Series 10 Casting Discussion

[Kirayuki]

Asking for a more 'normal human being' is like asking for the sky to fall in. Nobody can be normal in that job. Ruth was (and probably still is) the most Humane character on the Grid. Look what's happening to her.

As for Alec having a lack of emotion... i think he's just laid back and like Harry said, He has "nothing to loose". There is no reason for him to be concerned or anything because of this. he also seemed to enjoy being at work again. He seemed proud of himself for his Maya discovery and his deductions from the interrogation tape. He also appeared to feel slightly sorry for Beth and Dimitri when he told them their section head had gone AWOL with Albany.

I think he is subtle in some strange way... and i like subtle characters.
I wouldn't be surprised if there was a much harder side to him though.

[BravoNine]

(28-11-2010 02:55 PM)Kirayuki Wrote:  Asking for a more 'normal human being' is like asking for the sky to fall in. Nobody can be normal in that job. Ruth was (and probably still is) the most Humane character on the Grid. Look what's happening to her.

Hmmmm I quite possibly think the "sky to fall in" may actually be an interesting plotline!

What would our lovable Spooks do when the threat is the sky itself? Hmmmmm intriguing indeed!

(28-11-2010 02:55 PM)Kirayuki Wrote:  As for Alec having a lack of emotion... i think he's just laid back and like Harry said, He has "nothing to loose". There is no reason for him to be concerned or anything because of this. he also seemed to enjoy being at work again. He seemed proud of himself for his Maya discovery and his deductions from the interrogation tape. He also appeared to feel slightly sorry for Beth and Dimitri when he told them their section head had gone AWOL with Albany.

I do agree that Alec is very laid-back and doesn't care much because he doesn't have anything to loose. I did catch his smugness when he found out about the lies and Maya, but then again, it did take Beth about less than 5 seconds to find out the real Lucas North, so maybe it's not that impressive!

(28-11-2010 02:55 PM)Kirayuki Wrote:  I think he is subtle in some strange way... and i like subtle characters.
I wouldn't be surprised if there was a much harder side to him though.

I like to know how he got to the point where "he has nothing to loose" and just drowns in alcohol and women. But then again, asking for back-stories seem to be a very bad idea with these writers. Maybe I could suggest that he used to be an axe-murderer?

[binkie]

(28-11-2010 02:31 PM)Nitrus Wrote:  What do people think about the HomeSec returning? William Towers I think his name was?

I really like the slightly spiky relationship between Harry and this Home Secretary. I like the fact of Towers' innate sense of entitlement (this might be a coalition government, but he is an old school Tory for sure) and his evident perception of Harry as someone who is useful in an unenviable job, but who is otherwise of little interest. Harry is a sort of pre-political, or apolitical, animal. This cannot help Towers advance his own career and is therefore irrelevant. I enjoyed the slightly sinister undercurrent of Towers telling Harry that he would be on his side in the course of an enquiry because I got the impression that what he really meant was that he didn't want to have to go through all the administrative hoopla of finding a replacement. Better the devil you know, etc.

Simon Russell Beale also played the character of Kenneth Widmerpool in the Ch4 production of A Dance to the Music of Time. I find it quite fitting that he should now find himself in the role of a Home Secretary with similarly questionable personal motivation in a political setting. I would definitely like to see more of him and more of william Towers. Perhaps he is the George Smiley figure setting Harry up to take the fall in season 10?

[A Cousin]

S10 characters for sure: Harry, Ruth, Dimitri, Beth and Tariq.
Those crossing over: Towers and Alec

I think the end of S9 set Towers up to cross over for sure. Absolutely. No doubt about it. I love SRB as an actor and he had some great chemistry with PF.

I re-watched 9.8 thus Alec's intro scene last night and there is a whole lot of back story crammed into that one little scene for him to not be in S10. Add to that the "history" with Beth, whatever the heck it is. I really think he is being set up to at least be a field officer if not section chief. His intro felt familiar. I was reminded of Adams intro to assist when Tom went bad. The Alec character amused me greatly: I thought he had an interesting mix of insolence and sincerity that has great potential. Besides, Harry is looking for a "different kind of person" to do the job. Alec is certainly that. And he has nothing to lose. While Harry now has everything to lose.

But that still seems a bit thin to me. There needs to be at least one more, IMO. I can *hope* that it is Malcolm, but am not holding my breath. I do hope HS continues to make guest artist appearances at least. I really want new characters and new actors though.

[Kirayuki]

(28-11-2010 03:57 PM)A Cousin Wrote:  His intro felt familiar. I was reminded of Adams intro to assist when Tom went bad. The Alec character amused me greatly: I thought he had an interesting mix of insolence and sincerity that has great potential. Besides, Harry is looking for a "different kind of person" to do the job. Alec is certainly that. And he has nothing to lose. While Harry now has everything to lose.

But that still seems a bit thin to me. There needs to be at least one more, IMO. I can *hope* that it is Malcolm, but am not holding my breath. I do hope HS continues to make guest artist appearances at least. I really want new characters and new actors though.

As well as reminding me of Adams intro it also reminded me of Zaf's appearance at the end of series 3. He came in to assist on an operation and ended up taking Danny's position as he was lost in the episode. This makes me think he may be staying on even more. It makes sense to keep hi if the characters are wearing thin in number and he's been introduced.

I do think we will need at least one more character... and with a supposed up-coming investigation i would be surprised if we don't get at least two. One on the grid and one leading the investigation.

[Kazters]

i wonder if we will get someone who run section D if they suspend harry (which i hope they dont do.) ifelt the same about Alex, very much in the vein of tom and adam in terms of his introduction.

[Tea Lady]

(28-11-2010 04:41 PM)Kazters Wrote:  i wonder if we will get someone who run section D if they suspend harry (which i hope they dont do.) ifelt the same about Alex, very much in the vein of tom and adam in terms of his introduction.

I loved it when Dolby took over in 7.7. Some pompous idiot in charge, always goes down well with me.

[HellsBells]

It would be great if we had more of Dolby in series 10, he is brilliant when in opposition to Harry.

[BravoNine]

(28-11-2010 06:36 PM)HellsBells Wrote:  It would be great if we had more of Dolby in series 10, he is brilliant when in opposition to Harry.

He's also kind of a douche-bag!

If he does show up, I hope to God I won't have to listen to him whine and moan about the mess of Lucas North, Dolby never did like Lucas that much, especially with the whole Sugar-Horse thing. I can just imagine him strutting up to the Grid and sneering into Harry's face about how Harry's an idiot for being played by Lucas and how "I told you so"

On the other hand, maybe my fist will finally have some practice!

[BoHenley]

I like Alec and Towers, and I hope they both continue on.

And as we have no real rumours yet, I'm hoping they transfer in a new character for Section leader, e.g. someone from MI6 (like they did with Adam) or maybe a highly-ranked field officer - who we wouldn't know anything about. I'm sure the writers would not go down the complete character-reversal line again (not yet, anyway).

And there'd have to be some fall-out (from Lucas's exit) in the first episode - if only with Harry.