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Friday, April 13, 2012

MI-5 Volumes 8-10

 

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MI-5 Volume 8

The season opens with the fallout from Russia’s thwarted attack on London as the team race against time to rescue Harry, who has been kidnapped by rogue Russian agents. But as they dig deeper into his disappearance, they find a trail that leads to Iraq, and a conspiracy that involves the CIA, MI6 and some missing weapons-grade uranium. Could Harry know where it is? And how is former team member Ruth Evershed, returned to the security of MI-5 having fled her new life in Cyprus, connected to it all? (from the back of the box)

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Harry, Ros, and Lucas

Volume 8

imagesCA043OHYHarry is kidnapped which brings about the return of Ruth Evershed,who left MI-5 in Series 5. Harry’s choices whilst being held captive brings about drastic events for Ruth, which she holds Harry responsible for.

                                                                                                  

lucas north We see Lucas, whose loyalty is always being questioned, getting cozy with Sarah Caulfield, a member of the CIA as well as the mysterious organization Nightingale. We also see Lucas reliving the torture that was dealt to him whilst in a Russian prison when his prison guard. Although she has a dark side too. Unfortunately, this season also brought about the death of Jo, and I must say that she was one of my favorites.

Towards the end of the season, we see a ghost from Lucas’s past, which will have you thoroughly intrigued until the end of season 9.

My thoughts on Season 8,

I am a massive fan of MI5, or Spooks as it was originally known as, although I wasn’t sure that if I would be able to get as involved with this season because I had only watched the first few shows of season 7. Thankfully, the show did as it always does and pulled me in from the start.

I had known a bit about Lucas North (played by sexy Richard Armitage) from the episodes that I caught from season 7 yet I still wasn’t sure what to think about him. It seemed like he was off kilter sometimes, as if he was concealing a secret of some sort. Then he gets romantically involved with Sarah Caulfield, a member of the Nightingale organization (which this season revolves around) and some of his actions make him seem a bit guilty.

harry and ruth   Harry & Ruth

I was a massive fan of Ruth’s when she was on here before so I was happy as a lark when she returned. I was also eager to see how the relationship between Ruth and Harry was going to play out.

If you have ever watched MI-5 before you will know that you should not get to attached to the characters as they will often be killed off or leave before the season is through.

For me, I was eager to watch this season, because I managed to catch the cliffhanger season 7 ended on and while that it was brilliantly done, I felt that this season lacked some of the drive that the previous seasons held. It may have had to do with the whole season being based on the Nightingale plot then it sort of fizzled out without the spark that the show is known for, but I am sure the drama of Lucas North will have you hooked.

If you would like to buy Volume 8 you may do so HERE

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MI-5 Volume 9

One month after Ros’s funeral, the team are tracking suspected terrorist, Abib, on a boat from Tangiers. Meanwhile the usually calm, confident Harry is caught in a difficult position when he is forced to work closely with the Russians. Relations between the CIA and the MI5 reach breaking point over mysterious hackers. And a horrific truth about Lucas’s past is uncovered by Harry when they come face to face in a compelling interrogation. Friendships as tested to the limit, Harry and Ruth’s bond intensifies and the depth of deceit leads to the ultimate game of cat and mouse.(from the back of the box)

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Beth, Lucas, and Demitri

Volume 9

imagesCA3WXJ6CVolume 9 opens with Ros’s funeral and Harry’s proposal to Ruth. On their first mission, we find that Lucas is tracking a suspected terrorist with  the aid of MI5’s newest agent, imagesCAPS11ENDemitri who is working as the ships captain. Also on board  is Beth, who Lucas believes to be a prostitute although she is actually a gun for hire. With the help of Lucas, Beth is able to secure a job with Harry.

 

Harry has also reinstated Lucas as Section Chief, a position Lucas held before the Russian captured him. Harry is still not sure that Lucas can be trusted and his apprehension well founded because Lucas North is not exactly who he says he is.

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Lucas North

Lucas has now found himself wrapped up in the troubles of his past and the only way he believes he will be able to free himself and the woman he loves is to handover the MI5 “Albany”. He is willing to do anything to get Harry to hand over the file even kidnap and drug Ruth.

My thoughts on Season 9

Season 8 in true MI-5 fashion gave you just enough information on Lucas North that will have you glued to Season 9.

Throughout the series, some of the events continually baffled me because I never saw them coming. I knew that Lucas was concealing something; I just did not realize that his betrayal went so far and so deep. It seems that Lucas’s problems always start with women and this season his ex-girlfriend, Maya Lahan was the catalyst.

This season mainly focuses on Lucas’s betrayal while brilliantly squeezing in Harry and Ruth’s relationship. Ruth has started to suspect that something is just not right with Lucas, although when she brings that information to Harry he doesn’t want to hear it.

We are also introduced to two new characters, Dimitri Levendis (played by Max Brown who you may recognize from the Tudors) and Beth Bailey (played by Sophia Myles). While I thoroughly enjoyed the Dimitri, Beth wasn’t a favorite of mine even though she had bit of mystery surrounding her.

The season ends with Harry looking out over the London skyline and I think that it was a fitting way to end it due to the events that happened.

This was one of my favorite seasons of Mi-5. It contained all of the mystery, suspense, intrigue, and danger that the show is know for and I think the way that it handled Lucas’s demise was very symbolic of the way his life was spinning out of control.

If you would like to buy Volume 9 you may do so HERE

 

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MI-5 Volume 10

With the truth about Lucas North finally revealed, and following his rooftop showdown at the end of the last series, Harry is facing some complicated questions about the future of Section D as well as some skeletons from his own past. Relations between the CIA and MI5 have never been more strained, but add the Russian Secret Service to the mix and Harry and his team have a power timebomb on their hands. Fast-paced, tense and exhilarating, the latest series sees the team tested to their limits as the pressure is on to stop whoever is attacking the fledgling relationship between Britain and Russia.(from the back of the box)

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Harry and his Spooks

Volume 10

imagesCARD53CDAfter handing over “Albany” to the man he knew as Lucas North, Harry has been removed as head of Section D. His replacement, Erin Watts,  finds that her job as head of Section D is short-lived when the Home Secretary calls for Harry’s reinstatement due to problems arising with the newly formed relationship between Britain and Russia.

 

Ilya Garvik, Russian’s Minister for International Development, wishes to imagesCA2JZ65Vspeed up the process although someone is determined to undermine the negotiations. When Harry discovers that someone is pretending to be him has been contacting his old spy and wife of Russia’s Minister for International Development, Elena Gavirk, the matter becomes a bit more personal.

Thinking that it is CIA Deputy Director Jim Cover, Harry kidnaps him in hopes that he can find out what he wants with Elena. Harry’s rogue kidnapping scheme goes awry and eventual leads to the death of Jim Cover and Harry’s arrest. Now, it is up to the Section D team to free Harry from the CIA.

My thoughts on Season 10

WOW! Season 10 will blow you away. I suppose that if you were going to end a show like MI-5 this would be the ending you would want. I was so glued to the telly when I was watching this volume that I wanted to watch it all the way through. Season 10 is like one complete show broken into six episodes.

What had me completely hooked on this particular season was Harry. The way that he was acting was so unlike him that you knew there had to be more to the story, which I will admit that a few times I thought that Harry might have gone to the dark side. The addition of the Gavrik’s was another thing that pulled me in and had me throwing the remote at the telly.

While there were a few things that I did not enjoy in this season, I found  imagesCA5RPSLDthat it was one of the best ones that I have watched. Plus, fans of the first few seasons will be pleased to know that there is a brief appearance by Tom Quinn (played by Matthew Macfadyen).

 

If you would like to buy Volume 10 you may do so HERE

I would like to thank BBC Shop America for sending me Volumes 8-10 for review.

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I do not receive any compensation or in-store credit for this post.

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2 comments:

Diane D - Florida said...

I love MI5. I was absolutely gutted when Tom left, and was then double gutted when they went and killed off Adam. What a terrible loss. I'm not too fond of Lucas, and to be quite honest, can't stand Ros.

I wish that they would renew this series and not finish it.

Renee (BlacknGoldGirlsBookSpot) said...

I have never seen this but I LOVE anything the BBC puts out and since Richard Armitage that's definitely a bonus!

XOXO~ Renee C.