Spooks Series 7

Episode One


A serving British soldier is kidnapped by extremists and Section D are tasked with his rescue before the November remembrance services.

Harry Pearce has also managed a spy swap for one of his old agents, Russian expert Lucas North. Despite misgivings Harry is persuaded by Adam Carter to allow Lucas to assist in the operation. During a wash scene Lucas reveals the tattoos that now decorate his body after 8 years incarceration.

Returning from her own stint in Russia, Ros Myers reveals that there is a secondary plot involving Chechan terrorists and a bomb at a remembrance service. Lucas and Adam free the soldier using Lucas's Russian language skills. They then race to the scene of the bomb. Adam finds the car bomb but there is no time to defuse it so he insists upon driving it to a safe location. Unfortunately he is unable to get far enough away from the car before the bomb explodes.

The team realise then that Russia is now a major threat. Harry vows revenge for Adam's death.

The Tattoos:

• On his chest Lucas has an image of William Blake's 'Ancient of Days'.
• On his stomach - Gnothi Seaton which means Know Yourself.
• On his upper back Lucas has Dum Spiro Spero - Whilst I breathe I hope.
• On his lower back - MNP which is Russian for Peace
• On his upper back - eight cupolas. One for each year of incarceration.
• On his left upper arm - Star, with a point for each year of his time spent in prison
• On his left upper arm - Russian writing which means exactly 'See nothing, hear nothing and say nothing to nobody.'
• On his right arm - ship
• On his right wrist - strap with chain

Russian prison tattoos are notoriously painful, often applied using home made equipment and the ink is made with a variety of liquids including burnt shoe heel, urine and shampoo. Infection is common.

The Radio Times website has a page about Lucas's tattoos.

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Episode 2

The episode opens with Ros and Harry going for drink, Lucas unable to sleep and Malcolm still at work listening to anomalous noises on his PC.

The following day Harry tries to convince Dolby that the Russians are planning to destabilise the UK but fails to get the go ahead to target Kachimov. Harry goes ahead with the operation anyway.

As Ros is given the section chief's job after Adam's death we see Lucas following his ex-wife, only to be shocked to discover that she has a young child. He is called into the grid by Harry but steals a phone and alerts Kachimov where he is going. Harry doesn't trust Lucas and will not allow him back to work.

Meanwhile Jo identifies a Russian asset they can use for information, a man called Beletsky who has a keen eye for illegal artwork and a desire to be Russian president. Jo and Ben steal some artwork from Beletsky and it is used to bribe him into giving information during a visit by Ros to Beletsky's gym. As Ros threatens Beletsky he tells her that he has to take some servers offline. Ros leaves him with the line 'Congratulations your testicles are yours to take home'.

Harry tries to persuade the JIC to take the UK network offline but it is refused so they try to find a way to stop the attack which has now been identified as coming from a Russian sub, which Malcolm suspects will tap a cable.

Lucas goes to meet his handler and is shocked to find it is his ex Elizabeta who tasks him with finding out what MI5 know. Lucas remembers what he saw on Malcolm's screen and presents that to Elizabeta. Whilst he is meeting his ex Ros has gone through his flat and identifies that he is passing information to the Russians. When Elizabeta leaves she tasers him and takes him back to MI5. Lucas is adamant that he only provided information that they already knew and to allow him to try and get the submarine codes from Kachimov.

Lucas goes to blackmail Kachimov as a traitor and the Russian agrees to give him the codes. Then Ben arranges a hoax bomb scare so that Kachimov and Lucas can access the computer and get the sub codes. Malcolm is then able to disable the sub's computer systems thus averting the attack.

Lucas is returned to the section by Harry and then goes to Elizabeta's home to persuade her to work for MI5.

In the final scene Ros and Harry are seen with Kachimov who shows no remorse for Adam's death. Incensed, Harry shoots him.

Trivia:

Lucas and Elizabeta meet in Highgate Cemetery.

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Episode Three

The episode opens with Ros and Lucas meeting a man from Pakistani military intelligence, Marlin.

Marlin tells them about an Al Qaeda operative called Nadif who is running an operation and warns of a waterfall of internet chatter before a real operation targeting UK citizens is executed.

Ben is undercover in a small terrorist cell, living in a flat with a young man called Jawad. Lucas and Jo are keeping an eye on him and on Nadif.

In the flat Ben checks Jawad's text message which is from Nadif telling them to stay off work the following day. He goes for a run to meet Lucas to inform him.

Harry and Ros meet with the Home Secretary to try and persuade him to upgrade the threat but this request is refused.

As the waterfall of internet chatter starts, Nadif visits Ben and Jawad's flat and advises that the following day is a dry run. Later that night Ben goes outside to meet Lucas to tell him of the dry run. As Lucas leaves in the rain he has a flashback to being tortured in Russia. During his waterboarding he was questioned about something called Sugarhorse. Returning to the office somewhat shaken he questions Harry about Sugarhorse but his boss denies all knowledge.

The following day Ben and Jawad pick up two bags from a drop off point. They are tailed by Lucas. Meanwhile Harry visits an ex MI5 colleague Bernard Qualtrough who now runs a bookshop leaving Ros in charge of surveillance of the dry run.

Ben and Jawad go for a coffee and whilst there Ben takes his bag into the toilet where he discovers that there is a live bomb. He leaves a note for Lucas that this is not a dry run. Unable to get hold of Harry, Ros chooses not to take down the mobile network as she fears doing so would alert the bombers and they would detonate anyway.

The first bomber is stopped but as Ben and Jawad approach their target Jawad panicsc and runs. CO19 are initially confused by which is the MI5 officer but they then shoot and kill Jawad. Ben tells Lucas that he had disabled the detonator in Jawad's bag handle so he could not have set off his bomb. They move in to arrest Nadif who is suspected to be the remote detonator. However, after he is arrested Jawad's phone rings and although Ben is able to give the correct response the caller hangs up.

Following the final bomber Jo clears the market but another officer is killed in the subsequent explosion. Jo is later seen back on the Grid badly shaken.

Harry and Ros face the Home Secretary but although Dolby is scathing of the operation the Home Secretary is largely supportive.

Lucas receives a phone call from Marlin and goes to see him alone. Marlin reveals that he was coerced into the detonation with threats to his family before he then shoots himself.

As the episode closes Ros tells Lucas that Harry sweated blood to get him back. We then see Harry taking files on compromised operations to Qualtrough.

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Episode Four

The episode opens with Lucas at Liverpool Street Station meeting an Al Qaeda asset. he is warned to expect hostiles and as expected another agent attempts an attack. Lucas waylays him but finds that the Al Qaeda man has been hurt. However, the Al Qaeda operative is able to give Lucas a sim and advises him that Mohammed Khordad, a senior figure wants to talk.

Back on the grid the discover that the would be assassin was a hired gun from Ukraine but send Lucas to find out what the FSB know about him whilst Harry makes attempts to persuade the Home Secretary to sanction the meeting with Khordad.

Khordad texts the section about a meeting and as insurance requests that eminent human rights lawyer Sam Stevens attend. Section D bring Stevens in to persuade him to help and then, fitted with a variety of tracking devices they set off for the meeting. One of the devices is a ring that sets of a nano signal when Harry shakes hands.

Elizabeta advises Lucas that it was a faction within al Qaeda that wanted the meeting stopped. During the meeting Khordad reveals that there is an attack planned for 3pm that afternoon but will supply further details only when a statement is given by the government quashing all charges against two men released from Guantanomo. At the end of the meeting Harry shakes hands with Khordad thus activating the nano technology.

Harry and Ros return to talk to the home secretary who is reluctant to give such a statement. As they leave Harry receives a phonecall from Bernard Qualtrough who thinks he has identified the mole. As Bernard hints that Connie knew Hugo Prince, an old colleague of Harry's who also knew about sugarhorse Jo and Ben follow Khordad into the Victoria and Albert museum.

The Home Secretary makes a statement but it is not what Khordad wanted and he refuses to give the whereabouts of the bomb. Section D arrange for CO19 to pick him up. However, Khordad is picked up and they realise it is not by them.

Elizabeta reveals to Lucas that the FSB have persuaded the bombers to move the explosion time forward by ten minutes and Lucas must allow it to explode or reveal that he is no longer working for the Russians and thus risk his death.

Using the nano technology they trace Khordad to an American base. Harry uses a little blackmail and takes Khordad with him, releasing him. They are then given the bomb location - a restuarant popular with MP's. Lucas and Ros empty the restaurant and defuse the bomb by microwaving it at Malcolm's instigation. A distraction device ensures that to the bombers and everyone else the device went off.

Now feeling he can trust Harry Khordad calls and arranges a meeting telling Harry about a missile system held by certain people. he reveals he feels their use will compromise his goals and feels he and Harry can be of use to each other. This is thwarted however, by the news at the close of the episode that Khordad's plane was shot down and he is now held by the Americans.

To be continued