond any kind of jealousy, you know, it's not going to upend them because they just can't afford that.
How does Drake's death affect Jackson and Reid's relationship?
Well the death of Drake, when we come into this season, they don't really know how it's affecting them. I think in a way there isn't any time for grief; there isn't any time for reflection. Edmund is hell bent for revenge and some kind of closure or justice because it was his dear friend but also because he has nothing else to focus on; everything's gone for him, so he's like a laser, dementedly obsessed with bringing people to justice. Jackson’s mission is more aligned with getting Connor, and getting out with Susan. He's going to help because of course he cares, but he can only afford to care so much, if that makes sense. So their relationship at this point is aligned, but not with the same target, and I think we see that as the season goes further. Edmund will burn the world down to get these people to justice and Jackson actually has people to look after, so that's the difference.
Has Jackson become a more responsible person with his commitment to his family?
Yeah, believe it or not, Jackson is the responsible one in these situations. But I think there's always been an inkling of that; he's always been a responsible guy; it sometimes has been misguided and sometimes, or more often than not it's completely backfired, but I don't think he's as selfish as people have made him out to be. I think if you look back in the stories, it was always for somebody else, to a point.
Does Jackson feel powerless without his lab?
I'm going to just say Jackson doesn't miss the lab the way the actor does not miss the lab. It was a place of work for Jackson, you know, and he's a genius and he's great at it, but he's also a cowboy and so I don't think he's shedding any tears over the loss of the lab. In a way I think he probably feels a lot more alive lately than he used to, you know what I mean, because all of his other talents and qualities are kind of coming to the fore, so no I don't think he cares.
How did it feel to focus the whole series on just one murderer?
I think it's really refreshing to be focusing on one guy. I think it's a really good idea that in episode three the world stops and it becomes this almost pastoral episode following this very misunderstood person Nathaniel; I just think it's very brave and it's going to pay off; I just think it's a stroke of brilliance and selfishly sometimes you worry if the audience is sick of you and so I think it's going to be a treat and a palette cleanser so that then we can properly get back into finishing the season out.
Why do you think Shine has remained an important figure to our heroes in the show?
I think Shine is a brilliant character played by a brilliant actor, but I think the real joy of him is he's a complete counterpoint to Reid. It's like matter and anti-matter; so that's the joy of it, you want to see someone in complete authority completely do everything you're not supposed to do and I think that's the joy of any good villain and I think that's what Shine brings to it. It's just thrilling, thrilling villainy is all.
Why do you think Dove has proven such a tricky character for our heroes this season?
Because he's so established, he is kind of the law in a strange way. He seems to be an untouchable kind of moral figure in the community, it's just not simple for them.
