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Spooks: Series 10, Episode 6 – Dork Review

Nick Bryan — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 21:01:52 +0000

The end! The finale! The last ever outing for the BBC’s Spooks, the spy show that dared to ask: Is there anything we can’t get away with, as long as we do it with conviction, shouting and a reasonable budget?

For years, the sky was the limit for Spooks and their made-up intrigue, but now it’s finally over. Can they provide a conclusion that lives up to the last decade of nonsensical espionage and character slaughter?

Duck And Cower

They’ve been building a plotline all year involving Harry’s secret history with a Russian minister’s family, with the normal Spooks pattern of quintuple crosses and conspiracies within conspiracies, so there are plenty of chances for drama at the very end.

The tension has built well enough, but I found myself wishing for more scale and heart-stopping drama in the finale. Having all of our heroes locked in a bunker whilst the action happens in brief cutaways feels like budget cuts taking hold. They made good use of the locked rooms and claustrophobia a few times, but still.

For example, although I’d hate to wish earlier cancellation on them, concluding the whole series with last year’s Lucas North betrayal arc would’ve brought a lot more into play. Obviously, you’d need to rejig it to provide finality to other stories like the Harry/Ruth mess, but it was a more exciting storyline.

The End Of The End

Which brings us, inevitably, to the real ending. Proper terrifying spoilers lurk below, so last chance to turn back.

And… that was a bummer wasn’t it? I’m not even a huge fan of the Ruth/Harry coupling, but still thoroughly depressing. Not to mention the cameo from an old character, which was a nice touch, but also nailed home the central moral: no-one ever escapes from the horror. (Especially since that guy was written out of the show due to an attack of conscience, yet is now doing Harry’s dirty work.)

It did provide a final, meaningful ending to their stories of the year, I’m just left with a nagging feeling it could’ve done more. Peter Firth gives Harry presence as always, he definitely sold the misery, but we didn’t really get a cap to the whole enterprise, only the Ruth/Harry/Gavriks aspect. Fans of Erin, Calum and Dimitri: they were also there.

Nonetheless, that was that. Spooks is over, and the last two lines were “Bad people want to kill us” and “Harry Pearce”. Definitely apt, though I am disappointed no character uttered the words “MI5, not 9 to 5”. Make sure you watch the finale on iPlayer, then let us know below: was it enough ending for you?

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Spooks – Series 10, Episode 5 – Dork Review

Nick Bryan — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 21:33:16 +0000

This is it: the penultimate Spooks review. Next week, ten years of spy melodrama comes to a (hopefully) explosive climax, and all they need do first is get us all excited in advance of the big bang.

So do they manage it? Are we ready for the culmination of literally everything ever to happen in the world?

Harry And Ruth’s Masterspy Theatre

Well, after giving a bit of spotlight to other cast members in the last few weeks, we are now back squarely in The Sir Harry Pearce Show. The great lion of MI5 straddles this episode like a colossus, making mistakes, having schemes and telling everyone what to do, all the while exhibiting a strange sadness which, one suspects, will come to a head next week.

In the meantime, our hero has some fine British moments, such as pouring away the milk before going to meet his destiny. Also showing off local appeal is Simon Russell Beale as Home Secretary, who has been on good form all year, but gets extra screentime here, and delivers some excellent one-liners.

And a whole episode of Harry, of course, means more spy-crossed romance with Ruth. I’ll be honest, I got sick of this a year or two ago, but since it’s been running for so very long, obviously they’ll want to resolve it. And it seems clear that next week either they will get together or one of them will die.

The Spies Left Out In The Cold

Fans of characters who are not Harry and Ruth will have a frustrating time watching this, as none of them do much of anything. But at least Dimitri and Erin got their spotlight episodes in past weeks and Calum… well, he got screwed, but two out of three isn’t bad.

Which only leaves next week’s big ending. Will someone die? Will any old characters make a surprise return? Surely Malcolm could manage a cameo? Is it still possible that spy-turned-terrorist Juliet Shaw from earlier series might be the big villain? Since she escaped without any reprisal in series 6 and I’ve been waiting for them to revisit her ever since?

We’ll see. One way or another, the penultimate Spooks did an adequate job of raising the tension, so check it out on iPlayer, post your predictions below, complain about the lack of major fatalities and next week, join us back here for… the ultimate Spooks?

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Spooks: Series 10, Episode 4 – Dork Review

Nick Bryan — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 21:07:59 +0000

Every so often, Spooks dives into the headlines and confronts religious extremism directly in the face. Unfortunately, this show is a simple beast, determined to keep us all happy with soap opera and explosions, so these are not always the complex issue explorations they want to be.

Well, it’s time for Spooks Vs Fundamentalism 2011, and since this is the final series, it may never happen again. How did they do?

Childcare Tip #6: Don’t Become A Spy

Last week, it was Dimitri’s spotlight mission, and this week the relatively new Erin gets her turn to hog the screentime. From the preview at the end of that last one, it seemed inevitable that her daughter would be somehow imperilled. Never one to disappoint, Spooks does exactly that, but holds back from a truly horrific outcome.

Aside from Erin’s angstcapades, we get a few stock characters from the fundamentalist terror camp. The basic plot is standard enough, but it doesn’t say anything new about the subject, certainly nothing Spooks itself hasn’t said the last few times they wheeled it out. I think they had extreme Christian terrorism during a past series, which was at least a fresher take.

Harry Pearce’s Genitals Restart The Cold War

The ongoing CIA/Russia storyline, meanwhile, has become sluggish lately. Both this and last episode, they spent the whole hour confirming that the previous cliffhanger revelation is definitely true, which is a pedantic approach to drama. With only two episodes left, hopefully they’ll set the clipboard aside next week.

In the meantime, this was an okay episode, but Dimitri took his turn to bat with more focus and presence than Erin manages here; she’s mostly reduced to weeping at the sidelines whilst stuff happens around her. The climax was tense, but they didn’t get me empathising enough with Ashur to draw me into their ending.

And so another episode ends. Only two more to go, and no fatalities since Tariq in episode two; surely this is wrong? Check it out on iPlayer and let us know who they should kill.

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Spooks: Series 10, Episode 3 – Dork Review

Nick Bryan — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 21:32:04 +0000

It’s tough being a B-level spy on long-running BBC MI5 drama Spooks. You cruise along for months with nothing to do except chase people and mutter about it, safe in the knowledge that one day you’ll be killed off to make a major storyline seem important.

But once every year or so, you get a chance to shine, and so it is for Dimitri this week. Will he rise to the occasion, or since it’s the last series, will he just phone it in and die?

One Man’s Chance To Shine

Ever since his introduction, Dimitri’s main gimmick is being a damn nice chap, and that’s a trait Spooks writers have struggled with in the past. Just ask poor, dead Zaf. But they work it nicely in this one; Dimitri struggles with his good nature throughout, as he finds himself both manipulator and manipulated.

Actor Max Brown, no doubt aware that this could be a good entry for his CV, plays Dimitri as goodhearted throughout and makes the most of it when his emotions bubble over. He doesn’t project angst into space like past handsome Spooks chaps, but there’s something to be said for taking it on the chin.

Unlike last episode, where the plot bled into the main arc, Dimitri’s little story gets a beginning, middle and end, and I think it’s much stronger for it.

Harry’s Folly

Meanwhile, the whole-series thrust involving Harry and his Russian bastard takes a few more steps, alongside the cliffhanger from last week. Between all those threads, they manage to find something for everyone to do here, then bring it together into yet another cliffhanger to take us into the second half of the series.

Don’t get me wrong, there are still questions: Why are Americans always evil? Why are two Russians speaking English in (dubious) Russian accents in private? Did Dimitri really escape radiation poisoning by making a Wile E. Coyote facial expression and legging it?

Nonetheless, one of the stronger, most well balanced episodes we’ve seen from Spooks so far this year. They kept all their plates spinning with skill, and I hope we’ll see more of that in the coming weeks. Next time: it looks like Erin’s turn to take her seat in the torture chair. Will her kids be killed, or merely imperilled?

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Spooks: Series 10, Episode 2 – Dork Review

Nick Bryan — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 21:34:42 +0000

The clock is ticking for both the final series of Spooks and the mighty Sir Harry Pearce – only four shows to go after this! But even in their last year, the guys still have time to tackle current affairs with their usual subtlety and lightness of touch. (Well, I imagine it was current when they made the episode.)

So, will the fictional security service response to Wikileaks be any better than the real one?

Spookileaks – Calum Shames Himself

You know how these internet security leaks often stem from a civil servant leaving a file on a train? Well, it would have been funnier if the same thing had happened to Calum here, but that wouldn’t have been melodramatic enough for Spooks. Instead, he gets mugged and things go from there. Good start, kid.

The central leak storyline is intriguing for the most part, and it does leave you wondering how they’ll get out of this using the normal Spooks methodology of melodrama and impossible IT superpowers. Unfortunately, the answer appears to be: um, it just kinda stops.

The whole storyline somewhat fizzles out, everything is resolved, um, somehow. There is, of course, a big twist in the closing minutes, as we see our first Spooks fatality of the year. You do feel bad for the poor guy, but not as much as I would’ve done if it’d still been Malcolm. Tariq was always friendly enough but never as endearing.

Greater Good And Bigger Picture

The nature of his death suggests that Calum’s mugging is tied into a wider storyline. Normal laws of dramatic coincidence point to it being the same one Sir Pearce is currently embroiled in, but you never know with Spooks.

Speaking of Big Harry, his Russian intrigue saga takes surprisingly big leaps forward this week. I suppose with only a handful of episodes left, they can’t really afford to pussyfoot around. This gets my hopes up that things will go utterly nuts by the end of the year.

Erin also has an emotional moment with a terrified asset this week. The woman in question is well acted, actually, and it’s a decent subplot, but wasn’t Erin acting section chief? Shouldn’t she be a bit more hardened, rather than plummeting into indecision so easily? Just seemed odd.

In summation, this was a decent episode, but perhaps more in terms of what it promised for the future than what it actually does in itself. Tariq’s death gives the whole thing a bit more heft, but still. On the other hand, I’m definitely looking forward to next week now. Check it out on iPlayer and let us know how you think the series is developing.

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Spooks: Series 10, Episode 1 – Dork Review

Nick Bryan — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 12:06:16 +0000

This year, the BBC are pitting Spooks in a ratings battle with current UK drama darling Downton Abbey, a battle it probably will not win, no matter how many characters it slaughters. Fortunately, it’s the last series anyway, so the question of whether poor viewing figures might result in cancellation is moot.

But leaving the ratings horserace aside: was it actually any good?

The Sir Harry Pearce Show

Well, after the Shakespearean downfall of Lucas North last series, Spooks finds itself for the first time without a handsome, angst-ridden leading man. Instead of continuing the Quinn/Carter/North legacy, the writers are choosing to focus on Sir Harry Pearce, who has become main character by dint of sheer longevity.

Since this is the final year, I’m inclined to give them this one, even if their failure to provide a new head spy smacks of budget constraints. Harry has been the one constant from the very beginning, and it’s probably apt enough that the show ends by finally taking him down. I only hope that nothing too horrible happens to the poor guy.

On the other hand, this focus also means more of the Harry/Ruth romance, a relationship I’ve never found overly convincing. Still, at least he hasn’t proposed again. (Yet.)

The Human Resources Department

Elsewhere, we have two new spies, Calum and Erin, and Sophia Myles’s Beth Bailey has been shuffled off in a one-line write-out. Fair enough, they never did much with her after one initial storyline. And yes, Dimitri fans, he is still there, looking as pretty and doing as little as ever.

The new characters aren’t bad, although Erin is a little too constantly model-gorgeous to be a convincing action heroine. Still, her family storyline promises awful drama in the future; when has a Spooks character trying to maintain a normal life ever ended well? Would they kill a child on-screen to ramp up the final series drama, or would that be excessive?

Storyline-wise, we appear to be headed for an arc-driven year. They introduce enough complications this week to easily keep us humming for six episodes. So even if Downton Abbey trounces Spooks in the ratings, hopefully this will be a satisfying final run, not to mention one with heavy fatalities. Check the episode out on iPlayer and let us know how you’re feeling about the oncoming end.

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Outcasts: Episodes 1 & 2 – Dork Review

Nick Bryan — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 20:56:16 +0000

The renaissance in British science fiction and fantasy TV continues with Outcasts, a new proper grown-up sci-fi series on primetime BBC1. It features much of what you’d expect: other planets, space-ships, special effects and a range of British actors you recognise from somewhere trying to deliver made-up jargon with a straight face.

So has it worked? Will Outcasts be with us for years to come, or will it be out-cast?

Why So Serious?

Watching the two episodes of Outcasts that helpfully aired on consecutive days, I wasn’t entirely taken at first. It’s very earnest, isn’t it? Much of the genre TV that’s become popular in recent years, Doctor Who, Primeval, even the adult-targeted Being Human, had a sense of its own ridiculousness and determinedly cracked jokes to make itself accessible to the common man.

Outcasts doesn’t bother with any of that. The comic relief is sparse; they are definitely taking this seriously. Once I got past my initial confusion, though, and worked out who the many characters were, I started to enjoy it. I still love the shows I mentioned last paragraph (except Primeval, obviously), but TV sci-fi without the nudge-wink is a nice change.

It’s not perfect, the first episode in particular is rather slow, and some of the “surprises” are a bit telegraphed, but there is a lot of interesting set-up for future storylines, and some good moral dilemmas as well.

Kudos To Spooks

I was interested to note that Outcasts is a Kudos production. In retrospect, this makes sense, as they have produced most watchable adult genre dramas in recent years, including the popular Life On Mars/Ashes To Ashes saga. However, Outcasts reminds me more of their Spooks, and not just because it has the great Hermione Norris in it.

No, it’s more the chunks of screentime spent talking about ridiculous things as if they are the deadly serious end of the world. In fact, this could easily be Spooks In Space. But such straight-faced delivery might also be what makes the show a tougher sell for those outside the Dork Club. We’ll have to wait and see.

Nonetheless I’m on board. The first episode is available on iPlayer, as is the second, so if you didn’t give them a shot, do it now and let me know whether you’re sticking around with me.

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Spooks: Series 9, Episode 8 – Dork Review

Nick Bryan — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 10:06:33 +0000

After eight nailbiting episodes, the BBC’s Spooks has ended its ninth series. Former lead spy Lucas North has finally flipped, and when someone goes round the bend in Spooks, they don’t just sit in their room making obscene paper dolls.

No, Lucas leaps straight from handsome hero to rogue agent and treasonous terrorist. Is it the hand-wringing action epic we’ve all been hoping for? (Oh, and caution: I may spoil, or at least imply, the ending of the episode. Watch it on iPlayer before reading.)

Lucas North – Man Of Action

They’ve been trailing this Lucas/John storyline since the first episode of the year, so the finale had to be a super-dramatic event. And sure enough, I was glued to my little plastic seat, waiting to see who might die, only sometimes noticing that surely this ridiculous plotline doesn’t make much sense.

As well as Richard Armitage getting a workout as Lucas, Peter Firth ended up really going through it this week. His Harry Pearce is the beating heart of Spooks, and it always feels tense whenever he’s in danger. To be honest, the bulk of the episode was a back and forth between those two, somewhat to the exclusion of almost every other character.

The exception being Ruth, who would never be left out of a Harry-focused storyline. And she was good too, though she didn’t steal the show like she did last week.

The Bigger Picture (Look It Up, Harry)

So, an exciting ending. I’d have liked a little more clarity on the final fate of Lucas, and some of the contrived spy schemes would surely have required psychic powers to actually work? Especially the one where Lucas enacted a plan that relied on Ruth going out to a field operation, something that doesn’t often happen. Oh, and Lucas was suspiciously well equipped for a rogue agent.

Of course, by far the most exciting news is that my Spooks Series Nine Death Pool was amazingly close to being correct! So, um, I wouldn’t click on the link to that unless you’ve seen the episode, as it may constitute a spoiler even though I wrote it in September.

And finally…

Coming a close second in the news stakes was the snazzy post-credits trailer announcing that there will be a series ten. Which leaves us with questions, such as: Will the cliffhanger of this episode really take out Harry? Is this Alec chap a new regular character? Whatever happened to Beth’s “shady past”?

Leave your answers in the comments below, along with your thoughts on the episode and whether it lived up to your expectations. And thanks for reading and commenting on the reviews this series, everyone. It’s been fun.

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Spooks: Series 9, Episode 7 – Dork Review

Nick Bryan — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 11:43:21 +0000

This is what we’ve been building up to for the whole ninth series of Spooks. Lucas North’s nervous breakdown finally hits critical mass, and Harry has to wrestle with the fact that “John” simply isn’t an exciting enough name for his section chief. Meanwhile, incredibly, there’s time for a whole other case elsewhere.

But this is mostly about resolving six episodes worth of hinting and mumbling, so expectations are high. Did the Spooks team live up to them?

Evil John And The Black Armband

I wrote a few paragraphs in last week’s Spooks review about the mysteries surrounding Lucas North, and many of them are explained this week. Perhaps. It’s strongly implied towards the end that Lucas was not a reliable narrator, perhaps unknowingly so.

To be honest, I’m not taken by the idea that Lucas has some long-dormant nasty personality (“Evil John”?) that is now emerging. His declaration at the end of the episode implies that is where they are going, but I live in hope that it’s a bluff. Regardless, he seems too far gone for rehabilitation. I have prepared my black armband for a big Lucas/John death scene next week.

Oh, and I’m not sure they’ve convinced me of Lucas/John’s love for this “Maya” woman. I keep forgetting she exists whenever she’s off-screen.

Poor Lucas, Upstaged On His Big Day

But although the headline news is Lucas and his strange olden days haircut, he comes close to being upstaged by a secondary plot involving Ruth and a man who works for the council. I kept expecting it to dovetail with the main storyline, but it remained separate, seemingly thrown in to give characters other than Lucas and Harry something to do.

Which makes it sound cursory, but the climax of this subplot is one of the most intense scenes we’ve had on Spooks for a while. Kudos to Nicola Walker, playing Ruth, for unleashing some raw emotion, as well as her speech in the follow-up scene. All very good, and I note Ruth was in peril again during the trailer for next week, so perhaps all that is leading somewhere.

In short, another good episode, although whether I remember it fondly will depend on how they end it next time. I’m hoping they pull back on the Lucas/John personality change angle, myself. So, see you back here next week for one last Spooks review, and in the meantime, do check out the episode on iPlayer and comment below with any thoughts on the likely outcome.

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Spooks: Series 9, Episode 6 – Dork Review

Nick Bryan — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 10:06:59 +0000

The end of the series is poking over the horizon in Spooks, so it’s time to yank tightly on that Lucas subplot that’s been bubbling under the whole time. As our rugged hero acts steadily more unhinged to keep his secrets, the rest of the team get on with the dull task of protecting the nation and stuff.

More importantly, an old character returns! I’ll refrain from spoiling it here, although I probably will by the time this review is over. Still, these sound like the ingredients for a good episode, don’t they?

No Wonder Lucas Is Confused

So, we know Lucas used to be called “John”, right? And he has some kind of secret, which might be that he’s now an MI5 spy called “Lucas North” or something else entirely, but he’s determined that Maya doesn’t find out. This bloke Vaughn, working for some mysterious entity, is holding that over him to retrieve the Albany file, whatever that is.

In short, considering this plotline has been going on since the very first episode of the series, we don’t have much idea what’s going on. I can well believe that we’re headed for a two-parter to wrap this mess up, since most of next week will probably be given over to that web of questions.

Maybe they could’ve started the big plotline a bit later? It has seemed a bit incremental at a few points, but at least we’re at top speed now.

When Good Actors Act Badly

Oh, the actual episode? Sorry, I got a bit distracted, which is sad, as it’s also one of the more interesting main plotlines as well. Our heroes are under constant surveillance, forced to act like they’re in a rubbish daytime soap in order to fool the enemy. Oh, and the world’s least convincing programmer/cryptographer must be protected at all costs.

More importantly, Malcolm is back! Our favourite retired dude has a pivotal role, and owns the episode in many ways. You’ll see. I do hope they didn’t bring him back to die, and also that he somehow gets to make Tariq look stupid.

So yes, despite my playful mockery, I thought this was a great one. Took us a while to get here, but we’re firing on all cylinders. Top-speed ridiculousness with a dead straight face: this is why I watch Spooks. Watch it on iPlayer, tell me I’m right, join me next week for the first part of a series finale.

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Dork Adore » Spooks

Spooks: Series 10, Episode 6 – Dork Review

Duck And Cower

The End Of The End

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Spooks – Series 10, Episode 5 – Dork Review

Harry And Ruth’s Masterspy Theatre

The Spies Left Out In The Cold

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Spooks: Series 10, Episode 4 – Dork Review

Childcare Tip #6: Don’t Become A Spy

Harry Pearce’s Genitals Restart The Cold War

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Spooks: Series 10, Episode 3 – Dork Review

One Man’s Chance To Shine

Harry’s Folly

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Spooks: Series 10, Episode 2 – Dork Review

Spookileaks – Calum Shames Himself

Greater Good And Bigger Picture

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Spooks: Series 10, Episode 1 – Dork Review

The Sir Harry Pearce Show

The Human Resources Department

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Outcasts: Episodes 1 & 2 – Dork Review

Why So Serious?

Kudos To Spooks

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Spooks: Series 9, Episode 8 – Dork Review

Lucas North – Man Of Action

The Bigger Picture (Look It Up, Harry)

And finally…

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Spooks: Series 9, Episode 7 – Dork Review

Evil John And The Black Armband

Poor Lucas, Upstaged On His Big Day

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Spooks: Series 9, Episode 6 – Dork Review

No Wonder Lucas Is Confused

When Good Actors Act Badly

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