Undoubtedly, 'Spooks' was at its best for the first two series. Not only was there a freshness to the narratives detailing the process of foiling subversion but, each week, brought into focus the character and personal lives of the people battling against the nations enemies.
In this way we came to know the strengths and weaknesses, and understand the foibles of Tom (Matthew MacFadyen), Zoe (Keeley Hawes), Tessa (Jenny Agutter) and Danny (David Oyelowo). All these were real believable people with there own problems. They were also all superbly played by actors who have gone on to be bigger names than they were at the time.
However, one by one they departed until by series 4 all the above had left and with them it seemed went most of the intimacy we felt for individual Spooks. There was an attempt to bring in a husband and wife team which worked ok but wasn't the essential viewing that the relationship between Danny and Zoe had provided.
By this series it seemed that the producers had decided to sacrifice the character detail for a more all action, thrills and spills, style show that appealed to the new international buyers of the episodes. Not a good move in that what had made 'Spooks' different from the rest was it's views into the everyday lives of the operatives.
However, this two part, two hour, opening to the fourth season I have to admit was was exciting, gripping and obviously big budget. It was, in fact, probably. Better than the majority of the episodes in Series 3. If you do like your drama to be nail biting and filled with edge of the seat action then this is for you.
'The Special' It is as good as many of the big movie American films of the same genre. Unfortunately, it also had the same propensity to be a bit slapdash in its plausibility and a big hackneyed in it's telling.
Wow! It wasn't one of The British Spooks who was the traitor it was the American none of us liked anyway. Blimey! There's a bomb set to go off and it get stopped with a password with just 2 seconds to go! Wham! The sozzled, opinionated, old, academic is left to wrangle that password from the bomber! He does so just in time but why are the specially trained agents in Britian and America leaving it to a man like that.
To be honest, in the first two series, I think the makers would have at least left Tash (Martine McCutcheon) to be blown up. A much sadder ending that may of alienated many of 'Spooks' new audience but in reality it was what most likely would have happened.
Most of the edge of the seats viewers will have thought all this fantastic and again I will have to admit that I was gripped by the action that thankfully had a great script and the basis of a meaningful story. It was just that compared to early 'Spooks' it seemed a little bit empty.
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