Looking After Our Own

Last updated

"Looking After Our Own"
Spooks episode
Episode no.Series 1
Episode 2
Directed by Bharat Nalluri
Written by David Wolstencroft
Produced bySimon Crawford Collins
Editing byColin Green
Original air date20 May 2002 (2002-05-20)
Running time59 minutes
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Thou Shalt Not Kill"		Next →
"One Last Dance"
Spooks (series 1)
List of episodes

"Looking After Our Own" [1] is the second episode of the British espionage television series Spooks . It first aired on BBC One in the United Kingdom on 20 May 2002. The episode was written by series creator David Wolstencroft, and directed by Bharat Nalluri. The episode focuses on MI5's efforts in bringing down right-wing leader Robert Osbourne (Kevin McNally), who is believed to be planning a series of race riots across the UK.

Contents

The storyline was originally slated for the finale of the first series, but was pushed forward when the producers were pressured to deliver the story to the BBC. Filming took two weeks, around December 2001. After its original broadcast, the episode was viewed by over eight million Britons, a decline of one million from the first episode, but was still the strongest performer in its time slot. The episode marked the death of a main character, Helen Flynn (Lisa Faulkner), which was met with considerable controversy due to its perceived violence; at 250 complaints, it marked the highest number of complaints for a television programme in 2002.

Plot

MI5 suspect that right-wing leader Robert Osbourne is planning a series of race riots in the UK. A team led by Danny Hunter (David Oyelowo) attempts to bug his home, only to find it impossible because of the home's high-tech countersurveillance equipment. What MI5 does find is that Osbourne abuses his wife Claire (Debra Stephenson); believing Claire is vulnerable for recruitment, Harry Pearce (Peter Firth) appoints Tom Quinn (Matthew Macfadyen) and junior administrative officer Helen Flynn (Lisa Faulkner) to pose as a married couple who are substitute tutors at the same Romford community college Claire is attending.

The two initially succeed, and are invited to dinner with Osbourne at his home. However, during their visit, Osbourne catches Helen out by addressing Tom as her boyfriend rather than husband; Helen's improvising makes Osbourne more suspicious of the two. Later, one of Osbourne's contacts, Nick Thomas (Tom Goodman-Hill), is revealed to be freelance journalist Kieran Harvey. When Osbourne discovers this, he has Harvey murdered. Tom and Helen gain Claire's trust and recruit her; she agrees to help the two in exchange for a £600-a-week account and transport to anywhere in the world.

In the meantime, a cargo of illegal immigrants from Chechnya is intercepted by HM Customs and Excise; the traffickers throw their cargo overboard, drowning them. Believing the traffickers will change their routes, Tessa Phillips (Jenny Agutter) and Zoe Reynolds (Keeley Hawes) investigate and discover that Osbourne intends to choke the asylum system by overcrowding the holding centres, and after his followers stir up the race riots, Osbourne would encourage independent Member of Parliament (MP) Bill Watson (Jasper Jacob) to raise the issue of asylum seekers in the House of Commons.

Tom and Helen prepare to move out, but are kidnapped by Osbourne's gang and taken to the kitchen of his waste management plant for interrogation. Knowing they are MI5 officers, Osbourne demands everything Tom knows about their operation; when he fails to co-operate, Osbourne forces Helen's hand and then head into a deep fryer, then has her executed. Before Tom can suffer the same fate, Claire throws a cigarette into the vat, which ignites, buying Tom time to escape and return to Thames House. However, Tom and Harry are disgusted to hear that the powers-that-be are happy about Helen's murder and Osbourne's plans, since it discredits the far right, and enables the government to gain a political victory and gain consensus on an immigration policy. Additionally, they refuse to take any action against Osbourne, in order to track the movements of all far-right groups, until the surveillance has finished. At the end of the episode, Harry has Osbourne assassinated, and Claire and her son are in an airport about to catch a flight abroad. Bill Watson receives photographs of the dead refugees washed up on a beach, along with a note reading "are you happy with your wash?"

Production

Writing and pre-production

Kevin McNally guest stars as antagonist Robert Osbourne. Kevin McNally.jpg
Kevin McNally guest stars as antagonist Robert Osbourne.

The episode's storyline, including Helen's death, was meant to be in the first series finale. However, by then, the second episode was not yet written, and series producer Kudos were due to deliver the story to the BBC in one month. As a result, the episode was brought forward to the second slot. [2] Since the first episode began Spooks "with a bang", series creator and writer David Wolstencroft, was under pressure to top the efforts of the first episode with the second, but not by much. During the writing stage, he introduced a story arc involving Danny Hunter and his obsession with money and spending, apparently mirroring the writer; the arc was created for the temptations that the officers may have. In the original screenplay, Danny was to spend on his mother. [3]

Wolstencroft included some suggestions from his friends and girlfriend. An early scene was to take place in a shower room, but was rewritten when the producers thought it would be "too racy" for a 9:00 p.m. audience. In another instance, a long sequence would take place at sea concerning the smugglers dropping off illegal immigrants into the water; the scenes were cut before filming due to time constraints. Also, before deciding on waste disposal, Osbourne was originally going to head a security company. The funeral scene towards the end of the episode was inspired by The Godfather II . In the end, the script was rewritten four times before the BBC took the final version of the episode. [3]

Kevin McNally was cast as the antagonist Robert Osbourne; McNally was chosen because the producers thought he would be perfect to play the part, as is the case with Debra Stephenson, who portrayed his wife. Child actor Daniel Chenery, who played the part of their son, Sammy, was chosen due to his likeness of a younger version of McNally. Also, Simon Crawford Collins's wife made a cameo appearance as a BT operator. [3]

Filming

Filming took place over a 13 to 14 days period in December 2001. It was not filmed on order of the script; the scenes set around the Osbourne residence for instance, were all filmed at once, during two to three days, though during the episodes, the scenes took place in separate parts of the episode. Parts of the introduction scenes, where Danny's team break into Osbourne's house, was actually filmed on the Grid set. Parts of the sequence were originally filmed without sound; the sound would later be added during post production. The footage of the drowned immigrants found at the shore were shot by the second unit headed by producer Simon Crawford Collins on a pebbled courtyard in Kensington to double as a beach. [3]

Some of the exterior scenes at night were filmed with the street wet down so that the lights could kick off the ground. Also in the episode, the editing suite, where the series was edited, was used as a set. The West12 shopping centre in Shepherd's Bush, London was used in one scene as an airport, as well as the shopping centre itself in another. The Chadford Community College was filmed at a rugby club. The safe house Tom and Helen were appointed to was filmed in two separate locations. One of those locations was used before in the Mary Kane interrogation scene in the pilot episode "Thou Shalt Not Kill". In one scene where Tom was driving to the operation the car was in fact towed; an error was made in the episode where the car looked taller than the other cars on the road during the shoot. [3]

Helen Flynn death scene

"I really wanted to make sure that the audience got the message that the world of Spooks isn't the world where the cavalry always arrive, because in reality these people [MI5] do risk their lives on our behalf and they do get into sticky situations with genuinely nasty people."

Series creator David Wolstencroft [2]

Wolstencroft wrote the death scene with the intention of giving the audience the impression that no one in the series is safe. [2] According to producer Jane Featherstone, the idea to kill off a main character involved a female getting "her head set on fire" later in the series, but she decided "let's move the most dramatic thing you've got to episode two and kill off the only actress the audience recognise [Faulkner was considered the only recognisable cast member when the series was introduced] and then you've got them hooked." [4] Matthew Macfadyen stated that the shooting of the death scene, although not emotionally draining, was gruelling to perform.[ citation needed ]

Director Bharat Nalluri wanted as little of the torture to be seen as possible, because he wanted the sequence to be more psychological to make it easier to frighten the audience, since they know the physicality of being burnt, [2] whereas if Helen was shot, not as many would. [3] Producer Stephen Garrett wanted to show a more realistic sense of violence, rather than a fantastical "cartoon violence" "in which blows to the head with iron bars leave small bruises rather than crushed skulls, gunshot wounds leave neat abrasions in conveniently fleshy parts of the anatomy rather than eviscerating their victims; and fights that would hospitalise Mike Tyson are walked away from with barely a mark." [5]

Broadcast, reception and controversy

The episode was first broadcast on 20 May 2002, during the 9 to 10 pm time slot. [6] It achieved overnight viewing figures of 7.8 million, with a 35 per cent audience share. Ratings were down over one million from the pilot episode the previous week. Regardless "Looking After Our Own" won its time slot; the finale episode of ITV1 drama Helen West came second, with 4.9 million viewers and a 21 per cent share. [7] The final numbers posted on the Broadcasters' Audience Research Board website went up slightly to 8.1 million viewers, making the episode the ninth most viewed BBC One broadcast, and the nineteenth most viewed broadcast in total the week it aired. [8]

The episode attracted controversy following the demise of Helen Flynn after her hand and head were forced into a deep fryer. [9] The death scenes attracted over 250 complaints, 154 of them to the television watchdog, the Broadcasting Standards Commission, the highest number of complaints for a television programme in 2002. [10] [11] In the wake of the complaints, BBC insiders had admitted that the scenes "clearly disturbed" some of the viewers, but also defended their decision to show the scene as it would show the audience "the kind of threat which might be faced by agents engaged in the fight against terrorism." The Broadcasting Standards Commission stated that despite the content; "in the context was acceptable and important for the later narrative," however the watchdog still criticised the BBC for failing to warn viewers of the violence to come. [11] Garrett refuted this, stating: "Not only was there a clear warning before the programme began, but for anyone who missed that, the subject matter of the episode (a conspiracy to stir up inter-racial violence perpetrated by a man who clearly beat his wife) was hardly the stuff of which chirpy little bucolic fantasies are made." [5]

Wolstencroft stated that after watching the episode with his friends, they both commended and criticised his work: "I got some angry phone calls from my friends the next day saying 'how could you, but well done, but how could you, but she was so nice, but how could you, but well done'." Oyelowo also responded to the controversy, believing that it came from a result of Faulkner's male fans. [2] Comedian Charlie Brooker however, commended the scene, as well as the series in general, stating in his Guardian column: "The moment her head was forced into the deep-fat-fryer, viewers reared on the formulaic, it'll-be-alright-in-the-end blandness of cookie-cutter populist dramas like Casualty and Merseybeat sat up and blinked in disbelief: here was a major BBC drama series that actually had the nerve to confound expectation." [12] In a January 2010 poll, fans of the show voted Helen's death as the "most shocking death scene" in the series, drawing 49% of the votes. [13]

Related Research Articles

<i>Spooks</i> (TV series) British television spy drama series

Spooks is a British television spy drama series that originally aired on BBC One from 13 May 2002 to 23 October 2011, consisting of 10 series. The title is a colloquialism for spies, and the series follows the work of a group of MI5 officers based at the service's Thames House headquarters, in a highly secure suite of offices known as The Grid. In the United States, the show is broadcast under the title MI-5. In Canada, the programme originally aired as MI-5 but later aired on BBC Canada as Spooks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthew Macfadyen</span> English actor (born 1974)

David Matthew Macfadyen is an English actor. Known for his performances on stage and screen, he gained prominence for his role as Mr. Darcy in Joe Wright's Pride & Prejudice (2005). He currently stars as Tom Wambsgans in the HBO drama series Succession (2018–present), for which he has received a Primetime Emmy Award, two BAFTA Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adam Carter</span> Fictional character from Spooks

Adam Henry Carter is a fictional character from the BBC espionage television series Spooks, which follows the exploits of Section D, a counter-terrorism division of MI5. He is portrayed by British actor Rupert Penry-Jones. The character is a former MI6 officer who takes charge as the chief of Section D, and hence the head protagonist following the departure of Tom Quinn in series three.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Quinn (Spooks)</span> Fictional character from Spooks

Tom Quinn is a fictional character in the BBC espionage television series Spooks, which follows the exploits of Section D, a counter-terrorism division of MI5. He is portrayed by British actor Matthew Macfadyen. In the first two series, Tom is the chief of Section D. The character was in the first and second episode of the third series but was decommissioned as a result of sabotaging an operation.

"Thou Shalt Not Kill" is the premiere episode of the British television series Spooks. It first aired on BBC One in the United Kingdom on 13 May 2002. The episode was written by series creator David Wolstencroft and directed by Bharat Nalluri. "Thou Shalt Not Kill" focuses on MI5's activities in stopping an anti-abortion group who have smuggled 20 explosive devices to be used against family planning doctors. The episode title is a reference to the sixth Commandment.

"Traitor's Gate" is the fourth episode in the first series of the British television series Spooks. It first aired on BBC One in the United Kingdom on 4 June 2002, on a Tuesday; the other first series episodes aired on Mondays. The episode was written by Howard Brenton, and directed by Rob Bailey. The episode focuses on MI5 and 6's efforts in taking down a terrorist cell before they can succeed in attacking 43rd President of the United States George W. Bush. The episode guest stars Anthony Head and Hugh Laurie, who play their respective characters Peter Salter and Jools Siviter. After its first broadcast, "Traitor's Gate" was seen by 6 million viewers, the lowest ratings in the first series.

"One Last Dance" is the third episode in the first series of the British television series Spooks. It first aired on BBC One in the United Kingdom on 27 June 2002. It was written by Simon Mirren, and directed by Rob Bailey. In the episode, Kurdish rebels raid a Turkish Consulate while Zoe Reynolds is performing a routine bugging operation there. The raid is later revealed to be a distraction by a rogue faction group. The episode's plot is based on the Iranian Embassy Siege in 1980. After the original broadcast, it was seen by over 7 million viewers in the UK.

<i>Spooks</i> (series 1) 1st series of the British television show Spooks

The first series of the British spy drama television series Spooks began broadcasting on 13 May 2002 on BBC One, and ended on 17 June 2002. It consists of six episodes. Spooks follows the actions of Section D, a counter-terrorism division of the British Security Service (MI5). Among the storylines, main character Tom Quinn faces dilemmas living a double life with his girlfriend, who at first does not know he is really a spy, and Tessa Phillips is running phantom agents for monetary gain. Matthew Macfadyen, Keeley Hawes, David Oyelowo, Peter Firth, Jenny Agutter, Lisa Faulkner, Esther Hall, Heather Cave, Hugh Simon and Greame Mearns are listed as the main cast.

<i>Spooks</i> (series 2) 2nd series of the British television show Spooks

The second series of the British spy drama television series Spooks began broadcasting on 2 June 2003 on BBC One, ending on 11 August 2003. It consists of ten episodes. Spooks centres on the actions of Section D, a counter-terrorism division of the British Security Service (MI5). Matthew Macfadyen, Keeley Hawes, David Oyelowo, Peter Firth, Hugh Simon, Shauna Macdonald, Rory MacGregor, Natasha Little, Nicola Walker, Megan Dodds, Jenny Agutter and Enzo Cilenti are listed as the main cast.

<i>Spooks</i> (series 3) Third series of the British spy drama television series Spooks

The third series of the British spy drama television series Spooks began broadcasting on 11 October 2004 on BBC One, and ended on 13 December 2004. It consists of ten episodes which continue to follow the actions of Section D, a counter-terrorism division of the British Security Service (MI5). It also sees the departure of three principal characters: Tom Quinn is decommissioned in the second episode, Zoe Reynolds is exiled to Chile in the sixth episode, and Danny Hunter is killed in the series finale. In addition to Macfadyen, Hawes and Oyelowo, Peter Firth, Rupert Penry-Jones, Nicola Walker, Hugh Simon, Shauna Macdonald and Rory MacGregor are listed as the main cast.

<i>Spooks</i> (series 7) 7th series of the British television show Spooks

The seventh series of the BBC espionage television series Spooks began broadcasting on 27 October 2008 on BBC One before ending on 8 December 2008 on the same channel, and consists of eight episodes, two fewer than previous series. It follows the actions of Section D, a counter-terrorism division in MI5. The primary storyline involves Sugarhorse, a top secret operation set up by MI5 during the final years of the Cold War, and a mole working for the FSB who intends to leak the operation to the Russians. Peter Firth, Rupert Penry-Jones, Hermione Norris, Richard Armitage, Miranda Raison, Gemma Jones, Hugh Simon and Alex Lanipekun are credited as the main cast.

The series eight premiere is the first episode in the eighth series of the British espionage television series Spooks, and the 65th episode in total. It was originally broadcast on BBC One on 4 November 2009. The episode was written by Ben Richards and directed by Alrick Riley. It continues from the seventh series finale, where Sir Harry Pearce is willingly captured by Viktor Sarkisiian. In this episode, Harry is taken by Amish Mani, a former Indian intelligence officer, who wants Harry to reveal the location of a secret uranium shipment he knows the location of, in order to build nuclear weapons.

The series eight finale of the British espionage television series Spooks was originally broadcast on BBC One on 23 December 2009, and is the 72nd episode in the overall series. The episode was written by Ben Richards and directed by Alrick Riley. The episode continues the "Nightingale" story-arc, a shadow organisation bent on changing the geopolitical map. In the finale, Nightingale attempt to provoke a nuclear war between India and Pakistan, and Section D have a week to prevent it.

"Smoke and Mirrors", known as "Pit of Secrets" in the United States, is the tenth and final episode of the second series, and the 16th episode overall of the British television series Spooks. It first aired on BBC One on 11 August 2003. The episode was written by Howard Brenton, and directed by Sam Miller. In the episode, Tom Quinn is being framed by thought-to-be-dead CIA agent Herman Joyce, as revenge for what happened to his daughter. After its original broadcast, the finale was seen by seven million people, a third of the television audience during its time slot. The episode, particularly due to its cliffhanger, received critical acclaim.

"New Allegiances" is the series seven premiere and 57th episode of the British espionage television series Spooks. It was originally broadcast on BBC One on 27 October 2008. The episode was written by Neil Cross, with additional writing by Ben Richards, and directed by Colm McCarthy. The episode is considered the first of a two-part story, which concludes with following episode "Split Loyalties".

<i>Spooks</i> (series 10) 10th series of the British television show Spooks

The tenth and final series of the BBC espionage television series Spooks began broadcasting on 18 September 2011 on BBC One, and continued until 23 October. It consists of six episodes. The series continues the actions of Section D, a fictional counter-terrorism division of the British Security Service (MI5). In August 2011, Kudos Film and Television, the production company behind Spooks, announced that the tenth series will be its last, as they wanted the show to end "in its prime".

The series ten finale of the British spy drama television series Spooks was originally broadcast on BBC One on 23 October 2011. It is the show's sixth episode of the tenth series and the 86th and final episode of Spooks. The episode was written by Jonathan Brackley and Sam Vincent, and directed by Bharat Nalluri. The series finale concludes the "Tourmeline" story-arc that ran through the final series. Section D tries to prevent a terrorist attack from a Russian ultranationalist that will disrupt a partnership between Russia and the United Kingdom, and push both nations into war.

"Nest of Angels" is the second episode of the second series of the British espionage television series Spooks, and the eighth episode overall. It was originally broadcast on BBC Three on 2 June 2003, and repeated on frontline channel BBC One on 9 June. The episode was written by Howard Brenton, and directed by Bharat Nalluri. The episode centres on MI5's actions in stopping Muhammed Rachid, a radicalised mullah in a mosque and community centre in Birmingham, who they believe is recruiting young suicide bombers. After their previous asset is discovered and brutally expelled, the team turn to Muhammed Ibhn Khaldun, an Algerian agent who left his country to work with the British.

References

  1. ↑ Secret Credits (Spooks DVD (Series 1)). Contender Entertainment Group. 2003.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Simon Crafword Collins, Jane Featherstone, Matthew Macfadyen, Bharat Nalluri, David Oyelowo, Colin Wells, David Wolstencroft (2003). The Helen Flynn Shock (Spooks DVD (Series 1)). Contender Entertainment Group.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Simon Crawford Collins, Bharat Nalluri, David Wolstencroft (2003). Episode 2 Audio Commentary (Spooks DVD (Series 1)). Contender Entertainment Group.
  4. ↑ Armstrong, Stephen (5 December 2005). "A twist in her tale". The Guardian . Guardian Media Group . Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  5. 1 2 Garrett, Stephen (3 June 2002). "Ambushing the audience". The Guardian . Guardian Media Group . Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  6. ↑ "Spooks - Episodes from 2002". BBC Online . Retrieved 8 July 2012.
  7. ↑ Deans, Jason (21 May 2002). "Chelsea Flower Show blossoms on BBC2". The Guardian . Guardian Media Group . Retrieved 8 July 2012.
  8. ↑ "Weekly Top 30 Programmes (See week ending May 26, 2002)". BARB.co.uk. Broadcasters' Audience Research Board . Retrieved 22 April 2010.
  9. ↑ Deans, Jason (28 May 2002). "Spooks to return as BBC1 spies a hit". The Guardian . Guardian Media Group . Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  10. ↑ "Spy show draws record complaints". BBC News Online . BBC Online. 17 July 2003. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
  11. 1 2 Plunkett, John (31 July 2002). "BBC spy drama spooks TV watchdog". The Guardian . Guardian Media Group . Retrieved 8 July 2012.
  12. ↑ Brooker, Charlie (21 December 2002). "The grim reality of TV". The Guardian . Guardian Media Group . Retrieved 8 July 2012.
  13. ↑ "Spooks - Most Shocking Death Scene". LastBroadcast. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.