Sooooooooooo one of the last times to have a discussion on fresh spooks ep... makes me actually very sad!!!

I do have mixed feelings about it... It has changed a lot from how it used to be. One thing I am very glad about is the return of the slick one line jokes/ funny remarks that I think is the trademark of Spooks. I love Mr Pearce all the more now that I know he has an aversion to golf (I am a golfing orphan which is believe me almost as bad as being a golf widow ) and I loved the Grid being back to how I believe it should be! Light and the team all sat around together.

It's odd I feel that we are back on the Russians again (albeit more friendly than ever before) I thought with Lucas gone there might be a different area of expertise, a different focus. The storyline I felt was predictable, rather disappointing for saying I have been a good girl all year and avoided any spoilers (!) , I could have known what the big twist at the end was I think from one of the first Harry flashbacks. Although not to complain too much as I love Harry being the focus of a storyline (if not the whole series?) for once.

I was shocked at Sophia Myles not being in it anymore unless she is coming back? (in fact no don't tell me ) Beth was growing on me! I have never really been a big pusher of HRness before but maybe with the knowledge the episodes are numbered I love them together now. It feels natural but in a way i get all nervous for Ruth as if I was on a first date haha.

As for new characters, Callum didn't immediately jump out at me but then I don't hate him either. I did love the part with him and Dmitri when he was trying to make conversation and Dmitri just shot him down. I think he will find a place in my heart before long. As for Erin, Lara Pulver is gorgeous! I swear she wasn't that good-looking in Robin Hood!! But with RA on screen perhaps I wasn't paying her a lot of attention . I wasn't keen on her character (for a start she seems implausibly young for the position she's in?) but the last scenes with her daughter added a new depth to her character which I think will be interesting. We've had single parent Spooking from a Dad's perspective with Adam but it's nice to touch upon how difficult it would be for a mother in that role.

Well I think I have gone on enough for now! I am going to rewatch before my parents get in from work because otherwise they'd think I was nutty for watching it again so soon

Hi Weeping Willow,
for some reason Callum reminds me a little of Colin - except not quite as geeky. I dunno why really - maybe that quirkiness of character. I prefer Erin to Beth, but I find it a little unbelievable that she would be put in charge as she seems too young imo. I would have thought Ruth would be better suited - but probably out of the question due to her involvement with Harry. I have serious misgivings about the future of H & R unfortunately

I've just watched the episode and read the 8 pages of this thread!

I reallly enjoyed the episode, how much I've missed Spooks!!!

It's true that it was a bit slow but I enjoyed it anyway, it's like an introductory episode and then the fun begins!!!

OMG!! Dimitri/Max Brown was extremely hot!!! hahaha Definitely more attractive this series!

I think the HS wants to gain Ruth by offering a promotion and divide them or something...

I thought Elena was ok and she'll be great because there are a lot to unravel here and we'll get to know more about Harry and his past. I also thought Sasha being Harry's son was too obvious, but what if he isn't as Tea Lady said, I thought that too.

I'm not sure about Erin I have mixed feelings, it was just me or this woman has some secrets we don't know? I don't thing that tear was for the guy he killed, it was maybe because she's "lonely" or the guy was something to her???
On the other hand (if I'm wrong and she's who we think she is - well, we don't know much about her , I mean if she can be trusted), I like her as a Section Chief.

I didn't like Callum much... As some of you say, he's too cocky for my liking.

I loved Harry's pouts, I laughed every time I saw him pout, jaja

HR dressed up were lovely!!! It has been 6 months (if my memory serves me right) so they have definitely had a talk, I'm ok with that, maybe they'll show us later.

(18-09-2011 09:19 PM)nothingisasitseems Wrote:  Not sure I like the new "slick" Tariq!

Who was the woman on the phone after the would-be assassin was killed? It did look like Erin but i don't think it was.

I didn't like Tariq's hair either!! I prefer his previous look!

It wasn't Erin, we will know next week I hope.

sorry, it may have been mentioned. But did anyone else notice the 2 photos of Tom Quinn with Harry that Sasha was shuffling through at the start? just past the 8 minute mark?

Interesting question. Will Tom be the "old face"? I always thought that the "old face" would be an older person who knew Harry during the Cold War. It might be a friendly face such as Tom as we remembered him. I can't imagine Tom betraying Harry, but who knows with Spooks.

I would be shocked if Tom re-appeared, the actor has a career elsewhere now and is unlikely to do a cameo.

(19-09-2011 03:51 PM)loladom Wrote:  To answer the question of Elena. Just checked, Harry inroduced Elena during the briefing as the 'wife of a KGB agent' and that he and Jim turned her into an asset to spy on Russia and her husband. At no time did he say SHE was an agent. Only a wife. SO I don't think she was ever a double agent in that sense of being an active KGB player. By default, as a Russian and wife of KGB she would've been considered 'the enemy'

Interesting that Harry mentioned there were plans for her defection. And later Ruth said he burned her because of their relationship. During the meet with Coaver H talks of Coaver's unhappiness over not getting ELena as the prize. Perhaps another secret is that H stopped the defection because it was too dangerous (certainly would've been for him). Perhaps ruffled feathers depending on how far along the defection plans were and who was involved in the possible extraction.

That was my understanding as well. Harry and Jim turned Elena, she wasn't a spy before they did.

I enjoyed it, since I'm a sucker for anything to do with the Cold War spying. But I don't trust the Russians one bit, I think they are busy with something underhanded and using the cover of this new 'special relationship' to slip it under the radar. Perhaps that's why they sent Gavrik and Elena - to throw Harry off his game? At this stage I don't think Elena's in on it, she's a pawn in all this, methinks, but hubby might be. And old buddy Jim is also devious and not to be trusted. I suspect he might be the impersonator - he'd know all the codes Harry used back then, wouldn't he?

I loved Calum - since Zaf left we've had no-one on the Grid to lighten up the atmosphere, and he does that. Erin's good so far too, I actually like that she's not a coldblooded killer yet. And being fast-tracked doesn't mean she has extensive field experience, so I have no problem with her being somewhat bothered by killing someone.

Yeah, what's up with the HS' weird attitude this episode? I loved him last year, but he annoyed me here.

Dimitri, you're a fine-looking lad, meboy! Great to see him stretching himself a bit.

And Harry, great episode for him. The chickens are coming home to roost and he is in for it this season, it seems. I hope he goes out fighting and not with a whimper. I'm not overly impressed by the long lost son development, but not because it reflects badly on Harry or his relationship with Ruth. It was thirty years ago, and he is not the same man he was then. My gripe is more this: That was the best they could come up with given Harry's chequered professional career? Really?

(19-09-2011 06:02 PM)Nitrus Wrote:  I would be shocked if Tom re-appeared, the actor has a career elsewhere now and is unlikely to do a cameo.

I was a bit shocked about him appearing in those pictures but I agree, I don't think MM is up for coming back to Spooks... The only explanation (for me) is that the storyline is dealing with something that happened while Tom worked for MI5.

What I find surprising is that they didn't kill Elena back in the day, after she'd had her use. She wasn't a complete secret as the CIA man (can't remember his name) knew all about her. Instead of "burning" her why didn't she meet with an accident? If the Russians discovered she was a double agent, the intelligence Harry obtained from her would probably have been useless. I'm just surprised they kept her alive. Maybe, her having Harry's child, was her insurance policy.

Yes, I agree Silktie that Elena is being used here. But if they are trying to throw Harry off the scent, get him out of the way, why did Gavrik practically save him from being sacked? The FSB could have had Harry out of the way by not asking the Home Secretary for him.

As for Towers, yes he was very sharp with Harry. I think the writers may have pushed the character a bit too far the other way.

I think the Tom thing is a red-herring. They wouldn't be so obvious would they........

Having now had a day to mull on E1 I'm definitely going to have to watch it again on iPlayer to fill in some missing pieces - for instance, the exploding laptop (what triggered the explosion - was it Calum logging in?), and the ins and outs of the Russian plot lines.

Here's a few observations... If Sasha is Harry's son then he doesn't look a bit like him - so odd casting there. Also, as others have pointed out, the boy must have been 3 or 4 when we see him leaving with Elena in the flashbacks, so that's quite a long liaison between a married Harry and his 'asset' - how come this went unnoticed? And where does Juliet fit in in this timeline? And how come there's no mentoin of any of this in Harry's diary - these revelations kind of blow its reliability as an insight on Harry's past out the water!

I guess I'm still reeling a bit from the revelations (notwithstanding all the spoilers - it's one thing to read a plot line, another to see it being acted out). Not sure how I feel about Harry and Ruth's chances going forward now - if Ruth thought it was too complicated between them last series then what chance is there now?!

On the other hand, you can't get away from the fact they still have feelings for each other (I like the way Ruth seems softer towards him again, even smiling at times like when she took his arm at the black tie dinner). I felt so sorry for Ruth though having to learn the truth about Elena, she deserves better than that.

Final thought, did anyone else get an annoying message about re-tuning their TV for digital in the scene when Harry was looking for evidence in Max Witt's flat? It seemed to stay on screen for ages and was a real distraction - great timing BBC!!

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PS. I also loved the 'Mama and Papa Bear' quote - definitely enough to make me give Calum the benefit of the doubt for now...

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Another thought (while I'm still in Spooks mode!) - I agree with other posts that maybe it's a bit too simple having the revelation about Harry's son this early on. Perhaps the twist is he's not actually his son and this will be revealed when Harry finds out Elena was a double agent. Which would go some way to redeeming Harry a bit as he'll presumably be quite shaken by the discovery. Or perhaps this is just wishful thinking?