Episode 4 [re-watch]

[Naivety]

This is one of my favourite episodes, but I don't own series 5 on DVD so I only see the Virgin TV on Demand version. I don't remember Ros poking fun at the H/R situation, so that must be on the DVD.
My favourite bit is the corridor scene. Harry's smouldering look at Ruth makes me go weak at the knees. I want to throw things at the telly because Ruth turns her back on him. Crazy girl!!

Ros gets right up my nose in this episode, the sugary voice she uses with the guy from the USA, yuk! and then the way she shouts at Harry at the end. What did she expect?! I really don't think you would get junior officers speaking to higher ranking superiors in that way. They are basically officers of the state, just like service personnel.

[Tea Lady]

(07-09-2010 08:05 PM)Naivety Wrote:  This is one of my favourite episodes, but I don't own series 5 on DVD so I only see the Virgin TV on Demand version. I don't remember Ros poking fun at the H/R situation, so that must be on the DVD.
My favourite bit is the corridor scene. Harry's smouldering look at Ruth makes me go weak at the knees. I want to throw things at the telly because Ruth turns her back on him. Crazy girl!!

Ros gets right up my nose in this episode, the sugary voice she uses with the guy from the USA, yuk! and then the way she shouts at Harry at the end. What did she expect?! I really don't think you would get junior officers speaking to higher ranking superiors in that way. They are basically officers of the state, just like service personnel.

Yes Naivety, the reason why it always takes me 4 hours to watch this episode, is because I have to rewind that "smouldering look" scene about a thousand times.

I think it may have been me saying Ros was making fun of H/R situation. I perhaps didn't use the right phrase here but I was referring to the end scene in Harry's office, where she basically calls his life a disaster. I wonder why Harry does not counteract her comments. Perhaps he may just think she is right, having been rejected by Ruth twice.

[A Cousin]

(08-09-2010 12:02 PM)Tea Lady Wrote:  I think it may have been me saying Ros was making fun of H/R situation. I perhaps didn't use the right phrase here but I was referring to the end scene in Harry's office, where she basically calls his life a disaster. I wonder why Harry does not counteract her comments. Perhaps he may just think she is right, having been rejected by Ruth twice.

Ros does smirk at Adam when she catches Ruth watching Harry walk out of the Command Room at Havensworth when Harry suggests they all go get some sleep. As "the new kid" she is sensing the H/R relationship. Set up for episodes to come.

As for why Harry doesn't counter act Ros' tirade, I think he does know that she is right on some level. But he is also expecting her reaction, is ready for it and knows that attempting to counter act it will only make it worse. Her tirade is very personal for her. Harry doesn't do personal very well.

Here's my question for all of you: Ruth tells him he's "right." But "right" about what? His personal life? His decision to not tell Ros until after the Op was over? His telling Ros that he would try to get her fathers sentence reduced? All of the above?

And to go out on a limb for Ros in this episode (and ready for rotten tomatoes to be thrown at my head ), IMO, she really did conduct herself very well in the Havensworth Op. She is making an effort to work with and as part of the team. She butters up the American because her job is to get whatever is on his laptop to the team. I think she thinks that she deserved a little more trust and respect as it pertains to her father.

You see, this is why I like this show - no one is ever completely in the right or completely in the wrong. There are always various shades of gray. I also tend to look at things like the ex-actor that I am. An actors job is to find their characters POV and justify it truthfully. I think HN does an incredible job doing this with a very unsympathetic character.

[Silktie]

I think Ruth is referring to Harry not telling Ros about her father's sentence until the operation was over. And perhaps, judging from her reaction when she yells at him, he was right...

I agree that Ros had a good reason to be angry at Harry for not telling her sooner, I just don't get the argument that she's making. Being bad at relationships doesn't quite equate to your family trying to organise a coup, in my opinion. And when did Harry make judgements on her personal life? In fact, he's doing quite the opposite by giving her a chance in his section.

HN does do a terrific job with the character.

And to our US friends - the guy that played the US Foreign Secretary's accent was quite good, I thought?

[Tea Lady]

(08-09-2010 04:19 PM)Silktie Wrote:  I think Ruth is referring to Harry not telling Ros about her father's sentence until the operation was over. And perhaps, judging from her reaction when she yells at him, he was right...

I agree that Ros had a good reason to be angry at Harry for not telling her sooner, I just don't get the argument that she's making. Being bad at relationships doesn't quite equate to your family trying to organise a coup, in my opinion. And when did Harry make judgements on her personal life? In fact, he's doing quite the opposite by giving her a chance in his section.

I agree that Ruth is referring to not telling Ros, until the op is over. I think Harry did make a judgement on her personal life in a way, as he assumed she would go to pieces if she found out about her father, and would not be able or willing, to continue the op.

Also, that argument was conducted in full view of the Grid. I always wondered in some way, whether Harry's action after, by slumping on his desk, with his hand on his face, with the blinds open, was him desperately trying to make Ruth come in and console him. That's not to say that he was making it up, as I do genuinely think he was upset by what Ros said.

[Noam]

I consider this to be an excellent episode, full of twists and never knowing what was coming next.

I thought that there was a deliberate mistake at one point - when Malcolm is texting the US Minister, he writes "Prioritise" (or maybe prioritising). I thought that this would tip off the Minister that his phone had been hacked, as an American would have written 'PrioritiZe'. I suppose that it depends on whom the American thought he was texting with.

[A Cousin]

(20-01-2012 04:53 PM)Noam Wrote:  I thought that there was a deliberate mistake at one point - when Malcolm is texting the US Minister, he writes "Prioritise" (or maybe prioritising). I thought that this would tip off the Minister that his phone had been hacked, as an American would have written 'PrioritiZe'. I suppose that it depends on whom the American thought he was texting with.

Certainly. But I tend to chalk these kinds of things up to it being a British production being written and filmed by British artists for British viewers. There have been "clunker" moments throughout the years. They happen so rarely, though, that they really throw this American ear off when they do happen. And then I move on....

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(08-09-2010 04:19 PM)Silktie Wrote:  And to our US friends - the guy that played the US Foreign Secretary's accent was quite good, I thought?

Never did answer this.

Yes, Colin Stinton (Traynor Styles) does have an excellent accent. Upon (very minimal) research, I have found out that he is a born Canadian who immigrated to the US when he was 5. He now splits his time between Chicago and London so he must have dual citizenship. So, my apologies to KUDOs for all the bitching I have done in the past re: casting Americans in American roles.

[SweetTea]

I re-watched this one not long ago (like TL I spend way too much time repeating the hallway scene and Harry's smoldering look.) Most have commented on the things that drive me nuts, especially Ruth wearing that horrible shirt the entire time, but perhaps the thing that bugs me the most is the team name for the Kansas City hockey team, the Flamers.

No sports team in the US is going to go by that name as it's a derogatory slang term for a gay man, and I've wondered whether it was just a bad coincidence or a little dig at the cousins. Mind you I'm not offended (as an American and as a hockey fan) I've just always hated it.

I think Ros was being quite childish in her yelling at Harry. I've always thought that he didn't tell her because it was something that could wait. Considering Ros was being given a huge 2nd chance after her participation in the attempted coup, she really shouldn't bitch about not being told for 2 days during an operation.

Finally, did you know that the actress who played Michelle Lopez (the assassin) is married to Geoffrey Streatfeild, who played a certan cocky junior officer who joined the cast in series 10? Now you know.