…but before we dig in, let’s celebrate a Pulp reference!
Well, our victim had a thirst for knowledge,” said Stephanopoulos. “He was a student at St. Martins College.
Ha! Delightful. This series is chock full of geeky innuendo. Come for a magical rollick through London, but stay for the myriad Harry Potter, Terry Pratchett, Dr. Who, and Tolkien references- just to name a few.
Somehow, despite many references to the fantasy that came before and continues to ripple around the world of Rivers of London, this series stays fresh; it fails to become derivative.
After having battled evil spirits in the form of murderous pupets, jazz vampires, reanimated heads, and femme fatales with teeth downstairs, the team is back to take on the underground: railway ghosts, secret subterranean raves, magical pottery, and yes- the London Underground itself.
We’ve added an American to the crew this time; an FBI agent with an itchy trigger finger. As an American it is easy to forget that there are plenty of countries out there that don’t arm their police force to the teeth, and Whispers Under Ground makes an effort to subvert the old “guns are the only answer” that haunts a good deal of other crime capers.
We still get Aaronovitch’s eye for architectural history (and there’s even a reason for it now! hooray!), but this time we also get some serious history around the Underground, the sewer, English heritage pottery, and the yellow clay of London herself.
Don’t worry, though- there’s still plenty of fun to be had despite the barrages of facts, figures, and famous faces.
Despite my mum being from a small village in the middle of a forest, I’m not a country person. I don’t like my bacon sandwich to be curiously snuffling at my fingers. But sometimes being police means holding your breath and fondling a pig.