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**JHyde** · 03-10-2011, 06:06 AM

I really enjoyed this episode more than most of you. I liked that Dimitri got to run with the main story and while I agree that Johnny was clearly the bad guy I liked that we got to see the process for the spy - is it him or not? This season reminds me a lot of seasons 1 and 5, especially the beginning episodes of each. Max Brown did a great job.

Which brings me neatly to the Towers/Ruth scene. Fantastic writing for Ruth - her characterisation of what her life is like outside of work and finally being tired of secrets and, of course, something she has truly known since 3.10 - that we are all alone in the end. Tea Lady I take your point that this is something that maybe had its place elsewhere but I honestly believe that it isn't necessarily the worst thing that happens to you that breaks your back - it's the something that comes sometimes months or years later that finally makes you say no more. I still don't buy the Towers for Ruth thing, and Ruth won't be having a bar of someone so cynical as Towers. But it made for a wonderful scene, one which reminds me a lot of some of the best scenes in the first half of season 5.

I like that Erin's costuming is different from Ruth's. And a fair sight better than what Beth got last season. I also like Erin a lot - she reminds me a lot of Adam and not because of the kid thing. In 5.9 Adam goes to see an old friend and he's warm and sympathetic to get what he needs. And then he walks out the door and his whole face changes, game on. Erin had something similar last episode and also had touches of it in this week's.

I feel horribly sorry for Natalie. Something this season is doing really well is something that is the hallmark of the show's best episodes: the people left in the wake of the hurricane that is Five's work. Martha last week, Natalie this week. Hope there is more of this to come.

I'll be interested to see how this one plays for me on re-watching but I really liked it the first time around. Season 10 is beating the pants off season 9 so far.

harrbd · 03-10-2011, 07:30 AM

Why did the HS ask Ruth if she was married, had children ? Surely he would have known that. Was he trying to bring up a horrible memory in order to push her into working for him. Be careful Ruth !

Callahan · 03-10-2011, 08:21 AM

I've got to admit, prior to tonights episode, if they'd killed off Callum I wouldn't have missed him at all, now, I'm not too sure...

streetlife · 03-10-2011, 08:30 AM

A bit of a mixed episode, I thought...

I wasn't massively keen on the dirty bomb plot, or its resolution, but it was nice that Dimitri got a chance to do a big storyline (would legging it away from the radiation really work?). And he's pretty so, y'know... And I enjoyed the continuing plot going on around the story of the week, particularly Harry going to talk to Sasha and Ruth and Elena having a little chat at the gallery (plus Elena's ever-amazing hair and wardrobe).

Did Calum just show the others the picture of the CIA woman with the briefcase? Because it seemed like he missed off that other shot he'd previously looked at (on Tariq's computer, I think??) with her handing it over to whoever-it-was/woman-with-a-silhouette-that-looked-a-bit-like-Elena... Hmm.

Oh, and I particularly enjoyed the Home Secretary's line about blowing smoke up the arse of big business. And being a grand vizier sounds well fun. That's totally the job title I'd pick.

KoiGal · 03-10-2011, 08:51 AM

I thought that this week's episode was so-so, but still was an improvement on all of last season's.

The characterisation of Elena as some glacial, white Russian aristocrat is so hackneyed. And, as previously discussed Sacha is some kind of messed-up FSB officer, poor baby. I wouldn't be surprised if Coaver turns out to be a double agent with a personal grudge against Harry for his relationship with Elena and professional success. Maybe this will all boil down to personal enmity in the end.

The best piece was, of course, the dinner with Ruth and the HS, in which Ruth was as open as she has ever been about how she feels about Harry.

I'm really looking forward to next week's episode although it brings us all closer to THE END.

Tess24 · 03-10-2011, 09:09 AM

Dmitri should go back to fighting sharks because he's next to useless as a MI5 officer. I'm pretty sure he would have had training as to how to get out of a bar fight without getting hit being undercover or not. As for having his jacket bugged that's just careless. Why he so readliy believed Johnny I don't know.

Ros would have kicked his behind for complaining about how he had to go about keeping Natalie on side (she did it after all) and not kindly written a Dear John letter for him - man up for heaven's sake! I suppose at least this episode didn't have Erin having some sort of emotional crisis, that was going to get old very fast.

I still think the HS is a bad guy. If he's read the report Harry made on Ruth's analyst skills and what she has had to give up for the service he should already know her marital status etc it seems as it suits him to play uninformed. He knows Harry and Ruth are a dream team (professionally wise) and if he is dodgy it makes sense to split them up. Nice comment telling her she'll have to call him William and stop looking at her feet if she works for him - very old Ruth nervousness.

Beginning to like Callum a bit more but I don't know why no one's thought to use the snazzy walking identifying technology from episode one to figure out who the briefcase was handed to.

Beautiful setting for Ruth meeting Elena, can't help thinking the painting must have some significance though.

Now I'm a bit wary of episode 4 next week.

P.S Wasn't all the filming for this series done this year? I don't expect them to keep the exact dates (that would be impossible) but did notice that when Dmitri checked Natalie's phone it was 2010.

Tineke · (This post was last modified: 03-10-2011 01:05 PM by Tineke.)

It was nice to see Dimitri a bit more but why did it all have to be so silly for him at the end? Such a shame.
Still not much of a Calum fan, but Erin is getting better and better. And as for Harry and Ruth... sigh.

I loved the scene in the National Museum with Ruth and Elena.
It looked to me that Ruth was a very docile in accepting the dinnerdate with Towers. Why on earth would she like to work for a politician I wonder?

**Silktie** · 03-10-2011, 09:35 AM

I really enjoyed the episode. Not quite as edge-of-the-seat as last week’s, but still pretty good.

It was great to see Dimitri get the main story, and I thought MB did a good job in portraying Dimitri’s ambivalence in having to honeytrap Nathali. And I think that ambivalence is also why he misread the brother’s intentions – his sense of guilt at what he was doing to the poor woman blinded him to the lies of her brother. He probably wanted something good to come out of his actions, and saw proving the brother innocent as that chance. I wonder if his dilemma was meant to mirror what Harry is going through to some extent?

I loved Calum from the start, and was happy to see him challenge Harry about Tariq. Well done, young man. Re the CCTV footage, I thought the footage found by Calum stopped short of the bit that showed suspected Elena take delivery of the briefcase – so that part was probably corrupted when Tariq’s system went haywire last week. I believe this means it was not necessarily the CIA that killed Tariq, but the Russians to prevent MI5 from finding out about their involvement. But Jim Coaver is the impostor, and the CIA did plot the assassination attempt on Gavrik – remember, it was meant to fail. And the CIA did steal the laptop, but why would they give it to the Russians after that? Perhaps the CIA and the Russians are secretly working together? I’m stumped.

Ruth got some strong scenes this episode. While I fully understand why she is beginning to think about leaving, I have a very hard time accepting she would want to go and work for a politician. She’s seen, through her many years at MI5, just how untrustworthy they are after all. The scene between her and Elena was fantastic, so much going on underneath with both these women.

And Harry. Definitely not his finest hour, this. He seems lost, unsure who to trust, apart from Ruth, that is. PF killed that scene where Harry says goodbye to Sasha. Harry seems to be losing everyone at the moment, it is evident in the scenes Harry and Ruth shared that neither of them has the slightest idea how to get through this, and they’re drifting apart. Also, it seems that he had a close working relationship with Jim Coaver back in the day, and that they were even friends. It must be a hard pill to swallow to think that that friend could have ordered Tariq’s death. I think that is what lies behind him asking Ruth to tell the team everything at the end, not that that’s an excuse. I agree with others he should have done that himself. Like Ruth said last episode, he is emotionally compromised by this whole situation, and not handling it very well at the moment. If Ruth decides to leave, will this worsen further?

On a side note, I think all these faults of Harry is necessary to motivate Ruth’s possible leaving – if Harry was Mr Perfect and did everything right this season, Ruth would have had less reason to leave. But I hope Harry pulls it together and kicks some ass before the end.

beatrice4ruth · (This post was last modified: 03-10-2011 10:49 AM by beatrice4ruth.)

According to the BBC press release for episode 4

Series 10 Spoiler: show

Kagami · 03-10-2011, 10:58 AM

Ohhh I wish I hadn't looked at that press release! My own fault Tongue

Anyway, I quite liked today's episode. I agree in that we're getting a clearer idea of just what happens to these people MI5 use in their day-to-day operations. It sort of reminds me of 3.1 with the sleeper agent whose life they pretty much destroyed to get what they wanted. Next episode is going to be the big turning point in the Ruth/Harry/Elena triangle and Harry really isn't doing himself any favours in the run up to it, I think that the preview for next week wasn't Harry and Elena reuniting but Ruth simply seeing them at the wrong time.
I rather liked the Ruth/Harry splitscreen at one point in the episode and have attached it here Tongue

Reminded me of their general relationship - wanting to be together but always with something separating them.
My favourite part of this episode was Dimitri, of course Yahoo

Glad we didn't have to see a full-blown sex scene like series 6 and 8 though! Erin and Callum are growing on me, although I guess Erin has another emotional crisis judging by her trembling voice and tears(?) in next week's preview. Sad that we only have 3 episodes left.