Spooks (series 5)

Spooks series 5
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. of episodes	10
Release
Original network	BBC One
Original release	17 September 2006 – 13 November 2006

The fifth series of the BBC espionage television series Spooks began broadcasting on 17 September 2006 before ending on 13 November 2006. The series consists of ten episodes.

Cast

Main

• Rupert Penry-Jones as Adam Carter
• Hermione Norris as Ros Myers
• Raza Jaffrey as Zafar Younis
• Miranda Raison as Jo Portman
• Hugh Simon as Malcolm Wynn-Jones
• Rory MacGregor as Colin Wells (episode 1)
• with Nicola Walker as Ruth Evershed (episode 1-5)
• and Peter Firth as Harry Pearce

Guests

• Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Jenny
• James Dicker as Wes Carter
• Anna Chancellor as Juliet Shaw
• Robert Glenister as Nicholas Blake (Spooks) (episodes 1 & 2)
• Lindsay Duncan as Angela Wells
• Ofo Uhiara as Michael Johnson
• Tim McInnerny as Oliver Mace
• Phyllis Logan as Diana Jewell

Episodes

No. overall	No. in series	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	UK viewers (millions) [1]
37	1	"Gas and Oil (Part 1)"	Omar Madha	Ben Richards	17 September 2006 (BBC One)	6.31
After the shooting, Angela jumps off the roof and kills herself. While Adam recovers, a gas and oil depot is attacked, followed by assassinations of some parliament members. At first, MI5 suspect Al-Qaeda, but they discover that a group of influential businessmen, politicians and members of MI6 led by Jocelyn Myers are responsible, in an attempt to take control of Britain. Jo is tasked with protecting the Prime Minister's son. Colin is also murdered by the conspirators. Meanwhile, they plan another attack; take over air traffic control and attempt to cause an mid-air collision over the heart of London. Jocelyn's daughter, Ros Myers warns Juliet, Adam and Harry that their cars are rigged with bombs.
38	2	"Gas and Oil (Part 2)"	Omar Madha	Ben Richards	17 September 2006 (BBC Three)[n 1]	5.75
While Zaf is able to prevent the collision, the car bombs leave Juliet paralysed from the waist down. The conspirators manage to coax the PM to give in to their plan, including detaining citizens without trial, and to have armed police officers shoot people attending a protest to oppose their new plans. Harry is arrested and sent to a detention facility by the new rules, in order to prevent him from stopping them. However, the rest of the team are able to convince Ros that her father is the ringleader, and they force him to surrender. They are informed of Harry's location, and Zaf manages to stop Collingwood from setting fire to the entire detention centre, by activating the sprinkler system beforehand. Adam offers Ros a position on the Grid.
39	3	"The Cell"	Julian Simpson	Ben Richards	18 September 2006 (BBC Three)	6.12
Zaf goes undercover to infiltrate an Al-Qaeda cell, who are preparing to attack London with a thermobaric weapon. Ros also tasks Zaf to try to turn one of the members, who broke up with his girlfriend after converting to Islam. By the time the weapon arrives in England, he is able to commandeer the weapon, but Adam discovers that someone is planning to detonate the bomb remotely; armed units are able to take him down. Meanwhile, Harry and Ruth start a brief affair, which Ruth ends after learning everyone knows about it.
40	4	"World Trade"	Kenny Glenaan	David Farr	25 September 2006 (BBC Three)	5.79
Section D is tasked to ensure a successful "Addressing Africa" summit for the British Foreign Secretary. Adam and the team soon uncover a plot to assassinate an attending African president. After they successfully capture the would-be female assassin, Adam and the team find evidence that after the summit, the president will buy weapons of mass destruction to commit a genocide against his own poverty-stricken people. Adam advises the assassin to escape, allowing her to successfully assassinate the president. Despite Adam disarming her, the Foreign Secretary orders a member of his security to kill her. When the Foreign Secretary later threatens Harry's job, the team's embarrassing audio of his closed door comments from the summit convinces him to back off.
41	5	"The Message"	Kenny Glenaan	Zinnie Harris	2 October 2006 (BBC Three)	5.89
Ruth witnesses the Head of Security for Cotterdam prison commit suicide in an Underground station; the prison went through a fire, which killed seven terrorist suspects. Ros, not yet comfortable within the team, is duped into helping frame Ruth for the guard's death (she later helps Ruth find the truth). Harry takes the rap for Ruth, but not wanting that to happen, Ruth is able to incriminate herself and works with the team to have Harry released, and fake her own death. It is eventually revealed that Oliver Mace faked the terrorists' deaths, and sent them to Egypt to be tortured. The team use the evidence for Mace to resign. Harry says goodbye to Ruth, who then leaves the country.
42	6	"Hostage Takers (Part 1)"	Andy Hay	Raymond Khoury	9 October 2006 (BBC Three)	6.05
After a group of terrorists smuggle themselves into England, MI5 know a series of suicide attacks will happen during talks for the government to sell nuclear power to Saudi Arabia. During the operation to stop the attacks, Ros goes undercover to join the Saudi Arabian royal family. Meanwhile, Adam starts an affair with Wes' babysitter after she wakes him from a nightmare about losing Wes. One of the new members of Section D is a mole to the terrorists, who are using the suicide bombers as a distraction. Zaf and Adam stop a suicide bomber, only to find the "bomb" is just putty. At the same time, gunmen attack the Saudi Trade Centre, and tie up the hostages, including Ros who is present.
43	7	"Hostage Takers (Part 2)"	Andy Hay	Raymond Khoury	16 October 2006 (BBC Three)	5.53
The gunmen demand the release of al Qaeda prisoners, or they'd execute a hostage every hour. They also uncover the mole, who, when caught, commits suicide to not divulge any information. Eventually, MI5 discover that the hostage situation is not al Qaeda's style. It is revealed that the hostage takers are in fact Mossad agents, who are trying to stop the nuclear deal. After Ros provides some needed intel, SAS is able to storm the Trade Center and kill all but one of the gunmen; Adam subdues the leader, where he is handed to the Americans.
44	8	"Agenda"	Julian Simpson	Julian Simpson	23 October 2006 (BBC Three)	5.97
Two fundamentalist Islamic clerics are murdered by the "Sons of Phinehas", a radical Christian group led by Steven Paynton. Adam goes undercover as a prospective investor to uncover the identities of his "soldiers". Wes runs away due to his father not being with him. This causes Adam to go into a panic attack. Furthermore, the Mossad have interests in Paynton's operation and has sent a kill squad. After they kill Paynton, Harry talks the Mossad leader to back down before the squad corners Adam. Wes is found by the end of the episode.
45	9	"The Criminal"	Julian Holmes	Neil Cross	30 October 2006 (BBC Three)	5.80
MI5 are assigned to protect Niko Grecic, a Serbian war criminal who is testifying against his former commander at the Hague, whom they believe is targeted by Richard Dempsey, a former MI6 officer who apparently defected to Serbia and betrayed his old friend, Adam. Dempsey contacts Adam and wants his help clearing his name, while Harry orders Jo and Zaf to kill him. Adam and Dempsey are able to prove that Dempsey has no intention to kill Grecic. However, six months later in Rio de Janeiro, he does in fact do so.
46	10	"Aftermath"	Julian Holmes	David Farr	13 November 2006 (BBC One)	6.47
When a North Sea tidal surge threatens to flood London, an eco-terror group, Divine Earth take control of the Thames Barrier, rig it with explosives and threaten to blow it unless the government publishes a report, "Aftermath", which states that the government will build an economic and military strength so that Britain and America can control the remaining resources from global warming. Meanwhile, Harry learns that Adam is growing suicidal, and has gone into a complete breakdown during the operation. To prevent the group from destroying the barrier, MI5 must flood a section of the barrier to counter the threat. However, Adam and Ros are in those sections. After stopping Divine Earth, the two narrowly escape drowning.

Notes

1. "Gas and Oil (Part 2)" was broadcast on 18 September 2006 on BBC One; the rest of the series (apart from the finale) would usually rebroadcast on BBC One seven days after the BBC Three broadcast.

References

1. "Weekly Top 30 Programmes (See weeks ending Sep 17 to 19 Nov 2005)". BARB.co.uk. Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Retrieved 19 February 2011.

External links

• List of Spooks episodes at the Internet Movie Database
• List of Spooks season 5 episodes at TV.com