I viewed this, the last episode of a sometimes surreal-in-a-context-where-it-shouldn't-be-surreal, but otherwise excellent, series with sadness, as it seemed like this would truly be the end. The last series seemed to take into account what some viewers had been saying, i.e. that the real MI-5 were not always straightforward "good guys", and that they often had to do things which were ethically and morally sketchy. The characters played by Max Brown and Lara Pulver showed this well throughout the 10th series. They were both excellent in that they came across as conscientious, caring people who nevertheless had to lead innocent, likable citizens down the garden path, to the point of ruining their lives, for the sake of a planned special relationship with Russia. In a sense, it shows that getting into bed with the Russians would involve sacrifices that would be dubiously justifiable, at best, and that those sacrifices would be red flags as to the inappropriateness of such an arrangement. The loss of Tariq earlier in the 10th also showed this. Like Colin, Tariq seemed to represent the brains as well as the heart-and-soul of MI-5, but his and Colin's sacrifices seemed to show that heart-and-soul are expendable, whereas brains can be replaced. Welcome to the cruel Darwinian world, or some twist on that theme. The human sacrifice in this episode continues and sums up this theme in grand style. Of course, the characters know the dangers involved and the series has consistently shown the possible consequences. The ep also has other good touches, including Calum's sarcasm, which seems to bring out the contrasts in his character, extremely bright in some ways yet the opposite in others, so deuce at the end of the day. Still, one always hopes that Harry Pearce and the others could transfer to a more idyllic situation, but such will never be the case, and this episode hammers the nail in the coffin on that reality.
Review of Episode #10.6
