Series 10 - Episode 1 Discussion

[Zaf Lives!]

beatrice4ruth, fair enough. I'm just mystified by the viewpoint of some H/R shippers (not necessarily claiming you among them!). But as you say, the forum's not boring... :-)

One question - did I miss the part where they said Elena was KGB? It seemed to me that they said she was simply an MI5 agent. I.E., she was turned by MI5 because she was married to KGB man Gavrik, like both Sasha and Harry said - I don't recall them saying Elena was a KGB agent herself. Hey ho, suppose it's not too much of a hardship to watch it again to find out!

[Scarlet]

Hello all,
is it me or does anyone else think the writing seems stronger this year and more on a par with previous series? The dialogue I thought was very weak at times in series 9. Is it a new team of writers this year? I also liked the plot about a possible Harry impersonator and am sort of hoping this is where the 'bringing back an old face/s might come in. I'd love it to be Juliet Shaw! Anna Chancellor was great in that role and they never resolved what happened to her. Or Mace......

[cateau1]

Been off comms till I could watch Ep1 - which is almost as bad as not seeing Spooks! Enjoyed it thoroughly and was pleasantly surprised by Erin. Loved that Harry is sharing so much with Ruth, except of course the report he wrote on her. Interesting that everyone picked up on Sacha being Harry's son. It's a wonder the writers didn't leave it unsaid and then we'd all have been madly speculating here. It's unlike them to be so obvious ... Perhaps there's a twist coming that we haven't seen coming *hopes*. I love the way ex lovers can be so nonplussed when they suddenly see each other again ... I for one would blush furiously (OK, I confess I failed the MI5 entry exam.)

[beatrice4ruth]

(19-09-2011 01:34 PM)Zaf Lives! Wrote:  beatrice4ruth, fair enough. I'm just mystified by the viewpoint of some H/R shippers (not necessarily claiming you among them!). But as you say, the forum's not boring... :-)

One question - did I miss the part where they said Elena was KGB? It seemed to me that they said she was simply an MI5 agent. I.E., she was turned by MI5 because she was married to KGB man Gavrik, like both Sasha and Harry said - I don't recall them saying Elena was a KGB agent herself. Hey ho, suppose it's not too much of a hardship to watch it again to find out!

Please double-check for me. I had the impression she was a double agent.

Even if she had not been then a double agent, the fact she got married to a KGB man is very suspicious. The KGB would not have allowed this marriage to go ahead. Spouses were vetted and a British agent would have been discovered, either turned over as a spy, sent to gulag or worse.

Yes, it's Spooks and anything is possible, even an innocent Elena. Perhaps Le Carre had a point re the veracity of Spooks. Who cares, we are having fun. It's entertainment as PF said.

[richliga]

For gods sake respect each others opinions and stop arguing!!!!

I dont think that any of HR shippers would like to have HR story as A PLOT... Spooks is about spying and all kinds of relationships between countries and cultures and yes also between HR. And THIS series WILL focus on Harry (and that includes his relationship to Ruth).
Anyway I think all that HR arguing should be taken to other thread...

Oh and Tea Lady thanx for a laugh: "The genes must have skipped a generation."

I must say I liked Jonathan Hyde (though could not help thinking of Richie Rich when I saw him) character... he definitely is up to something... Maybe he already knows about Elenas past w Harry and is there to revenge? Or its him running Elena all the way?

By the way do we know anything about Harrys american friend? I know we should not take into consideration Harrys diary but I just wonder...

[loladom]

So much to say, I loved it!
Wit and humour back in place so glad to see. Seems tighter and slicker, yet back to old form too.

As to the storyline, I agree with nothingasitseems and Cataeu that the the reveal of Sacha as Harry's son was far to obvious and far too quick and easy. Is Harry playing Elena and really is behind this - good question. Is he aware there are big players trying to set him up. It's all very timely after his inquest and he admitted to Erin he was on the way out.

Tea Lady - good point. Is Sacha really Harry's son? And why wouldn't Harry know that he had become FSB. Surely H is a better spy than that and would keep up to date with what Sacha was doing behind the scenes? (And can 2 brown eyed people make a blue eyed child?)

Another question I had about 'realism' is that Juliet was with Harry during his time in East Berlin. This affair seems to have been deep and continued for some time between H and E. Surely Juliet would've sniffed that one out? And I'm not unconvinced we won't see Juliet returning as the 'old face' She has to be involved in this somehow?

Aside from that, I loved this episode. It seems to have recaptured what was great about Spooks. Erin was a shot of adrenalin after Lucas (sorry he didn't carry it after Ros left) and even Callum (meant to be irritating but works well.) He allows Harry and Dimitri sarcasm which I loved. Glib on the grid is Spooks and has been sadly lacking recently. Characters, not action robots.

I liked the character of Elena. Alice played her part with perfection. Elena has depth and intrigue and I disagree she is after Harry and out to get Ruth. I saw none of that. She exhibited class and mystery and I want to know more about her. Yes, she was aloof as she was meant to be, but she showed the right amount of past feelings yet discretion. Of course I don't want her and Harry to reunite, but I want to know their history. Well done Alice, I thought she brought this difficult role to life.

Hands down better than S9. Perhaps the writers are now getting in their stride.

Bring on Ep 2. Sorry this is so long and rambling.

---

Forgot to mention HS. He's lost weight!!! He's a genius, even though I really doubt his motives and his move on Ruth especially. Excellently played though, as usual.

[xzibit_m]

haha so in college today, my media tutor was talking about spooks! well not actually discussing the story but mentioned a part of yesterday's episode...

anyway we are currently studying levi's advertising campaigns throughout the 80's and 90's, and in almost all of them, the characters were white, western males or females, however towards the end of the 80's levi's released an advert which showed an inter-racial kiss between a man and a woman, and children growing up in relative poverty in asia... moving into the 90's there were even more examples of different races and cultures being represented.... then he moved on to say about how yesterday in spooks, the judge in harry's tribunal (he used the phrase 'court case') was a relatively young, black female, and how 20 years ago, the same scene would have almost definately been shot, with a white male, usually over the age of 60 filling the role of the judge... and its true, how times change for the better.

back to the episode discussion, i watched the episode again this morning, and the scene where harry says "becuase he's my son" still hit me hard lol! i don't like some of the music in some scenes though, it doesn't feel very spooks like, but perhaps it will grow on me!

p.s. loving callum's character, and erin is suprising kool, however everytime i see her all i can think of is "ISSAABEEELLLAAAA" ... i hope someone knows what i'm talking about ahaha!!

[Kazters]

i though elena was a simple spy for MI5 because she was married to such a high up politician!

someone on facebook through thought that she only became an asset because harry was sleeping with her, i assumed she was his asset then they fell for each other! because my coment was harry told adam off for it when he had done it to!

[Weeping_willow]

New to the forum so hello everyone. I really enjoyed Spooks last night thought it started bit slow but about 20 mins or so it started to pick up pace. Glad Beth gone really didnt like the character last year.

Loved Dimintri last night seems to really have stepped up the the plate and cant wait to see more of him this series and he looked hot lol. Liking Calum not loving him but liking him. Think him and Dimintri going to have some great scenes this year. Not sure about Erin yet cant decide if i like her or not so far she's bit meh to me, but its only one episode in. Loving Harry and Ruth together again.

The Home sec bit of a dirty dog he wants Ruth haha professionally or personally??

Overall think it was a great episode and cant wait to see the next and last five

[loladom]

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.