[spoilers] Harry and Ruth Strike Back

[Tea Lady]

(28-09-2010 09:50 PM)Beatriz Wrote:  I seem to get the scenes the other way round that you do Maybe Ruth wanted to hear Harry's voice... I dunno, but I was pretty certain that she only called to talk about work, and when she heard "anything else?" I think she wanted to say something but she didn't do it because Beth could overhear her...

Last week I was hopeful this week I'm sad... A tear came to my eye while watching this scene. I'm not saying Ruth isn't suffering but poor Harry... I wanted to hug him, he needs it.

Could anyone tell me what did they say to each other in the trailer for the next episode I couldn't understand it? Thank you. (No, I don't want to test your spoiler policy knowledge, there were no subtitles available).

It's great how we all have different views here. In fact, the more I watch that scene, the more convinced I am that Ruth wasn't going to mention work at all, as she seemed to stutter and really had to think hard about what she was going to say about work.

Anyway, is this what you meant Beatriz?

Series 9.3 trailer Spoiler: show

Harry says to Ruth "We have done what was asked. That's an end to it"

I would guess Ruth is hounding him about something and won't let it go, so he loses his temper a little.

[Beatriz]

Thank you, TL, that's what I was asking for

I need to watch it again with subtitles (although I understand it pretty well, better than other days).

I forgot to add that there are a lot of past quotes and reminiscence: "anything else?", a phone call late at night about "work"...

[Silktie]

Another thing I found interesting about the phone call scene is the symmetry to it. Although they're in different locations, Ruth in her flat and Harry still at work, they're both seated at a table with a drink, thinking about or actually working. Harry has a glass of whiskey on the table before him, even though we never see him drink from it. I like that little detail for some reason. And also, Ruth calls him on his work phone, not his mobile, so obviously she just assumes he'll still be at work at that late hour.

About next week's trailer

Series 9.3 Spoiler: show

it certainly looks as though Harry loses his rag a bit with Ruth. I'm actually looking forward to it, I think it's good that they don't paint Harry as some love-sick puppy that continues to trot after Ruth no matter how many times he gets kicked in the teeth for his trouble. I also think it will maybe make Ruth realise just how much he's been hurt by her reaction to his proposal, and make her see how much he loves her. That said, I don't want them to lose their professionalism at the office over this relationship thing. It's a fine line to walk before it turns into melodrama, so let's hope the writers get it right.

[JHyde]

I completely disagree with the consensus on this one. I think, for what it was, the scene was really good and played beautifully.

Ruth was calling about work. There was nothing else in there. I disagree that it's got to a point of parody, although I think it might not be far off. But for what it was last night, I was OK with.

I did like seeing Ruth stride around the conference room in her briefing as opposed to sitting down like the old days. There's a difference there I'm happy about.

[A Cousin]

I watched it again last night and I really think her call is work related from the start. I think the reason she hems and haws a bit is because she thinks he may assume she is calling for a tete-a-tete. Which he does straight out of the gate before he finds out what she is calling about. When he later asks if there is anything else, she has no choice but to say no. He already told her to keep it work related. So she does. I think the acting in that moment was lovely.

My (admittedly nit-picky, overly-analytical, fan-wanky) gripe is from a structural and writing stand point. I am not sure that the motivation for her calling is strong enough. I think that if the reason she was calling was something that really couldn't have waited, rather than just a hunch she was bouncing off of him, the fact that her call was completely work related would have been clearer.

I am of two minds when it comes to the amount of HR in each episode. As much as I'd like to see these two actors work together as much as possible, I think that the writers balance that very well. I may fixate on it, but they shouldn't.

[Silktie]

Yeah, I'm okay with the amount of scenes as well. It shouldn't take over the whole programme.

Re the call, my interpretation is that consciously Ruth believed she was only calling about work. But I do think that subconsciously she had other motivations, such as just to have an excuse to talk to him when she was sitting all alone in her flat. My reasoning is precisely the matter that A Cousin raises, which is that the work stuff she is calling about is not urgent or time-restricted, and she could have discussed it with him the next morning with exactly the same outcome.

And does the way Harry immediately assumes she's calling for non-work reasons an indication that they've been sharing cosy late-night calls for a while, that we've never seen?

[Aria]

I got my Sky magazine today and in it they have a generic type interview with Max Brown (his past work and how much he wanted a part in the show etc), towards the end he says of his character "there's a bit of a thing with fellow spook Ruth (Nicola Walker), but big boss Harry (Peter Firth) soon puts a stop to that". Please God don't let the writers go down that route!!

[A Cousin]

(29-09-2010 04:17 PM)Silktie Wrote:  And does the way Harry immediately assumes she's calling for non-work reasons an indication that they've been sharing cosy late-night calls for a while, that we've never seen?

Whoa - good question. I guess you could take that one wherever you wanted. I kind of think that I have to take it at face value and say no. However, that is not to say that their interactions had not been getting increasingly more intimate up until 9.1. After all, he was confident enough in his and her feelings to ask her to marry him, despite the fact that his timing (and IMO in-the-moment reason) sucked.

Maybe his immediate assumption that her call was more personal is a bit of wishful thinking from Harry? Or maybe he was just sensing the subconscious motive that you suggested?

[Tea Lady]

(29-09-2010 04:46 PM)Aria Wrote:  I got my Sky magazine today and in it they have a generic type interview with Max Brown (his past work and how much he wanted a part in the show etc), towards the end he says of his character "there's a bit of a thing with fellow spook Ruth (Nicola Walker), but big boss Harry (Peter Firth) soon puts a stop to that". Please God don't let the writers go down that route!!

Dear god, no!!! Hoping that this just means that they seem to be getting on ok together and it's all just in Harry's mind or he puts two and two together and gets 10. I can't believe Ruth would get involved with someone else on the grid. She can't have so little respect for Harry and his feelings. Fingers crossed the editors thought better of it and have left any scenes on the cutting room floor. And if Ruth does get off with Dimitri, I will think that Ruth has totally lost it, as well as the writers.

[A Cousin]

(29-09-2010 10:57 PM)Tea Lady Wrote:  

(29-09-2010 04:46 PM)Aria Wrote:  I got my Sky magazine today and in it they have a generic type interview with Max Brown (his past work and how much he wanted a part in the show etc), towards the end he says of his character "there's a bit of a thing with fellow spook Ruth (Nicola Walker), but big boss Harry (Peter Firth) soon puts a stop to that". Please God don't let the writers go down that route!!

Dear god, no!!! Hoping that this just means that they seem to be getting on ok together and it's all just in Harry's mind or he puts two and two together and gets 10. I can't believe Ruth would get involved with someone else on the grid. She can't have so little respect for Harry and his feelings. Fingers crossed the editors thought better of it and have left any scenes on the cutting room floor. And if Ruth does get off with Dimitri, I will think that Ruth has totally lost it, as well as the writers.

As provocative an idea as that is, even I would lose respect for Ruth! The only way I can see that possibly working for me is if it is one sided - on Dimitri's side? I could see them getting close as friends though. Adam close. Danny close. Zaf close. That might be enough for Harry to resent in his current state.