Sunday, October 23, 2011

Spook - The End (Ian Wylie)



Spooks: The End

By IAN WYLIE



“YOU and I, we’re made of secrets.”

Standing by a familiar estuary as we hold our breath to see what will happen.

Spooks series 10, last ever episode.

It begins in Moscow, where a man with a case is catching a flight to London.

Is this jet destined to cause a catastrophe in the British capital?

Meanwhile we learn exactly what killed young Tariq (Shazad Latif).

Harry (Peter Firth) is in the hands of the CIA and on his way to an uncertain future in America.

But we know he won’t be spending this final hour in the boot of a car.

So it’s not giving too much away to reveal that he is rescued to get on with the rest of the plot.

A grateful Sir Harry informing Dimitri: “This is likely to come up in your pay review.”


"OK. I won't tell anyone how it ends."

Several truths emerge as the clock ticks down to the moment when we must say goodbye to Spooks.

Ms Evershed telling Mrs Gavrik: “I see he’s given more than I thought possible.”

While Russian Air Flight 474 continues its potentially deadly journey towards Heathrow with 312 people on board.

It’s tense. Very tense.

At one stage I was convinced Home Secretary William Towers (Simon Russell Beale) was going to spontaneously combust.

All the main series 10 players who have survived to episode six feature as we near 10pm on Sunday and the end of a TV era.

Including Ilya (Jonathan Hyde), Sasha (Tom Weston-Jones), Erin (Lara Pulver), Dimitri (Max Brown) and Calum (Geoffrey Streatfeild).

And we await a kiss.

Dedicated fans will already know that this farewell episode also includes a (very brief) return for a face from the past.

The media and some of those fans have known for some time who it is.

But I think it’s a shame that the identity of this character was revealed by a newspaper yesterday (Monday).

Why spoil part of the final hour for the sake of a cheap story?

You’ll get none of that here.

So while there’s so much more to say, it’s probably best to stop.

Aside to say…

The ending was, for me, about as perfect as I could have hoped for.

Especially the closing minutes of this ten series Spooks’ journey.

As I’ve said in this blog many times, we all see things in different ways – so I know not everyone will agree.

But I hope most will view this as a classic farewell episode, beautifully done by all concerned.

With a magnificent final line.

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There will be a final Spooks blog from me after the last episode has been screened.

I’ve seen 10.6 several times now and will be watching again as it goes out “live”.

Before posting a few farewell reflections.

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