[spoilers] Lucas. Just Lucas.

[BravoNine]

(10-01-2011 02:28 PM)HellsBells Wrote:  I agree that there doesn't seem to be that line that Harry won't cross for his Country (except in series 9 of course, but series 9 never happen did it?). Is this a good trait...I'm not sure. But then Harry hasn't had to give so much as Lucas (8 years of torture) and lacks some empathy with his team, otherwise he would have noticed Jo's problems.

Except even in Series 9, Harry gave up a secret (while useful) that wasn't really harmful anymore other than using it as a bluff. Albany, as dangerous as it was, wasn't an effective weapon, so technically the choice made was quite easy in a way. A useless weapon for a member of his team (whether she was the love of his life or not)

So really, it seems to be there is no line Harry can't cross. I just think Harry's lack of sympathy comes from the issue that he seems to think that all those in service should give it all and that emotional well-beings and weaknesses are not needed in this business. That's why his team tries to bury it away, and it's that act of denial in these feelings that grows the seeds of betrayal and manipulation.

(10-01-2011 02:28 PM)HellsBells Wrote:  But back in 7.1 Harry told Adam that he was responsible for Lucas' physical and mental well being, but appears to have done nothing. Lucas was far better at empathising with the team, such as spotting Jo's problems, chatting to Ben after the suicide bombings (7.3), even talking to Malcolm in 7.2 about Adam's death, despite his own problems. I think this made Lucas different from many Spooks we seen over the years because he cared about people rather than used them, again similar to Jo.

That's what I always thought the difference with Harry and Lucas. Harry would risk anything, he may feel bad and have sympathy but that is quickly overshadowed by his duty (the only other time he hesitated was after Ros died), but for Lucas, you can always tell he hated himself for following certain orders, he can't go through with it, and even in Series 9 that was apparent in Episode 6 with the American hacker girl, in the end he couldn't shoot her even with Harry shouting in his ear and he figured out the lies.

I think that's why Harry is good at his job and stayed on longer than most agents under his command, because he can shelve away his emotions, he can turn away the guilt, but he fails to realize that not everyone in the service is him, so therefore, they do feel and some of his agents feel very deeply, and he can't connect to that.

The quality that makes Harry a good leader, a good agent, and someone who has stayed so long with the service without burning out is what is destroying his team from the inside. It's a double-edged sword.