Series 9 Episode 8 discussion

[Byatil]

(30-11-2010 11:13 PM)binkie Wrote:  

(30-11-2010 02:55 PM)Byatil Wrote:  Well, if we accept the theory that Lucas is suffering from split-personality disorder, then the plot somewhat makes sense...

Clearly, this is the plot scenario the writing/production team believes itself to have created. I can’t help thinking, though, (because I am a paid researcher, and that’s just how my brain works) that I’d like to have seen a bit more effort put in to a cold presentation of dissociative identity disorder in the middle of a narrative so ill-equipped to support this development. Dissociative identity disorder is a fundamentally misunderstood, and extremely contentious, condition. There is disagreement in the technical psychiatric profession as to whether the concept is even capable of supporting diagnosis or description. It bothers me that a clever and internally coherent spy narrative – for all its ludicrous shorthand – should defer to a badly drawn medical narrative in an effort to answer character questions which had never been asked, and did not require answers.

I will continue to be bitter about this at least until I find some other TV show to disappoint me

Oh yes, indeed. I despise the way they did it, and I think the entire plot was totally unnecessary when there were so many other more interesting questions which could have been addressed. But based on what the writers have presented us with, however appallingly they may have done it... that's the only conclusion I can draw from it all!

The fact that Lucas apparently has a shockingly bad memory all of a sudden is ridiculous, especially after his apparently photographic memory was emphasised so clearly in S7. I don't honestly believe that there is any way of explaining some of these plot-holes though. I keep trying to think of ways in which some things that happened could make sense, but unless you're willing to discount anything you learnt about Lucas' character in S7&8... it just won't work. We could sit and draw up the apparent multiple mental afflictions Lucas appeared to be suffering from at the end of S9 for hours, and still not come any closer to understanding why he would act in that way. I'm almost starting to believe that the writers just wanted the audience to be left feeling utterly confused and abandoned. Only time will tell (in the form of S10) if they had any ulterior motives for this shocking plot-line, or if it really was just a case of appallingly bad writing.

I think the only thing that could potentially explain why Lucas wasn't found out sooner is that he was trusted... but of course, when he came back from Russia, he should have had all his files checked over, surely? The only explanations are either that MI5 is seriously lacking in competent security, or that the writers thought we wouldn't notice Which would seem an absurdly ignorant assumption to make when writing a drama of Spooks calibre.

I'm just watching and waiting for S10. Hopefully some questions will be answered then, but frustratingly I fear nothing will be explained. Perhaps the S9 boxset might have some extras which may shed some light on the plot? It's a long-shot, but you never know!