So how much did we like SHP in 3.1? Sir Harry at his best, I think -- doing battle with Mace and Belling, leaving his hospital bed to save his section from the politicians, stealing Adam from 6 to help out and keep his team on an even keel, taking charge of the Carmen Joyce situation, keeping Tom from doing himself more damage. This was a great Harry ep . . . and the longer, curly hair was certainly a bonus!

Agreed, it was a great episode for Harry. What I found particularly interesting is that we see for the first time how good Harry is at playing the political game as well as the spook game. His interaction with Mace is the first time we really see the attempted influence of the politicians through the JIC. That very last scene in the club with Mace and Belling shows just how comfortable Harry actually is in that world, and that he understands that one has to pick your battles and sometimes you have to accept a "one-all draw" outcome.

I actually prefer him with shorter hair. Not as short as in season 1, but end of season 4 short.

Loved the Harry hair but agree that it also looked good a bit shorter in series 4. You can really see the curls though!

Harry really came into his own in this episode. Its like the writers after 2 series suddenly realised what they had, and that it was being under used. Good writers must love writing for Harry.

For all of Mace's spitting, I felt he was actually scared of Harry. When Harry first walked in on him, Zoe, and Danny, Mace looked a little terrified and then at the end of 3.1, realised he had to be back on side with Harry. The way he shaked his hand when he entered the club.

Yes, Harry to me doesnt really suit the whole gentleman club scene. He is obviously a member there but maybe that comes with his rank. I cant see Harry sitting in that club every night making merry chit chat with the likes of Mace.

(29-03-2010 08:09 AM)Tea Lady Wrote:  Yes, Harry to me doesnt really suit the whole gentleman club scene. He is obviously a member there but maybe that comes with his rank. I cant see Harry sitting in that club every night making merry chit chat with the likes of Mace.

I agree that H doesn't seem the typical gentlemen's club type, but clubs are a great source of intel (finding out who's doing what and with whom, etc.). I'm sure H uses that to his advantage.

One of the things I love about Harry is that ambiguity in what his ultimate status is. He can hold his own wherever he is, but where he belongs is less clear. He's from the upper middle class as it existed in the 50 and 60s, but Harry has always shunned that snobbery that comes only with British class. It's interesting that some fans associate him with that jibing of people because of the way they speak or write - but I've never seen him as one of those. Season 3 and Season 5 Harry bear this argument out most strongly, I think.

I guess Harry's immaculate wardrobe also contributes to him being pigeon-holed as one of the upper middle class snobbish types. It is true, though, from what we know of Harry that it is much easier to picture him in a club like Mace's than in some slum.

I'm amazed at how quickly Harry seemed to forgive Tom for shooting him. At the end of the episode Harry is back to handling Tom as he always did. If it were me I would probably have borne a grudge for a while.

(30-03-2010 04:45 PM)Silktie Wrote:  I'm amazed at how quickly Harry seemed to forgive Tom for shooting him. At the end of the episode Harry is back to handling Tom as he always did. If it were me I would probably have borne a grudge for a while.

I agree Silktie. I think Harry felt guilty for letting Tom down but there was no way of knowing that the bullet wouldnt kill him. You cant shoot a gun at that range and think it is only going to wound someone. Harry is not usually one for grudges though, until such a time as it suits him.

Found a new Harry video on Youtube. Its quite good as shows some less common scenes (the music is by Cliff Richard though!!) It's posted by 0074AUS. Here is the link if interested:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8Gs1yiDZcs

Thanks for the link, TL -- I love this.

Great Harry scenes, thanks for the link Tea Lady.

Hi, I'm a newbie to this forum...glad it's here to feed my Harry/PF addiction.

I love Harry and agree that, without Harry, Spooks wouldn't be worth watching. PF's such an amazing actor, too. I'm going back over some of his earlier work and was really knocked out by "White Angel" - the best example of understated menace I've ever seen.

Anyway, I hope that Kudos show some good sense and don't kill Harry off in season 9. I really think there's spin-off potential with Harry... maybe he retires and sets up his own private agency or something. While Kudos would need to avoid a repetition of The Equalizer, I think Harry out on his own...perhaps with Ruth (but as I think she's an annoying wimp, I'd rather not...),,,or burying the hatchet with Jenny Agutter's character and going into partnership... Anyway, Harry's far too good a character to kill off.