One night, a woman is walking through the dark streets of Toronto, when a carriage draws up alongside her and she climbs aboard.
Next morning, Murdoch is experimenting with an ultraviolet lamp when Inspector Brackenreid breezes in, and tells him he should get out more, and offers him a pair of tickets for a gala ball that some dinosaur expert is putting on next week. Murdoch tries to decline, but Constable Higgins interrupts the conversation; they are needed.
The body of a young woman, Alberta Moffat, who has previously been convicted for prostitution, is found near a waterfall. She has been mutilated, and there is a message, TRY TO STOP ME, written in blood, on a nearby rock. While the Police are surveying the scene, a man demands to see the man in charge. He is taken to Inspector Brackenreid, and says he is Detective Edward Scanlon from Scotland Yard, that he knows who the killer is, and that he will kill again if he is not stopped.
Back in Police Station 4, Detective Scanlon names the suspect as Harland Orgill, and shows Inspector Brackenreid a sketch of him. Orgill is a maniac, he says, and he has been on his trail more than a year, from London to Cairo, to Bombay, to Auckland, and in each city Orgill has slaughtered eight women before moving on. A note left in a hotel room he used suggests Toronto is next; also, a man fitting the description took a steamer from Auckland to Vancouver recently. Scanlon says Orgill's style of killing is very reminiscent of the Whitechapel murders, leading Murdoch to ask if he seriously believes that Orgill may be Jack the Ripper. While Murdoch and Brackenreid mull over what they have been told, Detective Scanlon observes Constables Higgins and Crabtree playing checkers, and angrily upsets their board. When the Inspector comes to see what's going on, Scanlon says that Constables playing checkers while a murderer is on the loose is a dereliction of duty. Brackenreid agrees, and Murdoch briefs all the officers.
After visiting Alberta's mother, where they learn little, Scanlon and Murdoch return to Police Station 4, via a toy shop where Scanlon buys a peace offering. On arrival at the station, Scanlon gives it to Constable Higgins: a Snakes-and-Ladders game, to replace the checkers set that he threw in the air. He warmly recommends the game, which he has been playing to entertain himself since Cairo.
That evening, Murdoch visits a Dance Studio, where the proprietor, Professor Otranto, says Murdoch has a lot to learn.
Next morning, a second victim, Gloria Abercrombie, is found with similar mutilations to Alberta. A carriage matching the description of one stolen the day of the first murder was seen nearby. Again, TRY TO STOP ME is found written in blood near the body. Dr Ogden says the young woman was no prostitute, in fact she was a virgin. Murdoch tells Dr Ogden he would like to understand the mind of this killer, and she tells him about an alienist, Dr. Roberts, who was recently fired from the Provincial Lunatic Asylum because his research into the criminal mind was ruffling too many feathers. Just as he is about to leave, Murdoch invites Dr. Ogden to the Dinosaur Ball, and she accepts...
Dr Roberts is surprised that Murdoch wants his help, but readily agrees. Back at Police Station 4, Crabtree and Higgins have been playing Snakes-and-Ladders while they wait for the Detective to return. They have news: the carriage has been found.
Detective Scanlon says that manifestly Orgill has cleaned the carriage thoroughly, so there's little point looking for finger marks and similar clues. Murdoch inspects the carriage with his new ultraviolet lamp, explaining how it works to Scanlon. He finds traces of blood: the women were killed inside the carriage.
Murdoch visits Dr Roberts who has by now reviewed the case files Murdoch sent to him, to see if he has built a psychological portrait of the killer. Dr Roberts says that it is clear that the killer feels threatened by women, and may well have had problems with sex, once he reached adulthood. Over time, this feeling has grown into a murderous rage. Clearly the number 8 is significant to the killer. It's possible that the killer has more than one persona, one that is sane and lucid, the other insane and murderous. As for any connection between the victims, the only thing he could offer Murdoch is that all 26 victims worked. Murdoch finds it hard to believe that is really the only connection, but Dr Roberts tells him that to someone already threatened by women, the fact that they work would add to the killer's perception of their power, and make him more want to kill them. Murdoch ponders what he has been told, and asks if the message left by the killer is really a plea for help from the sane persona of the killer, rather than a taunt. Dr Roberts agrees that it's possible, but cannot say for sure.
When Murdoch arrives at the Dance Studio for his next lesson, Professor Otranto pairs him with a new student - Dr Ogden...
So, is the portrait of the killer created by Dr Roberts going to be any help in catching the killer? Is Detective Scanlon finally going to get his man? Does the killer really want to be caught, or is he taunting the Police? Will William impress Julia with his two-step or cripple her with his two left feet?
This episode is built around a fascinating mystery. The faltering steps taken by William and Julia on the road to romance are beautifully played. Even the board game has more significance than it seems at first. Hats off once more to the writers and actors.
Next morning, Murdoch is experimenting with an ultraviolet lamp when Inspector Brackenreid breezes in, and tells him he should get out more, and offers him a pair of tickets for a gala ball that some dinosaur expert is putting on next week. Murdoch tries to decline, but Constable Higgins interrupts the conversation; they are needed.
The body of a young woman, Alberta Moffat, who has previously been convicted for prostitution, is found near a waterfall. She has been mutilated, and there is a message, TRY TO STOP ME, written in blood, on a nearby rock. While the Police are surveying the scene, a man demands to see the man in charge. He is taken to Inspector Brackenreid, and says he is Detective Edward Scanlon from Scotland Yard, that he knows who the killer is, and that he will kill again if he is not stopped.
Back in Police Station 4, Detective Scanlon names the suspect as Harland Orgill, and shows Inspector Brackenreid a sketch of him. Orgill is a maniac, he says, and he has been on his trail more than a year, from London to Cairo, to Bombay, to Auckland, and in each city Orgill has slaughtered eight women before moving on. A note left in a hotel room he used suggests Toronto is next; also, a man fitting the description took a steamer from Auckland to Vancouver recently. Scanlon says Orgill's style of killing is very reminiscent of the Whitechapel murders, leading Murdoch to ask if he seriously believes that Orgill may be Jack the Ripper. While Murdoch and Brackenreid mull over what they have been told, Detective Scanlon observes Constables Higgins and Crabtree playing checkers, and angrily upsets their board. When the Inspector comes to see what's going on, Scanlon says that Constables playing checkers while a murderer is on the loose is a dereliction of duty. Brackenreid agrees, and Murdoch briefs all the officers.
After visiting Alberta's mother, where they learn little, Scanlon and Murdoch return to Police Station 4, via a toy shop where Scanlon buys a peace offering. On arrival at the station, Scanlon gives it to Constable Higgins: a Snakes-and-Ladders game, to replace the checkers set that he threw in the air. He warmly recommends the game, which he has been playing to entertain himself since Cairo.
That evening, Murdoch visits a Dance Studio, where the proprietor, Professor Otranto, says Murdoch has a lot to learn.
Next morning, a second victim, Gloria Abercrombie, is found with similar mutilations to Alberta. A carriage matching the description of one stolen the day of the first murder was seen nearby. Again, TRY TO STOP ME is found written in blood near the body. Dr Ogden says the young woman was no prostitute, in fact she was a virgin. Murdoch tells Dr Ogden he would like to understand the mind of this killer, and she tells him about an alienist, Dr. Roberts, who was recently fired from the Provincial Lunatic Asylum because his research into the criminal mind was ruffling too many feathers. Just as he is about to leave, Murdoch invites Dr. Ogden to the Dinosaur Ball, and she accepts...
Dr Roberts is surprised that Murdoch wants his help, but readily agrees. Back at Police Station 4, Crabtree and Higgins have been playing Snakes-and-Ladders while they wait for the Detective to return. They have news: the carriage has been found.
Detective Scanlon says that manifestly Orgill has cleaned the carriage thoroughly, so there's little point looking for finger marks and similar clues. Murdoch inspects the carriage with his new ultraviolet lamp, explaining how it works to Scanlon. He finds traces of blood: the women were killed inside the carriage.
Murdoch visits Dr Roberts who has by now reviewed the case files Murdoch sent to him, to see if he has built a psychological portrait of the killer. Dr Roberts says that it is clear that the killer feels threatened by women, and may well have had problems with sex, once he reached adulthood. Over time, this feeling has grown into a murderous rage. Clearly the number 8 is significant to the killer. It's possible that the killer has more than one persona, one that is sane and lucid, the other insane and murderous. As for any connection between the victims, the only thing he could offer Murdoch is that all 26 victims worked. Murdoch finds it hard to believe that is really the only connection, but Dr Roberts tells him that to someone already threatened by women, the fact that they work would add to the killer's perception of their power, and make him more want to kill them. Murdoch ponders what he has been told, and asks if the message left by the killer is really a plea for help from the sane persona of the killer, rather than a taunt. Dr Roberts agrees that it's possible, but cannot say for sure.
When Murdoch arrives at the Dance Studio for his next lesson, Professor Otranto pairs him with a new student - Dr Ogden...
So, is the portrait of the killer created by Dr Roberts going to be any help in catching the killer? Is Detective Scanlon finally going to get his man? Does the killer really want to be caught, or is he taunting the Police? Will William impress Julia with his two-step or cripple her with his two left feet?
This episode is built around a fascinating mystery. The faltering steps taken by William and Julia on the road to romance are beautifully played. Even the board game has more significance than it seems at first. Hats off once more to the writers and actors.
