4.2 DVD Commentary

[lwhite53]

Info from 4.2 DVD commentary [Ben Richards, Katie Swindon, Andrew Woodhead]:
-Ep. 2 had more viewers that ep. 1 -- interesting for a two-parter.
-In recaps -- talk about mole than cut to Juliet. Setting up Juliet so audience thought she was the mole -- kept dropping clues throughout ep until real mole was revealed.
-Ep 1 ends at night and ep 2 begins in daylight even though it's supposedly only a minute later. Manage to get away with it because titles come in between.
-Flames from molotov cocktail enhanced with CGI to make them bigger.
-What behavior will we tolerate to stop a terrorist attack? One of the most relevant societal questions today and given Adam's history, they let him cross the line with Zaf's captors. Tash is the voice of humanity in the scene.
-Harry talking to HS re being blackmailed -- scene was originally supposed to happen much later in the ep but belief was that H would never allow himself to be used in this way; moved scene forward so H could offer resignation as soon as Juliet threatens him.
-Spooks never has actors appear as PM or Queen because it would immediately ring false. However, other politicians are portrayed and, for some reason, it works fine.
-Would an outsider (Tash) be allowed on the grid? No, but Ben Richards didn't care -- needed it to happen for the ep. Also not allowed to eat on real grid.
-Relationship between Malcolm and Tash was built up very carefully but many of the scenes had to be cut for time.
-Cutting wires to disarm bombs -- seems a little too easy to be real.
-Harry and Boyd in car going back to grid after meeting -- background scenery should be central London, but they're really on a motorway.
-Many time discontinuities in this ep because of both day and night shoots. Scenes look very different at beginnings and ends.
-Prof. Curtis -- pompous prat.
-Colin -- a little sweet on Tash.
-Technology of "wired" jacket -- real.
-RPJ, PF and AC all brilliant in Juliet's interrogation scene.
-Adam and Juliet -- alpha male vs alpha female.
-Juliet ultimately uncovers identity of mole -- nice little irony.
-Always a question on spooks of when to reveal the mole. Is it better to do so early on and let audience know before characters? Or is it better that everyone discovers the truth at the same time?
-Hard to do a "mole" story in one ep -- need more time to really develop the plot.
-Newest person in is always initially thought to be the mole.
-Slow motion and repeat of action when Curtis recognizes Boyd in the hall of Thames House -- really punctuates the moment.
-BR's favorite line of the ep -- Adam re cat's tail and plug socket. He also loved Harry's reaction to the line.
-The "Boyd" chase through Thames House -- horrendous to shoot; through the hallways, up and down the staircases -- everyone all over the place.
-Adam and Zaf with guns for Boyd chase -- unusual for spooks to have officers use guns.
-This ep really establishes Adam and Zaf as a double act -- lots of scenes together.
-Harry/Tash scene -- takeoff on trick used in The West Wing; people express diametrically opposed views and you agree with both of them.
-The actual story of eps 1 and 2 is very simple -- they have to keep finding the bombs. However, a lot of other stuff (politics, ideology, terrorism, etc) is hung onto the story.
-Boyd and bomber -- meeting place is Regents Canal.
-Tash attached to bomb -- classic spooks dilemma; should you sacrifice one person to save everyone else?
-If Adam had really walked way and Tash had died, would we have forgiven him? Probably not.
-Last sequence with bomb (after Adam tries to free Tash) is in real time.
-End of ep -- "concluding beats;" main action is over and need to tie up the various stories -- Zaf joins team, Monroe goes back to US, Juliet is appointed, Tash and Adam say goodbye, failures of Security Service.
-Final shot of London -- always under threat.

[JHyde]

Thanks lwhite. Can I ask, please - next time could you please double space between each line? Sorry to sound like a jerk, I just find it a bit tricky to read otherwise.

The point I find especially interesting in this is one I haven't thought about since watching season 4 for the first time. The bit about not ever having the Queen or the PM involved but seeing other pollies. It's true that it both creates believability and also reminds you of the false nature of what we're watching.

I'm pretty sure this was when the show really started to use guns - a conscious difference between the first three seasons and season 4.

[Silktie]

Thanks. Love the West Wing shout-out, and Harry's reaction to Adam's threat to plug the cat's tail into a socket is hilarious.

[Beatriz]

Thanks for your dedication lwhite!! Funny what they say about Adam and Zaf carrying guns, not applied from series 7 onwards...

Nice to know that the last scene with the bomb is in real time, that is not very common in countdown sequences.

[lwhite53]

(14-06-2010 05:33 AM)JHyde Wrote:  Thanks lwhite. Can I ask, please - next time could you please double space between each line? Sorry to sound like a jerk, I just find it a bit tricky to read otherwise.

OK -- will try to remember for next one.

[Tea Lady]

Great comments. I also loved the cat / plug socket moment. The only comment I don't agree with is Adam leaving Tash. I think I would have forgiven him. What was the point of two people dying instead of just one. Adam had no way of knowing they would get the code in time. Zaf had already left them to it.

Shame they cut the Malcolm scenes. On my wish list is that they release DVD's for each of the main characters and chuck in all of their moments, which found their way to the cutting room floor.

Thanks lwhite53.