Series 9 Episode 4 discussion

[khananel]

I'm new here and probably amongst the 'older' group of the Spooks viewership. This is in the nature of a very critical review.

I feel that Spooks seems to be heading downhill fast. They replaced Malcolm with Tariq, nice bright kid, but too young to be so 'experienced' with the 'systems' he operates. Even a genius has to have experience... Its like he can take over any IT system in the UK, or the world, at will, and manipulate it instantly and effortlessly. Just too implausible... Or maybe he's a very youthful 35-45...

They got rid of the older lady who turned out to be a traitor. Shame, they didn't replace her with someone from a similar age/experience group, just for balance and plausibility.

The only 'oldies' are Harry and Ruth, both welcome, but both not quite acting as more experienced members of the service. Except for the scenes with Harry and the HS that are very well done.

Now we have Dimitri and Beth who can't be more than mid-20s. Now, did they go through screening? Were they trained up? I only ask this because in Episode 4 everyone seems to act like rank amateurs with the Chinese, and Harry admits as much. 'We were played...' I mean this is the nation's security service not the WI! Everyone now seems too young, too inexperienced, too lovesick and too confused. No wonder the enemies are walking all over them! I yearn for the days of Adam Carter and Roz. And the Lucas thing is so confused. Have they screened him? Is he a double or more agent? Is he effective, psychopathic or merely confused? should he be in the service at all?

And Tariq and his impossibly genius talent for taking over technology at the blink of an eye can't make up for these shortcomings. I mean, that Chinese bomb, so, instead of the whole experience of the Bomb squad and a BDO, we have the new Dimitry, and yes Tariq again doing it all by themselves... Implausiblity gives way to plain disbelief. Its becoming a bit daft or even ridiculous for me.

And they got the new Beth to handle the Chinese guy. In reality (what's that got to do with a good story...?) she would have gone under the wing of a Chinese specialist officer to learn the ropes. I mean the Chinese are know for their inscrutability. You don't put a newbie to handle them, certainly not on her own. Harry should have been dragged over the coals for allowing that. Not a, from Ruth ('oh I forgot the Chinese for...') 'your instincts were wrong this time, better luck next time'. It doesn't make even a little sense any more. And last episode they had the FSB guy in the heart of the Secret Service; why not just make Putin PM of the UKand we'll make the UK a province of the RF like Kaliningrad.

The previous episode, episode 3 was a shambles, so many 'holes' you could drive a coach and horses through. I complained to the BBC about that. In this one they were all merely rank amateurs.

If they carry on like this I may stop watching. A (once great) show going downhill fast. Maybe they are aiming for a younger (perhaps less demanding, finicky, grumpy?) age set. And I may be shot down in flames for my comments here. So be it.

Thank you.