Episode 6 Discussion [rewatch]

[Simone]

I never really like Christine Dale - except in her "quieter" scenes. In this episode she lay it on too much and the character felt to me like the cliché of an American, saying "MY president" and all that. The reason felt for that was a bit cliche-like too: she was of course worried because this was her first big op.

Zoe and Danny sitting on the chairs as Queen and King was hilarious. QE:2 and her horn LOL Also Christine asking them "Why are you sitting there (if in reality they'd be outside greeting the people)" and Zoe answering because you put us here.

I never liked the Christine/Tom relationship previously but it really grew on me upon this re-watch. There are really layers to them. In S01 Tom disliked meeting her. It was as if he sensed there was something going on but didn't want to think about it because he was with Ellie.

In this episode I liked how Tom complained about "this woman" to Harry and she was just approaching them. And what was Tom's line about the highly complicated woman who could explain something to them? Somehow I never caught on to those before so I always thought the relationship came out of the blue but it didn't really.

Tom's handling of the Vicky situation annoys me though. It was as if just because everything was clear in his mind (for him everything was over) he never even thought of her point of view. Vicky may have been crazy but IMO she deserved a "proper" end to the relationship and not just a phone call. If I were her I'd have been very angry too. First, he kind of gives her hope by promising the dinner in ep 5, then just doesn't show and then he calls her, telling her she's selfish and he doesn't want to see her anymore. And that's that. Of course I understand where Tom's coming from having seen all that was happening in his life. But she doesn't know that, does she. And I'd have thought as a spy he was good at risk assessment. Knowing how to deal with a person so that she/he wouldn't become a risk. But it seems that he never thought about that in his personal relationship with Vicky. And then to just let Christine deal with her?!

Spoiler: show

But as this was another one of the events that led to his downfall IMO I think I can accept this behavious as something that was in character with Tom at this point in time