The Spying Game, UK variety, plus multifandom story recs

[selenak]

We had a lovely Christmas Eve ending in front of the fireplace with the cats and some more cookies and a game. As far as gifts are concerned, I’ve started one of the novels sent by a RL friend, and spent the night watching first season of Spooks (called M I 5 in the US), sent by kathyh. Ah, British TV with your cynical soul, how do I love you. (And stay up the night for you.) If Alias is of the James Bond school of spying, this is definitely of the John Le Carré and Graham Greene school. Also, you’d never find an Alias episode in which a British and an American agent, neither of whom is evil, exchange dialogue to the effect of
Brit: …I thought this (i.e. the US/UK relationship) was a partnership.
American: It is. It means you actually get of your asses and do what we tell you to do.
Another crucial cultural difference: in an American show, Tessa would have been working for the KGB, or other forces of darkness. Here, she ran phantom agents simply because she wanted to make more cash. Greene would have loved it. I hope we haven’t seen the last of Tessa – she’s an intriguing character.

Was also amused to find ASH as a double agent (with a very un-Gilesian accent), adored the MI5/MI6 bitching between Harry and What’s-his-Name, head of MI6, and felt properly shocked by the brutal death of Helen in the second episode. Which heightened the feeling of emotional reality to no end. Of the younger spies, Danny is someone not yet clearly defined, Zoe mainly through her dilemma about Tessa, and Tom seems to be the lead if any single character is – he certainly got the most screentime and relationship development. Which paid off in the sixth episode. Ouch, ouch, triple ouch.

Now, how to get the second season…

I also had a quick look at the new yuletide fics and am squealing in delight at several of the rare fandoms represented. Here are some early discoveries:

"Nothing Will Come of Nothing" is a terrific Sandman story about Rose Walker, post-saga. Extra points for the way the Corinthian and Daniel-as-Dream are used.

"This new thing, which consumes" is a version of the myth of Persephone which reminds me of the way Ted Hughes translated Ovid. Violent and beautiful and told through a glass darkly.

On an almost Greek note (since Alan Ball in his season 1 commentaries said that if the Fishers were an Ibsen family, the Czernovitch clan are an Aischylos one), "And the Living is Easy", about Brenda and Billy of Six Feet Under fame, is messed up and tender and very true to the spirit of the show.

"Nome de Coeur" takes on Casablanca, Rick and Louis and that beautiful friendship. I always had a soft spot for Louis Renault (now you're all fainting in surprise), and this story, capturing the banter between him and Rick and offering a plausible post-movie flight from Casablanca scenario.

Comments

[buffyannotater.livejournal.com]

I love that Six Feet fic! It really captures the characters beautifully.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

That's what struck me immediately. And being in season 3 now, I miss Brenda! When does she come back? (The last episode I saw was the one where Nate, Lisa and the other couple went camping and Nate, obviously feeling like I do, hallucinated Brenda.

[buffyannotater.livejournal.com]

Well, she actually returned in the episode before that, "The Trap." She shows up at the Fisher home and asks Nate if she can spend some time with him. Did you miss that one or did you just mean "When does she return to the show in a more full capacity?" If it's the former, track down that episode! If it's the latter, she stays in a more tertiary role for much of this season, which is unfortunate in one respect but does suit her character arc, as you will see. Alan Ball said that for Brenda, the third season was a time to give the character a break from emotional trauma after her second season hijinks. Despite this, however, there is some wonderful Brenda/Billy stuff coming up. In fact, the very next episode after the camping trip episode focuses primarily on the Chenowiths, so I think you'll enjoy that.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Argh, I missed the ep before in the pre-Christmas hectic times. But it's good to know there is more to come, thank you!

[buffyannotater.livejournal.com]

Ah, so you have more of a recap, what happened was Brenda showed up at the house, which freaked Nate out a bit. She asks if she can join him on some errands. They have a rather awkward time, until, at a restaurant, she tells him that she is in a 12 step program, and as part of the program, makes amends for the wrongs she did to him. He accepts her apology, and pays for their meal on his credit card, which enrages Lisa when she discovers the bill. Come to think of it, I have the ep transcribed at my website if you want to read the whole thing: http://www.sixfeetunderfan.com/traptranscript.html

[illmantrim.livejournal.com]

A lovely collection of stories there! and I love Spooks! Both seasons so far are great and I am a year ahead of you , looking forward to season three now...

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Good to know the quality continues. Checking out the DVD situation now...

[illmantrim.livejournal.com]

Hope it is availabble! I wouldnt mind owning it myself!

[janewt.livejournal.com]

Mmmm, Capt. Renault. Mmm, Claude Rains. Have you seen movies with Saeed Jaffrey? He always reminds me of Claude Rains.

*makes mental note to go read the fic*

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Not that I'm aware of - can you name a few titles?

Claude Rains: loved him in every movie I've seen him in (though I wonder whether The Invisible Man strictly qualifies as "seeing"*g*).

tee hee, Invisible Man

[janewt.livejournal.com]

Saeed Jaffrey (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006762/) has a major role in My Beautiful Laundrette as the fairly sleazy uncle (cousin? head of big extended family) of one of the main characters. He has a smaller but memorable role in The Man Who Would Be King as Billy Fish, the guide/translator to the main guys. Those are the only things I've seen him in; most of his work is Indian.

I don't know why he reminds me so much of Claude Rains. The voice, I think, and he does look a bit like him.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Ah, I remember him from My Beautiful Laundrette! That was a memorable role. Yes, you're right, there is a resemblance.

[kalypso-v.livejournal.com]

Jaffrey's in just about everything, but I associate him most of all with Laundrette and Satyajit Ray's The Chess Players.

[shezan.livejournal.com]

Now you've sold me on "Spooks"!

*scoots of to Amazon.co.uk*

[selenak.livejournal.com]

It is an Anglophile's delight, I promise - good acting, snarky dialogue, and moral compromosises in order to fight the good fight...

Following the rec...

[shezan.livejournal.com]

So they're showing the pilot of Spooks on Frog cable, and the terror villain is... an imported group of American pro-life fundamentalists??? How likely is that?

Bit pandering to the Sheperd's Bush/White City crowd, this. I am reserving judgement until epîsode 2...

;-)

Re: Following the rec...

[selenak.livejournal.com]

There, there. You'll get your Arab terrorists, and your Irish terrorists, and your Brit-plus-German-anarchist/terrorists as well.*g*

[shezan.livejournal.com]

'kay... episode 2 is on... who are the villains? Some super-duper-well-organised neo-Nazis.

Oh, please.

I am so underwhelmed. No amount of violence and torture (acid bath, anyone?) is going to retrieve that one for me, I fear...

[selenak.livejournal.com]

See above. Also, organized neo nazis aren't exactly unheard of. Also, Helen dying has repercussions for Tom et al., she's not forgotten in the next episode, and you never get the sense that all members of the team are always going to survive because of that violence.

Most importantly, though: I like the characters. And the dialogue.

a beautiful friendship

[likeadeuce.livejournal.com]

Louis Renault may be my favorite movie character of all time. why am I not shocked that we share this taste? and really, there are only two relationships in fiction that seriously struck me as "slashy" before I even knew what slash was. That would be Rick/Louis and, um, Hamlet/Horatio. Don't ask me how my brain works.

"Rick is the kind of man that, if I were a woman, and I were not around, I should be in love with Rick."

Re: a beautiful friendship

[selenak.livejournal.com]

In my case, it was Romeo/Mercutio rather than Hamlet/Horatio, which I firmly blame Zeffirelli for, but hey.*g*

And yes, not surprised that we share a taste in Renaults.*veg* He's so eminently quotable throughout the entire film...

[thesecondevil]

Spooks is excellent, I'm really glad that they're making a fourth season. While I do like Alias, I've never felt as compelled to watch it as I do with Spooks, maybe I'm just biased. *shrug*

If your DVD player can play Region 2 DVD's then you should be able to get Season Two quite easily, unfortunately Season Three doesn't come out on DVD until next October.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Yes, I'm Region 2. Good to hear about a fourth season!

[shezan.livejournal.com]

Ah, but in the meantime, have read Nom de Coeur, and how utterly lovely that story is!!!