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thisbluespiritI got so Spooks-nostalgic over my other post, I had to go and watch my favourite episode (2.05) and I'm going to ramble about why I love it, because spoilers for this episode are slightly different to any other ep. I lent S2 to my youngest sister and she returned it with a thank you very much and 'I liked all of it, except that really silly episode...' Yes. And I can see why, but she's so, so wrong. ;-)
2.05 was written by Howard Brenton - Section D know they're going to take part in an EERIE exercise (MI5's Really Dramatic version of a fire drill) and this seems to be it - or is it all true?
1) On first watching this during its run I was sucked in with the characters. Because it had to be the EERIE exercise, but the feeling that if any show might throw out the rule book and suddenly become a post-apocalyptic survival show instead, it was Spooks, made me doubt. They don't always play by the rules. (What happened in 1.02 happened for a reason.) This is why discussing this isn't spoiling anything because 6 series later, it's obvious it's not real. (Which is why my sister had no patience with it).
2) It's a TV play about a group of characters stuck in a confined place. On that level it's fantastic, no matter what you think about the scenario. As everyone passes from 'This is just a waste of time, playing games' to (as Zoe (Keeley Hawes) says halfway through): "This is real, isn't it?"
3) The whole point of it is that, yes, this is only an exercise, but tomorrow it could be real. (Hence the weekly round-up by Ruth at the beginning and the 'ordinary day' start as everyone thinks about their love-life or makes plans for the week-end and Malcolm moans that nothing in this country works.) This is the nightmare they live with and that's what the episode is about, not just the EERIE scenario.
There's also a theme about Britain being unprepared for this. Malcolm's throwaway moan getting picked up by people throughout - Stephanie (Lynda with a Y!): "It's like the end of the world and nothing bloody well works."; Malcolm: "These [protective] suits are useless."; Edinburgh MX (on why they can't get to the bunker: "They haven't finished building it yet." and all the stuff about who runs the country if something happens to the PM, the Cabinet and the royal family. ("It's the headless chicken scenario.")
4) Tom's character arc turns on this event. Everything changes for him right at the end of this. (To say more on that would be a spoiler).
5) Ruth. She's only been in it for 3 episodes up till this point and Harry keeps sending her to work in a corner because he doesn't trust her (and in 2.04 Tom finds out whether or not she is to be trusted). But here, stuck in Thames House, she shines. And the vision of Tom running the country with Ruth running him that we get here is so wonderful I almost wish they had had an apocalypse.
(Harry: "Taking over the government, Tom? How very Oliver Cromwell of you.")
Ruth moments:
Her reaction to the 'Let's Pretend Apocalypse': "What fun!"
Once they realise the nature of the threat: "We should be with our loved ones. Even if we've only got a cat."
Her Henry V moment with Tom: "Lay all our sorrows on the king... You don't get to do that... Leaders don't have feelings."
Tom: "If you're trying to comfort me, it's a strange way to do it."
Her manifesto on who she is:
Ruth: "I'm just my job. Nothing else. Without it, I'd go to pieces."
Tom: "Oh, no, Ruth, you're much more important than that."
Ruth: "No, no. I'm happy with that!"
And, on discovering the truth (to Harry): "You bastard!"
5) Colin and Malcolm - Malcolm's continual pointing out that nothing works in this country and his too-enthusiastic appreciation of the nerve gas. "A sweet weapon." [everyone looks at him] "Speaking technicallly..."
And when Tom orders them to "Invent something!" and they do...
And Tom's dumping of his girlfriend, which we understand, having gone through the EERIE thing with him (and because she's the worst of his useless girlfriends), is so vicious, it's just oddly right.
And, when the guy running the test discovers that Tom was willing to kill him:
Tom: "Does that get me good marks or bad?"
It's not perfect. The EERIE exercise is a real thing, but I'm willing to bet it's never, ever like this. And Malcolm gets one of the worst lines ever (poor Hugh Simon): "I saw Harry go to the loo earlier." (And we don't even need it, because Harry already explained that... They must have considered cutting one of the scenes, maybe.)
But how else to make this point without a lot of wordiness / character reflection or whatever?
And on top of this, you get 2.06 on the same disc and then there's office politics, US/UK 'special relations' and a presidential visit. (The CIA want control, access to files they shouldn't; MI5 are refusing and stealing documents from them and everyone's playing games. And someone's spilt Earl Grey tea on the stolen documents. Sam: "That was the part I had trouble with...")
Plus, on a frivolous note, it starts at a party, so everyone spends the first 15 mins looking wonderful in formal wear, until Harry sends for their normal clothes, because "Black tie is rather overdressed.") And I did like Sam - her session with the psychologist is very funny.
Harry: "You're keeping the queen waiting."
Christine Dale (CIA): "I thought she had a lady to do that for her."
2.05 was written by Howard Brenton - Section D know they're going to take part in an EERIE exercise (MI5's Really Dramatic version of a fire drill) and this seems to be it - or is it all true?
1) On first watching this during its run I was sucked in with the characters. Because it had to be the EERIE exercise, but the feeling that if any show might throw out the rule book and suddenly become a post-apocalyptic survival show instead, it was Spooks, made me doubt. They don't always play by the rules. (What happened in 1.02 happened for a reason.) This is why discussing this isn't spoiling anything because 6 series later, it's obvious it's not real. (Which is why my sister had no patience with it).
2) It's a TV play about a group of characters stuck in a confined place. On that level it's fantastic, no matter what you think about the scenario. As everyone passes from 'This is just a waste of time, playing games' to (as Zoe (Keeley Hawes) says halfway through): "This is real, isn't it?"
3) The whole point of it is that, yes, this is only an exercise, but tomorrow it could be real. (Hence the weekly round-up by Ruth at the beginning and the 'ordinary day' start as everyone thinks about their love-life or makes plans for the week-end and Malcolm moans that nothing in this country works.) This is the nightmare they live with and that's what the episode is about, not just the EERIE scenario.
There's also a theme about Britain being unprepared for this. Malcolm's throwaway moan getting picked up by people throughout - Stephanie (Lynda with a Y!): "It's like the end of the world and nothing bloody well works."; Malcolm: "These [protective] suits are useless."; Edinburgh MX (on why they can't get to the bunker: "They haven't finished building it yet." and all the stuff about who runs the country if something happens to the PM, the Cabinet and the royal family. ("It's the headless chicken scenario.")
4) Tom's character arc turns on this event. Everything changes for him right at the end of this. (To say more on that would be a spoiler).
5) Ruth. She's only been in it for 3 episodes up till this point and Harry keeps sending her to work in a corner because he doesn't trust her (and in 2.04 Tom finds out whether or not she is to be trusted). But here, stuck in Thames House, she shines. And the vision of Tom running the country with Ruth running him that we get here is so wonderful I almost wish they had had an apocalypse.
(Harry: "Taking over the government, Tom? How very Oliver Cromwell of you.")
Ruth moments:
Her reaction to the 'Let's Pretend Apocalypse': "What fun!"
Once they realise the nature of the threat: "We should be with our loved ones. Even if we've only got a cat."
Her Henry V moment with Tom: "Lay all our sorrows on the king... You don't get to do that... Leaders don't have feelings."
Tom: "If you're trying to comfort me, it's a strange way to do it."
Her manifesto on who she is:
Ruth: "I'm just my job. Nothing else. Without it, I'd go to pieces."
Tom: "Oh, no, Ruth, you're much more important than that."
Ruth: "No, no. I'm happy with that!"
And, on discovering the truth (to Harry): "You bastard!"
5) Colin and Malcolm - Malcolm's continual pointing out that nothing works in this country and his too-enthusiastic appreciation of the nerve gas. "A sweet weapon." [everyone looks at him] "Speaking technicallly..."
And when Tom orders them to "Invent something!" and they do...
And Tom's dumping of his girlfriend, which we understand, having gone through the EERIE thing with him (and because she's the worst of his useless girlfriends), is so vicious, it's just oddly right.
And, when the guy running the test discovers that Tom was willing to kill him:
Tom: "Does that get me good marks or bad?"
It's not perfect. The EERIE exercise is a real thing, but I'm willing to bet it's never, ever like this. And Malcolm gets one of the worst lines ever (poor Hugh Simon): "I saw Harry go to the loo earlier." (And we don't even need it, because Harry already explained that... They must have considered cutting one of the scenes, maybe.)
But how else to make this point without a lot of wordiness / character reflection or whatever?
And on top of this, you get 2.06 on the same disc and then there's office politics, US/UK 'special relations' and a presidential visit. (The CIA want control, access to files they shouldn't; MI5 are refusing and stealing documents from them and everyone's playing games. And someone's spilt Earl Grey tea on the stolen documents. Sam: "That was the part I had trouble with...")
Plus, on a frivolous note, it starts at a party, so everyone spends the first 15 mins looking wonderful in formal wear, until Harry sends for their normal clothes, because "Black tie is rather overdressed.") And I did like Sam - her session with the psychologist is very funny.
Harry: "You're keeping the queen waiting."
Christine Dale (CIA): "I thought she had a lady to do that for her."
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no subject
Date: 2009-04-13 09:12 pm (UTC)The amazing thing about it is that although there've been I lost count of how many series, but it's still the best one they've ever done.
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Date: 2009-04-13 09:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-04-14 12:38 am (UTC)I like what you said about Spooks believably becoming a post-apocalyptic survival show instead. Sometimes I wish it would. (OMG have you read
You've picked out all my favourite Ruth and Tom moments. And the ensemble cast really shines here too - Malcolm and Colin and Sam and everyone gets screentime and a properly considered reaction.
no subject
Date: 2009-04-14 07:38 am (UTC)I don't know why Howard Brenton stopped writing for the series - he wrote lots of my favourite episodes, but he hasn't done anything, since the Diana ep, as you say. And they kind of head-hunted him to get him to do S1.
I just haven't read much Spooks fic, so I shall try it. Thanks!
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Date: 2009-04-14 08:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-04-14 11:45 am (UTC)Oh, I'm so excited you liked the zombie fic!
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Date: 2009-04-14 12:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-15 07:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-18 07:07 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2011-04-16 08:23 pm (UTC)