[spoilers] Harry and Ruth Strike Back

[molecatcher]

(07-10-2010 03:32 AM)A Cousin Wrote:  I see this exchange in a broader sense. I think his self doubt and reflection stems from many sources dating back to when Ruth left the first time, including all the deaths of team members culminating in Ros' and his own imprisonment/interrogations and betrayals from what he thought were trusted colleagues. I don't think that he is trying to prove his humanity to Ruth to win her love, he is trying to prove it to himself so he can keep going on without cracking up.

I think that what he means by that last line is that he recognizes that she is in a very difficult guilt filled place, has closed off from actual human contact, that she trusts nothing and has to bury herself in work just to keep on keepin' on. No one can hurt you if you don't let them in. I think that he is telling her to give the human race chance - Dr Kirby, himself, whatever - and that sometimes you just have to take a chance. That is why she is stunned speechless: he's right.

I certainly agree with some of your analysis. Harry's been struggling from the start to deal with losing Ros (he sent her into that hotel) as well as having to kill someone he considered a friend and displays lots of despair and doubt about the amount of blood on his hands as more people die. Ruth's veiled comment about Harry's choices when turning down his proposal would have added to his pain but I also took that last scene between them in a literal sense. He's telling her not to be so cynical and hard and does his best to justify his actions to both of them but I think her reaction is a realisation that he doesn't care about the risk of losing everything in order to offer Dr Kirby some solace after the death of his daughter and her small frown as Harry walks away shows growing concern about his state of mind.

That's how I saw it. Could be entirely wrong of course!