Episode 4 Discussion [rewatch]

[Silktie]

(18-01-2010 02:48 PM)HellsBells Wrote:  I think Ellie's reaction to Tom's job was terrible. If I found out my partner was a member of the secret services I would be very proud. She behaved awfully towards him. And then to tell Maisie the truth about Tom that was just crazy. Tell a child of that age and the first thing they will do is tell everyone in their class ! Why not just carry on with calling Tom Matthew, it would not matter to Maisie, and then tell her the truth when she was old enough to understand.

There is another angle to this, though. Even though we as the audience know Tom as an honourable spy, all Ellie knows about him at this stage is that he lied about what he does, and disappears all the time and then returns with bullet wounds. How can she be sure that he isn't lying again when he says that he's a spy? There is, after all, many known cases of crooks/philandering men using the spy excuse to pull the wool over their spouses' eyes.