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  • Armageddon Time
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Spooks 8.4 (2009)

TV episode review: Spooks (2009), season 8 episode 4

I’m writing this while watching the episode … if you’ve seen it, you’ll have no trouble understanding why. 😉 I’ve paused it on 13:50, because woah, some stuff to tell already!

Firstly, I’m just wondering who in their right mind would go to bed wearing all that mascara in real life, especially with shiny, white bedlinen. They’d look a mess in the morning! Good thing the mascara seemed waterproof, but it still seemed odd. Says me, who might end up wearing mascara once or twice a month year. This happens pretty much straight away, so not a spoiler.

These things ahead aren’t spoilers as such. I’ll try to focus on the skin rather than the plot. 😉

Not even 15 minutes in and already we’ve had several gratuitous bare chested shots of Lucas North. Some in bed. Some dreaming. Cauldron (Genevieve O’Reilly) reaching for, umm, Li’l Lucas under the covers … that’s an image that’s going to stick for a while and wasn’t necessary.

I got confused, were those flashbacks of Lucas in Russia being tortured, or someone else? Or a bit of both?

The thing that really had me wondering WTH and that is a huuuuuuuuge fanservice is something that happens roughly 11 minutes in, where Lucas is being told to strip and put on an overall thingy. No reason given. He obliges. Before you collapse completely: it’s shot from behind, of course – it’s gratuitous, but not that gratuitous!

I don’t know if the change of clothes was some kind of perviness on behalf of the person who told him to strip, or if it was some kind of psychological move, or if the scriptwriter(s) just really felt like giving us an early Christmas present. Maybe we’ll find out later.

*un-pauses*

Not really, seems to just be an old psychological trick. Russian bloke had Lucas trained like a Pavlovian dog.

48:12, in which there’s been some interesting information on Lucas’s past in the interrogation camp, a shouting match and … plot-related stuff. It would’ve been funny if “Rencon Solutions” had been called “Retcon Solutions”. There have been more shots of a shirtless Lucas, some serious angst and kissing. And now for the dramatic ending!

*un-pauses again*

Is there such a thing as a reversed Stockholm Syndrome, by the way? (Er, I’m doing a psychology degree, shouldn’t I know that sort of thing already?) But if there is, perhaps it applies to this episode. Then again, Lucas’s response was pretty cold. Not as cold as Cauldron, however! Ros is icy, but in a very different way to her. Cauldron is just … I don’t believe her declaration of love for one second. She’s not icy, she’s liquid nitrogen.

P.S. Jane Fairfax from Emma (2009) was in this episode for a brief scene. As a junkie. Surely she should be getting bigger roles than that?

Traxy

An easily distracted and over-excited introvert who never learns to go to bed at a reasonable time. Enjoys traveling (when there's not a plague on), and taking photos of European architecture. Cares for cats, good coffee and Boardwalk Empire. A child of her time, she did media studies in school and still can't decide what she wants to be when she grows up.

One thought on “Spooks 8.4 (2009)

  1. “Retcon” — good one! I had never heard of it so I really liked your link. Also did some further reading about “ass pull” there. Hahaha!
    Sounds like you think the Boiler suit scene was an “ass pull”! 😀
    But I don’t. I posted my thoughts about it already on Nat’s blog. I just got carried away, and I hate to repeat myself.
    I totally agree with your comment about Sarah being “liquid nitrogen”. Perfect description.
    My favourite scenes in this episode were:
    1. When Lucas is looking at her while she is talking, before he tells her he is going away. (THAT LOOK!)
    2. The way he talks to the Russian after he was made to strip down to wear the infamous boiler suit. His tone of voice is so timid and he can’t make eye contact so you can tell he can barely hold in his terror.
    3. When he talks to the Russian again to get him to give up the code to disarm the bomb. He finally overcomes his fear and lets out his anger! It is magnificent!
    Oh..and worst scene (cringeworthy)! When Sarah grabs him and kisses him after he catches her planting a wire in his flat. So gross!! I’m glad he pushed her away.
    But he forgave her in the end…Poor Lucas! I am so sad for him!

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