Series 10 - Episode 2 Discussion

[Kagami]

(26-09-2011 03:37 PM)Scarlet Wrote:  

(26-09-2011 03:23 PM)Nitrus Wrote:  Any mention of Bill Crombie in Harry's Diary?

Yes. According to Wikipedia who quotes it as the source:

His first assignment at the service was to A Section, in Northern Ireland, where he was an agent handler during the Provisional IRA's campaign against the British state, until his close colleague Bill Crombie was kidnapped and killed in August 1978

It then says:

Pearce was then seconded to the Secret Intelligence Service (aka MI6), where he was stationed in Paris, under Juliet Shaw.

Any connection between the two events I wonder?

Bill Crombie is a reference to the last episode of series 1 - he was Harry's partner who was killed by Patrick McCann's IRA team in front of Harry (who had a gun but was too scared to help). Harry lied to Tom, Zoe etc. and said he had no chance to save him. Tessa tried to use this information to blackmail him when he confronted her about her phantom agents. I thought it was a nice callback (you can tell I've watched these episodes too many times!!!)

First of all, TARIQ. I had no idea that was going to happen, but I did begin to suspect something was up when we saw his outburst at Callum and him going home. Not going to lie, when he first booted up the MI5 software at home my mind was shouting 'double agent!'. Oh, how wrong I was... His death was touching because it wasn't 'heroic' or anything like Adam's or even Ros', there was nobody he could call for help or anything. I too was reminded of Colin. Definitely the best acting we've seen from him (which isn't saying much; he was more sidelined than Zaf and that's saying something!) It was an awful and sad death. I didn't have a clue he was leaving the series so it really shocked me.

I agree that the person in the CCTV is Elena but, as others have said, she thought she was communicating with Harry so it doesn't prove much yet. There's something really awful about knowing more than the characters though

I like Erin because she isn't as tough as she makes out to be, but surely this toughness is something you need quite a bit in MI5? It seems strange that she was (apparently) so ruthless in the weeks she covered for Harry (decommissioning Beth without a second thought etc.) but as soon as we see her she crumbles. Definitely a realistic character though, and her scenes with her daughter are so cute

I like Sasha! I don't know how, but I somehow see the *tiniest* resemblance between him and Harry...I don't have a clue where he got his looks from if Elena and Harry are really his parents though - his brown hair for starters!

All in all, another good episode (if you overlook the gaping plotholes mentioned previously in this thread, which I can easily do...).

[Gazelle]

(26-09-2011 07:23 PM)yorkshiretyke Wrote:  Just remembered...new titles, Ruth having dinner with home sec.

Yes, wasn't expecting that as the titles stayed the same through the last series. Will have to play close attention to them again next week!

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I agree with everyone else about the security flaws this episode, I mean surely we'd have had more stolen laptops by now if hand delivery to MI6 by an unarmed agent was a routine weekly occurrence!

And what's going to happen to the intel that Martha Forde downloaded on that USB stick? Seems an awful shame if Erin doesn't use it when she's basically sacrficied her life to get it to her.

Also, what about that chip that Tariq teared out of his modem/router/notebook (whatever it was!) - wasn't that still on him when he collapsed outside Thames House?

[Forever Secret]

I think you're right! The chip was still with Tariq when he was outside Thames House, if Calum finds it, it could help him find out why they bugged Tariq, leading him onto the discovery Tariq made which was the person who was recieving the laptop...
I think he realised Elena took the laptop from the woman passing it over,
Why else would he have had that reaction?
If it was someone new or someone he wasn't so aware of, he wouldnt've been in such a hurry and desperate to contact Harry

[Onion Terror]

I'd find it hard to believe that Ruth is any sort of villain, but I couldn't help noticing that Tariq told her that he'd go home and carry on working from there; he goes home and is promptly killed. Suspicious?...

[tammy1]

(25-09-2011 10:14 PM)Tea Lady Wrote:  A short post as comms are a bit difficult this week.

What a super episode. I really found myself lost in the story and I really felt for the naive asset that was just left to fry. No doubt she will be picked off by Russia in the months or years to come.

Loved the very subtle movement in the H/R story. Those that thought this series would be all about them should eat their hats. Loved the confrontation between Harry and Ruth. I think Harry knows this is all going to end badly so is deliberately pushing Ruth as far away as he can at this point. It's not very far, but enough to keep the fall out crushing her when Towers finds out about Elena.

Loved Sasha this week. Protecting the ones he loves. Both his mother and father while trying to do his job. Like Harry hes finding it near impossible.

I do wonder whether Erin was saying to Harry to stop making excuses for a rubbish private life.

As for Tariq. Well !!! I didn't see that coming and was shouting at the TV. Did he pay the taxi driver though??

I also thought he forgot to pay the taxi driver, hehe. I was shocked, too. Poor guy, that reminded me a bit of Ben's death on S. 7.

[nicky_84]

Oh my! Tariq noooo! *sobs*

I think this is the only show that has me talking to the television,and gasping,using various other hand gestures,such a shame this is the last series. Properly gutted bout tariq.

[Gazelle]

(26-09-2011 08:10 PM)Forever Secret Wrote:  I think you're right! The chip was still with Tariq when he was outside Thames House, if Calum finds it, it could help him find out why they bugged Tariq, leading him onto the discovery Tariq made which was the person who was recieving the laptop...
I think he realised Elena took the laptop from the woman passing it over,
Why else would he have had that reaction?
If it was someone new or someone he wasn't so aware of, he wouldnt've been in such a hurry and desperate to contact Harry

Exactly, it had to be Elena - hopefully the first step towards things starting to unravel for the Russians

[tammy1]

(26-09-2011 07:56 AM)Nitrus Wrote:  I loved this episode, much more than the first one. Ruth annoyed me a bit by being so needy and needing to be told everything by Harry about everything, I think Ruth was being a bit selfish in this episode and she was acting strange all episode.

I don't understand why Tariq went home? That seemed to be done just so we had the classic Spooks scenario of someone finding something out but being far away and in an unsafe location so noone else finds out before they die.

(25-09-2011 09:44 PM)picard1109 Wrote:  Oh, poor Tariq. But some annoying plot faults:

* Sasha seems to have left his and his mother's finger prints and DNA on that mobile phone
* Why on earth would Calum walk to MI-6 with a secure laptop? He should have gone in a car - he'd have been driven out of MI-5s secure car park into MI-6's gated entrance.
* Why didn't Harry make sure neither he nor Elena were followed?
* Why would MI-5 allow a secure link at Tariq's home and let him phone in a request? Secure links should be done through online encryption.
* Why didn't he have a spare mobile phone so he could talk to Harry in the taxi and get to a hospital?

And they really should have pulled all the assets as soon as the laptop was stolen...they never learn, do they?

Ok, too nerdy...but a bit of common sense wouldn't have gone amiss!

Completely agree with 2, 4 and 5 of your points. All of that just seemed to be to feed the storyline instead of being what is a possibility. The only explanation I can give for not having a spare mobile would be that maybe Tariq didn't have the same training as a normal field officer?

I think Ruth is jealous of Elena, and also, let's not forget she is curious. She's an analyst, she has this need to know things, to get to the bottom of it all.

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(26-09-2011 09:19 AM)Nitrus Wrote:  I liked the interaction between Sasha and Harry in this episode, nothing like quality father son time, murdering an FSB agent and hiding the body. That's all most of us can hope for.

The other thing I forgot to mention is that I am in love with Lara Pulver at this point. (sigh)

You're right. It was funny that at the same time Elena was telling Harry how Sasha reminded her of him, Sasha was busy killing someone.

[Nitrus]

(26-09-2011 06:53 PM)beatrice4ruth Wrote:  I am so happy that you are saying that about Sasha. I hated him in the first episode. I found him so childish and so unlike his birth parents, Harry and Elena. That's why I am wondering whether he is really Harry's son. He does not look like him and does not act like him. He really did not behave like a self-restrained FSB agent. He was less annoying in episode 2 and a bit more mature. Even his mother had to quiet him down. She was touching like a young child, not a grown man.

A little harsh no? He's clearly a young man who's been thrown a huge curveball, I wouldn't say he was childish, just a little naive I think.

As for this meaning he's not Harry's son is a bit far in my opinion, not all children behave in an identical fashion to their parents.

[beatrice4ruth]

I still find him unworthy of being a FSB agent. To me he was out of control at least in episode 1. Sasha has improved in episode 2. The friend killed by Sasha at the opera said it all: "You rich kids have it easy". I am paraphrasing because I do not remember his exact words. It seems that Sasha has joined the FSB because of his father's connections and not on merit.

That's true that children often do not behave like their parents. But Sasha is supposed to have 2 self-restrained parents. Sasha has a volatile temper (unfortunaltely I know about that type of temper) and might put in danger his mother or Harry. Wait till he finds out that Harry might be his father!

I will try to be open-minded about Sasha in the next episodes. He might even surprise me and I will have to eat again my words.