BEWARE! MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!
Episode 4 has arisen great perplexity in my poor mind, that of a regular watcher and old Spooks fan: I'm totally confused, a bit disorientated and utterly disappointed. Maybe it is because my favourite character is Lucas North.
1. Master of ... naivety?
Can anybody enter a secret agent's house? I don't think so. Only if this agent is Lucas North in series 9, victim of un...scrupolous writers. You can enter his house, leave a photo to blackmail him and go away meeting no one and no trouble. He was too busy to lock windows and doors.
2. Master of ... alphas?
Giving directions and orders to his alpha 1 and 2 ( teacher's pets Dimitri and Beth) from Thames House, he sounds really cool, a tough section chief. Then he decides to enter the Chinese Embassy at night, risking his own and Dimitri's lives to generically search the archive. What for? What are they exactly looking for? Finally, to cover their asset, Lucas decides to pretend to be a burglar ??? But, maybe, my foreign ear didn't get all the necessary details.
3. Master of ... psychology?
He suggests to Beth to trust her instinct with Kai, the Chinese asset she's trying to turn. What about he himself with Vaughn? Where has his instinct gone in this case? It doesn't work at all! He says he won't help him, never, for no reason , then? I loved his humanity, his frailty alone in that park (Hyde Park) , his nervous body expressing his helpless rage. Afterwards, instead, I hated his coldness in front of that big computer, his calm in surrendering to compromise and betrayal.
4. Master of ... visual memory?
Just a look at his colleague typing his user ID and password on a keyboard and he's ready to use them. Doesn't he know his mates are very smart and will uncover his treason? Does he really think he's been smarter? Ruth is out there when he comes out of that room ... she has a suspicious look. Already got it? This Lucas /John must be desperate, very naive or big - headed to act like that! What is sure is that this character was unrecognizable in episode 4.
5. Master of ... the made-fool-by-old-friends?
Vaughn must know John very well , hence he easily manages to manipulate him. He knows he has used a fall guy to cover his tracks for taking the Albany file. Vaughn tells him he could have taken a risk and talked his way out of it 'cause Harry Pearce would have believed him. Better to be safe than sorry, best to ruin someone else's life.
Lucas/John is in Vaughn's power, even more now he's passed him the file.
6. Master of ... foolish lines ?
Is the man running toward Doctor Lahan through the hospital corridors shouting "Maya!" , the same cool agent we've been watching in the last series of Spooks? Unbelievable! Forgive me Lucas (Richard) but this John is just the shadow of you. Have you heard his silly lines? Does he really believe he has fixed things? He has just ruined everything! And has he actually done what he did to do ... anything (his words) with Maya? "I don't want to waste another moment" ?!? Is this Spooks or a soap?
7. Master of ... deception?
Well , Lucas was cool in the last scene holding and aiming his gun, giving orders. But soon after, when the result of his deception comes out and Ruth announces Stephen Owen, 22-year-old section G, has been arrested and will serve for long ... I was chilled by his "A traitor is a traitor". Yes, Lucas/John, you are just right: a traitor IS a traitor.
As I wrote since the first hints at Lucas's "ultimate betrayal" (HERE), I'm quite angry with Spooks writers! They are destroying a character before making him leave from the series! Something similar happened with Guy of Gisborne in Robin Hood 3. The nature of the character was rather distorted before he was finally killed. I hate incongruity and incoherence.
However, I hope it is not that foreseeable. I want to be surprised. I want to be contradicted by positive twists in the next episodes.
I know I've been quite negative this time after being so enthusiastic after the first episodes but I couldn't help it. I just can't bear what they are doing to my favourite character in my favourite series! It doesn't make sense!
Anyway, I want to leave you with a smile. Do you remember I'm away from home being my house invaded by painters and builders? (they are not so many!) Dear friends, this is the latest arrival, my favourite painter man, a new helper who was sent to me by a darling blogger mate. She made my day when I was down and rather depressed. Can you imagine having a gorgeous painter like this working in your house? You'd rather wish work never ends!!!
LOL! This is too funny!
Thank you, darling friend.
As usual thanks to www.richardarmitagenet.com for all their precious caps
Have a great weekend you all !!! MG
Oh MG, I knew you were (are) very disappointed by 0904, and your reasons (and many more) are good enough to feel that way. But we must'n forget that we are still in the middle of the story, and - if the scriptwriters are not the same of RH's 3rd series, God forbid! - there must be plenty of plot twists and surprises on sight!
ReplyDeleteWhen I read your "I was chilled by his "A traitor is a traitor". Yes, Lucas/John, you are just right: a traitor IS a traitor", I immediately thought: that is exactly the reaction they wanted to get from the audience! But it simply can't be that easy... at least, not in Spooks!
That's why, despite appearances, I'm positively curious about how they will deal with Lucas's/John's story in the next 4 episodes :)
xx K
I would absolutely hate Lucas to be a traitor too Maria. I think Ruth is suspicious of him, don't you?
ReplyDeleteHaven't seen any of Spooks 9 but am convinced Lucas will be killed off in the last episode as per the norm with Section Heads. The logistics of filming a much longer Strikeback series next year make being Lucas a little difficult I am sure.
ReplyDeleteWhat you have been saying effectively confirms his demise, I believe.
But I could be wrong . . .
Hang in there Maria! I don't think it's such a bad thing for our "love" of Lucas to be tested by the turns he's taking in this series. He's a man in love and he's acting foolishly and selfishly - revealing that at heart, this character is (as Servetus has described him) desperate to love and be loved. I did yell many expletives at Lucas when he set up an innocent fall guy to cover his tracks - but personally I like being surprised by a character, even if it's not pleasant. There's still time for redemption!
ReplyDeleteEp. 4 also had me scratching my head, but I'm interested to see what will happen.
ReplyDeleteI love your helpful painter! :)
Dear Maria Grazia,
ReplyDeleteYou have made some very good points here, some I didn't notice as much and at least one I didn't agree with, but it is nice to hear some criticism of this episode because I was very puzzled by it!
1. Your first point is very true about the breakin. It does seem crazy that he wouldn't at least some sort of home security system. How about all those windows?! That room looked more like a glass cell!
2.I liked how Lucas managed the breakin at the Chinese Embassy. I think they were looking for proof of their source being a double agent. I thought it was rather clever that Lucas arranged for the police to take him away!
3. The part in the park after the phonecall (where Lucas shows his emotions) I found very overacted. (Yes. I know. I can't believe I am saying this. But I was like "What? Really?") I think it would have been more effective to show a close up of his eyes. RA is so much better at showing emotion with his facial expressions. Like John Thornton. Lucas is a repressed person too, so I found it hard to buy his sudden emotionalism.
4 & 5 -- I agree!! Very good points.
6. Well, if I am going to buy the emotional phone scene, then the running after Maya must go hand in hand. And he HAS wasted a lot of his life in prison, so that line rang true to me! Nice kissing scene!
7. I am very unhapppy with the whole traitor thing and especially setting up an innocent fall guy. Please redeem yourself Lucas!!
I am sure we haven't seen the last of Vaughn. He gives me the creeps!
This season is definitely keeping us guessing!
Please excuse the typos. I was getting pretty emotional myself. But then, I'm not a spy -- I get emotional all the time! LOL
ReplyDelete