Series 10 - Episode 6 Discussion

[Onion Terror]

OK, I've watched it again and probably enjoyed it even more than the first time round. The way I see it is this...
Spooks has always made a point of writing out major and popular characters in a dramatic and unexpected way. We've known this since the second-ever episode. As viewers we like those charaters and miss them for a bit when they're gone (particularly if they've died) but-personally speaking at least-the loss of those characters doesn't undermine the quality of the show as a whole or of any specific episode. I really like episode 3.10, Dannys death notwithstanding. I liked Danny as a character and remember being shocked by his death but it didn't and doesn't spoil my enjoyment of that episode. Its the same with 10.6. Ruths death was a sad event but for me it didn't spoil the show. Harry and Ruth were 2 of my favourite characters but they were close to becoming the exception to the 'rule' that seems to underpin the writing of Spooks: that no-one is bigger than the show. I was probably more surprised by Ruth being killed than I was at anyone elses exit, and even though I know its only TV I did feel for Harry. But I agree that it was a fitting way to end the show. The work of MI5 stops for no-one (in reality as well as on TV) and without Ruth to share his life with Harry feels that all he can do is carry on with that work.

I also agree with those who appreciated the brief return of Tom, as I've said elsewhere. Would've loved a little dialogue between him and Harry though. Maybe if that phone call at the end had been Tom phoning Harry to confirm 'job done', and the screen had frozen after that, that would've been cool. Also liked the memorial bit. Can't see Tariq on there although I guess the idea was that Harry was looking at Ruths name specifically rather than those of all his former officers. Tariq would obviously have been on there somewhere. On a pedantic note, I thought it was Ben Kaplan, with an A; not Kaplin with an I, as the memorial had it.