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“It's stupid, really, because, you and I, we're made of secrets.”
It is with a heavy heart – and a not entirely dry eye – that I write this final ever Spooks review. Before I watched this episode, I couldn't really see how an hour would be enough to do justice to this glorious, mad programme and its ten year history. And, yet, this finale had all you could ever want from Spooks: one liners; a plot hole or two; just a smidge of self-awareness; more twists than you could shake a stick at; and a heartbreakingly tragic ending.
Oh, yes, there were plot holes; it really wouldn't have been a fitting end to Spooks without them. I mean, I think Dimitri is seriously bad-ass, and I quite like Erin after last week, but even I don't think they could so easily steal Harry back from the Americans. But at least with the jammed paper shredder moment, the writers of Spooks reminded us once more that they do have some self-awareness. Who cares if they sometimes have a somewhat distant relationship to reality?
Elena-as-villain didn't come as a great surprise; Spooks has pulled the rug from underneath us so many times (cough, Connie garotting Ben with a bra wire, cough) that it's pretty expected at this point. But that didn't stop the twists and turns from being exceptionally powerful, as the writers pulled it out of the bag emotionally. Elena's plan showed just how well she understood Harry, but how little she knew of Ruth.
At its very best, Spooks has always had enough emotional resonance and truth to make you forget the silliness; think Tom and the bomb-rigged house, or Ros sacrificing herself in a blaze of glory. And this final episode was no exception. Dimitri, Erin and Calum, while divine, effective and charming respectively, were pretty much background to the relationship that's lain at the heart of Spooks for quite some time: wonderful Harry and lovely Ruth.
Harry and Ruth's moment of togetherness came too early in the episode to be final, and so it was. I know I've spent the last two series crowing about how much I want them to be together, but I think I always knew in my heart of hearts that it was never to be. The time for Harry and Ruth, the two spies made of secrets, to have a life outside the service passed a long time ago. For the very last time, I doff my cap to the always first-rate Peter Firth and Nicola Walker, who completely owned the screen in Ruth's dying moments. I knew their happiness would never happen, but, damn it, I really wanted it all the same.
Bringing back the original spook Tom was a masterful touch – having him deal with the man ultimately responsible for Ruth's death brought the whole ten years of Spooks together beautifully. It was a commendably understated scene from a programme that's always been able to do understated brilliantly. And the final tribute to all the spooks lost over the years, from Jo and Adam to lovely Colin and Ros, was again wonderfully low-key, and completely heartbreaking thanks to Peter Firth, who managed to wring all emotion necessary out of it, as Harry's eyes glided over all the older names but struggled to look at Ruth's.
Operatives in the world of Spooks come and go – Malcolm, Colin and Ruth were stalwarts for a while, and back in the day, the Grid was run by Tom, Danny and Zoe. Later came Adam, Zaf, Jo and Ros, and now it's Erin, Calum and Dimitri. But Harry has remained a constant throughout that time. So, with his beloved Ruth gone, what ending would be more fitting than Harry and his unwavering morality back on the Grid, ready to save the day once more? Absolutely none. Absolutely none at all.
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