Spooks: Episode 1.3 and Episode 1.4

[melwil]

Two more episodes



1.3

Everyone's walking on tenterhooks here. Danny's clearing out Helen's desk. Harry's deleting Helen. Tom's in trouble with Ellie on his birthday. And Zoe's going undercover in the Turkish embassy. As someone's wife. And mother to be.

This episode's got one of those twists we've come to love so much. The real issue isn't the siege in the embassy - it's the guy behind the scenes blackmailing the service by stealing contact details.

For me, I adore the scenes when Tessa goes home, exhausted (to that awesome flat) and discovers that Johnny Marks is already there. Tessa is so beautifully played -as is Harry throughout this episode- and I just realised that these two more experienced agents were just as broken then, as Tom, Zoe and Danny came to be. Harry just handles it better than most.

The relationships between the characters are really developing now. Danny, Tom and Tessa show genuine care for Zoe, as Zoe does for Tom later.





1.4

Oh, the famous Peter Salter episode. There is way too much to love here. The protest with the 'friendly penguin', Tom telling Ellie the truth about his stapler gun accident, the reveal that Peter recruited Tom, the wonderful scene at the train station, Danny's unraveling (come fly with me), incompetent anarchists. And JOOLS!

Anthony Head is simply wonderful here, he has so much presence throughout the episode. Hugh Laurie is wonderful too - I adore his snarking with Tom and Harry.

The relationships continue to be built. The scene when Harry confiscates Danny's cards are great, as are the scenes between Danny and Zoe (Earl Grey Tea is marriage . . . Zoe's a slob and Danny's neat) I love the scene with Harry and Tessa when Tessa is accused of worrying only about her career 'I'll brief you on anything you haven't already learned in the ladies' . . .

Oh! (I'm typing this as I watch. I forgot how packed this episode is.) I forgot that this is the dead drop/Tessa's running fake agents episode. The scene with Zoe waiting for 'Billy Turner' is so creepy. Then Tessa ("don't go wobbly on me, Zoe") trying to bribe Zoe - she really would do anything for her career, would she.

The interesting thing with this episode is that it's so action packed that you get wrapped up, and you care so much about Peter and the people around him, that you forget that he's done something to air traffic control. And it's not until you're reminded of the fact do you realise there's more to it.

(Jools/Tessa!)

Oh the interview scene between Tom and Peter is lovely. The close ups on Peter which make him look so old and broken - I really think they're all broken in the service - eventually at least. Survival is just a matter of who handles the broken-ness best.

Harry "There, but for the grace of God, go all of us"

So it looks like Danny, Zoe and Tom were all absent from the wake. We know why Danny was away, and Tom needed to get home. But why wouldn't Zoe go. (There has to be fic in there *g*)


I just have to add that 1.4 was the first episode I really sat down and watched. My parents had been watching the first three and commenting on how good it was, and I'd caught snippets. But dad got me on this one by saying 'It's that guy from Buffy.' I was so shocked that my father knew anything about Buffy, I sat down and watched. Making it three fandoms he's introduced me to . . . (West Wing and M*A*S*H are also his fault)

Comments

[shezan.livejournal.com]

1.4 is so brilliantly-written, it's a dream. I loveloveLOVE Hugh Laurie as Jools, because he's never just gratuitously offensive; he's scoring points for his department all the time. He's funny AND he's threatening AND he's always thinking, computing, reassessing. He wants to wrong-foot Tom, that's why he goes "Tom! You spoke! So nice to see you working on your skills!"

What do you want to bet Jools has always known about Tessa's little arrangements, and was just waiting for the right moment to use the leverage?

[melwil.livejournal.com]

I never thought of that, but I can see it making sense. I can definitely see history between Jools and Tessa (oh, who am I kidding, I can see history between Tessa and everyone *g*)