Series 9 Episode 8 discussion

[Belle]

@ BravoNine I really am with you on your point of view. If only the writers had made it more clear to us, poor viewers , that Lucas/John had psychological problems (I mean, he would have issues after spending 8 years in prison, being tortured both fysicaly and mentaly), but they should have made it far more clear (or maybe I have been too blind to have seen that).

I do believe that a person has more than one side to his or her character, and that they use wathever side best works for them in any given time, but I have a problem with the sudden 180° turn Lucas made.
We are meant to believe that Lucas was gone, but I saw signs of him still being there, like when he stroked Ruths hair( this has been mentioned by someone else I think).
It also bothered me that he kept emphasizing the fact that: 'Lucas North is dead, don't call me Lucas'. It allmost seemed like he had to convince himself of that fact.

I really don't understand how Maya suddenly was the 'love of his life' too, If I remember correctly, he told his ex-wife that the thought of her was the only thing that kept him somewhat 'sane' while in prison.
But, hey, let's forget all that and bring in Maya! I don't get it!
Someone mentioned that Maya 'belonged' to John, and Elisabetha and that Nancy Drew character 'belonged' to Lucas, but I really can't immagine that, if you are so in love with someone to the point you actualy kill for them, you would forgotten about them while you were in the darkest place of your life (prison) I would immagine that you would cling to their memory as if your life depended on it! (in this case quitte literally).
Despite of my rambling, I really could appreciate the acting of PF, NW and RA! The scene between NW and RA was heart-crushing! I hope that the other characters get more depth next season (I blame the writers for this, not the actors).
And I do hope that RA's Hobbit-adventure will turn out better for him, he deserves it!
(I hope my spelling isn't too bad, english isn't my native tongue.)

[lwhite53]

(10-11-2010 07:55 AM)JHyde Wrote:  My main issue with this episode was that there was no real suspense. For me, that is the conversation stopper. This show has always been high on the suspense front and it was really lacking in this, ESPECIALLY for a season finale.

Even my least fave seasons came home with great episodes and perhaps that's why I'm holding a grudge against season 9 as a whole.

Yep, I second that. At no point did I ever feel that either Ruth or Harry was in real danger. And it was so clear Lucas was going to die by jumping over the side of the building. It was all so . . . predictable. I really hate predictable!

[A Cousin]

(10-11-2010 02:23 PM)lwhite53 Wrote:  

(10-11-2010 07:55 AM)JHyde Wrote:  My main issue with this episode was that there was no real suspense. For me, that is the conversation stopper. This show has always been high on the suspense front and it was really lacking in this, ESPECIALLY for a season finale.

Even my least fave seasons came home with great episodes and perhaps that's why I'm holding a grudge against season 9 as a whole.

Yep, I second that. At no point did I ever feel that either Ruth or Harry was in real danger. And it was so clear Lucas was going to die by jumping over the side of the building. It was all so . . . predictable. I really hate predictable!

Yeah, I felt that too. After all the twists and turns of the whole series, to paraphrase Ruth, that I can barely begin to pick apart, it all just boils down to something as simple as a file that doesn't even work. Part of me wants to fanwank myself into thinking that this is intentional. As illustrated in H/R love for each other that *should* be that simple or Lucas doing all of this for Maya and his desire to go back to a time in his life that was right. But the rest of me still feels disappointed with this finale. Theater is supposed to be about the extraordinary, not the ordinary. 9.8 seemed ordinary to me.

[Kirayuki]

I was worried Lucas was actually going to turn around and shoot Ruth anyway.

I did predict before we saw the preview scene that Lucas would take a 'Flying leap', so i guess that was predicatable.

I've just realised, and am more than slightly peeved about the fact that the Harry part of the '48hrs later' bit is all recycled footage from Episode 1. I thought it was at least filmed at the same time... but his movements are exactly the same. It's just recycled! Shame on you Kudos. You did that in Ashes to Ashes more than once too. It wouldn't have killed you to have re-filmed it, or better still, just leave out that end bit entirely and create a bit more suspense.

(Yes the postscript gives us something to talk about but i personally think that if they were going to have a postscript they should at least have put some more effort in. It was very last minute from what i can see and suffers for it).

PS: Still thought the series was very good in general.

[Forever Secret]

I thought Ruth was actually dead When Lucas injected her I thought it was some sort of lethal injection, I think it was partly to do with Nicola Walkers (brilliant!) acting, when Ruth reacted to Lucas injecting her screaming "What have you done?" it actually really scared me
I can't describe how happy I was when he said she was still alive, but I guess really we kind of guessed she'd live

I'm annoyed about the 48 hours thing as well, I noticed they did that in Ashes to Ashes too, it wouldn't hurt to re-film it... all it is a small part of footage any ways... it was probably what annoyed me most about the finale as well, but one good point about it was that PF, RA and NW were brilliant, I've never seen someone pull off a character like Lucas/John as well as Rich Armitage did, he was great

It's not really a cliffhanger I was expecting, I was expecting a more thrilling cliffhanger more centered around Lucas, but it does give us something to think about. I doubt the entire next series would be all about Harry's past, and the investigation into it, wouldnt that become a little boring?

I agree, I think the series was pretty good Fave episode though was propably 9.6

[Kirayuki]

I don't think it would be too boring. Harry's past is quite colourful (to put it mildly). There's a lot of things that should stay buried. If they dig them up then it wont be good.

(Refering to the books on the series as a reference for this).

However i see your point. I'd quite like it to not drag.

On a different note, i actually quite liked Alec's character. I thought he was interesting and that he was different from what we usually get with new characters. Lovely bit of fresh air for the show there and i hope he stays for a little while.

[dimitrisgirl]

(10-11-2010 03:45 PM)Kirayuki Wrote:  On a different note, i actually quite liked Alec's character. I thought he was interesting and that he was different from what we usually get with new characters. Lovely bit of fresh air for the show there and i hope he stays for a little while.

i actually really liked alec! i usually take a bit of persuading with new people but i really hope he stays!

the finale of this season was great. was on the edge of my seat the whole episode even suffering from the flu didnt stop me from enjoying it!
poor ruth is getting involved in more and more and more situations lately and i must say... i love it!
harry was so wrong giving up the fake/rubbish albany file to lucas however sweet it was! i would very much like to see them open up harry so everyone can see what most of us have possibly seen in harrys diary?
would also love some old faces to appear during the investigation?? i know many have died but there are a few floating around!
i must admit i was completely shocked at the evilness that has suddenly caught up with lucas... there we were thinking he was such a caring and dedicated brit... but no!!!

[Forever Secret]

(10-11-2010 03:45 PM)Kirayuki Wrote:  I don't think it would be too boring. Harry's past is quite colourful (to put it mildly). There's a lot of things that should stay buried. If they dig them up then it wont be good.

(Refering to the books on the series as a reference for this).

However i see your point. I'd quite like it to not drag.

On a different note, i actually quite liked Alec's character. I thought he was interesting and that he was different from what we usually get with new characters. Lovely bit of fresh air for the show there and i hope he stays for a little while.

Ahhha! Thats what I meant! haha
Going into Harry's past would good and very interesting but there has to be a cut off point, revealing too much about it would not be a good thing. Even in Harry's dairy there are things left unsaid, its part of what makes him such a great character, there's always a little mystery surrounding him somewhere, knowing too much may not be a good idea

I really like Alec! I hope he sticks around as well, I can see him as being a new character, he's different to Beth, Demitri and Tariq and he brings in a fresh prospective of things

[Silktie]

I did have a moment of inappropriate laughter in the finale. When Ruth tells Harry that Lucas is going to kill him when he meets him at the end, Harry responds: "I rather think so too," in his usual dry manner. That made me laugh - understatement of the decade there, Harry!

Then of course, he calls his daughter from the car to basically say goodbye to her and his son, and my laughter turned to sniffles. I hope he remembered to call her back after he survived, I would have freaked out if my Dad left me a message like that and I didn't hear from him again soon.

[Forever Secret]

(10-11-2010 04:08 PM)Silktie Wrote:  I did have a moment of inappropriate laughter in the finale. When Ruth tells Harry that Lucas is going to kill him when he meets him at the end, Harry responds: "I rather think so too," in his usual dry manner. That made me laugh - understatement of the decade there, Harry!

Then of course, he calls his daughter from the car to basically say goodbye to her and his son, and my laughter turned to sniffles. I hope he remembered to call her back after he survived, I would have freaked out if my Dad left me a message like that and I didn't hear from him again soon.

I laughed at that too, Harry trying to stay brave with an "Yep oh well" kid of response, I would've liked a real Harry/Ruth moment, a kind of goodbye moment before he left to meet Lucas but... it wasn't it be

That made me cry, Harry bless him was trying not to break, haha I'd be worried if my dad did that and didn't call me back to say "Everythings fine" too, that scene though was brilliant, such a emotional little scene among my favourites in the finale along with Harry rescusing Ruth and its aftermath (The scene in his office where she told him it was wrong of him to love her at the moment he made that deal) and Ruth's scene with Lucas, I can't watch that scene again, where he drugs her, it scares me *Hides*