<![CDATA[Spooks Forum - Series 2]]> http://www.spooksforum.co.uk/ Sun, 03 May 2026 16:57:23 +0000 MyBB <![CDATA[can,t remember which series help]]> http://www.spooksforum.co.uk/thread-1349.html Sat, 13 Nov 2010 19:05:56 +0000 http://www.spooksforum.co.uk/thread-1349.html <![CDATA[2.10 DVD commentary]]> http://www.spooksforum.co.uk/thread-765.html Sun, 21 Mar 2010 20:23:18 +0000 http://www.spooksforum.co.uk/thread-765.html
-In the opening scene, Howard Brenton wanted "The Sopranos" to be playing on the tv but it was too expensive; went with "The Thin Man" instead.
-The idea of using a "dead man" to do the dirty work was nicked from an old WWII movie.
-There was a long discussion re the bedroom scene between Tom and Christine as to how far they could go, how undressed they could be, etc, in order to get the scene approved by the BBC sex police.
Spoiler: show
Kind of interesting, given that some six years later the bedroom scene between Lucas and Sarah was basically soft porn!
-There were 11 or 12 script drafts for this ep because they needed to make sure the deep backstory was understandable to the audience.
-Very long initial scene between Tom and Christine was necessary in order to convey a lot of info.
-The script was written so that Tom, Danny and Zoe become their own little covert op group -- at an early point, Zoe is already a little suspicious of Tom's motives re Christine.
-Zoe resents Tom's allegiance to Christine over them and Tom's asking them to act in an illegal and dangerous manner. Tom's actions are driving his team apart.
-Brenton made up the nano tracker gizmo for this ep -- found out later that the CIA had invented similar technology in the 1990s.
-Lots of red herrings peppered throughout the ep -- telex about assassin, nano tracker, passport and visa in leather store, dead drop, Christine's Slovakian heritage -- all to get the audience to buy into the story.
-Joyce's aim is to destroy Tom's professional reputation, which is all Tom really has.
-Joyce is a modern Moriarty to Tom's Sherlock Holmes, the master criminal always one step ahead.
-In the ep, you never really know what's true and not true -- the truth is constantly shifting.
-Tom is shown to be in real trouble when he chooses not to open the door when Harry comes to his house.
-Location for "dead drop" scene -- cold, wet, barren, dirty, desolate -- mirrors Tom's internal emotions and conflicts. "Pathetic fallacy" in 19th century literature -- the world around you looks like you're feeling.
-"Are you for me or against me" -- moment of truth for Danny and Zoe.
-"Need to know" scenes off grid -- always played on the same bench on the Embankment.
-Barn torture scene -- deep psychological game being played by Joyce to convince Zoe and Danny that Tom is in on the assassination plot.
-MI5 is totally suckered by a rogue agent (Joyce).
-Whole ep an exercise in "black" propaganda.
-Harry is quick to accept that Tom has gone bad because of the problems between them in the past several eps -- his suspicions have been building up over time.
-In interrogation scene, Christine looks directly at Ruth when she says, "I love Tom Quinn." Camera only records Ruth's reaction.
-Joyce's telling the backstory of his daughter to Tom -- "word painting." Need to make the audience "see" Lisa Joyce, to understand why her father went to such extremes to destroy Tom. Whole ep rides on audience's ability to empathize with Joyce, even though he's the villain. Written like a theatre scene -- you don't really see but imagine.
-Two indeterminate time lapses in ep -- Danny and Zoe in barn and Tom in field. Audience has no idea how much time has passed and what's happened in the interval.
-The silent "conversation" between Tom and Christine at the end (on the cellphones) -- sums up their whole relationship, in a way -- the conversation they could never really have.
-Didn't know, when ep was shot, whether or not MM was staying in series. Cliffhanger was written to allow for either eventuality.
-There was a meeting to decide what Tom was likely to do in a situation like at the end of the ep (cornered by team and unable to prove his innocence) -- it was decided that he would indeed shoot Harry. Whole group gasped at the possibility.
-Tom going into the water -- shot in March -- COLD! MM was wearing a wet suit under his costume.]]>
-In the opening scene, Howard Brenton wanted "The Sopranos" to be playing on the tv but it was too expensive; went with "The Thin Man" instead.
-The idea of using a "dead man" to do the dirty work was nicked from an old WWII movie.
-There was a long discussion re the bedroom scene between Tom and Christine as to how far they could go, how undressed they could be, etc, in order to get the scene approved by the BBC sex police.
Spoiler: show
Kind of interesting, given that some six years later the bedroom scene between Lucas and Sarah was basically soft porn!
-There were 11 or 12 script drafts for this ep because they needed to make sure the deep backstory was understandable to the audience.
-Very long initial scene between Tom and Christine was necessary in order to convey a lot of info.
-The script was written so that Tom, Danny and Zoe become their own little covert op group -- at an early point, Zoe is already a little suspicious of Tom's motives re Christine.
-Zoe resents Tom's allegiance to Christine over them and Tom's asking them to act in an illegal and dangerous manner. Tom's actions are driving his team apart.
-Brenton made up the nano tracker gizmo for this ep -- found out later that the CIA had invented similar technology in the 1990s.
-Lots of red herrings peppered throughout the ep -- telex about assassin, nano tracker, passport and visa in leather store, dead drop, Christine's Slovakian heritage -- all to get the audience to buy into the story.
-Joyce's aim is to destroy Tom's professional reputation, which is all Tom really has.
-Joyce is a modern Moriarty to Tom's Sherlock Holmes, the master criminal always one step ahead.
-In the ep, you never really know what's true and not true -- the truth is constantly shifting.
-Tom is shown to be in real trouble when he chooses not to open the door when Harry comes to his house.
-Location for "dead drop" scene -- cold, wet, barren, dirty, desolate -- mirrors Tom's internal emotions and conflicts. "Pathetic fallacy" in 19th century literature -- the world around you looks like you're feeling.
-"Are you for me or against me" -- moment of truth for Danny and Zoe.
-"Need to know" scenes off grid -- always played on the same bench on the Embankment.
-Barn torture scene -- deep psychological game being played by Joyce to convince Zoe and Danny that Tom is in on the assassination plot.
-MI5 is totally suckered by a rogue agent (Joyce).
-Whole ep an exercise in "black" propaganda.
-Harry is quick to accept that Tom has gone bad because of the problems between them in the past several eps -- his suspicions have been building up over time.
-In interrogation scene, Christine looks directly at Ruth when she says, "I love Tom Quinn." Camera only records Ruth's reaction.
-Joyce's telling the backstory of his daughter to Tom -- "word painting." Need to make the audience "see" Lisa Joyce, to understand why her father went to such extremes to destroy Tom. Whole ep rides on audience's ability to empathize with Joyce, even though he's the villain. Written like a theatre scene -- you don't really see but imagine.
-Two indeterminate time lapses in ep -- Danny and Zoe in barn and Tom in field. Audience has no idea how much time has passed and what's happened in the interval.
-The silent "conversation" between Tom and Christine at the end (on the cellphones) -- sums up their whole relationship, in a way -- the conversation they could never really have.
-Didn't know, when ep was shot, whether or not MM was staying in series. Cliffhanger was written to allow for either eventuality.
-There was a meeting to decide what Tom was likely to do in a situation like at the end of the ep (cornered by team and unable to prove his innocence) -- it was decided that he would indeed shoot Harry. Whole group gasped at the possibility.
-Tom going into the water -- shot in March -- COLD! MM was wearing a wet suit under his costume.]]> <![CDATA[Episode 10 Discussion [rewatch]]]> http://www.spooksforum.co.uk/thread-764.html Sun, 21 Mar 2010 14:39:54 +0000 http://www.spooksforum.co.uk/thread-764.html
Watch and Discuss!

And remember that next week we start watching Series 3!!]]>
Watch and Discuss!

And remember that next week we start watching Series 3!!]]> <![CDATA[Episode 9 Discussion [Rewatch]]]> http://www.spooksforum.co.uk/thread-756.html Sun, 14 Mar 2010 14:42:21 +0000 http://www.spooksforum.co.uk/thread-756.html <![CDATA[Episode 8 Discussion [rewatch]]]> http://www.spooksforum.co.uk/thread-745.html Sat, 06 Mar 2010 21:22:29 +0000 http://www.spooksforum.co.uk/thread-745.html
Aside from that this episode was the first time we really saw Tom starting to crack. He loathed his mission and didn't understand why he was tasked with spying on someone he thought was a hero. Some of which I partly understand.

I'm sure MM fans were pleased to see him in a uniform lol.

I thought the notion of a small company of soldiers capturing some nuclear waste was a bit far-fetched though, and they could have done something much better with the backstory.

What did you think?]]>
Aside from that this episode was the first time we really saw Tom starting to crack. He loathed his mission and didn't understand why he was tasked with spying on someone he thought was a hero. Some of which I partly understand.

I'm sure MM fans were pleased to see him in a uniform lol.

I thought the notion of a small company of soldiers capturing some nuclear waste was a bit far-fetched though, and they could have done something much better with the backstory.

What did you think?]]> <![CDATA[Episode 7 Discussion [rewatch]]]> http://www.spooksforum.co.uk/thread-725.html Sun, 28 Feb 2010 14:12:57 +0000 http://www.spooksforum.co.uk/thread-725.html

GO!]]>

GO!]]> <![CDATA[Spooks Season 2 on Watch]]> http://www.spooksforum.co.uk/thread-719.html Thu, 25 Feb 2010 19:56:32 +0000 http://www.spooksforum.co.uk/thread-719.html <![CDATA[Episode 6 Discussion [rewatch]]]> http://www.spooksforum.co.uk/thread-707.html Sun, 21 Feb 2010 15:22:12 +0000 http://www.spooksforum.co.uk/thread-707.html I really liked this episode even though it was hardly action packed. I think I liked it as we got to spend time with all the characters, apart from Harry that is, who just seemed to spend all his time in the meeting room looking exasperated!

I liked the inclusion of Mirander to mix things up a little although why she started doing her evaluations in the middle of night, I am not sure.

Zoe, Danny, and Ruth all acted like school children in this episodes with the gossiping, rumours etc and I loved that.

I was surprised that Buckingham Palace had so many staff working at 3am ! What dedication.

I loved Malcolm in this episode in the way he took the tea stained files in his stride and just limped off to the photocopier for 10hrs to sort the mess out without complaint. Also when Christine turned up he just froze and didnt know what to say.

Hated the way Christine treated the Brits in this episode. Do you think they really do that? I think Harry just thought, this is just for 24 hours, so let them have their little funny ways, and then they will be gone from us.

Tom is definitely getting some in this series. Leaving the Libyan file out to test Tom was a little pathetic though I thought.

Oh yes, also cant post without commenting on Harry in his Tux..."bom chicka wah wah" is all I can say. Wink]]> I really liked this episode even though it was hardly action packed. I think I liked it as we got to spend time with all the characters, apart from Harry that is, who just seemed to spend all his time in the meeting room looking exasperated!

I liked the inclusion of Mirander to mix things up a little although why she started doing her evaluations in the middle of night, I am not sure.

Zoe, Danny, and Ruth all acted like school children in this episodes with the gossiping, rumours etc and I loved that.

I was surprised that Buckingham Palace had so many staff working at 3am ! What dedication.

I loved Malcolm in this episode in the way he took the tea stained files in his stride and just limped off to the photocopier for 10hrs to sort the mess out without complaint. Also when Christine turned up he just froze and didnt know what to say.

Hated the way Christine treated the Brits in this episode. Do you think they really do that? I think Harry just thought, this is just for 24 hours, so let them have their little funny ways, and then they will be gone from us.

Tom is definitely getting some in this series. Leaving the Libyan file out to test Tom was a little pathetic though I thought.

Oh yes, also cant post without commenting on Harry in his Tux..."bom chicka wah wah" is all I can say. Wink]]> <![CDATA[2.5 DVD commentary]]> http://www.spooksforum.co.uk/thread-694.html Sun, 14 Feb 2010 22:03:50 +0000 http://www.spooksforum.co.uk/thread-694.html
Info from 2.5 dvd commentary:
-Commentators: Nicola Walker, Rory MacGregor, Hugh Simon, Howard Brenton.
-Tom and Vicky -- beginning of realization that she's absolutely insane.
-Ruth's terrorist report at beginning -- hand double, 2nd Asst Director.
-Colin definitely wants Sam to go on barge trip -- fancies his chances with her.
-NW: Keeley Hawes can cry on a moment's notice. NW can't make herself cry so they bring in a special gizmo that blows "menthol stuff" into her eyes to gets the tears flowing.
-This ep shot in sequence (never done). HS: "remember thinking we're never, never going to get to the end of this fortnight . . . this is like crossing the Sahara desert."
-Ep shot chronologically, like doing a play. Had to do it that way because the grid had to be gradually dismantled.
-The trick in the writing was to get the shift from "exercise" to "real event" right (for the characters). Audience was always going to know it wasn't real because this was only ep 5 of 10 eps.
-Ruth is obsessed with dirty bombs.
-In real life, MI5 can lock down sections. Still credibility problem with using mobile phones or not (cannot do so in Thames House).
-Colin's line "Downing Street scrambler" -- tongue twister, RM couldn't get it out right. 7 takes to get the scene right.
-EERIE, Turnstile, moving royal family -- all real. Producers anxious to make sure all technical and logistical references were authentic.
-Keeley Hawes spent two weeks in earphones for the ep.
-Emergency protective clothing -- great look to get everyone into them, but they couldn't act with them on.
-RM too tall to be in shots with others so they make him sit most of the time.
-NW: "I remember that being very difficult, how to react to the concept of VX gas. You didn't want to do that scary, scary acting . . . and Peter Firth being the first one to say, 'Do nothing, do nothing.' The world is over, do nothing."
-Had to change the formula for VX gas (on screen in conf room scene). Got the real formula off the internet but weren't allowed to actually put it on the screen.
-Tom sending Stephanie out to die -- scene nicked from "On the Beach" (sailor going out to fish after San Francisco irradiated by nuclear explosion).
-Phrase in old war movies "this is not a drill" -- whole ep is a variation on that phrase.
-We find out more about thse characters in the 30 secs after they realize the event is "real" than in the 1 1/2 seasons to date; Ruth has a cat, Malcolm has a garden, Zoe's father, Danny's mother in gospel choir, etc. This much personal info never revealed again, en masse.
-PF in this ep -- an actor, acting that he's acting. NW: "He's Marlon Brando in the scene when he's affected by the VX gas, similar to "Apocalyse Now" with the poetry.
-HS -- actors we so close to the ep while doing it that they couldn't discern if it would work dramatically (for the audience). The map scene was what convinced them that it would fly.
-Mark and Bridget -- disrupters; worked to question and try to undermine every one of Tom's decisions.
-Ruth had the last word in declaring martial law, "Fiddle on."
-Actors all starting to fall apart by the end of shooting -- had not left grid for two weeks. Didn't see much daylight during the shooting of the ep (end of Feb).
-Weapons locker at back of forgery suite -- didn't exist until Brenton wrote this ep.
-Ruth -- analyst with nothing to analyse -- existential crisis.
-Tom spends whole ep clinging to process and procedure -- only thing he has.
-2 min scene with Mark and Bridget trying to leave grid -- took 2 days to shoot.
-First time we've seen guns on the grid.
-Actors at end being told to get into "party" mood -- really hard to overcome adrenaline rush from shooting scene.
-Tom's "outside world" problem at end -- how to deal with reality after what he's just been through.
-Tom feels betrayed by Harry; Zoe also. Before this, H has always been straight with them.


Note: There is no 2.6 commentary.]]>
Info from 2.5 dvd commentary:
-Commentators: Nicola Walker, Rory MacGregor, Hugh Simon, Howard Brenton.
-Tom and Vicky -- beginning of realization that she's absolutely insane.
-Ruth's terrorist report at beginning -- hand double, 2nd Asst Director.
-Colin definitely wants Sam to go on barge trip -- fancies his chances with her.
-NW: Keeley Hawes can cry on a moment's notice. NW can't make herself cry so they bring in a special gizmo that blows "menthol stuff" into her eyes to gets the tears flowing.
-This ep shot in sequence (never done). HS: "remember thinking we're never, never going to get to the end of this fortnight . . . this is like crossing the Sahara desert."
-Ep shot chronologically, like doing a play. Had to do it that way because the grid had to be gradually dismantled.
-The trick in the writing was to get the shift from "exercise" to "real event" right (for the characters). Audience was always going to know it wasn't real because this was only ep 5 of 10 eps.
-Ruth is obsessed with dirty bombs.
-In real life, MI5 can lock down sections. Still credibility problem with using mobile phones or not (cannot do so in Thames House).
-Colin's line "Downing Street scrambler" -- tongue twister, RM couldn't get it out right. 7 takes to get the scene right.
-EERIE, Turnstile, moving royal family -- all real. Producers anxious to make sure all technical and logistical references were authentic.
-Keeley Hawes spent two weeks in earphones for the ep.
-Emergency protective clothing -- great look to get everyone into them, but they couldn't act with them on.
-RM too tall to be in shots with others so they make him sit most of the time.
-NW: "I remember that being very difficult, how to react to the concept of VX gas. You didn't want to do that scary, scary acting . . . and Peter Firth being the first one to say, 'Do nothing, do nothing.' The world is over, do nothing."
-Had to change the formula for VX gas (on screen in conf room scene). Got the real formula off the internet but weren't allowed to actually put it on the screen.
-Tom sending Stephanie out to die -- scene nicked from "On the Beach" (sailor going out to fish after San Francisco irradiated by nuclear explosion).
-Phrase in old war movies "this is not a drill" -- whole ep is a variation on that phrase.
-We find out more about thse characters in the 30 secs after they realize the event is "real" than in the 1 1/2 seasons to date; Ruth has a cat, Malcolm has a garden, Zoe's father, Danny's mother in gospel choir, etc. This much personal info never revealed again, en masse.
-PF in this ep -- an actor, acting that he's acting. NW: "He's Marlon Brando in the scene when he's affected by the VX gas, similar to "Apocalyse Now" with the poetry.
-HS -- actors we so close to the ep while doing it that they couldn't discern if it would work dramatically (for the audience). The map scene was what convinced them that it would fly.
-Mark and Bridget -- disrupters; worked to question and try to undermine every one of Tom's decisions.
-Ruth had the last word in declaring martial law, "Fiddle on."
-Actors all starting to fall apart by the end of shooting -- had not left grid for two weeks. Didn't see much daylight during the shooting of the ep (end of Feb).
-Weapons locker at back of forgery suite -- didn't exist until Brenton wrote this ep.
-Ruth -- analyst with nothing to analyse -- existential crisis.
-Tom spends whole ep clinging to process and procedure -- only thing he has.
-2 min scene with Mark and Bridget trying to leave grid -- took 2 days to shoot.
-First time we've seen guns on the grid.
-Actors at end being told to get into "party" mood -- really hard to overcome adrenaline rush from shooting scene.
-Tom's "outside world" problem at end -- how to deal with reality after what he's just been through.
-Tom feels betrayed by Harry; Zoe also. Before this, H has always been straight with them.


Note: There is no 2.6 commentary.]]> <![CDATA[Episode 5 Discussion [rewatch]]]> http://www.spooksforum.co.uk/thread-691.html Sat, 13 Feb 2010 23:45:34 +0000 http://www.spooksforum.co.uk/thread-691.html
- One of my favorite episodes of Spooks, ever!
- Had a lot of admiration for Tom and the way he handled everything in this episode, a truly inspirational leader.
- Hated Vicky in this episode, (more than usual) throwing all her toys out of the pram because Tom wouldn't go to Egypt! Did she honestly expect him to be able to?
- It was also really good to see the characters reach breaking point, particularly Colin starting on Danny. LOVE IT.

That's all for now, but I'm sure I'll have other things to say based on your opinions!]]>
- One of my favorite episodes of Spooks, ever!
- Had a lot of admiration for Tom and the way he handled everything in this episode, a truly inspirational leader.
- Hated Vicky in this episode, (more than usual) throwing all her toys out of the pram because Tom wouldn't go to Egypt! Did she honestly expect him to be able to?
- It was also really good to see the characters reach breaking point, particularly Colin starting on Danny. LOVE IT.

That's all for now, but I'm sure I'll have other things to say based on your opinions!]]> <![CDATA[2.3 DVD commentary]]> http://www.spooksforum.co.uk/thread-674.html Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:56:28 +0000 http://www.spooksforum.co.uk/thread-674.html -Sam and Danny were sent out together to establish early stages of possible romance -- never came to fruition.
-Nicola Walker (one of the commentators) bemoaning that neither Ruth nor Colin (Rory also on the commentary) were in the title shots for s2.
-In the ep, distinct feeling that Ruth is reporting back to GCHQ -- don't know whether to trust her.
-Writers don't like to write "explanation" scenes, but they're necessary or else the audience is lost.
-Most of this episode is a "red herring."
-All new writers get the brief: Make sure the audience knows early on in the ep what's at stake, what the threat to national security is. NW: On a scale of 1 to 10, the threat is always an 11.
-Zoe and Carlo -- brief encounter in bar is to set them up for future ep.
-Tom and Dr. Vicky in bar -- pure sex moment. Tom wants to rip her clothes off. Also, doesn't want to boast about being a spy, but can't help himself. He's somewhat pissed off that she's not more impressed.
-Writer for ep knew absolutely nothing about computers or hacking. "Basically, it's all rubbish!"
-NW uses mouse a lot because she can't type.
-Original plan was to cast a "very well known" boy actor to play Noah but decided not to because they wanted the character to blend into the background until he was needed in the story. If a more well known actor was cast, audience would have known from the get go that the character was important -- would have been too prominant.
-"James Bond goes to Instanbul and Tokyo but these people are fighting for world peace down your high street and around the back of shops." Stories more grounded in reality than usual spy fare.
-"The blue one" (sweater line) became the boy's joke on the set for weeks.
-Scene with Zoe in classroom using Dido song -- "Don't Think of Me" could be a spy's anthem.
-Interrogation scene with Zoe and Blaney -- first time audience realizes that Blaney may be wrong man.
-Antony and Cleopatra sub-plot became more prominant than originally intended because BBC was quite keen on it -- felt it added to the tension and jeopardy of the story line.
-Moving into the finale, the action stops so the backstory of the Gleeson's can be related. Very unusual to do so at this point in an ep, but it works because Harry makes the decision to let them know about it and accepts responsibility for Victor's death. Also, producer's spent money creating the farmhouse and those shots made the explanation much more poignant, and gave the visual for the spider motif used throughout the ep.
-Worried about story of boy hacking into MI5 mainframe -- would audience find it believable.
-At end, Harry not looking at Noah with any animosity, just pity and sadness.

Note: There is no commentary for 2.4]]> -Sam and Danny were sent out together to establish early stages of possible romance -- never came to fruition.
-Nicola Walker (one of the commentators) bemoaning that neither Ruth nor Colin (Rory also on the commentary) were in the title shots for s2.
-In the ep, distinct feeling that Ruth is reporting back to GCHQ -- don't know whether to trust her.
-Writers don't like to write "explanation" scenes, but they're necessary or else the audience is lost.
-Most of this episode is a "red herring."
-All new writers get the brief: Make sure the audience knows early on in the ep what's at stake, what the threat to national security is. NW: On a scale of 1 to 10, the threat is always an 11.
-Zoe and Carlo -- brief encounter in bar is to set them up for future ep.
-Tom and Dr. Vicky in bar -- pure sex moment. Tom wants to rip her clothes off. Also, doesn't want to boast about being a spy, but can't help himself. He's somewhat pissed off that she's not more impressed.
-Writer for ep knew absolutely nothing about computers or hacking. "Basically, it's all rubbish!"
-NW uses mouse a lot because she can't type.
-Original plan was to cast a "very well known" boy actor to play Noah but decided not to because they wanted the character to blend into the background until he was needed in the story. If a more well known actor was cast, audience would have known from the get go that the character was important -- would have been too prominant.
-"James Bond goes to Instanbul and Tokyo but these people are fighting for world peace down your high street and around the back of shops." Stories more grounded in reality than usual spy fare.
-"The blue one" (sweater line) became the boy's joke on the set for weeks.
-Scene with Zoe in classroom using Dido song -- "Don't Think of Me" could be a spy's anthem.
-Interrogation scene with Zoe and Blaney -- first time audience realizes that Blaney may be wrong man.
-Antony and Cleopatra sub-plot became more prominant than originally intended because BBC was quite keen on it -- felt it added to the tension and jeopardy of the story line.
-Moving into the finale, the action stops so the backstory of the Gleeson's can be related. Very unusual to do so at this point in an ep, but it works because Harry makes the decision to let them know about it and accepts responsibility for Victor's death. Also, producer's spent money creating the farmhouse and those shots made the explanation much more poignant, and gave the visual for the spider motif used throughout the ep.
-Worried about story of boy hacking into MI5 mainframe -- would audience find it believable.
-At end, Harry not looking at Noah with any animosity, just pity and sadness.

Note: There is no commentary for 2.4]]> <![CDATA[Episode 4 Discussion [rewatch]]]> http://www.spooksforum.co.uk/thread-668.html Sun, 07 Feb 2010 20:38:49 +0000 http://www.spooksforum.co.uk/thread-668.html Not sure the Russians were portrayed in a good light in this episode. Then again I am not sure the British government was either. What a scowl that Amanda woman had on her. I though Harry was King of the pouts? He has nothing on Amanda Roke (was it Roke?)

Again I liked this episode but not as much as 2.3.

-Sam was back to being Tea Lady obviously taking the place of Helen.
-Cant quite see Ruth dating a banker? Maybe it was the "swinging....."
-Is there anything Ruth can not do? Trading in stocks and shares...she is great.
-Classic moment with the shredding. Malcolm is a strange cookie. One of the all time classic Harry moments with the "Leonardo of the dustbins" comment. Great writing and delivery.
-Cant quite believe Ruth used the work computers to communicate with Amanda even in code. Surely she would know they are monitored. Perhaps she did it so she would be found out?
-Poor Zoe. So naive to do what she did. If the swiss chap was single why didnt he just take her to his own house? Why a hotel room?

The only thing I didnt get was why Harry allowed Danny to take that Russian woman Maxine back to his real flat. In 8.4
Spoiler: show
Harry went mad at Lucas for taking his torturer mate back to his flat.
]]> Not sure the Russians were portrayed in a good light in this episode. Then again I am not sure the British government was either. What a scowl that Amanda woman had on her. I though Harry was King of the pouts? He has nothing on Amanda Roke (was it Roke?)

Again I liked this episode but not as much as 2.3.

-Sam was back to being Tea Lady obviously taking the place of Helen.
-Cant quite see Ruth dating a banker? Maybe it was the "swinging....."
-Is there anything Ruth can not do? Trading in stocks and shares...she is great.
-Classic moment with the shredding. Malcolm is a strange cookie. One of the all time classic Harry moments with the "Leonardo of the dustbins" comment. Great writing and delivery.
-Cant quite believe Ruth used the work computers to communicate with Amanda even in code. Surely she would know they are monitored. Perhaps she did it so she would be found out?
-Poor Zoe. So naive to do what she did. If the swiss chap was single why didnt he just take her to his own house? Why a hotel room?

The only thing I didnt get was why Harry allowed Danny to take that Russian woman Maxine back to his real flat. In 8.4
Spoiler: show
Harry went mad at Lucas for taking his torturer mate back to his flat.
]]> <![CDATA[Episode 3 Discussion [rewatch]]]> http://www.spooksforum.co.uk/thread-667.html Sun, 07 Feb 2010 20:37:27 +0000 http://www.spooksforum.co.uk/thread-667.html I really liked this episode. It wasnt an action filled episode but there was a lot going on.

-I thought it a little strange that Sam went on an op with Danny. Didnt they have anyone else with more experience?
-Poor Ruth being patronised by Harry in the meeting at the start. She didnt like that. Harry still cant trust her completely though, even though he knows her worth (work wise.)
-Loved Malcolm with his farmer Giles jacket and flat cap. His comment to Tom "I think she's splendid" is so cute. Poor Malcolm though. Zoe would never go for him in a million years.
-Loved the blue sweater sexist comment. Very funny.
-Again poor Ruth. The scene where they are all sitting in Harry's office with their coats on apart from Ruth who you can see in the distance, excluded and alone.
-Loved the look Harry gave Ruth at the end. Not just the look but the way Harry seems to think about it first before looking. Is it the right thing to do? It's almost like Ruth is hoping he looks at her in that moment and she's waiting for it.

I felt very sorry for Gordon Blaney here. I think he was really a good man. Also Zoe made a good point. While Noah's dad chose that life, Noah didnt. He got caught up in something he didnt choose and lost his Dad because of it. Very sad.]]> I really liked this episode. It wasnt an action filled episode but there was a lot going on.

-I thought it a little strange that Sam went on an op with Danny. Didnt they have anyone else with more experience?
-Poor Ruth being patronised by Harry in the meeting at the start. She didnt like that. Harry still cant trust her completely though, even though he knows her worth (work wise.)
-Loved Malcolm with his farmer Giles jacket and flat cap. His comment to Tom "I think she's splendid" is so cute. Poor Malcolm though. Zoe would never go for him in a million years.
-Loved the blue sweater sexist comment. Very funny.
-Again poor Ruth. The scene where they are all sitting in Harry's office with their coats on apart from Ruth who you can see in the distance, excluded and alone.
-Loved the look Harry gave Ruth at the end. Not just the look but the way Harry seems to think about it first before looking. Is it the right thing to do? It's almost like Ruth is hoping he looks at her in that moment and she's waiting for it.

I felt very sorry for Gordon Blaney here. I think he was really a good man. Also Zoe made a good point. While Noah's dad chose that life, Noah didnt. He got caught up in something he didnt choose and lost his Dad because of it. Very sad.]]> <![CDATA[2.2 DVD commentary]]> http://www.spooksforum.co.uk/thread-647.html Sun, 31 Jan 2010 23:33:52 +0000 http://www.spooksforum.co.uk/thread-647.html -Classic set up at beginning of ep -- something happening a few feet away that you can't control -- obbo van vs. asset in mosque, powerlessness of officers.
-Problem of finding Asian agents -- real issue for Western security services.
-Christine Dale brought back into show because Megan Dodds made such an impression in 1.1.
-Howard Brenton created the character of Ruth Evershed (also Jools Siviter).
-HB wanted to do an ep about a Muslim hero.
-Khaldun (Alex Siddig) -- "noble face" -- you can see who he is, his character, immediately.
-Tom (with Johnny at Truro) -- ruthless but also heroic, needs info quickly -- fine line but compassion shows through -- his questioning right on the edge of acceptability.
-Tried setting up Danny and Sam as an item, but didn't go anywhere, "didn't click."
-Danger of drama -- dramatize both good and bad in a conflict, give voice to the bad -- a Western notion. Why communists and religious fundamentalists ban drama.
-Young boy playing Abu Hassan -- first role ever, from Birmingham -- success of ep depended on the boy.
-Plan was for Tessa's company to take off in a big way -- she'd be a grand, rich villain -- didn't pan out.
-Paradox -- if security service is successful, no one will ever know; failure hits the front pages.
-All the spooks writers loved writing for Malcolm -- had to be restrained from putting him in every scene.
-Game with Khaldun character -- so balanced in the writing that you never knew what side he was really on until the end.
-"Slight rap on the knuckles from BBC" for using COSTA coffee cup. Problem because BBC is publicly funded -- showed favoratism.
-Hugh Simon hates chocolate -- had spit bucket next to him in scene when rigging Black Magic chocs -- took 7 takes to shoot it!
-Tom's women: Ellie a "normal, decent person;" Dr. Vicky a "flaky lover problem;" Christine Dale splits the difference between them.
-Scene with Rashid, Hassan and bomber vest -- terrifying; martyrdom as a sacramental religious act.
-Whole other drama going on in Azzum's house between father and daughter.
-Scene with Tom and Khaldun in dorm room -- montage scenes great way to make reporting info more exciting (unusual for spooks but used a lot in this ep) -- "measured pace of scene winds the clock for the final sequence."
-Father beating daughter to get info -- Tom at another "knife edge" moment -- good character (Tom) behaving in a bad way but "he has to do it" -- means justifying the ends.
-Sequence of boy with bomb originally was to be in a shopping center, then on a bus but decided to do it in a playground full of children (children killing children).
-Abu Hassan on basketball court at end -- like on a stage -- theatrical set up -- you think the day is going to be won.
-Football as a universal language -- brings Khaldun and boy together as it brings world together.
-Location used for New Scotland Yard -- back of National Theater.]]> -Classic set up at beginning of ep -- something happening a few feet away that you can't control -- obbo van vs. asset in mosque, powerlessness of officers.
-Problem of finding Asian agents -- real issue for Western security services.
-Christine Dale brought back into show because Megan Dodds made such an impression in 1.1.
-Howard Brenton created the character of Ruth Evershed (also Jools Siviter).
-HB wanted to do an ep about a Muslim hero.
-Khaldun (Alex Siddig) -- "noble face" -- you can see who he is, his character, immediately.
-Tom (with Johnny at Truro) -- ruthless but also heroic, needs info quickly -- fine line but compassion shows through -- his questioning right on the edge of acceptability.
-Tried setting up Danny and Sam as an item, but didn't go anywhere, "didn't click."
-Danger of drama -- dramatize both good and bad in a conflict, give voice to the bad -- a Western notion. Why communists and religious fundamentalists ban drama.
-Young boy playing Abu Hassan -- first role ever, from Birmingham -- success of ep depended on the boy.
-Plan was for Tessa's company to take off in a big way -- she'd be a grand, rich villain -- didn't pan out.
-Paradox -- if security service is successful, no one will ever know; failure hits the front pages.
-All the spooks writers loved writing for Malcolm -- had to be restrained from putting him in every scene.
-Game with Khaldun character -- so balanced in the writing that you never knew what side he was really on until the end.
-"Slight rap on the knuckles from BBC" for using COSTA coffee cup. Problem because BBC is publicly funded -- showed favoratism.
-Hugh Simon hates chocolate -- had spit bucket next to him in scene when rigging Black Magic chocs -- took 7 takes to shoot it!
-Tom's women: Ellie a "normal, decent person;" Dr. Vicky a "flaky lover problem;" Christine Dale splits the difference between them.
-Scene with Rashid, Hassan and bomber vest -- terrifying; martyrdom as a sacramental religious act.
-Whole other drama going on in Azzum's house between father and daughter.
-Scene with Tom and Khaldun in dorm room -- montage scenes great way to make reporting info more exciting (unusual for spooks but used a lot in this ep) -- "measured pace of scene winds the clock for the final sequence."
-Father beating daughter to get info -- Tom at another "knife edge" moment -- good character (Tom) behaving in a bad way but "he has to do it" -- means justifying the ends.
-Sequence of boy with bomb originally was to be in a shopping center, then on a bus but decided to do it in a playground full of children (children killing children).
-Abu Hassan on basketball court at end -- like on a stage -- theatrical set up -- you think the day is going to be won.
-Football as a universal language -- brings Khaldun and boy together as it brings world together.
-Location used for New Scotland Yard -- back of National Theater.]]> <![CDATA[2.1 DVD commentary]]> http://www.spooksforum.co.uk/thread-646.html Sun, 31 Jan 2010 22:59:07 +0000 http://www.spooksforum.co.uk/thread-646.html -Total rebuild of grid set in new location for s2 and majorly different: much larger, 3 pods (2 in old grid), office computers went from PC to Mac (better design look), added the forgery suite.
-New location used for Tom's house (actually 3 different new locations) -- couldn't use the same location as in s1 because they kept putting the owner's cat out in the garden as Matthew was allergic. Owners weren't keen to have them back!
-New location for Danny and Zoe's flat -- "bears no resemblance" to the old one.
-New look for costumes in s2 (after the clean up from 1.6 was completed) -- brighter and more trendy.
-Opening explosion in the ep -- digital bricks -- CGI.
-Camera in constant motion for first 10 mins of ep to keep audience off-balance re where did explosion really take place.
-Sam's intro into all of the chaos was a deliberate move.
-First 12-14 mins of this ep finished the s1 story arc.
-Actor playing Gradic famous in Serbia; all the other Serbian actors in ep were from Britain.
-Cufflinks, decoding program and using advertisements to pass messages -- based on real tradecraft info from advisors.
-COBRA = Cabinet Office Briefing Room A -- large room with painting of a horse.
-2nd COBRA scene (@ time 49.15) -- they needed an extra COBRA shot but nothing had been written for it, so Peter Firth totally ad libbed the whole scene -- "events considered too sensitive, etc."
-The shooting scene with Gradic's men and special forces (@time 50.45) was done totally with lighting and sound effects. Owners didn't want any shooting going on in the location.
-The helicopter used to transport Gradic belonged to Mohammed El Fayad -- a big fan of the show, he lent them the Harrod's heli.
-Tom, Danny and Zoe walking away from helicopter at end of ep mirrors the same three walking away from car at the end of 1.1.
-Lots of discussion about whether the ep should have ended with the helicopter scene -- decided to go with emotional ending vs. style ending -- wanted a quiet ending to focus on the end of Tom and Ellie's relationship.
-Teaser for 2.2 provoked a lot of reaction and large number of complaints, even before ep actually aired.
-Locations:
@4.55, grid evacuation: back courtyard of Freemason's Hall.
@11.22, Zoe meeting Ellie and Tom: front lobby of Freemason's Hall.
@18.30, Zoe and friend get off bus: exterior of Ellie's restaurant (closed down before start of s2).
@26.23, Serbian Embassy in 2.1 becomes Turkish Embassy in 2.3, flipped around.
@43.50, MOD mole interrogation: Mason Building in Portland Place, London (same location used as mosque in 2.2).
@46.20, fake COBRA meeting: Brockett Hall.]]> -Total rebuild of grid set in new location for s2 and majorly different: much larger, 3 pods (2 in old grid), office computers went from PC to Mac (better design look), added the forgery suite.
-New location used for Tom's house (actually 3 different new locations) -- couldn't use the same location as in s1 because they kept putting the owner's cat out in the garden as Matthew was allergic. Owners weren't keen to have them back!
-New location for Danny and Zoe's flat -- "bears no resemblance" to the old one.
-New look for costumes in s2 (after the clean up from 1.6 was completed) -- brighter and more trendy.
-Opening explosion in the ep -- digital bricks -- CGI.
-Camera in constant motion for first 10 mins of ep to keep audience off-balance re where did explosion really take place.
-Sam's intro into all of the chaos was a deliberate move.
-First 12-14 mins of this ep finished the s1 story arc.
-Actor playing Gradic famous in Serbia; all the other Serbian actors in ep were from Britain.
-Cufflinks, decoding program and using advertisements to pass messages -- based on real tradecraft info from advisors.
-COBRA = Cabinet Office Briefing Room A -- large room with painting of a horse.
-2nd COBRA scene (@ time 49.15) -- they needed an extra COBRA shot but nothing had been written for it, so Peter Firth totally ad libbed the whole scene -- "events considered too sensitive, etc."
-The shooting scene with Gradic's men and special forces (@time 50.45) was done totally with lighting and sound effects. Owners didn't want any shooting going on in the location.
-The helicopter used to transport Gradic belonged to Mohammed El Fayad -- a big fan of the show, he lent them the Harrod's heli.
-Tom, Danny and Zoe walking away from helicopter at end of ep mirrors the same three walking away from car at the end of 1.1.
-Lots of discussion about whether the ep should have ended with the helicopter scene -- decided to go with emotional ending vs. style ending -- wanted a quiet ending to focus on the end of Tom and Ellie's relationship.
-Teaser for 2.2 provoked a lot of reaction and large number of complaints, even before ep actually aired.
-Locations:
@4.55, grid evacuation: back courtyard of Freemason's Hall.
@11.22, Zoe meeting Ellie and Tom: front lobby of Freemason's Hall.
@18.30, Zoe and friend get off bus: exterior of Ellie's restaurant (closed down before start of s2).
@26.23, Serbian Embassy in 2.1 becomes Turkish Embassy in 2.3, flipped around.
@43.50, MOD mole interrogation: Mason Building in Portland Place, London (same location used as mosque in 2.2).
@46.20, fake COBRA meeting: Brockett Hall.]]> <![CDATA[Episode 2 Discussion [Rewatch]]]> http://www.spooksforum.co.uk/thread-639.html Sun, 31 Jan 2010 13:41:09 +0000 http://www.spooksforum.co.uk/thread-639.html I really liked this episode. It's a shame the writers were predicting the future. It shows how desperate the security services were to use a young boy like Johnny as an asset, to try and get information. They had little choice though as they had no other assets which was probably not helped by Tessa concentrating on her fictitious ones.

Ruth seemed to be welcomed more warmly than Sam was, although I really hated Ruth's entry into the series. I found it a little embarrassing and had to look away. Ruth also seemed to be talking in a funny way. There was no need for this, dropping the papers was enough to try and make her look nervous and clumsy. I loved the Harry joke moment but really for the look Zoe gave more than anything. It was like Zoe was saying to Harry "what the hell are you doing?"

I liked Khaldun in this episode. The actor was very good and believable. He believed in Paradise but not getting there by taking other people's lives. The writers were trying to promote a positive side to the muslim community in the UK as well as the more radical Islamist side which seems to get in the press more.

We got to see a bit more of Christine in this episode although I found her "come to bed eyes" she gave Tom in the meeting room as quite disturbing. It actually says on the extra's on this DVD that she was in this series because the writers had only planned for another 6-8 episodes and then the BBC said they wanted 13. This was finally reduced to 10 but they did not have enough material on the characters to stretch over 10 episodes, so shoved in Christine to give Tom a bit more to do. Wish he had shoved her in the Thames!]]> I really liked this episode. It's a shame the writers were predicting the future. It shows how desperate the security services were to use a young boy like Johnny as an asset, to try and get information. They had little choice though as they had no other assets which was probably not helped by Tessa concentrating on her fictitious ones.

Ruth seemed to be welcomed more warmly than Sam was, although I really hated Ruth's entry into the series. I found it a little embarrassing and had to look away. Ruth also seemed to be talking in a funny way. There was no need for this, dropping the papers was enough to try and make her look nervous and clumsy. I loved the Harry joke moment but really for the look Zoe gave more than anything. It was like Zoe was saying to Harry "what the hell are you doing?"

I liked Khaldun in this episode. The actor was very good and believable. He believed in Paradise but not getting there by taking other people's lives. The writers were trying to promote a positive side to the muslim community in the UK as well as the more radical Islamist side which seems to get in the press more.

We got to see a bit more of Christine in this episode although I found her "come to bed eyes" she gave Tom in the meeting room as quite disturbing. It actually says on the extra's on this DVD that she was in this series because the writers had only planned for another 6-8 episodes and then the BBC said they wanted 13. This was finally reduced to 10 but they did not have enough material on the characters to stretch over 10 episodes, so shoved in Christine to give Tom a bit more to do. Wish he had shoved her in the Thames!]]> <![CDATA[Episode 1 Discussion [Rewatch]]]> http://www.spooksforum.co.uk/thread-638.html Sun, 31 Jan 2010 13:39:50 +0000 http://www.spooksforum.co.uk/thread-638.html Right I thought this episode started off a bit slow for a series opener and for me it didnt really pick up until the end. It didnt really spark much in me. Things that I loved were:

-Malcolm being the emergency marshall. Who else could do that job?
-Harry's grey waistcoats....sorry I couldnt help it.
-Zoe trying to get rid of her old friend. She'd had a pig of a day and really didnt want to engage in small talk or lies.
-The scene with Colin and Malcolm about the cufflinks. Do they both fancy Zoe?
-Malcolm saying "Bloody Nora."
-Tom finally getting rid of that moaning record of a girlfriend.
-The slow scene with the helicopter taking off.

I didnt like the new doctor Vicky. Where did she come from?

I dont have anything too serious to say about this episode. Obviously the key stroke reading thing has been used again in later series. I wonder if this technology exists? Oh, also Harry got to see McCann get his fair dues which made him smile some what.]]> Right I thought this episode started off a bit slow for a series opener and for me it didnt really pick up until the end. It didnt really spark much in me. Things that I loved were:

-Malcolm being the emergency marshall. Who else could do that job?
-Harry's grey waistcoats....sorry I couldnt help it.
-Zoe trying to get rid of her old friend. She'd had a pig of a day and really didnt want to engage in small talk or lies.
-The scene with Colin and Malcolm about the cufflinks. Do they both fancy Zoe?
-Malcolm saying "Bloody Nora."
-Tom finally getting rid of that moaning record of a girlfriend.
-The slow scene with the helicopter taking off.

I didnt like the new doctor Vicky. Where did she come from?

I dont have anything too serious to say about this episode. Obviously the key stroke reading thing has been used again in later series. I wonder if this technology exists? Oh, also Harry got to see McCann get his fair dues which made him smile some what.]]> <![CDATA[Christine Dale]]> http://www.spooksforum.co.uk/thread-565.html Mon, 04 Jan 2010 11:35:01 +0000 http://www.spooksforum.co.uk/thread-565.html
Spoiler: show
I can't imagine Sarah Caufiled coming anywhere near Christine.

John]]>
Spoiler: show
I can't imagine Sarah Caufiled coming anywhere near Christine.

John]]> <![CDATA[Favorite Episode?]]> http://www.spooksforum.co.uk/thread-56.html Sun, 09 Aug 2009 09:17:37 +0000 http://www.spooksforum.co.uk/thread-56.html
It's really hard to pick a favorite from Series 2, I loved a lot of them so much. If I had to choose, it would be either:

I Spy Apocalypse
I loved this one because it was chilling stuff, the team not knowing if it's real or not, Harry faking illness. It was all brilliant, pushed everyone to their limits, but they were still a team at the end.

Blood & Money
I loved this one, because business espionage is one of my favorite kinds. Seeing Danny on the trading floor was fantastic, and the storyline itself was very clever.

Spiders
I liked this one simply because it has hackers in it, and being a computer guy it was a very good episode.

I know I picked 3, lol but they are all on the same level for me.

So what's your favorite episode from Series 2?]]>
It's really hard to pick a favorite from Series 2, I loved a lot of them so much. If I had to choose, it would be either:

I Spy Apocalypse
I loved this one because it was chilling stuff, the team not knowing if it's real or not, Harry faking illness. It was all brilliant, pushed everyone to their limits, but they were still a team at the end.

Blood & Money
I loved this one, because business espionage is one of my favorite kinds. Seeing Danny on the trading floor was fantastic, and the storyline itself was very clever.

Spiders
I liked this one simply because it has hackers in it, and being a computer guy it was a very good episode.

I know I picked 3, lol but they are all on the same level for me.

So what's your favorite episode from Series 2?]]> <![CDATA[Arrival of Ruth]]> http://www.spooksforum.co.uk/thread-32.html Wed, 05 Aug 2009 08:56:01 +0000 http://www.spooksforum.co.uk/thread-32.html
Sent there as a GCHQ mole... and then it was as if they decided to keep her on so that side of her was quickly brushed aside.

Still, she is one of my favorite characters!

Spoiler: show
Very happy she is making a return!
]]>
Sent there as a GCHQ mole... and then it was as if they decided to keep her on so that side of her was quickly brushed aside.

Still, she is one of my favorite characters!

Spoiler: show
Very happy she is making a return!
]]>