Spooks - Episode 4

The BBC really excelled themselves when creating Spooks and it seems that seven series on and they’re still not going to disappoint us. With Al Qaeda planting bombs left, right and centre, the Ruskies back on the scene trying to undermine our every turn and those pesky Yanks boldly going where common sense would tell anyone not to interfere, this latest season of Spooks is shaping up beautifully.

But, as with all good thrillers not everything is to be expected so with this weeks olive branch, offered by a surprising Al Qaeda leader, a certain nervousness and apprehension was added to the mix. Harry and Ros, marvellously manipulating the Home Secretary, managed to persuade all members involved that meeting with the Al Qaeda representative was a good idea and soon set off with a dazzling array of tracking, radiation particle and satellite devices to secure that they never lost sight of their target. Of course, nothing is ever straight forward, and they soon lost all communication but with a little gadget of Malcolm’s (a cunning device tracker that released specific particles which could be tracked – and all in the shape of smartly fitted ring on Harry’s finger) they ensured that, at some point, they could re-establish his whereabouts.

 He was indeed there to offer an olive branch, he was there to secure the future of the middle east, he was there to negotiate. And negotiate he did, for the public pardon and release from all further CPS matters of two Guantanamo bay prisoners he would give the team the location of an Al Qaeda bomb placed in London. Promptly ending the meeting Ros and Harry quickly set about some more manipulation of the government whilst the rest of the team set about tracking Ossetic, the negotiator, however it was here that complications soon really started rearing their ugly heads.

Firstly the Home Secretary made his public statement in the Houses of Parliament, only it wasn’t good enough for Ossetic and he refused to give the bomb’s location. The team then set off to pick him up, only to be beaten to it by another squad which they later found out with the help of Malcolm’s ring device were the Yanks. Whilst arguing for his release they managed to strain the American allegiance even more, and at the same time Lucas was given information from his estranged wife that the bomb would go off ten minutes earlier than they’d been informed of. Did they disarm the bomb and let the Russian’s know that Lucas had returned to them, or did they let the bomb go off risking civilians lives? Well the Spooks team were on it and coming up with a third option managed to clear the restaurant, disarm the bomb and provide a fake explosion saving both Lucas and his ex’s lives from the Russian’s in the process. Job Done. London Saved.

Meanwhile “Sugar Horse” moved subtly on with Harry’s “spycatcher” insinuating that Connie, who was around at the time of the operation, could indeed be the leak. Would Harry trust Connie or his own past teacher? It remains to be seen. And, oh yes, the American’s never wanting to not have it their way blew up Ossetic’s plane as he returned to Afghanistan. Yep, they stuck their oar in again and with Ossetic passing vital information to Harry about the latest middle eastern weapons before he died, they managed to ensure that the job for our dear Spook’s team just got a lot harder.


BBC - Mondays at 21.00