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Skully · 29-04-2010, 01:46 PM

All I can say about this ep is that I skipped it on my recent rewatch. I hate it with a passion! The Kurt/Courtney thang was laid on way to thick, it was just plain stupid. Spooks is too smart to have to resort to taking such overt "inspiration" from the glamor couple of grunge. It was simply below standard as far as I'm concerned. I like that folks on this thread have had different responses to this ep though. Diversity is good! This is all I'm gonna say on this one because just thinking about this ep makes me mad! Will have to go watch an ep from season 7 to calm down Wink

HellsBells · 30-04-2010, 01:04 PM

I have only watch this episode once and remembered thinking it was very unlike Spooks and just unbelievable that MI5 would get involved in a straight forward kidnapping. This is coming up in the rewatch thread soon maybe I'll enjoy it better second time around.

(29-04-2010 01:46 PM)Skully Wrote: Will have to go watch an ep from season 7 to calm down

Watching season 7 (or 8) is always a good idea !!

CONDOR · (This post was last modified: 30-04-2010 02:42 PM by CONDOR.)

Do you mean that I have to get through 45 & 6 before I get back to some good Spooks episodes?

Skully · 01-05-2010, 11:21 AM

(30-04-2010 02:42 PM)CONDOR Wrote: Do you mean that I have to get through 45 & 6 before I get back to some good Spooks episodes?

Not at all! This ep in my view was bad, but all the others are fine Smile

It's just that season 7 is my favourite Smile

CONDOR · 01-05-2010, 04:52 PM

It's ok I have just seen 4.1 & 4.2 and it seems that we are back on track with good high tension Spooks

**Nitrus** · 15-05-2010, 10:31 PM

So basically this episode pretty much sucked beyond belief.

I liked the acting between Adam & Fiona while they were undercover.

Aria · 15-05-2010, 10:51 PM

I liked this episode, its a one-off with some very good performances. Andy Serkis was brilliant as the Kurt Cobain type rocker as was the actress who played B, going from sad and pathetic to a conniving, evil attention seeker. Loved the Harry and Mace scenes especially the beginning, "we can be cuddly too". lol Loved Harry's line to Adam, "In this we are all virginal", and his scene with B was brilliantly cringeworthy. Some good H/R scenes as well and a tense moment between Ruth and Mace, when she calls him "Mr. Mace". I winced at that. Nice to see Fiona and Adam working together and showing how good they can be professionally. I liked the subplot of the murdering politician and Harry and Mace's different viewpoints. I thought they showed how the media can be manipulated and manipulative really well.

YourFutureMuse · 16-05-2010, 12:23 AM

I loved this ep. I thought it was a bit of light relief in what would otherwise have beem quite a dark series with deep storylines and lots of exits. It endeared me much more to the character of Fiona, I loved how she took risks and showed how she and Adam were so well suited to one another. It is completely different to any thing Spooks have ever done but I think it is a well executed good storyline which I for one I am glad they included in s3, which I think from the rewatch has confirmed this is most def. my favourite series Big Grin

lwhite53 · 16-05-2010, 03:06 AM

I really hate this ep -- had it not been for the rewatch, I would've never watched it again! No matter how it was spun, there's no way MI5 would ever have been involved in a kidnap case -- the first time I've been really disappointed with a Howard Brenton script.

Despite the rant (!), there were some really good performances and some great classic spooks lines. Andy Serkis was stunningly brilliant as Riff and Olga Sosnovska gave Fiona a much better portrayal than in her earlier eps. Also liked the actress who played B. Chuckled at our spooks being so out of their element -- Harry, Adam and Malcolm seem to be in a different universe to Riff and B at the beginning; it's actually quite comical.

Harry scored some great lines:
H: Do you understand atomic theory? Quantum mechanics? How there are six extra dimensions and universes parallel to this one?
Danny: No.
H: Nor do I. I don't understand politics either.

H: Dear God, Ruth. Is any institution in the country safe from you?

H: Knock. Knock. What do I have to do, beg?

B's line, "The story is like a stain, it won't go away," is a paraphrased ripoff from Lady Macbeth's "Out, out, damn spot."

Nice differentiation between Harry and Mace in their response to the John Sylvester subplot.

**JHyde** · (This post was last modified: 16-05-2010 05:37 AM by JHyde.)

I stand by what I said earlier in this thread. I think that the sharp turn the episode makes from farce to tragedy makes it work. Had it not had the awful ending I might agree, but it's bloody sad and stupid what happens. I also love that scene where Fi comes and drags Adam outside and then the set-up for that awful MP who I usually refer to as Wickham. (It's actually Adrian Lukis. He hasn't aged well, has he?)

I also like the contrast between Harry the MI-5 man and Mace the politician. Great moments for two wonderful actors.

Especially given how dark episodes 7, 9 and 10 are, I'm prepared to take this episode for what it is. Even if it is a combination of Lindbergh, Kurt Cobain and Posh'n'Becks. I also love that Malcolm has such taste in music.

I've thought for some time that this really might be the most divisive episode of the lot (Seasons 1-8), so I am really looking forward to some new people chiming in on this one.

Oh and Howard Brenton continues to tell us what disgusting fancy dishes he is into. First salmon mousse (2.5) and now steak tartare with Adam at the end? Ew. No, really, ew. Sounds like Howard went to one too many dinner parties in the early 80s.