Yes, this episode reminds us that the intelligence services have to cope with many threads so I thought that the episode was reasonably balanced in terms of the 2 story lines. Mind you, 2 quibbles - what happened to Erin's daughter's baby sitter (who I thought was supposed to be granny) & how did the bomber's daughter get extracted from her (presumably Al Quaeda) captors? All very conveniently bypassed. It also looks like there may be a mini-sparkette between Erin & Dimitri. But I digress.

The evidence appears to be stacking up against Coaver but I'm sure they'll be twists aplenty before the series ENDs. I'm sure that Ilya is more involved in all this. I'm looking forward to seeing Harry get his leather gloves out and we all know what that means!

So it looks like Ruth is away to the HS. Can't wait for next week, even though that means that we are edging ever closer to the END.

Holy cow! I have just caught up with the 4 episodes of season 10, and I have to say this is turning out much better than season 9. Nicely done, Spooks!

Hmmm. I disagree with the characterisation of this episode being the best so far. This whole episode didn't quite fit together right. The first half was full of coincidences that didn't quite ring true and the second half had all these big dramatic moments that were then followed by....meh. Essentially there was just some very bad dialogue and some real cheesiness. Julian Holmes did a decent job with what he had, but the writing was all over the shop, disappointing given that it could have been a really good episode if it had been planned better. (The reveal about the two kids being kidnapped should have come much earlier in the game for a start.) A good example of the writing being the most important thing, in the end.

Oh and where was Erin's mum? I almost expected to see her with a bullet in her head at any moment.

I still don't buy Ruth going to work for Towers. He's much too cynical for her and I am not convinced that what she is leaving is less important then what she is going to. I did like the Harry and Ruth bench scene, probably the best writing of the episode. I agree with Harry that not everything needs to be known but I get that Ruth will never completely trust him, so the middle line is walked finely once again in the writing, as it must be done.

I'm probably not being completely clear about what was wrong with this episode but I am not prepared to give a blow by blow account and no one would want to read it anyway. I thought this was the weakest of the season so far.

Next week looks like fun, at least we'll have some car chases.

On reflection I think Coaver has been set up. He was quite convincing in his discourse with Ruth.


I presume that Ruth has done a lot more digging than just pulling out Coaver's file and that's left to our imagination?

How did he find out she was investigating him? Is it possible that Ruth calling up his file triggered an alert and someone at MI5 has warned him?

We're seeing a good lot of Dmitri now but apart from a few snippets we still know hardly nothing about him. I'm wondering is it all leading up to something.

If anything the waters are even more muddied after this episode.

I was quite gripped by this episode and thought it a million times more entertaining than last week's. I know it's all been done before but it was done well IMO. Letting their assets down has becoming an interesting theme this week and last in relation to Elena, however, like everyone else I did wonder what happened to Erin's mum and thought it a glaring hole too far. Some things can be left to our imagination but not that. Maybe it's because I know Harry could be Sasha's dad that I picked up on a brilliant moment at the meeting with Ilya and the HS when they agreed to begin sharing secrets and Ilya looked very pointedly at Harry and said "you go first". There was a glint in his eye that said he knew Harry was keeping one hell of a secret! All that business of the diplomatic car cruising about with tinted windows screamed set up to me and Coaver looked genuinely surprised that Harry suspected him so think someone is setting one against the other. I'm relieved Ruth is heading across to the HS's department because her pained face is driving me nuts. If she's going to worry about what Harry got up to 30 years ago she's never going to cope with what's probably gone on since!

Scene with Ruth and Coaver didn't seem quite right but it seems from this that Elena may be seeking revenge on Coaver if he stopped Harry getting her and Sasha out of the country.
Another laughable attempt at a killing - I think that Elena was in on it which is why she kept so still and upright so the woman could shoot the benc ! I assume this was to make Harry think she was innocent and that Coaver was guilty. I wonder if Harry was playing Elena here - Sasha, Ruth and himself were all very visable. I'm not sure that a man ? driving the 4 by 4 at the scene and Coaver getting into the back of the same car can be the evidence they need.

Are Ilya and Elena working together to get revenge on Harry and Coaver and will Sasha choose to do the right thing in the end?

Blimey Ruth saying s**t twice in an episode must mean things are really bad!

An enjoyable episode given that the storyline's pretty familiar. Asif Khan did a great job as Ashur. Why wasn't Ruth watching the woman in the park scene with the attempt on Elena given that we already know she's the one doing all the dirty work for Coaver? Can't see him breaking cover to shoot Elena himself.

I'm convinced Lara Pulver must have 'can frequently cry on demand' in the special skills section of her CV - getting a little tired of it now. Also, what's with Dmitri and Erin stealing the rooftop scenes? It's almost like their being set up to become the new Harry and Ruth.

Continuity error - in the 'Last Time' bit at the beginning while Ruth is having dinner with the HS he asks if he can tear her from Harry's tentacles and she replies that she would have to do it herself but in the aired episode she doesn't reply at all and the next line is the HS telling her that he doesn't want to be a homewrecker.

(10-10-2011 12:39 AM)RussIan Wrote:  The scenes between Erin (who might just be taking over Jo as hottest female agent) and Dimitri at the bottom of the stairs and on top of Thames House were quite well done, I thought there was going to be some intimacy there. Whether that was planned I'm not sure!

Another good episode, alot of tense moments make for a good Spooks! I do think this series is up there with the best of them. There can't only be two episodes left ever!

Nobody will be as hot as Jo

i enjoyed the episode was very good an edge of seat stuff. i cant believe there is only 2 weeks left :-(

Continuity error - in the 'Last Time' bit at the beginning while Ruth is having dinner with the HS he asks if he can tear her from Harry's tentacles and she replies that she would have to do it herself but in the aired episode she doesn't reply at all and the next line is the HS telling her that he doesn't want to be a homewrecker....

I do not think this was a continuity error. I think it was another of the bread crumbs which NW talked about. She may go work in the HS's office but she will not be released from Harry's loving tentacles, nor him from hers.

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The Harry and Ruth sideline is also keeping me very intrigued, Ruth's face when Jim told her that Harry wanted to extract Elena and Sasha all those years ago was heartbreaking, as was the scene where she saw Harry hold Elena - all the emotions on her face came through very clearly! The standout scene though was of course the park bench. Ruth's hurt and anger was palpable as she said 'people don't love each other on a need to know basis'. The anguish on both their faces throughout this scene was very telling, and somehow they both seem to realise now quite how much they mean to each other. Harry telling Ruth to go and work for the HS (who showed his true colours to Ruth earlier) obviously hurt them both very much but it'll be a very interesting dynamic to watch next week.


He is only trying to protect her - He cannot help himself. Of course, Ruth will not take it this way. He was prepared remember to use Elena as bait - clearly, he is not prepared to risk losing Ruth's life even if it means letting her go away from him. His reaction when she tells him about the job offer is not that of a man who wants her to go but of a man who is compelled to do so by tragic circumstances of which he is no longer in control.

My second favourite episode so far. Not as nail biting as episode 2 as I really couldn't see the BBC having a little girl shot dead by a Muslim on national TV. The director general at the BBC would have had a heart attack, so you could pretty well guess the ending. I thought the plot was well constructed though and a little different. The fairly stupid British born convert paired with the Pakistania born man who just wanted a better life and found himself a pawn used by both sides. Both actors played it very well though.

I think I'm right in thinking that Harry knows Ruth is going to meet Coaver, yes? She talks to Harry just before about getting the proof he needs. But I think Ruth uses the situation to get personal information about Harry. She's acting all flustered but I think that's put on to get Coaver to open up. I don't know what everyone else thinks. I'm not sure how Harry and Coaver can still be friends though if Coaver was sent to kill Harry? I assume if he went through with the extraction? Pretty tough call there and probably left Harry with no choice but to abandon Elena and his son.

I agree with JHyde that I don't quite buy the Towers relationship. When she walked into his office, did she really expect him to capitulate like Harry so often does now?

Loved the bench scene. Poor Harry. He fully expected to get it in the neck by the look on his face. Lots unsaid again though. Ruth was basically saying, if I had married you, you wouldn't have told me about Sasha even then. Ruth to me was also not saying, don't let me go again, fight for me to stay. A throwback to 5.5. The way Ruth laughed, just struck me as she knew what his response would be. She also seemed to be pleading (slightly) by asked him what she should do.

As for the earlier park scene! Grief, that was the most obvious stake out ever. At least Harry and Ruth and Sasha could have hid in the bushes. That scene was a little Laurel & Hardy