[spoilers] Harry and Ruth Strike Back

[A Cousin]

[Silktie]

I really hope Yorkshiretyke is right, too. At first look I didn't take her to mean that they'll be having a relationship as well as the work. I understood her to mean that they've basically had their chance to have a relationship, but that it has passed, and what they now have left is their closeness through work. Which makes me very sad, and I hope I'm completely wrong.

What do you think Ruth meant when she said during her rejection of Harry's proposal, that she couldn't, because of the decisions he's made in the past? Was that a referral to George's death, maybe?

[yorkshiretyke]

I have slept on it and listened to what she said on the roof....think I am going to stick to my guns, she is saying no to country life and retirement but opting for closeness on the grid...

Oh but that fence scene at the beginning, what a heartbreaker!...what a pity I must go to work.

[Naivety]

(21-09-2010 06:00 AM)Silktie Wrote:  What do you think Ruth meant when she said during her rejection of Harry's proposal, that she couldn't, because of the decisions he's made in the past? Was that a referral to George's death, maybe?

My first thoughts were that she was refering to George.

Ruth isn't being very consistent though is she? Towards the end of the last series, she was making all the moves with the little touches. When Harry pops the question she backs off again. Then for the rest of the episode she wants it to be business as usual. Part of me wishes she would make her mind up, the other realises that this outcome is the only way to keep up the angst we all love so much.

[Tea Lady]

(21-09-2010 07:22 AM)Naivety Wrote:  

(21-09-2010 06:00 AM)Silktie Wrote:  What do you think Ruth meant when she said during her rejection of Harry's proposal, that she couldn't, because of the decisions he's made in the past? Was that a referral to George's death, maybe?

My first thoughts were that she was refering to George.

Ruth isn't being very consistent though is she? Towards the end of the last series, she was making all the moves with the little touches. When Harry pops the question she backs off again. Then for the rest of the episode she wants it to be business as usual. Part of me wishes she would make her mind up, the other realises that this outcome is the only way to keep up the angst we all love so much.

Yes, I was thinking about what Ruth could have meant. She didn't quite finish her words, realising they were hurtful. She starts off by saying that in the years before, she would have married him a thousand times but then the choices he made...

When would she have married him a thousand times? Was she talking about when she was in Cyprus, alone? Not sure I could have seen Ruth marrying Harry before 5.5. As for the choices Harry made which has stopped her marrying him now, well I think it was letting her go in 5.5, not coming for her and choosing the job, killing George and potentially Nico. Was she saying, how can I marry you after you did all those things to me?

No, it was not a romantic proposal by any means but it was full of emotion. Still no mention of love though. Harry also seems to give up so easily. Why doesn't he fight for Ruth? Refuse to listen or believe her excuses? Is he so broken himself that he has no fight left, not even for her?

[JHyde]

I think she was talking about a myriad of things, many choices littered over the years they've known each other.

Tea Lady mentioned on the episode one thread that she doesn't understand why Ruth said no, who else is she expecting to find?

I think one of the very points she was trying to make to Harry was that people like she and him don't get normal relationships. That they 'forfeited the chance long ago'. There's a lot of truth to this.

Guys, make sure you use tags for anything for season 9 to come please.

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Quote:I loved the whole thing - no meringue. The last thing I want is for the "dogged brilliant bitch" to be a lap dog to Harry. I am glad that they are addressing the idea that he has a whole lot of operatives deaths on his conscience.

I agree completely.

[Silktie]

I can certainly understand her saying no. Proposing at a funeral isn't the smartest idea Harry has ever had. What I'm questioning is why she would settle for purely work-related interaction with the man she obviously still loves, despite everything. She doesn't have to marry him to have a meaningful relationship away from work with him. I mean, after saying no, she spends the rest of the episode bucking him up and being there for him.

To me it just feels as though the writers were wondering how they could freeze the HR relationship in time, without everyone moaning that another season of longing looks is just more of the same, and came up with this.

[Tea Lady]

(21-09-2010 11:11 AM)Silktie Wrote:  To me it just feels as though the writers were wondering how they could freeze the HR relationship in time, without everyone moaning that another season of longing looks is just more of the same, and came up with this.

But why are they freezing it then? What is the point of the interaction in series 8, if they are just going to freeze it in the next series. Surely this could all have been done in series 8, without perhaps the marriage proposal.

I'm all a bit confused. I am sure Kudos have something up their sleeves here which we haven't figured out yet. It just doesn't make much sense to me.

[A Cousin]

(21-09-2010 11:34 AM)Tea Lady Wrote:  But why are they freezing it then? What is the point of the interaction in series 8, if they are just going to freeze it in the next series. Surely this could all have been done in series 8, without perhaps the marriage proposal.

I'm all a bit confused. I am sure Kudos have something up their sleeves here which we haven't figured out yet. It just doesn't make much sense to me.

If I may interject here, I am not sure it is being frozen, just examined and stated with brutal honesty. That is what one of the over riding themes of this series is supposed to be: how the job affects their personal lives. NW and PF are too good for the writers to leave it at what we saw last night. Mark my words, this is just a jumping off point. Into what? I don't know. I too think there is something up their sleeves. I hope they have something up their sleeves. I am looking forward to finding out what it is.

Oh, and I think there is a natural progression from S8 here. My gut feeling at the end of S8 on the rooftop was that he was cracking and she was seeing it and was concerned about it.

[Tea Lady]

I am probably just being silly here but you don't think they would do something with Beth and Harry. I mean, Harry on the rebound type thing, Beth trying to get on in MI5. If Harry is in the midst of some mid-life crisis and feels all is lost with Ruth? I just have a feeling. As I say, probably being silly. The age gap is huge.