Richard Armitage in Spooks series 7

Spooks Series 7

Episode 1

A serving British soldier is kidnapped by extremists and Section D are tasked with his rescue before the November remembrance services.

Harry Pearce has also managed a spy swap for one of his old agents, Russian expert Lucas North. Despite misgivings Harry is persuaded by Adam Carter to allow Lucas to assist in the operation. During a wash scene Lucas reveals the tattoos that now decorate his body after 8 years incarceration.

Returning from her own stint in Russia, Ros Myers reveals that there is a secondary plot involving Chechan terrorists and a bomb at a remembrance service. Lucas and Adam free the soldier using Lucas’s Russian language skills. They then race to the scene of the bomb. Adam finds the car bomb but there is no time to defuse it so he insists upon driving it to a safe location. Unfortunately he is unable to get far enough away from the car before the bomb explodes.

The team realise then that Russia is now a major threat. Harry vows revenge for Adam’s death.

The Tattoos:

• On his chest Lucas has an image of William Blake’s ‘Ancient of Days’.
• On his stomach – Gnothi Seaton which means Know Yourself.
• On his upper back Lucas has Dum Spiro Spero – Whilst I breathe I hope.
• On his lower back – MNP which is Russian for Peace
• On his upper back – eight cupolas. One for each year of incarceration.
• On his left upper arm – Star, with a point for each year of his time spent in prison
• On his left upper arm – Russian writing which means exactly ‘See nothing, hear nothing and say nothing to nobody.’
• On his right arm – ship
• On his right wrist – strap with chain

Russian prison tattoos are notoriously painful, often applied using home made equipment and the ink is made with a variety of liquids including burnt shoe heel, urine and shampoo. Infection is common.radi

Episode 2

The Spooks are reeling at the devastation caused by the explosion and Harry vows revenge on the man he believes is responsible – the chief of the Russian intelligence services (FSB), Arkady Kachimov – as the critically acclaimed spy drama continues. But, when the British government refuse to support him, Harry realises he must have concrete proof to back up his belief that the Russians are trying to destroy Britain.

Ros coordinates the investigation and targets powerful Russian oil tycoon Beletsky – a man with connections high up within the FSB. She blackmails him to uncover the Russians’ next move, but Beletsky can only confirm he’s been told to shut down his company’s servers at a specific time.

Meanwhile, Lucas is desperate to work back on the Grid, but Harry orders him to stay away – concerned about the relationship Lucas forged with Kachimov during his years of incarceration. It seems Harry is right to be cautious when Lucas secretly meets with his Russian handler – none other than his ex-wife, Elizabeta.

Back at MI5, Harry’s fears about the Russians are confirmed when a rogue submarine planning to attack Britain’s communications is discovered in British waters. If the attack goes ahead, it will bring Britain to its knees – causing financial and social chaos. The team must get the submarine’s locations and secret codes from the Russians, but Lucas is the only person who can infiltrate FSB. Can Harry trust Lucas, or is he acting as a double agent?

(The meeting between Lucas and Elizabeta was filmed in Highgate Cemetery.)

Episode 3

The pressure is on for the team when they are alerted to a barrage of possible British al-Qaeda attacks and receive a tip-off about a particularly active terrorist cell, as the critically acclaimed spy drama continues. Desperate to unearth their plans, Ben is sent on a dangerous mission to infiltrate the cell.

Meanwhile, Harry is alarmed when Lucas reveals he is experiencing flashbacks to when he was incarcerated in a Russian prison, and recollects the word “Sugarhorse” repeatedly being used by his torturers. Harry denies all knowledge of “Sugarhorse” but secretly visits his trusted MI5 mentor, Bernard Qualtrough, to discuss his concerns over Lucas’s revelations. It transpires that “Sugarhorse” is a top secret MI5 operation and the Russians have caught wind of its existence. Harry realises there must be a high-level mole within MI5, but who is the traitor?

Ben is deep undercover and discovers the terrorists are planning a bombing campaign in London. He accompanies them on a dry run but soon discovers that this is no practice and that he is minutes away from innocent members of the public getting killed.

Ros and the team face a desperate race against time to prevent the terrorists’ bombs going off but, with four bombs set to detonate, it’s an almost impossible task. Jo will stop at nothing to save London from devastation, landing herself at the centre of a catastrophic situation.

Episode 4

Muhammed Khordad, al-Qaeda’s No. 3, is in London and wants to negotiate with MI5, as the critically acclaimed spy drama continues. Hoping this could be key to ending the war on terror, Ros and Harry agree to the meet.

Khordad reveals a planned terrorist attack by an extremist faction of al-Qaeda, targeting London at 3pm that afternoon. Khordad is prepared to exchange intelligence on the location of the bomb for a public pardoning of two al-Qaeda prisoners – he expects the Home Secretary to deliver a statement confirming they were wrongfully arrested.

Harry meets the Home Secretary, who is unhappy with Khordad’s proposition, but, after considerable persuasion, the statement is delivered. However, Khordad reveals the broadcast was not to his liking, leaving the team to launch a desperate mission to find him and force the bomb location details out of him.

Meanwhile, the Russians have also learnt about the military operation and, in a test of Lucas’s loyalty, they order him to make sure the bomb goes off. The team has a tough decision to make: either they defuse the bomb, blowing Lucas’s cover and leaving them vulnerable to Russia, or they let the bomb go off – maintaining Lucas’s double agent status.

In the midst of the drama, Harry receives a call from his old mentor, Bernard Qualtrough, who names the mole within MI5 responsible for passing on top secret information about operation Sugarhorse to the Russians. Harry is shattered when he realises one of his team members is a traitor – but who could it be?

Episode 5

The British economy is on the brink of collapse and speculation over the identity of the next troubled bank creates panic across the city, as the spy drama continues.

Having identified the man behind the rumours as Alexis Meynell, a businessman famous for exploiting vulnerable economies, the team at MI5 fears he will bring Britain to its knees.

Ros is sent undercover as an employee at Meynell’s firm to find out exactly what he’s planning. Lucas joins the investigation, playing the role of Ros’s fiancé. However, unbeknown to him, Asa Darlek, Meynell’s right-hand man, recognises him from his days in Russia.

Whilst Ros and Lucas attend a business function with Meynell, Ben takes the opportunity to search Meynell’s office for intelligence and finds the name of a Russian bank on his hard drive. Ben informs Lucas, who goes to investigate further, leaving Ros to handle Meynell alone.

After the function, Ros joins Meynell in his hotel room for a nightcap. As they talk business, he convinces her that he has a higher moral agenda. Interrupted by a call, Meynell is stunned to learn from Asa that Ros works for MI5.

Forced to regain his trust, Ros assures him that she believes in his ideology and, challenged to prove she’s trustworthy, she spends the night with him.

Having made such a sacrifice, can Ros use her relationship with Meynell to save the British economy from disaster?

Episode 6

The team at MI5 is responsible for security at an emergency Middle Eastern peace summit in London, following a recent Israeli attack on Gaza, as the spy drama continues. Amidst the preparations, they learn a key part of an assassin’s toolkit is being sold online, causing major concerns and prompting an immediate mission to retrieve it.

Lucas discovers the vendor is Dean Mitchell, a teenager who inadvertently witnessed an assassination and subsequently got hold of the murderer’s kit bag. While visiting Dean, Lucas catches sight of an armed snatch squad waiting outside, proving MI5 are not the only ones interested in Dean’s goods.

Back on the grid, the team unearth a plot by MI6 to assassinate the Chief UN Negotiator who’s in London for the peace summit. Further investigation reveals a photographer took incriminating pictures that could expose their plans. To safeguard MI6’s actions, the photographer was killed – right before Dean’s eyes.

As well as witnessing the murder, MI6 also believes Dean is in possession of the damaging photographs. In such a vulnerable position, the team pulls out all the stops to protect Dean but, with MI6 hot on the trail, can MI5 successfully lead him to safety?

Meanwhile, Harry receives an unexpected message from Asset K, a Russian sleeper agent who wants to meet to disclose details of the mole who tried to sabotage a 20-year British intelligence operation. Harry entrusts Connie with the task of retrieving the file which will reveal the MI5 traitor. As Harry opens the file he is unprepared for the shocking information it contains.

Meanwhile, Harry’s house is stormed and he is arrested. Richard Dolby, Director-General of MI5, grills him for information but Harry insists he has been set up by ex-MI5 officer Bernard Qualtrough. Dolby remains unconvinced and sends in a brutal interrogator.

Back on the grid, Dolby informs Ros of Harry’s arrest and tells her to investigate the death of the Sugarhorse asset. He warns her that all communications are being monitored, and Ros knows if they are to prove Harry’s innocence the team must urgently outsmart those listening in.

With the Russian intelligence services closing in, Lucas finds the location where the information has been hidden and is horrified to uncover the identity of the mole.

Back in London, Ros visits Harry – who sends her a coded message. Meanwhile, Ben notices an inconsistency with the Sugarhorse asset’s death and visits the archive to dig deeper. When Lucas calls Ben to reveal the traitor’s identity, Ben doesn’t realise just how close the mole is…

Episode 8

Tensions between America and Russia are at an all-time high in the final episode of this series of the critically acclaimed spy drama. Through the intelligence Lucas brought back from Moscow, the team discovers Russia is planning an attack on London this very day, codenamed Tiresias. Tiresias is a network of silent saboteurs who have infiltrated all areas of British governance with the sole purpose of crippling the UK once activated.

With the clock ticking, the team must find out what is planned and, with everyone a potential Tiresias sleeper agent, there is only one person who can help them – the MI5 mole.

The team abducts the mole who, after being grilled, reveals a Tiresias sleeper has been instructed to set off a nuclear bomb at 3pm. The mole also admits a Tiresias dossier has been hidden at London Bridge, which will reveal the identity of who is about to detonate the bomb – and where. The team has to get there immediately.

Meanwhile, Russia’s intelligence services (the FSB) discovers that MI5 has kidnapped their prize asset and races to retrieve the mole before MI5 puts a stop to their planned attack.

As MI5 and the FSB head for London Bridge, the teams meet amid a barrage of gunfire. Can the Section D team members escape and get to the dossier in time? And will the mole – the only person with the knowledge to neutralise the nuclear element – change sides again and save London from the fatal explosion?