Episode 8 Discussion [rewatch]

[JHyde]

I remember that the first few times I watched this episode I found it horribly sad. Tom, Curtis, the other soldier Danny was sent to interview, Harry knowing they were being used.....everything. I disagree that it was one of the weaker episodes of season 2 - there are others that are greatly inferior.

[Silktie]

(07-03-2010 07:10 PM)lwhite53 Wrote: [You must be registered to see URLs.]I'm going to agree with Tea Lady here -- not my favorite ep, by far. The story was not believable (the MOD setting up one of it's decorated officers for assassination) and Curtis's over-the-top egotism muddied the equipment and force readiness issues he presented. Maybe my problem is that the writer tried to get too many issues into the ep and they worked against each other. I just didn't find this ep terribly effective.

I did like Curtis's "War is shit!" line, Ruth's standing up for herself re a possible return to GCHQ, Danny and Sam, and the planning for H's birthday party (an op in itself).

The best part of this ep, imo, is how it showed the cracks starting to develop between Harry and Tom. Tom is clearly angry that MI5 was used for political reasons but it's his disappointment in Harry that really gets the angry exchange at the end going:
T: "Shame on you, Harry. Shame on you for allowing us to be manipulated."
And Harry, clearly stung by Tom's accusation, fires back:
H: "And as regards Mata Hari out there, no fraternizing with foreign operatives, even if they are friendlies . . . Never question my decisions. End it."
I found it really interesting that Harry didn't question or contest Tom's accusation but instead hit back with something personal, what most would consider a "cheap shot." And the reason H did so, imo, was because he knew T was right (about the service being used) and he was angry that T called him on it.

(No commentary for 2.8)

Very insightful post and I agree with most of what you said, especially the Tom/Harry interchange. But I don't agree that it was the MOD's intention from the start to set Curtis up for assassination. If he did not go completely overboard and threaten the whole of London with a nuclear dirty bomb, they would not have had the opportunity to have him eliminated. The MOD probably wanted Curtis discredited in order to dismiss him, and used that snivelly little snitch to try and set this up.

While MI5 was dragged into this initially for the MOD's purposes, by the time the decision had to be made whether to shoot Curtis it had actually become a matter of national security and MI5's mandate.

[Nitrus]

I agree Silktie, although I think it warranted an interest from MI5 from the get go. Curtis was a threat to national security because he was threatening industrial action and normally the police would deal with that, but this was the army and I don't think the MOD would have sent other soldiers to deal with it because they would probably refuse.

So it makes sense that MI5 were the only real authority left who could properly deal with the situation. I think Harry made the right call in giving the kill order, not only to remove a threat but to make an example to others.

[HellsBells]

I agree that MI5 was right to investigate Curtis. The MOD probably thought, like Curtis, that no solider would go against him. Therefore an outside agency was required and it did come under the remit of MI5.
I liked this episode because initially you can't see where it is going. The movement of the uranium and the random strikes were very low key initially. Although it did seem incredibly easy for Curtis to steal the uranium.
Harry was right to order Curtis killed because he was threatening London with a dirty bomb. No matter what his grievances were he could not be allowed to threatened innocent people.

[lwhite53]

Maybe Curtis was a pain in the ass and maybe he did have too much influence over his men, but discrediting him in that matter still seems too far fetched to me. A more realistic option would have been to transfer or promote him into an area where he didn't have direct access to troops, a backwater desk job somewhere in the MOD. (It works here -- the Pentagon is full of such people.) He would either have left the military or disappeared into the bureaucracy. Of course, that solution wouldn't have made a very good ep!

[ausfan]

I like how he said to Tom, there isnt a british soldier who would shoot me.

[Simone]

It's not one of my favourite episodes. But I love how it's one of those that show brilliantly how Spooks can start an episode having everyone think they know what's going on and halfway through it suddenly gets a whole lot bigger and more complex.

Although I must say the link between Zoe's work for customs and the main operation always seemed very obvious to me.

Thought the scene when the team's waiting for Tom's report was funny. When Sam marvels at how punctual the report comes in even though she knows how it works and that it's been pre-recorded.