Series 10 - Episode 1 Discussion

[beatrice4ruth]

(19-09-2011 06:45 AM)Tea Lady Wrote:  I can't quite work out why there is so much anti Elena sentiment running through these posts. She's a double agent and as such has put her life on the line for Britain for 30 years. She's helped defend this Country. What is there to hate? She should be praised. Alice Krige looked elegant at the ball and Elena handled herself and seeing Harry again with aplomb.

I took the Russian scene at the beginning as a plot to find the mole. The operation at the ball didn't seem to be about a successful assassination and the assassin didn't exactly run for it. I think it was to test the security around Elena and whether British Secret Service were protecting her.

Elena isn't after Harry romantically but there is unfinished business. Perhaps all Elena wanted from the arrangment with Harry in Berlin was a child. He gave her one (so to speak.) They clearly were in love but had to part. The love is still there when that happens. It never goes away if there is no reason for it to go away.

As for Ruth, someone is trying to find her a new home as Harry will not be Section Head much longer. I wonder if someone is trying to push her in a safe direction where she can no longer be in harms way.

We have agree to disagree. I found the character of Elena one of the most frightening characters of Spooks. I hated the way she was looking at Ruth during the embassy reception. To me she looked like a snake ready to gobble up her victim. Ruth was watching her too and realized that there was more to Harry and Elena than meets the eye. I do not criticize the actress and think that she did a good job. In fact, I feel sorry for her. First the Borg queen, now Elena. It is not her fault if Spooks made her look so unappealing. Yes, Elena is elegant but her eyes are scary and predatory. I do not trust her a bit.

I am also worried that the Russians in their meeting perhaps somewhere in Russia had her picture. To me it indicates that Elena is still an active Russian agent. Sascha seems to be a very angry young man. He appears to know that Harry is his father and perhaps even remembers him. The mother and son are going to wreck Harry's life and that of Ruth.

I wish that Kudos had not introduced that story of an illegitimate child. It would have been as effective to imply that Harry had somehow compromised a intelligence op without the introduction of a second family. We really do not know whether Harry is the father of Sascha. As a former trained ex-KGB agent, Elena was ready to do anything to spy on the Allies and must have had many lovers. She was no naive young girl in love with a dashing Westerner. I am quite sure that she is devious especially compared to Ruth. I do not trust her a bit. Harry is a fool, as he was then, if he hooks up with her again.

Perhaps the HS is trying to protect Ruth by proposing a promotion to her. It might be time for Ruth to move on. She certainly deserves it. She should never have left the GCHQ. By now she would have married a nice mathematician of her own age and lead a very boring but safe life. I still think that Harry will always love Ruth and how could he not? Ruth and Elena are day and night. Ruth is the love of his life, not Elena. Elena might have been lust and perhaps the mother of one of his children, but she will never share the emotional and intellectual connection Harry has with Ruth.

I do not understand the reason why Kudos seems to be demolishing Harry's character. It might be a smoke screen

Series 10 Spoiler: show

and in fact Harry is innocent. The impersonator might have made Harry believed that he was the father of Sascha and to the intelligence services that Harry had betrayed the realm. The impersonator is from the same Cold War period as Harry. I am really intrigued by this plot twist. At least it is not as predictable as Sascha.

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(19-09-2011 11:25 AM)nothingisasitseems Wrote:  

(19-09-2011 10:49 AM)richliga Wrote:  

(19-09-2011 10:39 AM)Nitrus Wrote:  I agree with Tea Lady about Elena, just because she isn't Ruth and might or might not be a love interest to Harry doesn't mean she is a bad character or actress.

Grow up.

Im not saying this about Elena because she might or might not be a threat to Ruth or love interest of Harry. I admit I was a bit harsh in my first review of Elena and as I said after watching the episode second time I find this character very intriguing but I still stand by my opinion that I HAD difficulties to look at her during the black tie event. I think it was too much red on a very pale skin. And all respect to Alice Kriger but I have NOT seen her in anything before and her acting did not convince me in the first episode.

I'm afraid I didn't think Elena fit into the show very well - she seemed totally out of place.

Anyone else get the feeling Harry is running a double bluff and is behind Tourmeline still using Elena as an agent?

A double bluff: quite possible, though it might be a stretch that Harry is still involved with spying on Russia (Is it not the job of MI-6?).

Or he is completely innocent.

I like the plot of the impersonator, who might be Harry after all or not. Very exciting.