‘Ridley Road’ finale recap: What happened in Episode 4?

The BBC’s adaptation of Ridley Road concluded in the UK tonight.

From the executive producer of Downton Abbey and the makers of Last Tango in Halifax, the new four-part mini-series is based on Jo Bloom’s hit novel.

Ridley Road is a four-part thriller set against the backdrop of a swinging sixties London we haven’t seen: an East End world where far right fascism is on the rise.

Joining newcomers Aggi O’Casey and Tom Varey in the cast are Rory Kinnear (Penny Dreadful), Tracy-Ann Oberman (It’s a Sin), Eddie Marsan (The Pact), Tamzin Outhwaite (EastEnders), Samantha Spiro (Game of Thrones), Danny Hatchard (EastEnders), and Rita Tushingham (Doctor Zhivago).

Watch the trailer:

 

The official synopsis for Ridley Road reads: “Inspired by the struggle of the 62 Group, a coalition from the Jewish community who stood up against rising neo-Nazism in post-war Britain, Ridley Road tells the story of Vivien Epstein, a young Jewish woman (played by Agnes O’Casey).

“When Vivien starts to work with them and realises that Jack, her missing boyfriend (played by Tom Varey) has been badly injured, she infiltrates the NSM, a neo-Nazi movement which is becoming increasingly prominent in London, risking everything for her beliefs and for the man she loves.”

Ridley Road will air on PBS in the US in 2022.

Here’s a plot recap for the fourth episode, which aired on BBC One at 9pm on Sunday 24th October 2021:

Ridley Road reaches its gripping finale, following the shocking clash between the 62 Group and the National Socialist Movement (NSM) at the synagogue.

With time running out, Vivien (Agnes O’Casey) risks everything to take down Colin Jordan (Rory Kinnear) and the NSM.

But what she doesn’t know is her cover may have been blown, and several NSM foot soldiers have become suspicious of Jack (Tom Varey), putting them both in real danger.

Meanwhile Vivien’s mother Liza (Samantha Spiro) realises where Vivien has been, and arrives in London to speak to Nancy (Tracy-Ann Oberman)… but might it be too late to save her daughter?

With the 62 Group in chaos after being framed for burning down NSM HQ, it’s left to Vivien to get herself out alive…

Jo Bloom’s novel is available on Amazon.