Ep 8 YIKES! + Historical Role for RA Suggestions + Ep 5: Coincidence & Clues...Harry's Kierkegaard Quote + Past Post of the Day: RA as a Cavalier?

As if the above photo wasn't enough to send RA fans into a panic, the following Ep 8 synopsis seals that emotional state for one and all.  SPOILER ALERT!  Do  not read the following if you'd rather not know why my recent internal prayer was "Don't Do It Harry!!!!!" :[]

From BBC website - synopsis ep 8

>Harry (Peter Firth) instructs the team to find Lucas

Section D face their toughest challenge yet when they are tasked with tracking one of their own, as the spy drama concludes. Following Lucas North's shocking revelations about his former life and double identity, Harry Pearce instructs the team to find him – at any cost.

As one of MI5's most skilled spies, Lucas is not an easy man to find. Harry enlists the help of ex-internal affairs specialist Alec White who promises to locate the fugitive, while the rest of the team struggle to understand why he would betray them.

Out on the run, Lucas is getting increasingly desperate to track down the Albany file and also to flee the country with the love of his life, Maya Lahan. It seems that he doesn't care who or what gets in his way.

Meanwhile, Harry discovers Ruth Evershed has been put in grave danger and he is forced to choose between his loyalty to MI5 and his heart. This decision culminates in an emotional showdown when he finally comes face to face with Lucas, with shocking consequences.

Lucas North is played by Richard Armitage, Harry Pearce by Peter Firth, Alec White by Vincent Regan, Maya Lahan by Laila Rouass and Ruth Evershed by Nicola Walker.<
http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/proginfo/tv/2010/wk45/mon.shtml#mon_spooks
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On a lighter note, Richard was asked by a reporter if his love life is more uplifting than Lucas North's.  To paraphrase his reply, he first said his romance was with the show, and then added that he'll soon be on break, so who knows???

Is it pure coincidence?  Following find a link to a series of articles on Kierkegaard in the UK Guardian, April 2010.  Harry must have been reading the articles during the filming of Spooks 9. ;) teehee His quote: "The greatest hazard of all, losing one's self, can occur very quietly in the world, as if it were nothing at all.  No other loss can occur so quietly..an arm, a leg, a wife, all are noticed." Kierkegaard was a Danish philosopher.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2010/apr/12/kierkegaard-philosophy-christianity

Mining for more clues:http://www.google.com/hws/search?client=dell-usuk&adsafe=high&safe=high&channel=us-psp&hl=en&ibd=6081115&q=+the+greatest+hazard+of+all%2C+losing+one%27s+self+kierkegaard+blake+&Submit=Search
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A Game of Thrones author, GRR Martin, is currently visiting Ireland.  His latest journal post..
>A Hawking We Will Go

Oct. 20th, 2010 at 10:36 PM

Sleeping in a castle. Spent the morning hawking. Too cool.

My head is swimming with ideas for Westeros.

One of the falconers recognized me. Even cooler.

Location:Mayo<
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Anyone else ever sleep in a castle?  We spent one unforgettable night at Kinnity Castle in Co Offaly, Irl.  Stone walls, the rustle of fluttering wings in the rafters early the next morn, long winding staircase, narrow hallways and a dungeon bar - all added to the medieval feel of the centuries old castle and demesne.  The view from our top floor window also enhanced the journey back in time - it was of a thousand-year-old stone celtic cross.  Upon reading the history of the castle discovered the origin of the cross -  a monastery originally stood on the same ground.  Recently checked the website and sadly Kinnity Castle is currently for sale...no doubt caught up in the meltdown of the global real estate market.  It's truly a lovely location for special events - one pic shows the dining room decked out in festive finery for a wedding celebration.         
We'd enjoyed a delicious dinner in the  room below(without extraneous frills) and then adjourned to the library bar, which was cozily furnished with dark-green leather sofas and chairs. It's warmth enhanced, not only by the company of our fellow travellers, but also by a tourist's delight - a lovely peat-burning fireplace.  The dungeon bar was reserved for non-hotel-guest revellers.  That room was lighted by candles alone - on tables and along the walls. It would make a perfectly eerie setting for Halloween festivities.  I recall when we arrived at the castle's front entrance the scene was set, inside the huge wooden doors, by two inanimate, shining-armor-clad knights. 
                             

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Past Post of the Day: http://allthingsrarmitage.blogspot.com/2010/04/richard-armitage-as-cavalier.html

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Musa's suggestion for RA's wished for historical role - Bernardo O'Higgins, founder of Chile:

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/425959/Bernardo-OHiggins

                                               http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernardo_O'Higgins
RA quote in recently published interview:  "I would love to play a character from history; sombody who's really lived, somebody I have to research to bring to life.  It would be good if it was someone who wasn't that well-known, so if I made a complete mess of it, no one would really know!"

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My suggestions for the role follow.  The first mentioned is certainly very well known, while the other two have flown under the radar of many movie goers...1) Sir Laurence Olivier  2) DH Lawrence 3) Thomas Paine.
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Awesome modern communications:  A tweet provides a photo of Geo Martin w/said hawk he mentioned above...

accompanied by comments of expectations the author will use details about his new found friend at some point while writing the last 3 books of his series "A Song of Fire and Ice."

      

Hilarious:Nat Makes an RA Dream Come True--He's a Monster:) + Older Post of the Day + Poll: Are They Twins?(see pix below) + Is It Christmas Choir Practice? + Excerpt from Ep 5 Review & Link + Richard's 'guilty pleasures'

New ep 6 promo pix posted by bccmee on twitter..

Following demonstrates tremendous talent from all involved(especially Nat)...no doubt the one showing him as a groom would curdle his blood the most...hehehe

Christmas choir practice??

Above pic reminded me of a classic Christmas tradition.  If we didn't know better, could almost mistake LucJohn as participating in choir practice.

 

The Crachits

http://www.byerschoicecorner.com/all-byers-choice-carolers/a-christmas-carol.html

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POLL PHOTOS: Will we discover Vaughn & Michael are actually twin brothers, or one and the same person?

Vaughn

Michael

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An excerpt from Vicky Frost's review of Ep 5..(see link below for entire review)

Quote: >Given that it's clod-footed Spooks here, rather than a programme that does political subtlety, the episode wasn't a terrible attempt at even-handedness over the Middle East.  We had bad Israelis, bad Syrians, good Israelis, good Lebanes - certainly the end effect was more subtle than Spooks' usual Islamic terrorist default setting might have suggested. (You are welcome to disagree - I make no pretence of being a Middle East expert of any kind).<

[For me, although interesting, none of the plot review comments were the most memorable in the piece.  She admits to not being a Middle East expert of any kind, but neglects to admit she suffers under a politically correct dogma that is championed by many either self-delusional or 'too brilliant for their own good' journalists on both sides of the pond.  Their naive conception is that westerners must treat with equanimity those who massacre innocents in the name of their radical religious beliefs, and those who are simply defending the insane jihadists intended victims from the cold-blooded slaughter. 

There really isn't any way to even-handedly consider both sides of the struggle, without first suspending all common sense in the process.  Of course those who buy into the notion, that it's tres chic to pretend there is a moral equivalence in the fight to halt the barbarism employed by Islamic extremeists, will consider Spooks to be melodramatic and unrealistic.  The truth of the matter will remain beyond their conviction until tragic fallout has landed at their doorstep.  History teaches us that the same was true for many politicians in the late 1930s when they were warned Hitler's aggression could result in a devastating European conflagration.

Wonder who the majority of journalists sided with at that time - Chamberlain or Churchill?

The current situation reminds me of the famous axiom.."those who fail to learn the mistakes of history are doomed to repeat them."]

As for Ep 5, the best scene for me was what felt like a never-ending awkward pause in the last few moments as LucJohn, Maya and VaughnMichael exchanged furtive glances at each other.  Ep 6 can't come soon enough, can it;)

Vicky Frost's blog http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2010/oct/18/spooks-episode-five

Inching up on the Halloween season with one of what RA considers to be a guilty pleasure - Pixar movies including Monsters, Inc and Up...he said "I think I just want to be a kid again"..

 

'Up' was a huge surprise - an utterly adorable one - nothing ghoulish about these..they are touchingly  humorous and true--anyone who has watched their parents grow old together appreciates the 2nd..

Older Post of the Day:  An interview w/Robin Hood costume designer - Frances Tempest

http://allthingsrarmitage.blogspot.com/search?q=frances+tempest+interview

Richard Armitage: Ep 5, Spooks 9

Was it something we said?...;)

                                      

                                                                 A peeping LucJohn?...

                                                          He's in!...Please don't call the authorities;)

Clean bill of dental health...No Cavities..

 

Loin of Beef?....hmmm..Well, He is Definitely Rare,,,isn't he;) Thx for the heads up Musa;)

Quotes from RA's latest interview in a Leicestershire newspaper: "..he erupts in laughter when asked if he ever feels like a piece of meat."(reference to his fan base)  hee hee...[in fairness, we're always careful to apply tons of tenderizer:]       He continues "You can't tell people what to like, but I can control how much I let that influence me. I just leave them to it.   I'm glad to have their support but at some point, I'm going to do something they hate and they've got to accept that. "   

[might he be referring to the John Porter role??  Sort of remember some grumbling when the announcement was made...certain factions looked  down their noses for awhile at the novel's genre.  But, somehow the criticism faded away once Strike Back premiered.]   Quoting the interviewer "Armitage does indeed make an impressive figure.  The former Brockington College pupil is tall, about 6'2", muscular and boasts the dark floppy hair and features that belong in a period drama.  It might explain why, as an unknown actor, his appearance in the lavish North and South in 2004 caused an online message forum to collapse with fans breathlessly craving more details about the TDH actor."

Reporter continues..."But while Armitage may love his time on the show[Spooks] and revel in his role as the tortured Lucas North, the actor is feeling an urge to lighten up.  Richard quote: "I'm trying to find a gap next year to do a bit of restoration comedy, that would be great." Last but definitely not least is RA's sweet remark about his fan base "I talk about them as if they're one person but they're so diverse," he adds, laughing.  [Thanks for noticing, Mr A:]

Spooks 9 Release Date + [Spooks] Nemesis by JulietD001 + Lucas Comments to Consider + Tweets: RA Filming CA + International Song of Fire&Ice Covers + Halloween Fast Approaches

For anyone interested in pre-ordering Spooks 9 dvds, the release date given is Feb 28, 2011..

From amazonUK website:

>Spooks Series 9 [DVD]

Peter Firth (Actor), Richard Armitage (Actor)
Rated: To Be Announced   Format: DVD

RRP: £39.99

Price: £25.99     You Save: £14.00 (35%)

Pre-order Price Guarantee. Learn more.

This title will be released on February 28, 2011.<


Thoughts to chew on..Various comments at blog below supporting the ‘Lucas knows exactly what he’s about’ with Vaughn & Maya theory..


“I'm thinking the Maya thing is not as it appears, in fact I thought Lucas put something into the inside pocket of her jacket when he slipped it off her shoulders at the house last week so don't see it as a cliched love interest. He's got another agenda…”

“The hospital scene was odd indeed. If it does not turn out to be part of a trap for the real traitor, since it was so ooc for Lucas..”

“If there is a "oh my god" moment later in the story when Lucas's seemingly inconsistent behaviour is explained, that will solve one of the two..”

Plentiful Plot Possibilites.. >what was going on with Lucas' remark to Maya about her having had plans to open a tapas bar? her reaction -- "I've forgotten all about that”.. with a swift turn of the head -- seemed a bit shifty.

What with the Trafalgar connection.. and this otherwise gratuitous tapas bar mention, are they dropping hints for a surprise enemy…a North African/Spanish-dissident combination of some kind? Gibraltar? Some Costa del Crime megalomaniac?…<

>“don't knock this series or Lucas' behaviour until the plot unravels. Armitage himself said in an interview that Lucas would act very strangely in this series - let's just sit back and enjoy all the twists and turns…”<

>“..Lucas the character is very controlled and self contained I think he has to be to function. I mean given the convoluted story line he has had it is a wonder he can function at all.. I just like the subtlety in Mr Armitge's acting.”<

             

TWEET:  >James Productions's Profile

Helen James Productions HJP favourites Richard Armitage (Spooks) and Hayley Atwell (Any Human Heart) are filming Captain America at Shepperton. *Really* looking forward to this movie!<

TWEET: @HelenJamesProd Helen James
by RAnetdotcom
HJP favourites Richard Armitage (Spooks) and Hayley Atwell (Any Human Heart) are filming Captain America at... http://fb.me/yDfJzwOy
2 hours ago via Facebook Favorite Retweet Reply  - Retweeted by RAnetdotcom
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Tremendous variety of international book covers for GRR Martin's 'A Song of Fire and Ice' series - first book of which is 'A Game of Thrones'..HBO special coming worldwide in Mar 2011    http://www.georgerrmartin.com/gallery/kings.html

Link: Capt America Cast(w/RA) on IMDb Board + Turner's Battle of Trafalgar Clue + Is Lucas North Singing to Us... + Warming Up For Ep 5

For anyone who might not yet have seen RA listed in Capt America cast:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0458339/

Followed Sue's clue re Vicky Frost's blog and the discussion of the possible significance of this Turner painting (The Battle of Trafalgar) making an appearance Spooks, Ep 4. Find links below..

BTW, there's a comment at the below blog proposing that the Lucas ship tattoo might be connected to the above painting...(My reflection:  how exactly did RA convince the Spooks writers that a massive number of tatts for LN was a fine idea?? We know he felt their presence would prevent gratuitous shirtless scenes...might he have sold it as an opportunity for them to weave a few of the spy's body artwork*cough* into future plots??..

Have to ask yourself if a female MD would really not find it highly unprofessional to engage in a heated embrace in the hospital corridor while other staff members strolled by??.  Agree with Sue that the nearest broom closet would've been a far better location for a snog:) ...teehee..

Be prepared for opinions with which you might strongly disagree..;)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2010/oct/11/spooks-drama

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Turner,_The_Battle_of_Trafalgar_%281822%29.jpg

Synopsis - Ep 5

Spooks Ep 5/8 - Monday 18 October - 9.00-10.00pm BBC ONE

www.bbc.co.uk/spooks In a move to bring peace to Palestine and Israel, the American President is en route to London to chair secret talks between peace negotiators from both countries, as the tense spy drama continues. Beth Bailey and Dimitri Levendis go undercover as Home Office liaison officers at the talks, while the rest of Section D are tasked with ensuring nothing will jeopardise the long-awaited occasion.

Preparations appear to be going smoothly until a journalist threatens to run the story. Ruth Evershed convinces her not to print it but the implications are clear: someone does not want the peace talks to go ahead. The team frantically search for the source of the leak and Tariq Masood goes to work on tracing calls made to the journalist.

Lucas North picks up the trail and makes several discoveries which indicate the culprit has only one agenda – assassination. With the murder of the US President a very real threat, Section D must find the suspect before they are faced with an international scandal of unimaginable proportions.

With time running out, Harry Pearce and his team are put under immense pressure to locate the sniper and ensure the President is not put at risk. As events unfold it becomes clear that the real threat to the President is much closer than anyone had realised.

Are Lucas North Followers, Since Ep 4, Holding Their Collective Breath?

Will Agent North manage to take a clever side-step out of his current dilemma...or not:(?

Ep 6  http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/proginfo/tv/2010/wk43/mon.shtml#mon_spooks
Ep 7 http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/proginfo/tv/2010/wk44/mon.shtml

Ian Wylie's Clue for ep 5 (thx OML:) + Game of Thrones Tourney Scene + Following BBC Twitter Account (words I'd never expected to ever come out of this keyboard)

Thx to OML's detective work, we have a clue from Ian Wylie for Ep 5.  Might his vague reference to furniture be a tongue in cheek nod to THE TABLE?

>Lucas / John betrays a possible past in furniture removal.

Ahead of another twist in the tale in the closing moments which I didn’t see coming.

Fans of all things Harry and Ruth may also care to watch out for the “Next Week” teaser trail.<
http://lifeofwylie.com/2010/10/12/spooks-the-sickness-unto-death/

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Here's the young woman who the US's liberal media(vast majority have admitted to that political bias) tried to paint as a loose runabout, simply because she's a single mother.  AND, most telling, because they unabashedly support the political party to which her prominent mother does NOT belong.  The liberal media stripe predominates on both sides of the Atlantic -  readers/viewers would be wise to keep that in mind at all times.  Bristol Palin & her partner Mark Ballas received lower marks than I'd expected for their Rhumba.  Really believe the music chosen makes a huge difference in these performances - it's not nearly as inspiring as it could've been. Do you agree that 6s were less than they deserved?

  

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Now following a BBC twitter account in a show of support for retaining an on-going variety of global TV networks. In truth, it wasn’t personally easy for me to do.  The reason that is so is because the organization’s political slant on the news has for many yrs been spun strongly to the left and,  therefore,  has been ridiculously out of sync with truth on the ground in the US. What prompted the decision to follow was a blogger’s interesting explanation for why there’s a ‘pull to the North’ for entertainment execs in the UK. 

After reading the post, the realization flashed across my mind that I'd also felt a pull to the North upon gaining access to the internet 15 yrs ago.  Both career and personal interests had prompted us to purchase our first 'puter.  A genealogy quest ranked almost as high as the career pressure at the time to acquire IT knowledge.  For one family tree branch, every new discovery  zeroed in on the heart of the Industrial Revolution - Northern England.

Here’s the twitter account: http://twitter.com/AboutTheBBC

The blog:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc/2010/10/the-pull-of-the-north.shtml

Pic of the tourney scene shoot in Game of Thrones:

No one could be enjoying this production more than the author, GRR martin (seen below--the C21 version of Henry VIII;)  The writer often mentions the pressure to finish the 5th book of the 7 volume series; however, guess where he flew to yesterday? -- that's right..Northern Irl.  He can't seem to stay away from watching his imaginative dreams spring to life...it has to be the thrill of a lifetime.

http://www.westeros.org/GoT/Gallery/Category/C55/

Guardian Writer's Comment about LN + Anyone seen Sue Lately?...hmm, what's going on in Lucas's garden shed?;)

Vicky Frost of the Guardian newspaper gives her thoughts on Lucas North in Ep 4..

>Who is Lucas North?: The mystery drags on for yet another week – seriously, we better get some answers before episode eight, or nobody will care any more. Anyway, as kjenkins cleverly noted of Lucas's glazed kitchen in last week's blog: "I can't help thinking that if you were a mysterious character from Lucas's past who wanted to keep tabs on Lucas and possibly blackmail him, you could do worse than rent the house at the bottom of his garden." (Not actually a reference to Lucas' much-discussed garden shed, but I imagine that would do equally well. Perhaps that's going to be the final twist: Vaughn has been living in Lucas' shed).

Lucas not only seems to be properly rotten now, but he also appears to have undergone an odd character change – running into the hospital to snog Maya in the corridor and be unconvincingly emotional on an ugly white bench. "I just had to tell you. I don't want to waste another moment." Crikey – is that some kind of awful double-bluff dialogue? Let's hope so.

The top-secret, eyes only Albany file appears to focus on a painting of a ship - any ideas where this might be going anyone?

Next week: The CSS snatch squad don't actually appear to have left. And why do they have a picture of Lucas?<
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And, to think we were concerned Sue might be somewhat cramped in that great outdoors lovenest with LucJohn, and now we learn that Vaughn might've been part of the...hmmm...get together :) as well.  Oh my!...*shock!*  :)