A spoiler about Spooks Series 9. Of course if you’re reading this blog, you probably already know, but I’m not taking any chances.
I’ve never watched much Oprah Winfrey. Probably seen that show five maybe six times, but I would have to be under a rock somewhere not to know about her “Favorite Things.” For those who may not know about Oprah, she is a mega star here in the States. She has a talk show which has been on about 25 years (can’t remember exactly), and she is so massively popular that I think at one point she could have run for president and won. During the holidays, she has these giveaway shows called “My Favorite Things,” and this year is her farewell. I understand that it’s been highly emotional, but I’m hard pressed to think how much more emotional it could be than in the past. Recipients are usually weeping while Oprah stands there grinning like a Cheshire cat as they receive their gifts. That’s what’s shown on the news, and my jaded self has mostly thought of this as an ego trip for Oprah.
But maybe I was wrong. If I had that kind of money, I would certainly give some of it away. It would thrill me to do that since it’s a pleasure to make people feel good. At times I wish I were rich just so I could give to people more than I’m able to do normally. Today is one of those days. I really wish I were rich enough to pay everyone’s way to see Richard Armitage in The Rover. That would be such a blast. And no, we have no further word on it other than this tweet from our initial source of info, the English Touring Theatre:
In lieu of giving any of you a trip to The Rover, I do have something planned for Christmas, but I’m not quite ready to reveal it. In the meantime, bear with me as I post a couple of more diary entries that frankly, I just need to get out of the way (picture me with my tongue hanging out), and of course I need to still mourn Lucas of Series 7 at least a few more days.
It pains me to look at that picture and think of the destruction of that wonderful character! I’m not so much thinking of him becoming a bad guy as the ruining of such an interesting character. That was just shot to hell. Sorry for this slip up. I really am trying not to be negative about any of RA’s jobs! But you may not think that after you read my next diary entry. Then again, it was just something I had to get out.
Screencaps courtesy of RichardArmitageNet.Com and me.
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RAFrenzy 
The image reminded me so much of how badly I wanted Lucas and Ros to develop some sort of love. Even if one or both of them had died in a ‘fantasy’ script, it would have been better than the hodge-podge of female relationships the writers thrust on Lucas. Even though he’d been incarcerated for 8 years, one could only hope he would have had better taste than they allowed him to have. Ros is/was the queen of class!
I wouldn’t have agreed with you initially about that relationship, but in hindsight, I see you’re right.
Love the Ros/Lucas pic.
I choose to have a selective memory when it comes to Spooks, so I’m not ticked or sad. :)
I was over it until I went back and rewatched Series 7 for about the fifth or sixth time. What a waste!
Let´s say I so know where your comment stems from, but I feel to differ, though hold my tongue and await your next post!
I love it when someone disagrees. :D But you might have to wait since my next post is not about Spooks. Well, it is but only in a cursory way.
Trouble is, Ros had already had a relationship with Adam.
Thank you for this post and your wonderful ideas. I very much like your “Rover” event for fans ;o)
From Spooks 7 and 8 I still keep my distance, I can see clips and fan videos, but not a whole episode. But your picture choice so very eloquently states what potential this character could have had. I absolutely agree with you – what a waste!
True, Kaprekar, and that was just one reason why I didn’t desire a relationship between them, but in hindsight, she would have been head and shoulders above those other two. Then again, the writers probably would have managed to screw that up too.
CDoart, I wish didn’t feel the need to say anything, but hey, now he’s free to do other things. :D And maybe a lot of us will attend The Rover. I hope I can do it, but I’m not entirely sure.
If it’s TOURING Theatre … does that mean that they travel around? Ooooh please let them come to Nottingham! Or at least Derby. Could do Leicester at a push as well! Possibly! But preferably Nottingham! *fingers crossed*
@RAFrenzy You are completely right. RA is now free to do other things and he really deserves to do something funny and light hearted. I just fear with “The Rover” he has a bit of a strange role for that. But other chances hopefully will arise.
I just had a hard time belieiving he’d stay loyal during 8 years in a Russian prison and whammo!
I am also still angry and sad about the waste of a wonderful character. And I have decided to live in Denial.
I’ll definitely try to go to see The Rover. Being fom the Netherlands it isn’t that far. It would be great fun to meet with a number of fans there :)
Dear dear, thanks for that aodrable screencap, RAFrenzy! As a Spooks non-viewer-but-avid-follower I need to know what scene was that, what context? They both truly were classic spies!
Which reminds me of some interview/sneak peek (for S8 probably?) that some UK show did behind the scenes of Spooks, where the interviewer was talking to RA about Hermione and called Ros the “ice queen” of the show… and I just cracked when Richard nodded and then said, “Yeah, ice cream. What? Ah, ice queen. Yeah”. Smart man.
Would have died to se Lucas and Beth together still. Sign.
I mean, sigh. Sorry for my lazy fingers. I’m a typopath.
@cresmix that pic came out only this summer as part of the promo for the airing of Season 7 in the Netherlands. I love how ‘still’ he appears but a lot of emotional tension is hanging in the air.
PS.: I don’t apologize for typo’s anymore .. It comes with cyber territory *_*
@cresmix, Yeah, the promo quality shot is new, but the context of that scene is in 7.5, where they are posing as lovers to find intel from a millionaire trying to bring down the economy. That was the first time I had seen RA in modern day suit. Yowza!
I should have said business suit ’cause I had already seen him in his tux at the 2007 BAFTAs. A very ill-fitting suit, but I adore RA in those pictures. Those are my favorite BAFTA pictures; I don’t care how rumpled he may look or how long his hair may be. He’s precious in those.
thanks for clarifying @iz4blue ;-)
You know, did I not know the plot and relationships on Spooks I would never even attempt to consider any other explanation behind Lucas and Ros’s proximity on the pic other than their being madly, intensively, forbiddenly in love… Would you?
and thanks @RAFrenzy, now knowing it was an act explains it… sort of.
Still, it’s very hot… sorry for being blatant. ;)))
You’re among friends. Yeah, it’s very hot. :D
Thank you RAFrenzy for your dream of being our Oprah and flying us all to see “The Rover”. Now that we know it won’t be next month, I’m planning to save my lunch money for my trip and ticket. Would be lovely to meet everyone there.
“My” Lucas is the man of Season 7. I still miss Lucas. Though I loved the banter between Ros and Lucas, and I miss it still, I wish they would have pursued the romantic relationship between Elisaveta and Lucas. I felt there was chemistry between RA and Paloma Baeza. I love Season 7 and will admit that I also loved Season 8 Lucas, except for his love interest, Sarah. I think the character of Sarah was poorly written as an American stereotype rather than a woman falling in love. I have no explanation for Season 9. Even for Spooks, and I’ve watched all previous seasons of the show, this destruction of a character, the hero they created in Season 7, was a betrayal of their audience. But maybe that was the objective… who knows.
It would be fantastic for us to meet anywhere anytime, not to mention on The Rover. Is it doable though? I know for sure that I’m unfortunately not very portable: to get to England I’ll need a visa which I must apply for and proceed with in my country, while I am currently residing in another country on another visa… And I’m sure many of us would have their own complications. But yeah, in the Oprah universe they all would be climable, wouldn’t they? And we would have a blast seeing RA on- and off-stage. Maybe we could get in touch with him in a business conduct manner and negotiate the terms of our agreement…
Beautiful picture! I live in denial too. Series 9 Lucas doesn’t exist for me. I rewatched series 7 and 8 and there he was again, beautiful, heroic, vulnerable Lucas. That wicked murderer was only a bad dream after all – maybe our boy was just badly concussed after the blast at the end of 8.8? :-)
For all the times I’ve watched S7 (which remains a classic in the series – each ep was beautifully crafted) I actually missed Ros’s hand at Lucas’s lapel. Screen caps are marvellous! Never thought Ros an ice maiden. Ms. Norris has a way of softening the eyes which conveys empathy and compassion for her fellow characters. Especially for Lucas – final scene in S7.
Probably a good decision (their last good decision?) of the writers not to carry a definite chemistry between these two characters to a romantic conclusion. That can stale quickly. Very happy that House and Cuddy are back to their respective acrimonious relationship after two sugary episodes. And working out the relationship in real-people terms.
The Elisavieta relationship was a bit of a lost opportunity. Not enough backstory or explanation. Such is the nature of a weekly series, always on the run. Not even going to tackle S8 or 9. Have seen on TV or via the nameless clandestine Net site. DVDs out Jan. and spring 2011. Assuming it’s possible to re-watch the nightmare of S9 again.
Such a gorgeous picture of the golden couple, “Pete” and his lucky fiancée, “Jenny”! I would have loved to see this screencap as an actual part of the episode as they’re both so beautiful here!
I, too, enjoy revisiting series 7 to recall the brave heroic loyal Lucas we got to know and love. I have never managed to get to grips with the sudden, inexplicable transformation into John Bateman!
Lucas was a fabulous creation and series 7 embodies the best of that cahracter!
Gosh, I’d love for us all to meet up at a performance of The Rover!
I started watching Oprah in her early days when I was trapped in my apartment, studying for the comprehensive exams for my Ph.D. Back then she was still doing the “problem” talk shows a la Donahue. Sometime during that year she made the decision to go in her current direction of trying to solve problems instead of just describing them, and that’s what’s made her famous. I have mixed feelings about her, though I watched her for years when I was home in the afternoon and when I had access to TV. It’s a sort of quasi-morbid fascination. She has helped a lot of people and inspired even more. But I think that a lot of her popularity stems from the failures of organized religion in the U.S. and I am not thrilled with every part of her message. Even so, I love her emphasis on giving, and I don’t think it’s feigned on her part or done primarily in aid of tv ratings. I only say this perhaps because she’s inspired me to be a more giving person over the years. I tried my first really big give this last summer (well, big within my own scope, which is different from hers) and I can confidently say it changed the person’s life. It’s a heady thing — and I want to do more of it in future, giving without counting the cost.
[I’m sorry this comment is so late.]
There are no late comments. :D
I agree that “organized religion” has failed in some respects, but then according to Paul it was destined to fail.
Hearts are what change things, and only those can truly be changed by God and never by something as suffocating as “organized religion.” LOL!
Giving is indeed a heady thing. As far as scope, I’ve found more satisfaction in giving as my means have diminished.
:D Thanks for understanding.
It’s not that I want to praise organized religion, it’s that I think it’s a better alternative than “what sells,” which — let’s not deny it — is a big piece of what Oprah is thinking about in making any decision. Give me the choice between a body of people working together to come up with a morality derived from the Bible or a body of people working together to come up with an ethic that they think will be popular among humans and generate more advertising revenue, and I can tell which I’ll pick every day, even if organized religious bodies are often suffocating. :)
I put “organized religion” in quotes because it’s a nebulous term that begs definition. For me it means a recognizable entity, i.e., mainline religious groups (including but not limited to Christian groups) who own buildings or effect some other sorts of trappings. I would go on, but I will offend no doubt if I do. Not just thinking of you but many others who read this blog. :D
But I agree with you about organized religion versus commercialism. Sadly, the two have been married in several instances. Sickening. And that really is all I’m going to say about that — at least this evening. LOL!
fair enough :)