Spooks Code 9 – Have we seen the end?

Admittedly this is a bit late, but I have been busy, and just got around to watching the last two episodes of this silly BBC3 action drama in the last few days.

If you have never seen Spooks Code 9, and a friend lends you the inevitable DVD release in the future (I don’t advise wasting your own money, let a friend buy it then borrow their copy) you might want to skip the first four episodes and just watch the last two. Don’t worry the story is pretty easy to figure out… it is a bit like Scooby Doo but without the dog, or the cool van, or the unmasking endings. Oh, and Daphne is now a blond with pumped up lips and Velma has dropped the glasses and well looks a bit sexier, but other then those changes it is just like Scooby Doo.

So as I was saying…

… If you borrow this series skip to the last two episodes. They were the best ones by far and episode five features Effy (Kaya Scodelario)  from Skins, and Uday (Philip Arditti) from House of Saddam (who also appears in episode 6). The main story line regards some silly plot by a lone terrorist to blow up a bank for environmental reasons, but the interesting action, and really the only reason one can think of to watch this show, comes from the continuation of the investigation into Hannah’s death. A story line which has been running throughout the series.

 

We watched Charlie and big-lipped Rachel ran a covert operation to enter into the often mentioned but never seen Guantonomo Bay-like Camp Windmere (I know it sounds like the Cumbrian Lake, but the writers of this series really didn’t work that hard – at least it had windmills). The operation, part of Charlie’s investigation into Hannah’s ‘assassination’, was so Charlie could talk to the elusive Dr Malik, who they believe was framed for the London 2012 bomb. As you could imagine it all went smoothly, and in typical Code 9 fashion within five minutes they got the information “two bombs… two bombs!!) that they were looking for, and smoothly headed for the exit.

Meanwhile back at the bank, the Scooby gang successfully kept it from blowing up, and everyone went home happy as pie… except of course for Effy, who was dragged away to prison, and the eco-terrorist, who was shot dead!

One question did arise in my mind though watching this episode; do the Scooby kids have a teleportation machine? Maybe it is my imagination, but they do seem to move in and about England at a very rapid pace!

Anyhow, swiftly moving along that takes us to the last episode of the series, and if critics have their way, the last episode ever. (Personally I think that would be a bit harsh, because if the series was given a bit of TLC I think it could be fixed and made into a credible and entertaining show… sadly though I don’t work for the BBC, who may be happy to just continue as they were.) Arguably the best episode of the series, not only did we get some background information on the nuclear bomb that exploded in London in 2012 but we got to see the Scooby gang use several “Bond” like gadgets… technology in 2012 is going to great! Too bad about the radiation though…

Episode six (still available on the BBC iPlayer) also had a “Bond-style baddie” in the form of Yates, who not only was a MI5 mole, but also discusses her plans to irradiate London in such a long-winded rant that it gives the Scooby gang time to catch her.

The episode ended with a clever cliff-hanger. As the digital timer on the nuclear bomb ticked down to zero, the credits rolled, so we will never know if they stopped the bomb from exploding or not. My guess though it that if the critics have their way, then all involved with Spooks Code 9 were turned to dust, but if BBC3 needs some programming then the kids stopped the bomb and will be back for series 2.

Spooks Code 9… what the hell is going on?

OK I will admit that I am a bit tired on not on top form this week – it all stems from having to get up at stupid-o’clock for my early shifts – but I don’t think I am so tired that I can’t absorb some TV. Yet I found myself completely lost in this weeks episode of Spooks Code 9. Maybe it was the way that the episode was edited, or maybe it was the paper thin plot… or maybe I was just distracted by the numerous close-ups of Rachel’s (Ruta Gedmintas’s) overly plump bottom lip. Whatever the reason I found myself shaking my head on numerous occasions trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

Luckily the series is not interesting enough that I actually care, so I didn’t bother rewinding to find out what I missed, but I did finally discover that Rachel and Charlie know now that the wrong people are imprisoned for blowing up London and that the real bombers who were previously presumed dead, were smuggled out of the county. Hopefully this revelation will be a sign of good things to come, because this weeks episode was boring and well… confusing!

Spooks Code 9 – Episode 3

Watching Spooks Code 9  I noticed this week’s episode was like a tribute to my favourite films from my teenage days. The plot involved the team, who are starting to remind me of Scooby Doo’s mates, investigating a drugs ring selling faking radiation tablets. Somehow about one minute into the episode they somehow discovered the drugs were originating from a housing estate, conveniently located in Manchester, and that the leader of the gang is a mysterious Mr Zero.

The gang then sends Jez and Kylie in undercover to break up the ringand find Zero, and from the time they step foot on this dodgy housing estate until they leave, the episode is just bits stolen from various films. The housing estate itself is a bleak and shabby world run by criminals, very much like NY City in Escape to New York and The Warriors.  Jez and Kylie are seemingly unfazed by the bleakness of this estate and start their search for Zero, a name obviously stolen from When Harry Met Sally.

Those pesky kids in Unit 19, finally track down Zero and find his drugs manufacturing set-up which is run by a bunch of naked workers – this to is stolen from an early-90s film, but for the life of me I cannot remember which one.

After a bit of action  the world is safe again… more interesting though then the main story is the search that takes place in the background for the killer of Hannah. She left a video message for Charlie, who surmised from that to check her flat, and there he found a secret “geek” code, which he figures are some co-ordinates, that lead him to a tree, where hidden are some names of MI5 traitors… it all sounds pretty far fetched but trust me it is more believable then this weeks plot.

Despite all this, I still think Spooks Code 9 is a decent enough show to kill 45 minutes on a Sunday night when most people just want to rest thier brains….

<<<CATCH UP WITH SPOOKS CODE 9 ON BBC iPLAYER>>>

Faces: GEORGIA MOFFETT

Spooks Code 9 the new BBC Action/Drama is not getting the best reviews, but if viewers need a reason to watch, then look no further then the GORGEOUS Georgia Moffett!

Born in West London into a talented acting family, her mother is the American Actress Sandra Dickinson, and her father Peter Davidson was once Doctor Who.

Georgia began her television career at the tender age of fourteen when she appeared on Peak Practice. From there she went on to star in The Bill, Where the Heart Is and Bonkers and appeared on My Family. This year though she caught everybody’s eye when she appeared in Doctor Who, as the Doctor’s daughter. – Which of course she is, as her dad, was the fifth incarnation of the Doctor.

Now of course she has the attention of every lad in England, and some new Auburn hair to boot playing Kylie in Spooks Code 9, which hopefully will propel her to even greater heights, and hopefully we will be seeing a lot more of this British beauty on our televisions in the future!

Spooks Code 9 – pretty young spies

BBC3 is not known for cutting edge drama, nor is it known for making shows for the over 40’s, so when you tune in, you pretty much have a clue already what you are going to get.

So with this in mind I popped over to BBC3 Sunday night to check out the first two episodes of Spooks Code 9.  The show is supposed to be a spin-off of Spooks but other then the name it is nothing like Spooks. It is more like what Skins would have been like if the cast had gone to spy-school instead of sixth form college.

Set in the future in Manchester, the show works on the premise that London was blown to bits in 2012, and now MI-5 are recruiting pretty young people to protect our country. – Why? Simple, because ”terrorists are getting younger”.

OK not the greatest explanation, but once you get your head around that, and accept that it is a show made for the late teens to early 30’s demographic i.e it features lots of fast edits and a sickeningly attractive cast, then it is pretty good fun! Admittedly, some of the scripts could have been a bit more polished, and another take could have been shot here and there but this is BBC3, so I am sure the budget wasn’t the highest. Yet despite all that and what the critics are saying, I enjoyed the show, and will definitely tune in next week!

Catch-up with Spooks Code 9on the BBC iPlayer.