[Spoilers] Sir Harry Pearce

[almh]

Oh definitely, they should definitely explore that area in more detail - it is an essential part of Harry, those experiences are what make him him.

[Silktie]

Yes, remember he lost his best friend brutally in Ireland, and you're right, JHyde, I think those experiences informs a lot of his decisions. Particularly, I think it taught him that doing the right and moral thing sometimes costs more lives than it saves. Harry has an interesting approach to torture, for instance - he is generally against it, yet when it was necessary he allowed Adam to torture that mercenary in season 3.

[JHyde]

There's a difference between the torture inflicted by people not accountable in Eygpt and what they did in 3.9. Not to mention, it was Adam doing the interrogating, and not one of those sadists

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like the stereotype they throw up against Harry in 7.7. And I think we can guess that he's the low end of the spectrum.

And let's not forget, that guy had his hands on the weapon. They knew he was involved. Someone like Harry only seems to get behind torture when there's something more than circumstantial evidence.

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We don't know how much the suspects in 5.5 were suspected of, nor whether what Mace told Harry was in fact verified or even truth - Mace could have just been spinning Harry a line.

[Silktie]

Yes, that's what I meant actually, you just said it better. When he knows there really is no doubt about the person's guilt, he's willing to get his hands dirty. Also, I think his issue in 5.5 was with the underhanded manner in which it was done

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faking the suspects' deaths so that no-one would ask questions about where they were or what was being done to them.

The point I was trying to make was that Ireland probably taught him that each case was different and should be judged and handled on its own merit.

[JHyde]

Exactly. Although I must admit I hated it in 4.9

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when that MI6 guy who was framed suffered so badly.

Then again, he didn't have "Alsatians biting at his genitals" or a sander applied to his face to slice the skin.

[almh]

That really doesn't sound nice. Or a

Series 1 Spoiler: show

chip pan... Poor whatsername

[JHyde]

Helen. That's still so tragic. The thing is, with experienced spies especially, watching others be tortured is often used, at least in entertainment.

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Harry would be particularly susceptible to this, which makes 8.1 a very reasonable storyline.

[almh]

Series 8 Spoiler: show

I think that's why they did it. Torture of others makes it worse because it's another person in pain, and if it's someone close then it just twists the knife.

[Silktie]

Also, this Mani guy

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was in Baghdad with them, and obviously picked up on the UST between them, so he knew Ruth would be an especially weak point for Harry. Maybe if he had threatened Ruth rather than her family, Harry would have caved?

[almh]

He was

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threatening Ruth - he was just doing it more indirectly. He did threaten to kill her at the end, but Harry didn't look like he was going to say it, so maybe Mani knew it wouldn't work.