(2010 Re-watch) Spooks 1.1 - Thou Shalt Not Kill (Review)
Spooks Review 1.1
The re-watch has begun, and like any forward thinking person i'm starting at the beginning. It's nice to see how it all started again now that we're eight series in.
(I am going to try and write these without spoiling the next episodes or series and so will have to refrain from comparisons at points too unless I put them in spoiler brackets).
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Season 1 Episode 1 - (Thou Shalt Not Kill).
Okay, starting off we see CCTV footage of the pods. This runs through into a single, continuous shot of Jed entering the grid, taking a phone call and relaying the message. Simple enough, but a very effective way of starting the show off and introducing the Grid to us for the first time.
The next few minutes are very well put together. We start to see the development of the episodes story as well as the introduction of our main characters and their current way of life. Danny is on the job working as 'Chris Patterson' with an asset code-named 'Osprey', Zoe is shown to be living in a small flat with her landlord harrasing her, and Tom is using the name of 'Matthew Archer' to continue his relationship with Ellie and her daughter Maisy. The fact that we see all of this in such a small space of time and it doesn't sem rushed is commendable.
Que the opening titles! As this is a re-watch I can't say too much on them as i've seen it so often. However, taking into account that the first time you see them it's as a brand new series to you, it's a powerful title sequence that catches your attention. The introduction to the series was obviously well received due to the constant re-use of the title sequence with different clips for each season up until the current one in 2008.
The next thing I feel that needs noting would be Harry's enterance to the series. He has a fantastic first line and comes across as a strong character from the start, if a little under-rated. In this episode you have to allow for the fact that it is the first one and that as a result not all of the charcters can be addressed to the full extent in one episode. So he does come across as being more of a minor charcter than he truely is. (Saying much more will ruin future seasons so i'll keep schtum here).
The next point I have noted down here is that we see the entrance to the Grid from the outside in the main building for the first time. I highly doubt (and don't remember if) we actually see this shot again so it's worth remembering if you like to see all these things in your mind.
I love the shot from the bridge looking up at the London eye. Very nice piece of footage there.
I am sorry but I have to say this... Look at all the yellow on the Grid!
It will become more obvious as to why I said that in the future of Spooks if you haven't already seen it. (If you have, you'll know what I mean).
Whilst i'm on this point though I can't help but point out a few more things for comparison with future seasons. Namely, the rounded wooden table in the briefing room and it's size, the shapes of the desks on the grid, the amount of open floor space, (okay so the entire grid layout), yellow carpets, and the yellow side walls in Harrys office. (As well as the good old red that we all know and love as re-watchers). Also note the camera is steady! (Yet again later series watchers will know what I mean).
This is probably where I kick myself but I don't particularly like the yellow in Harry's office. The rest of the grid is fine but I don't think it should ever be put next to red! Come on people who ever would sit down and think that red and yellow are good colours to have next to each other on walls?
Sorry, back on track now...
Tessa has a good line here: “I'm not Mystic Meg, Tom”. That made me laugh for some reason. Nice to have some light-heartedness in what is generally such a dark series.
The next point I have to raise is that the 'previous events' flashback for Mary Kane in America is fantastic. It manages to give us as the viewer a hightened sense of the scale of damage this one woman can, and will, cause. These sort of things make an episode stand out in my mind. A strong and well developed antagonist is often the key to a satisfying conclusion. The choice of showing news footage means that they needn't visit backstory much and can instead feed it us in less than a minute in that format. Nice!
And next, into one of my favourite moments this series. I love the whole bugging the house scene with loosing the cat. It makes the whole thing human and realistic. Also I can quite happily say that Zoe's line, “I've lost the bloody cat”. Is one that had stuck with me since the first time I watched the episode. (Being my first ever experience with Spooks).
I like the whole packing lives into boxes thing they have going in this episode. It's rather subtle but it's quite a nice symbolic reference to the lives that these characters lead every day of their lives. They frequently have to put themselves into a box and be other people and rarely let others know who they are. (Look at Toma and Ellie for example). The physical equivillant of this is the named boxes. It's a lovely thing, subtle symbolism.
Next point, Malcolm offering Zoe his campbed if she needs it. I rather like this moment for some reason. I think it shows the audience some sort of beginning to the idea that these people who work together have to be relatively close and help each other or they'll fall apart.
Time for quotes now I think...:
Tom: “What do you think Harry?”
Harry: “I think lots of things”.
Fantastic little moment there I think. It's obviously meant to be amusing and cryptic at the same time. It also gives us a feeling on a deeper level though that there is so much more to learn about his character.
I feel that Danny gives out a few too many 'funny lines' in this episode. I think it may just be me but it fels like they were trying his character out as the joker somewhat to see how it worked. Admittedly a few are good like this one, “Foreign Office, get out the Garlic”, but later in the episode he speaks as if he's on the radio over the comms and refers to himself as "DJSpookman"! Surely this is not only completely un-funny but a huge misconduct with communications, as he essentially says, 'looky here, we're spooks on this frequency!' Oh god Danny what did they do to you?
At this point in time it also needs to be said that the Foreign office man has the funniest glasses i've ever seen. Haha. If he did have a name I didn't notice due to the size, shape and colour of said glasses. It's so tempting to say that obvious 'Specsavers' advertising gimmick but I will refain from doing so.
Tom and Helen. My notes say, ' Nice and simple but touches the issue well' and I think that about says it all. (Except for the fact I think it's obvoius she has a thing for him now I think about it. Her reading in on his girlfriends file and what-not...) This conversational issue is one i'm not worried about saying does in fact crop up a lot. “How do I live with myself,? Why did I choose this job and a life where I can't be honest all the time?” These are of course things that make the characters real and also helps to make the audience feel connected to them in some way. With all the things that happen in their daily lives we as an audience also often wonder why they do it, and it's important to see that they don't really know either.
Zoe gets another good line here as we see her go properly undercover for the first time. Well if you can call it that as she's simply standing in for someone really. “When do I get to go shopping?” Another nice human tough moment there I feel. I also like the fact that we see how much preparation goes into even the smaller undercover operations. Zoe wasn't likely to need the wallet complete with litter etc, but they gave it her anyway.
(This nice moment however is promptly followed by that dreaded DJ line I mentioned earlier).
This is where the episode reaches it's climax. I must say that for the first episode of Spooks it does an awfully good job. The whole Sullivan undercover op was a success and very well excecuted by all involved (minus Danny's radio misconuct that I swear he should be disiplined for).
The direction of it was also fantastic. The way you ould easily tell where everyone was and what both Mary and Zoe were doing at any one time was fantastic. I especially loved the crossing of paths between the two in slo-mo.
Then comes probably the most true thing that we'll ever hear being said by a human being from Tom. “ I believe that killing people in the name of life is just about the stupidest thing i've ever come across”. It really makes a point about the whole episode as well as the series, and life itself. That there are people who don't understand, people who can't take it, and occasionally times where the wrong thing to do becomes the right thing. This show really messes with your head after a while if you let it.
My penultimate point on this episode will probably be that Tom should have told Ellie about his real name then. I know that it wouldn't have made such good drama but she gave him a way into the inevitable conversation he dreads bringing up and he ran away from it. Yes I understand his reasoning, but part of me believes that the earlier he touches the issue the less pain it will cause on all parties involved.
Finally, Christine Dale wasn't badly introduced in this episode for the role she has. She ws played nicely and gave the right impressions to the audience. I actually quite like her character despite what some people might say. (And again I will shut up due to threat of blabbing out spoilers).
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Well I hope that you found this read, if not informative, then at least a little interesting. I actually enjoyed writing this for all the time it took to do it and I hope to be able to keep this up through the entirety of the 2010 re-watch.
Sayamar_K Signing off...