Spooks Season 8

Mr E · 22-10-2009 11:31pm #1

Just popped up on my radar, completely forgot about this show..... Season 7 ended with a nice cliffhanger (with

Harry taken by the Russians

) so it should get off to a good start. No idea what season 8 is about, but I'm sure some information will come out in the next fortnight about what to expect.

Back on Wednesday 4th November on BBC1.

syklops · 23-10-2009 10:05am

Mr E wrote: »

Just popped up on my radar, completely forgot about this show..... Season 7 ended with a nice cliffhanger (with
Harry taken by the Russians
) so it should get off to a good start. No idea what season 8 is about, but I'm sure some information will come out in the next fortnight about what to expect.

Back on Wednesday 4th November on BBC1.

Cant wait for this. I suppose this season will be

Getting harry back, improving relations with Russia, and tracking down other possible moles.

mike65 · 23-10-2009 10:37am

Exellent can't wait

JP Liz · 23-10-2009 11:59am

Mod Edit: I think the spoiler below reveals too much about the start of the season (it may even be a full season synopsis and ruin some surprises!). Only read if you really have to (I wish I hadn't) - don't say I didn't warn you.

The team is in a state of panic following Harry's kidnapping by FSB agent Viktor Sarkisian as the compelling spy drama starring Peter Firth, Hermione Norris and Richard Armitage returns for a new series.

It seems their worst fears are confirmed when the Sacred Army of Righteous Vengeance (SARV) posts footage of Harry's execution on the internet. However, Ros refuses to believe Harry is dead and leads Lucas North and the rest of the team on a mission to find him.

When Sarkisian's body is found, it seems they've lost their strongest lead. Ros sends Lucas to try to extract information from new CIA liaison officer Sarah Caulfield but, despite a clear attraction between the pair, it appears she can't assist him. However, help arrives from an unexpected source when former team member Ruth Evershed returns to the grid, fearing for her life.

Ruth reveals that Harry once thwarted a clandestine operation to smuggle weapons-grade uranium into Iraq, and only he and Ruth are privy to its true whereabouts. Now a group of rogue intelligence officers want it back and they don't care who they have to kill to get it.

When Ruth and her family are kidnapped, the race is on for Section D to not only find them before they are killed, but also to discover whether Harry is still alive.

Mr E · 23-10-2009 12:30pm

Thanks JP Liz, extra spoiler warning added because I think it gives too much away....

JP Liz · 23-10-2009 12:43pm

sorry

DeepBlue · 01-11-2009 11:31am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqXGhtO-Jd4

The new series kicks of on Wednesday 4 November 2009 at 9pm on BBC One.

Anyone else looking forward to it? I thought last season was a great improvement over previous seasons and Lucas was a good addition to the cast and more like Tom from the earlier seasons.

I presume it's safe to say that Harry will somehow be rescued in the first episode. He's too important to the show to be left cast adrift for long.

mike65 · 01-11-2009 11:36am

Wednesday? Damn. Better be a handy repeat slot.

DeepBlue · 01-11-2009 12:13pm

mike65 wrote: »

Wednesday? Damn. Better be a handy repeat slot.

It depends what you call handy :pac:.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mf4b/episodes/upcoming

mike65 · 01-11-2009 12:14pm

Oh I see BBC3 are getting the first run from episode 2 again.

The Black Oil · 02-11-2009 10:03pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=434II9kpKwQ

Brief clip here. Looking forward to the new series.

mike65 · 04-11-2009 7:03pm

Bump, if like me you will be sat in front of the footie, its repeated on BBC3 tonight at 00.15 am.

The Black Oil · 04-11-2009 10:17pm

Well that was fairly rubbish. Predictable, lazy writing...I think the only person I felt for was Malcolm. Here's hoping this episode won't set the tone for the rest of the series.

The

killings at the start seemed..quite Bourne inspired perhaps? Must anyone about to crack always be picked off by a sniper? Are CIA chicks always blonde? I'm nitpicking here, but the whole thing felt rather lightweight and uninteresting to me.

GiftGrub100 · 04-11-2009 10:41pm

As the first episode for series 8 it was quite enjoyable, great to see a former cast member return and hopefully the next episodes will bring the same high quality that Spooks has always had

Niall06 · 04-11-2009 11:15pm

Have to say I enjoyed that.

Mr E · 05-11-2009 11:09am

Great episode. Glad to see JP Liz's spoiler above was for this episode only and not the full season!

The last 10 minutes or so were nailbiting TV, real edge of the seat stuff. Looks like this season is going to be standalone episodes, loosely tied together with a few season-length threads. I think this is what Spooks does best, to be honest.

Now do I watch episode 2 on Friday, or wait until next Wednesday?

DeepBlue · 05-11-2009 1:25pm

The Black Oil wrote: »

The
killings at the start seemed..quite Bourne inspired perhaps?

Last season was very Bourne-inspired. Perhaps not in direct plot but the look of the show (all that blue filter) and the music used is very similar.
The plot doesn't really stand up to much close scrutiny but at least it's not quite as ridiculous as 24.

Btw Jo is complete dead weight on this show. It shouldn't be too hard to kill her off so why haven't they done so already? :pac:

galvianlord · 05-11-2009 2:06pm

missed this last night. anyone know if episode 1 is going to be repeated again over the coming week?

thanks

ixoy · 07-11-2009 12:32am

Just got to watching it there - I liked it (as usual). It's the longest I've had to wait for new episodes but the wait was worth it. In particular the last ten minutes - as mentioned above - were very tense, something 'Spooks' can do particularly well. Given it's a show that's shown no hesitation in butchering its cast it really adds to these scenes because they could very well kill the person.

I definitely thought Malcolm was a goner but I'm glad to see he gets to retire safely - is he the only member ever to leave on his own terms? Everyone else either died, was forcefully retired, or sent into some form of exile or new life.

The Black Oil · 11-11-2009 10:19pm

Bit of a better effort this week, I think. Seemed to be a decent enough tension in the first half, thought things went a bit silly in the second. Was slightly disappointed that

Jo wasn't killed off as she's a bit dull. Not sure about the new tech guy, but I suppose it's early days and at least he wasn't hacking away typing at daft speeds something many films/TV shows are guilty of. Oh, why bother include the Americans they're also quite dull so far.

Gekko · 12-11-2009 2:52am

Jo is hot though!

DeepBlue · 14-11-2009 1:17am

Gekko wrote: »

Jo is hot though!

She's cold now though

.
I know it was supposed to be terribly sad and all but did anyone else punch the air in delight? Trying to suspend belief that Jo was a competent spook was almost impossible.

eVeNtInE · 14-11-2009 1:55am

This post has been deleted.

Gekko · 14-11-2009 3:47am

DeepBlue wrote: »

She's cold now though .
I know it was supposed to be terribly sad and all but did anyone else punch the air in delight? Trying to suspend belief that Jo was a competent spook was almost impossible.

You cruel monster!

:eek:

JP Liz · 16-11-2009 10:44am

Mod Edit: Spoiler about character exit.

Actress Hermione Norris has quit her role in the hit BBC show Spooks.
The 42-year-old, who plays MI5 counter terrorism section chief Ros Myers, is set to make her exit this series, according to insiders on the show.
It's a spectacular ending,' they told the Daily Mirror. 'No one will be disappointed, but it will be kept secret.'
The actress, who is a mother-of-two, publicly hinted at a departure from the show just yesterday during an appearance on ITV daytime show This Morning.
She told presenters Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield: 'I have loved playing Ros.

syklops · 16-11-2009 1:46pm

The Black Oil wrote: »

Bit of a better effort this week, I think. Seemed to be a decent enough tension in the first half, thought things went a bit silly in the second. Was slightly disappointed that
Jo wasn't killed off as she's a bit dull. Not sure about the new tech guy, but I suppose it's early days and at least he wasn't hacking away typing at daft speeds something many films/TV shows are guilty of. Oh, why bother include the Americans they're also quite dull so far.

Spooks is one of the only shows I have seen that deals with hacking in a realistic fashion. The other episodes which showed it were very good, and it was exceedingly real to real life events. Its one of the things I admire them for

ixoy · 16-11-2009 11:29pm

syklops wrote: »

Spooks is one of the only shows I have seen that deals with hacking in a realistic fashion.

Are you mad? This is the show where

they've had kids hack into top mainframes from their bedroom, where they can't even disconnect a local line to stop an Internet feed and are afraid of a virus feedback loop or some other mumbo jumbo.

As to 8x3:

Good guest cast. I realized that the usual rule of Spooks must apply - any time anybody joins the main cast (even if they're re-joining) then an old cast member must exit. So figured it was Jo when she went to the lift. Good riddance - my least favourite character and never believable.

Oh and thanks for the spoiler Eventine - did you have to put it so close to your discussion of the current episode. I read it accidentally as a result and am not happy!

eVeNtInE · 16-11-2009 11:48pm

This post has been deleted.

ixoy · 17-11-2009 12:05am

eVeNtInE wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Ah but it could have been episode 3. Anyhoo, yes you marked it clearly enough I guess (apologies).

I just hate spoilers with a passion and don't even know why anybody would ever want to know about upcoming turn of events, rather than witness them unspoilt on screen!

The Black Oil · 19-11-2009 1:10pm

Missed it last night, think it's repeated on Friday.

Mr E · 19-11-2009 1:23pm

I think you'll find that its the next episode that's on Friday (BBC3) .... The Wednesday episode is actually the repeat.

The Black Oil · 19-11-2009 2:12pm

Ah right, thanks. I've heard bad things about episode 3. Bobbins, it seems.

DeepBlue · 21-11-2009 9:18pm

Some gratuitous butts and boobs in last nights episode. Good stuff

:pac:.

Just when I thought it was a bit boring that Lucas/Sarah was just a clone of the Tom Quinn/Chistine Dale relationship from the early seasons and then they throw in that twist :eek:.
It was badly needed too. This season seems a step down from last season so far.

ixoy · 23-11-2009 11:30pm

Ah enjoyed 8x4:

Sarah is one evil bitch! I'm guessing she's going to do something that will result in another funeral date in the calendar for our favourite MI:5 agents.

I liked this episode because it expanded on Lucas a bit more. I've felt Lucas has been a pale shadow of Adam. In fact Roz has taken the main spot light, which is no bad thing because she rocks (although I'd have expected to see more emotional fallout from her gunning Jo. Then maybe she doesn't really care about it like the rest of us).

Oh and the shutters came down on someone other than Harry this time! Even Jo's dead body didn't get that. But then again it was only Jo...

The Black Oil · 25-11-2009 10:18pm

I thought it was fairly poor, seemed to drag on forever. What's wrong with the writers? Can they really do not better than the usual drivel of

someone's lover being caught in the middle of the situation and the pesky Ruskies being up to something? And the splashes of some sort of PTSD thrown in there? Nice little twist at the end, admittedly.

mike65 · 25-11-2009 11:38pm

I knew she was a bad 'un

OPENROAD · 26-11-2009 12:42am

As good as ever imo, best show on tv by far for me.

Love Wednesday nights as after bbc1 they are showing season 7 on Watch.

The Black Oil · 26-11-2009 1:01pm

mike65 wrote: »

I knew she was a bad 'un

'Cos the actress was born in Dublin? :pac:

Maybe the writers could learn from this http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8380329.stm

The Black Oil · 17-12-2009 3:04pm

I've missed 3 episodes in a row. How's it going at the moment?

Mr E · 17-12-2009 3:15pm

Its great, as expected.
Finishing with episode 8 on Friday (BBC3) ...

DeepBlue · 17-12-2009 4:05pm

Mr E wrote: »

Its great, as expected.
Finishing with episode 8 on Friday (BBC3) ...

I wouldn't really agree.
I was surprised to see it's finishing Friday but I've been waiting for this season to "get started". I never thought I'd say it but Jo is missed :eek:.

The team seem to be acting like a bunch of individuals. Harry hardly seems to be in the show anymore and episodes seem to focus on largely one member with the rest of the cast underused i.e. Lucas out on his own, Roz out on her own, etc.

Perhaps I'm being over-harsh but this season seems a real let-down after last season.