spooks, series 9
Spoilers, etc.
Can I just state up front that I'm not trying to be misandrist when I say that too much of the show focuses on white males? Seriously, series seven was All About Lucas and his (ex) wife (who thankfully didn't die! Elizabetta should COUNT HERSELF LUCKY. Although the FSB might have killed her). Series eight was All About Lucas and how he was a POOR POOR WOOBIE being used by Sarah Caulfield (who was murdered, of course). And series nine is All About Lucas and His Manpain Because He Isn't Really Lucas, oh, and he suddenly has a LOVE OF HIS LIFE THAT HE HAS NEVER FORGOTTEN (who ends up dead. As women do, on this show).
I mean, for fuck's sake, why do they bother having supporting cast members who are the same episode to episode if the only focus is going to be on Lucas and Harry?
Series nine should have been all about the new team members and their integration (god knows, Spooks never bothers to remember previous series' plots, so a resolution to the Nightingale thing was never going to happen). I want to know about Beth (who is bloody awesome), and Tariq (yes, I know he isn't new, but he hasn't had any focus at all), and even Dimitri (even if he bores me, being Yet Another White Male whom the show will probably revolve around in series ten).
Instead, it was a mishmash of stupid culminating in two painfully awful episodes. I fast-forwarded almost every 'Lucas' scene, not to mention the annoying Vaughn. I made it through them all just to reassure myself that Ruth, Tariq and Beth didn't end up dead. I could give a shit whether Harry dies. Lucas offed himself, thank fucking god.
Malcolm was back in two episodes. I MISS HIM SO HARD. I miss Ros, too. And Jo. I miss fucking TOM, that's how bad this series was. I cannot stand Tom, for the most part.
This whole series was a mess of "we don't know what to do, oh look, something shiny!" from the writers. It's disappointing and sadly uninteresting while being rage inducing (I think Yalta and Nightingale are laughable, but they're five billion times more interesting than Lucas Angsts Again and gets women killed)
I just... we LOST ROS FOR THIS BULLSHIT? WHAT IS THIS, I DON'T EVEN.
I'm also disappointed in how it looked like they were going to Do Things with Beth, and then after two episodes of lots of Beth, it was toned down to very little Beth--I want to see her and Ruth at home, I want to hear their arguments over the electric bill or dirty dishes in the sink.
OR RUTH FINDING OUT BETH HAD TWO DEAD BODIES THERE.
I also hate that they killed Sarah Caulfield (the actress was utterly shit at accents and they should have let her revert once she'd run off and broken her cover) and Ros together. Those two were brilliant at the snark and I really wish they'd had more scenes together (how awesome would the plotline have been if Sarah and Ros conducted an affair, holy god, I know it would have been OMG EVIL LESBIANS, but, damn). Anyway. I really liked Sarah, that she was willing to do almost anything to get her way. She was gloriously amoral. SIGH.
Also, the number of times I said "FUCK YOU, HARRY, YOU DO NOT HAVE THE HIGH GROUND, HERE." is amazing. Harry is so blind to his own foibles. and, like, a part of me still likes Harry. BUT FUCK YOU, HARRY, IT IS NOT ALWAYS ABOUT YOU.
Sigh. BUT RUTH, otoh. HOW FUCKING AWESOME IS SHE? So so awesome.
My demand for the next series is Ruth, Beth and Tariq running things.
Can I just state up front that I'm not trying to be misandrist when I say that too much of the show focuses on white males? Seriously, series seven was All About Lucas and his (ex) wife (who thankfully didn't die! Elizabetta should COUNT HERSELF LUCKY. Although the FSB might have killed her). Series eight was All About Lucas and how he was a POOR POOR WOOBIE being used by Sarah Caulfield (who was murdered, of course). And series nine is All About Lucas and His Manpain Because He Isn't Really Lucas, oh, and he suddenly has a LOVE OF HIS LIFE THAT HE HAS NEVER FORGOTTEN (who ends up dead. As women do, on this show).
I mean, for fuck's sake, why do they bother having supporting cast members who are the same episode to episode if the only focus is going to be on Lucas and Harry?
Series nine should have been all about the new team members and their integration (god knows, Spooks never bothers to remember previous series' plots, so a resolution to the Nightingale thing was never going to happen). I want to know about Beth (who is bloody awesome), and Tariq (yes, I know he isn't new, but he hasn't had any focus at all), and even Dimitri (even if he bores me, being Yet Another White Male whom the show will probably revolve around in series ten).
Instead, it was a mishmash of stupid culminating in two painfully awful episodes. I fast-forwarded almost every 'Lucas' scene, not to mention the annoying Vaughn. I made it through them all just to reassure myself that Ruth, Tariq and Beth didn't end up dead. I could give a shit whether Harry dies. Lucas offed himself, thank fucking god.
Malcolm was back in two episodes. I MISS HIM SO HARD. I miss Ros, too. And Jo. I miss fucking TOM, that's how bad this series was. I cannot stand Tom, for the most part.
This whole series was a mess of "we don't know what to do, oh look, something shiny!" from the writers. It's disappointing and sadly uninteresting while being rage inducing (I think Yalta and Nightingale are laughable, but they're five billion times more interesting than Lucas Angsts Again and gets women killed)
I just... we LOST ROS FOR THIS BULLSHIT? WHAT IS THIS, I DON'T EVEN.
I'm also disappointed in how it looked like they were going to Do Things with Beth, and then after two episodes of lots of Beth, it was toned down to very little Beth--I want to see her and Ruth at home, I want to hear their arguments over the electric bill or dirty dishes in the sink.
OR RUTH FINDING OUT BETH HAD TWO DEAD BODIES THERE.
I also hate that they killed Sarah Caulfield (the actress was utterly shit at accents and they should have let her revert once she'd run off and broken her cover) and Ros together. Those two were brilliant at the snark and I really wish they'd had more scenes together (how awesome would the plotline have been if Sarah and Ros conducted an affair, holy god, I know it would have been OMG EVIL LESBIANS, but, damn). Anyway. I really liked Sarah, that she was willing to do almost anything to get her way. She was gloriously amoral. SIGH.
Also, the number of times I said "FUCK YOU, HARRY, YOU DO NOT HAVE THE HIGH GROUND, HERE." is amazing. Harry is so blind to his own foibles. and, like, a part of me still likes Harry. BUT FUCK YOU, HARRY, IT IS NOT ALWAYS ABOUT YOU.
Sigh. BUT RUTH, otoh. HOW FUCKING AWESOME IS SHE? So so awesome.
My demand for the next series is Ruth, Beth and Tariq running things.