4.6 DVD Commentary

[lwhite53]

Info from 4.6 DVD commentary [Jeremy Lovering - director, Raza Jaffrey]:

-Opening scene (Malik being let out of prison) was done with "bleach bypass," which processes film without usual color saturation so that it appears almost to be black and white -- highlights scene.

-Location for prison -- Thames Barrier.

-Jimi Mistry (Malik) had a blanket over his head for about an hour as they kept shooting the scene in the car.

-Ep is Zaf's first big story line.

-Olga pregnant in this ep -- showed a little if you look closely.

-How long can you keep people in prison without a trial? Topic still relevant.

-Jo's first ep in the inner sanctum of the grid.

-Not many extras in ep -- grid looks empty.

-Harry, Malcolm, Adam and Zaf walking in corridor -- shoulder to shoulder because not very wide.

-The whole team has the "spooks walk."

-Paul Seymour spends the entire ep trying to cover his ass.

-Jimi Mistry -- grew his hair longer and roughed up his beard for this ep, wanted to get the right look for the character of Malik. Very different to how he usually looks.

-Raza and Jimi mates prior to ep but had never worked together before.

-NW -- hated speaking French in ep.

-Harry and Ruth have a "nice little thing" going on between them.

-Ironic intercuts -- team planting bugs and using CCTV surveillance while Rebecca (lawyer) is making a speech about civil liberties.

-Raza: you get a real sense of the worry of young British Muslims based on what happens to Malik in this ep.

-Zaf flirting with Jo when he tells her about room in his flat.

-During filming of scene in subway -- Jimi kept getting hit on by young women.

-Complicated plot -- mistaken identity but then what is the innocent Malik doing?

-Spooks and audience working out what's happening at basically the same time in this ep.

-Scene where Zaf keeps Malik from committing suicide -- shot with blue screen; not really on top level of car park.

-"Fuck you" graffitti on rear wall of elevator in warehouse -- didn't catch it in the editing.

-Adam and Zaf talking with Malik in warehouse -- long 6-page scene in a stark, white room. Used passing trains to give scene some sounds and also to build tension. Discovery scene -- everyone finally figures out what's going on.

-Zaf feels a connection with Malik.

-Jimi -- had a voice coach to get Malik's accent right.

-Rebecca being smashed in head with bat -- a "face in the deep fat fryer" moment. Sound effect was a watermelon being hit.

-PF -- great dry humor: "I wasn't aware of having given Mr. Seymour the keys to Thames House."

-This is one of the most moving eps of this series -- has great emotional depth.

-NW -- great timing in comedic moments.

-Ep has a long, slow build --lots of exposition, lots of chasing around until all becomes clear.

-Algerian bank president as assassination target -- terrorists sending a message to their own people: don't get involved with the West.

-Actual op in this ep doesn't really begin until 47 mins in -- stopping Malik and rescuing his family.

-Malik disguising himself as janitor -- political statement. No one would notice him because he's just another Asian janitor.

-Based on Ruth's moral qualms about how far they're willing to go in using the Algerian bank president as bait, Harry orders Zaf to shoot Malik.

-Zaf doesn't want to brutalize Malik any more than has already happened, wants to talk him down.

-Harry's final satisfaction -- besting Seymour; smile at end of scene.

-Non-verbal communication between Zaf and Malik at end of ep -- their eyes said all that needed to be said.