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Are Spooks not total heroes?
21-01-2010, 07:10 PM
Post: #1
Are Spooks not total heroes?
Hi!

This article from Times Online was posted on a RA forum. It mentions briefly Lucas North at the beginning and the show at the end.
I found it very interesting, I don't completely agree about Gregory House but what they said about Spooks made wonder, I haven't seen S1-S6 and from what I've seen in S7-S8 I don't think they...

Spoiler: show
have cheerfully engaged in torture, extraordinary rendition and treason

I've seen that if they had to put in danger some civilians in order to avoid worst consequences they would, but have they done what is described above? Or is it that I'm part of this generation the article describes and don't see fault were maybe people 30 years back would?

Are Spooks really antiheroes instead of heroes or just not-total-heroes?

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21-01-2010, 07:22 PM (This post was last modified: 21-01-2010 07:26 PM by lwhite53.)
Post: #2
RE: Are Spooks not total heroes?
Absolutely YES! Not one of the spooks group is the guy/gal in the white hat. They've all done things that are just the wrong side of legal (which is not necessarily so bad) but they've also all done things that are the wrong side of moral (which is). And none of them denies it. They may try to explain it, or defend it, or even to justify it . . . but they don't deny it. Which is probably why we accept them and root for them. Because basically, they are us (existentially speaking)

harry
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21-01-2010, 07:33 PM
Post: #3
RE: Are Spooks not total heroes?
I think they are heroes though... whatever they do they have good motives and act heroicly...

ros
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21-01-2010, 08:25 PM
Post: #4
RE: Are Spooks not total heroes?
They're definitely not perfect heroes, but they're people who put their lives on the line to protect ours. They don't enjoy torture, but they have to take one person's human rights and see if it's worth the people's lives that could die if they don't foil the attack. Even if they aren't always in the right, they normally are doing it to save us, and for me that makes them heroes...

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21-01-2010, 08:55 PM
Post: #5
RE: Are Spooks not total heroes?
I'd argue they're not heroes or anti heroes. They're people doing their job. Their job however requires them to risk their lives repeatedly, so they are heroic. They are like heroes.

They are also the people who do the dirty things for us so we don't have to worry about the dirty things.

Always love your country, but never trust your government.
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21-01-2010, 10:53 PM
Post: #6
RE: Are Spooks not total heroes?
(21-01-2010 08:55 PM)bertowud Wrote:  I'd argue they're not heroes or anti heroes. They're people doing their job. Their job however requires them to risk their lives repeatedly, so they are heroic. They are like heroes.

Yes, they are definitely heroic -- imperfect people with all of their personal and professional baggage, trying to do an impossible job within a set of tightly defined guidelines that can sometimes limit their effectiveness, and doing the best they possibly can even when they cross lines that shouldn't be crossed.

Are they heroes? No, I don't think so -- heroes are those "white hat" idealizations that we posit exist, but really don't. Heroes are created to be perfect, so being that way isn't really hard for them. But the spooks crew aren't perfect by any stretch of one's imagination and were never meant to be.

harry
"What is the truth?"
"Betrayal is a cancer. Let it eat your soul, not mine."
"Please tell me this isn't going where I think it's going."
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22-01-2010, 04:13 AM
Post: #7
RE: Are Spooks not total heroes?
Of course what do we know? We're disillusioned Americans.

Always love your country, but never trust your government.
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22-01-2010, 04:42 AM
Post: #8
RE: Are Spooks not total heroes?
I've been a bit disappointed with some aspects of the progress of the series. I enjoyed how in the early episodes they were rarely armed, always worked with the police, and were very conscious of the law - they even had one officer who ended up in court over her actions.

Since then, they've gone more action hero. Ros is now Jack Bauer with good shoes.

I enjoy that, but I enjoyed the more grounded first few seasons more. Anyone can get things done by blowing people away and torturing prisoners they know to be guilty. Doing things while respecting the rule of law is a lot more complicated, and in the real world most of the people you end up torturing will be entirely innocent.
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22-01-2010, 09:08 AM
Post: #9
RE: Are Spooks not total heroes?
I agree with bertowud and lwhite53's opinion, their acts are heroic, but no heroes or anti-heroes, after all they get paid for it, it's their job... You need guts to do that job!!! That is true.

And I also agree with Kyle Aaron, I prefer the first series aproach, without carrying their guns every now and then... Now it's too flashy...

"Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt"
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22-01-2010, 10:32 AM
Post: #10
RE: Are Spooks not total heroes?
Because this thread overlaps heavily with one already created, I'm closing this thread and directing this discussion to continue here: http://www.spooksforum.co.uk/thread-280.html

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