Series 9 Episode 6 discussion

[Logsie]

I think we are being misled by people left, right and centre here.

Lucas said something to Malcolm like "It's as simple as that, I just turn up here and ask you for it and you just hand it over". Malcolm has to come up with a response which will satisfy Lucas's suspicions so he sells him the "Harry's list" line and Lucas seems so swallow it. I don't believe there was such a list. Albany is obviously so sensitive that it has to be stored off-grid and Malcolm is its custodian. Ex-spooks are often trusted to sit on things (remember Connie's basement?) I believe Malcolm had standing orders that if anyone ever came asking for Albany it meant that someone or something was compromised and that hostile agencies knew of Albany's existence and were determined to get their hands on it. In that sense Lucas asking for the Albany file is a trigger word to Malcolm to get the hell out and take the Albany secret with him.

As for Lucas, I am wondering if whatever John was involved in back in '95 in Dakar was a fully deniable black op and that John was under orders to never reveal its existence, even to the point of changing his identity and becoming Lucas North. It is possible that the only other people who could know about Albany are from John's past and the very fact that Lucas has asked for it is an alarm bell that his ID is compromised and by extension, the black op, which may or may not be connected to Albany.

I realise I may just be clutching at straws trying to find a way for Lucas not to be entirely bad but I just can't get my head around the traitor idea. I accept that John must have done something very bad in his youth, but he has drawn a line under that and become a good person since. He has been fiercely loyal to his country and endured unimaginable horrors in its service. He has come through time and time again, going above and beyond the call of duty. I think Lucas has earned his reprieve already; he has paid for his crime. So what doesn't make sense is that he is now risking everything instead of confessing to Harry and letting him help him out of the mess. Therefore the only reason I can think of why he hasn't confided in Harry is that he is under orders not to divulge it to anyone - which would make him a bit of a hero.