Poll: Did you like Season 8?

Beatriz · 30-12-2009, 05:45 PM

I can't say it was its best series, it wasn't but it was enough for me to see Ruth's come back Tongue

and watch HR's relatioship evolve, it had good episodes 8.01 and 8.7 were very good IMO, very tense and nail-biting.

Yesterday I rewatched 2.08 and I was shocked when I heard "Nightingale", they used it as a codename! Lack of imagination?

**JHyde** · 30-12-2009, 05:49 PM

I must admit I usually talk about the series as the show itself e.g. - the series is still running as far as we know

and then refer to individual yearly output as seasons:

we are hoping to get a season 9.

It also says season on my DVDs.

Tomsdouble · (This post was last modified: 30-12-2009 06:00 PM by Tomsdouble.)

I knew it wasn't an exceptional series when I stopped having those pre-episode chills at around episode 5. It was still excellent telly, just not up to the usual high standards. Without Ruth I don't know what I would have made of it. But it was good to see the lines given to Roz were as dry and cynical as ever. Although I still cringe at some bits of cliche that clanked around a few episodes like a big clanking thing....

I see what you mean, JHyde, differentiating between the show itself and the yearly installments of it. I suppose 'yearly installment 8' is just doesn't sound right...

almh · 30-12-2009, 06:22 PM

I say series purely because my mum tells me off every time I say any Americanisms (no offence meant to all the Americans on this forum btw.)

There weren't that many cringey moments for me, unlike Series 2/3 which I barely watch (there are some good episodes there, just there are some episodes I can't watch as well,) so I quite enjoyed this series...

**JHyde** · 30-12-2009, 06:24 PM

That's the thing for me - it still beats out seasons 2 and 6, which I think were the show's weakest. Better than season 1 too. About on par with season 3.

Tomsdouble · 30-12-2009, 06:28 PM

almh and JHyde: Series 2 weak? Are you both mad?! It has many great episodes! Not as good as series 3 to be fair but still very good. I think series 8 is the weakest by far since it started.

almh · 30-12-2009, 06:30 PM

Ruth had a rubbish character in series 2, and it really wound me up - she made me cringe too much. Anyway, she's improved a lot since then and, bringing it back on topic, she has had a lot of character development in series 8...

mrs harry · 30-12-2009, 06:35 PM

I loved series 2, especially Apocalypse
I felt so relieved when Harry came out and took the gun from Tom I was almost as tearful as Zoe! have to say that Keeley Hawes is a fantastic cryer.

Tea Lady · 30-12-2009, 08:41 PM

Isnt it the plan that we watch an episode every week or so starting in January and then discuss? I think someone was organising this. Then we can ,at the end of the rewatch, vote on the best series. I currently watch them out of order at the moment and some episodes more than others, so I feel doing it this way, I will get a more balanced view on all 8 series and which one is the best.

I dont think series 8 was the worst, but I am not sure which series I would put at the bottom of the pile yet, without watching the entire series all over again and in order. With a long running series you are always going to have weaker ones.

It's interesting to note that my non spook friends who just love watching the show and dont analyse every second of it, all thought the series was great. Perhpas looking at each episode the way we do, can make us over critical and expect too much. Lets be honest there are not that many drama programmes out there that have a patch on Spooks even in its weakest moments.

Tomsdouble · (This post was last modified: 30-12-2009 08:55 PM by Tomsdouble.)

Sorry for questioning your sanity, almh. And I take your point that Ruth was slow to develop in series 2 but it was still excellent stuff.

Mrs Harry, I didn't know that episode was called Apocalypse. I love it though. I remember watching it back in '03 (happy days.....) and sitting there thinking 'what it going on?' It was fantastic.