Episode 1 Discussion

[picard1109]

I agree - ep 1 is heart wrenching. I've seen it several times and I still want to wail

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"nooooo....don't hurt Harry!!!!". How bloody sad is that? I know he doesn't get (physically) hurt but still the sight of him supposedly being shot takes my breath away. (Mind you, Harry in handcuffs is a rather interesting sight...)

That line..."What are you going to do with me?"

makes me want to cry, and I'm really not the crying type at all. It's the way PF says it - such an amazing actor.

I (hopefully) put everything inside the spoiler tag, just in case someone wanders on here by mistake. I'd hate to be shouted at for giving the game away.

[JHyde]

It's OK, we don't shout at you, whatever happens. And no, you're OK as you're in a Season 8 thread and all of season 8 has aired so you can talk about it freely.

This is such a heart wrenching episode. I understand why some addicted fans have a lot of trouble watching this episode, if at all.

[A Cousin]

Let me just say right off the top, I loved this episode. I do not know how all of you made I a full year not knowing what happened to Harry. I certainly didn't. I had the luxury of going right straight through. I couldn't resist. Reading this thread to make sure I don't repeat too much of what has already been said has also been loads of fun. It is the closest I have come to enjoying it with someone in the moment. As it is impossible to say anything different I will just put my opinions out there.

Things I liked:

- Ruth blissfully happy in Cyprus. She had to move on. I would have been disappointed and lost respect for her if she hadn't. It is much more dramatically engaging if she hadn't pined for Harry for 2.5 years. BUT, her having a To Go Bag at the ready says a lot. Imagine how frightening it must have been to know that you and yours are always in danger? And once she's with Harry, she has been just far enough out of the Spook mindset (the means justify the end) that she cannot see the big picture. In sharp contrast to Harry who only sees the big picture.

- Malcolm. I cried. Very hard. I tend to be a bit cynical in watching. I like to watch for structure, plot, film technique, etc. His heroism took me right a long with him. It was a wonderful exit for a wonderful character. I am a good old fashioned earth mother mommy, so a child looking down the barrel of a gun really got to me. I thought the kid was good too. Although why he had an English and not a Greek accent I do not know.

- Ros showing emotion over Harry - I like seeing her crumble just a bit. Her pig-headed belief that the execution wasn't real was great. She wasn't going to give up Harry because he never gave up on her. Her reaction when whats-his-face-from-6's brains gets splattered across her face is priceless: she almost looks exasperated as if to say, Not again!

- Mani: A very good, very frightening performance I think. The success of the interrogation scenes really rested on him. We are already emotionally invested in H/R. If Mani is not believable, the whole thing is blown.

- Baghdad Op: I found it a little conveniently contrived just to further the plot. But if that is what got Ruth back, I'll will happily suspend my disbelief. Luckily all of you have done the thinking for me and have placed it in past seasons for me already.

- Harry: PF was doing what he does best. I have no idea what can be said or added to convey the depth of my respect I have for this mans acting abilities. His ability to allow a myriad of contrasting emotions to play across his face and through his eyes is amazing. This almost breaks him. His, "She is home" is heartbreaking.

That is all for now. Thanks for reading.

[Nia M]

(19-06-2010 01:08 PM)A Cousin Wrote: [You must be registered to see URLs.]- Ros showing emotion over Harry - I like seeing her crumble just a bit. Her pig-headed belief that the execution wasn't real was great. She wasn't going to give up Harry because he never gave up on her. Her reaction when whats-his-face-from-6's brains gets splattered across her face is priceless: she almost looks exasperated as if to say, Not again!

I love this point of yours, not least because it is so true. Ros really does show far more emotion here,

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and throughout this whole series - after 8.03

, and this is possibly one of the first inkling of said shedding of the icy shield.

That said, 7.02 and 7.05 most certainly are very emotional episodes for Ros too

[Kazters]

I adore ros in this ep and the one before her facial expressions are great. Harry's face when he saw Ruth was lovey and the physical pain he was in when she saw her husband get shot was shocking and heartbreaking.

We have seen ements of the person malcom can be when Adam was there but I hope Ruth finds out what he was prepared
To do to savemher child , I m gutted he left ;(
Imam warming to Lucas but I loved how loyal to Harry ros is and the though of him being dead nearly broke them all

[A Cousin]

They wrote a great character arc for Malcolm, didn't they? From the man who freezes in the field to his heroic exit. Frankly, I am not sure where they could go with the character if he comes back.

[JHyde]

I just finished re-watching this for the first time in months and it really is as good as I remember. I could pick small holes in some stuff, but the two main threads of this episode remain very strong - the obvious HR line and Malcolm's bravery. When he starts to tell Nico 'A Dog So Small', I break up. It works really well.

This is definitely in my top 10 episodes of the show.

I'm inclined to agree with A Cousin on this too - I'm almost disappointed that

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Malcolm is coming back (although we don't know for how long). His exit was just such a good one.