Series 8, Episode 4 (Spooks)

Last updated

"Series 8, Episode 4"
Spooks episode
Episode no.Series 8
Episode 4
Directed by Sam Miller
Written by David Farr
Original air dates20 November 2009 (2009-11-20)(BBC Three)
25 November 2009 (2009-11-25)(BBC One)
Running time59 minutes
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
 Previous
"Series 8, Episode 3"
Next 
"Series 8, Episode 5"
Spooks (series 8)
List of episodes

The fourth episode of series eight of the British espionage television series Spooks is the 69th episode in the overall series. It was originally broadcast on BBC Three on 20 November 2009, later repeated on BBC One on 25 November. The episode was written by David Farr, and directed by Sam Miller. In the episode one of Lucas North's (Richard Armitage) former interrogators, FSB officer Oleg Darshavin (Emil Hostina), approaches Lucas regarding an upcoming terrorist attack. The episode also continues the story-arc of "Nightingale", a shadow organisation bent on a New World Order, and reveals that CIA liaison Sarah Caufield is a part of it. A little over five million people tuned in to watch the episode following its BBC One broadcast. It was met with generally positive reviews.

Contents

Plot

The episode begins with Ros Myers (Hermione Norris) haunted by the death of Jo Portman (Miranda Raison) from the previous episode; Jo held a terrorist long enough for Ros to shoot him, though the bullet passed through him and entered her chest. [1] Meanwhile, Oleg Darshavin breaks out of an immigration detention facility following a riot. As Section D review the CCTV footage, Lucas quickly recognises Darshavin, who mouths Lucas' name, indicating he intends for them to meet. Lucas reminisces that during his imprisonment in Russia, he developed a bond with Darshavin and mentioned wanting to go birdwatching in the Thames Estuary. During the meeting alone, Darshavin reveals he knows of a planned terrorist attack by Sudanese extremists and will reveal the time and location in exchange for a passport and one million pounds in mixed currencies.

Throughout the episode, Harry Pearce (Peter Firth) believes Lucas developed Stockholm syndrome during his capture. His suspicions are solidified when Lucas takes off his wire and goes off the radar while walking to meet him again with the passport. The two meet in Lucas' flat, where Darshavin reveals the leader of the cell goes by Omar Salim al Khaled. Their meeting is then disrupted when his girlfriend, CIA liaison Sarah Caufield (Genevieve O'Reilly), enters. Lucas is angered to discover she is attempting to bug his flat and pushes her out; Darshavin would later kidnap her. Ruth Evershed (Nicola Walker) and Tariq Masood (Shazad Latif) looks into this and finds a link between al Khaled and Onelight, a charity front he used to recruit members. One of Malcolm Wynn-Jones' former assets, who is in hiding out of fear from the terrorist, left Ruth subtle clues leading to the time and location of the attack.

Ros locates al Khaled's residence, but witnesses him getting killed by a sniper. The bug in his flat revealed that in a phone conversation just before the hit, Lucas discovers that Darshavin was the killer, and is a part of the cell. He later receives a call from Darshavin, threatening to kill Sarah if he does not deliver the money. As Ros races to stop the bomb going off at the Square Mile, Lucas meets up with Darshavin back at the Estuary, and is able to break him into revealing the disarming code, before Lucas delivers him back to the FSB. Before he is delivered however, Darshavin attempts to bargain his way out by revealing details of a secret meeting in Basel, Switzerland from "Nightingale", something Harry is already aware of in a previous episode. [2]

In a secondary story, Harry asks London's CIA director Samuel Walker (Brian Protheroe) for help on looking into the meeting. During his investigation, he discovers that one of his officers is involved. Before he can find out who, Sarah kills Walker by pushing Walker off the top floor of the building. This reveals that Sarah is a member of Nightingale.

Production

The stunt where Walker fell to his death was filmed at the London Ark. London-Ark-DMS-01.jpg
The stunt where Walker fell to his death was filmed at the London Ark.

The episode includes more shots of Richard Armitage wearing tattoos, which took two hours to apply "on a good day". However, they tend to "break up if you sweat". Armitage was told to stand still and "not touch anything", and they "rub off on the sheets". [3] Several scenes were filmed involving Lucas's interrogation, although only some were included within the final episode. [4]

The scene where Sarah pushed Walker was filmed at the top floor of the London Ark. The stunt took three hours to set up. To use Protheroe as much as possible, a breakaway balcony was used. The stunt was performed by Gordon Seed, who performed an 80-foot fall before, but onto water. Because of the building's layout, it was impractical to use wires, so Seed had to perform a free fall onto an air bag at the bottom. Beforehand, weights were dropped down until the crew were satisfied Seed would survive the fall. Four separate camera angles were used to shoot the scene. [5]

Broadcast and reception

I did [...] very much enjoy the classic spying methods in evidence in Waterstones; the economy with which the tension between Harry and Ruth is being played out; the moment when Sarah let herself into Lucas's flat – and threw her boss over the stairwell when he came close to uncovering her.

Vicky Frost of The Guardian [6]

The episode originally aired on BBC Three on 20 November 2009, and later repeated on frontline channel BBC One on 25 November, both cases airing during the 9pm to 10pm timeslot. [7] Though there is no available data concerning the ratings following the BBC Three broadcast, the BBC One broadcast received total viewing figures of 5.18 million, making Spooks the thirteenth most seen programme for BBC One, and 34th overall in British television the week it aired [8]

Vicky Frost of The Guardian thought the introduction was "a relatively tame start to proceedings", and that the episode was "tightly plotted, deft and exciting", and the final twist was "marvellous", but believed that there were "one too many plots for an hour of Spooks", and that the backstory of Lucas "all seemed rather a missed opportunity." [6] Robert McLaughlin of Den of Geek noted that Lucas "spends a lot of this episode in a state of undress", and that while it was "a more personal episode, there are some huge implications set up and executed for the rest of the series, and while it might seem a waste of momentum to re-tread the imprisonment of Lucas from the beginning of last season, all the flashbacks, dabs of information and the entire setup are all relevant", concluding by stating that "Spooks continues to be one of the best shows the Beeb currently offers." [9]

Related Research Articles

<i>Spooks</i> (TV series) British television drama series (2002–2011)

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 seasons. The title is a colloquialism for spies, and the series follows the activities of the intelligence officers of Section D in MI5, 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">Harry Pearce</span> Fictional character from spooks

Sir Henry James "Harry" Pearce, KBE was a fictional character, head of the counter-terrorism department of MI5 as featured in the British television series Spooks. He was played by Peter Firth during the whole run of the series from 2002 to 2011, and reprised for the 2015 film, Spooks: The Greater Good.

<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.

Tom Quinn (<i>Spooks</i>) 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.

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

Joanna Portman (1979–2010) was a fictional Field Operative in the Counter-Terrorism department at MI5, featured in the British television series Spooks. She was played by Miranda Raison. A former aspiring journalist, she joined the team in the fifth episode of series 4 after being recruited by Adam Carter; Jo retained her journalist occupation as her MI5 cover. She was killed in a volatile hostage situation in the third episode of the eighth series.

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

Rosalind Sarah Myers is a fictional character from the BBC television series Spooks, which follows the exploits of Section D, a counter-terrorism division in MI5. She is portrayed by British actress Hermione Norris. The character was a former MI6 officer who joins MI5 in the fifth series.

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

Lucas North, formerly known as John Bateman, is a fictional character from the BBC espionage television series Spooks, which follows the exploits of Section D, a counter-terrorism division of MI5. North is portrayed by British actor Richard Armitage. The character is introduced in Spooks' seventh series as the former head of Section D, who was captured and imprisoned during an operation in Russia. He returns to the UK after eight years and is eventually reinstated into MI5. He is described as having once been the best in his field, and he is now trying to regain his former brilliance.

<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 eighth series of the BBC espionage television series Spooks began broadcasting on 4 November 2009 before ending on 23 December 2009. The series consists of eight episodes.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beth Bailey</span> Fictional character

Beth Bailey is a fictional character from the BBC espionage television series Spooks, which follows the exploits of Section D, a counter-terrorism division in MI5. She is portrayed by British actress Sophia Myles. Beth Bailey was introduced in Spooks's ninth series as a private contractor in her first episode, and later joins Section D. The character is based on a real-life person Myles met while working on the series. Reaction towards the character was generally positive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maya Lahan</span> Fictional character from television series Spooks

Doctor Maya Lahan is a fictional character from the British espionage television series Spooks, which follows the exploits of Section D, a counter-terrorism division in MI5. She is portrayed by British actress Laila Rouass. Maya is introduced in the ninth series of the programme as the first love and former girlfriend of John Bateman fifteen years before the events of the series.

"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".

"Split Loyalties" is the second episode of series seven of the British espionage television series Spooks, and the 58th episode overall. It was originally broadcast on BBC Three on 27 October 2008, and repeated on frontline channel BBC One the following day. The episode was written by head writer Neil Cross; with additional writing by Ben Richards; and directed by Colm McCarthy. The episode is considered the second of a two-part story, following preceding episode "New Allegiances".

"The Tip-Off" is the third episode of series seven of the British espionage television series Spooks, and the 59th episode overall. It was originally broadcast on digital channel BBC Three on 28 October 2008, and repeated on frontline channel BBC One on 3 November. The episode was written by Russell Lewis; with additional writing by Ben Richards; and directed by Peter Hoar. In the episode, Ben Kaplan goes undercover to infiltrate an Al-Qaeda cell in London during a dry run before an expected attack. However, it later becomes apparent the terrorists are going to attack during the dry run.

"On the Brink" is the fifth episode of series seven of the British espionage television series Spooks, and the 60th episode overall. It was originally broadcast on digital channel BBC Three on 10 November 2008, and repeated on frontline channel BBC One on 17 November. The episode was written by Christian Spurrier, his first writing credit for the series, and directed by Edward Hall. Set during the credit crunch, in this episode, Section D chief Ros Myers works undercover to stop Alexis Meynell, a banker who is attempting to bankrupt the country. Later, Ros discovers Meynell's motive.

"Nuclear Strike" is the series seven finale and 64th episode of the British espionage television series Spooks. It was originally broadcast on BBC One on 8 December 2008. The episode was written by Neil Cross, and directed by Sam Miller. In the episode, Tiresias, the Russian equivalent of Sugarhorse, awakens a sleeper agent to detonate a nuclear suitcase bomb in central London. The Section D team use Connie James, an FSB mole who helped set up Tiresias, to help them stop the bomb. However, the team find themselves targeted by an FSB kill squad, who are unaware of the bomb threat.

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.

References

  1. Sam Miller (director); Christian Spurrier & Sean Reilly (writer) (13 November 2009). "Series 8, Episode 3". Spooks . Series 8. Episode 3. BBC. BBC Three.
  2. Alrick Riley (director); Ben Richards (writer) (6 November 2009). "Series 8, Episode 2". Spooks . Series 8. Episode 2. BBC. BBC Three.
  3. Wylie, Ian (29 October 2009). "Spooks: Richard Armitage". Manchester Evening News . Trinity Mirror . Retrieved 25 September 2010.
  4. Arnopp, Jason (25 September 2009). "Spy Games". Film Star Magazine.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. Acting the Fall (Spooks: Series 8 DVD, Disc 2). E1 Entertainment. 2010.
  6. 1 2 Frost, Vicky (25 November 2009). "Spooks: Season eight, episode four". The Guardian . Retrieved 25 September 2010.
  7. "BBC – BBC One Programmes – Spooks – Episodes from 2009". BBC Online . Retrieved 25 September 2010.
  8. "Weekly Top 30 Programmes (scroll down to BBC1 and select w/e 29 Nov 2009)". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board . Retrieved 25 September 2010.
  9. McLaughlin, Robert (25 November 2009). "Spooks series 8 episode 4 review". Den of Geek. Retrieved 25 September 2010.