Some posts are more difficult to put together than others depending on the gifs/pics that I use. for this question though I wanted to focus on a post that was difficult to write for emotional reasons. after sifting back through blog titles to remind myself of the different things I’ve written about, “Welcome Home” jumped out at me as being particularly difficult to write.
In this post I was focusing on Spooks characters Lucas North and Adam Carter in episode 1 of season 7. I tried to elaborate upon the theme that Adam understood what Lucas was going through, from personal experience. he knew what it was like to be held prisoner (though the time span differed greatly) and he could appreciate the struggles that Lucas was experiencing as he tried to reinsert himself into not only the seemingly simple role as citizen but also his previous life in MI-5.
I get emotional about Lucas during the best of times
heartstrings
but this aspect of his story garners the most empathy from me. I mentioned the “Welcome Home” greeting that military veterans sometimes use with one another upon meeting. I’ve seen my father give this greeting and it chokes me up because I think about how difficult it must have been for the Vietnam Vets to serve their country (sometimes against their will) and then be greeted with hostility and contempt upon arriving home. and so I always relate that to Lucas: how very much he sacrificed for his country, with no recognition, how he was handled with kid gloves and essentially assigned a babysitter.
Adam’s initial handshake upon meeting Lucas for the first time, runs deeper for me than just a simple welcome. so it was hard to find the right balance to convey the depth of what I wanted to say without getting too weighed down in politics or emotions.
When I read the announcement that Richard had been cast in Hannibal I cringed. I immediately wondered if the show was worth catching up on before his episodes will air, but I decided against it. I’m curious to see what he does with the character but the show itself is not something I could watch long term.
battling nightmares is time consuming!
This brought to mind the videos that fans make of only Richard’s scenes, in any given project. I enjoy these videos and find them very convenient but sometimes they make it easy to forget about the rest of the story.
Richard is an ensemble player and so it’s essential to see who he’s playing off of and the atmosphere they are existing in, to get a well-rounded view of the character he’s portraying.
I’m not suggesting anything
While I didn’t really need to watch the six preceding seasons of Spooks to understand Lucas, I did benefit from watching them. They introduced me to Adam and showed me his influence on the team, his personal connections to both Ros and Jo, and how bits of his personal history made him open to accepting Lucas so easily.
it takes a certain kind of person to not react to greasy fingers
Viewing all six seasons also gave me insight into the political climate of the show, the red tape they often had to work around, and the constant game-within-a-game aspect of it all. So the second time I watched seasons 7-9, after catching up on 1-6, I had a better understanding of it all. The things that Lucas did made more sense to me within the overall framework of the show, instead of just how they fit into a study of Lucas North. It also helped me to look beyond Richard, to take off those rosy glasses and let myself get mad at Lucas for most of season 8.
kick Sarah to the curb, I beg you!
The whys of season 9 were much louder coming from my mouth the second time around too because I knew Harry better, I knew Ruth better, I remembered Tom Quinn. I think viewing the whole picture is especially important in the smaller productions Richard has been a part of. Those stories don’t revolve around him, so I need to understand how much or how little his character is influencing the sequence of events. Most of the time I generally feel the same about things, regardless of whether I view it in whole or in pieces, but I feel it on a deeper level when looking at the whole story. It makes more sense to me because I can see how it all fits together instead of just relying on gut-instinct.
this instinct is lower than the gut…
For example: my opinions of Paul and Alona from Between the Sheets didn’t change after I was able to watch more than just Paul’s scenes but I did understand better the world that Alona operated in. The way her shortcomings clashed with Paul’s became more apparent to me, and why they were together in the first place made more sense.
this is the guy who left his socks on. yeah, I get it now.
My gut-instincts and my empathy are the core of how I form impressions of people/situations, sometimes without anything concrete to base it on. I’ve learned to trust those instincts but not understanding why I feel the way that I do can end up closing me off to the multiple dimensions of something, leaving me with only a stale first layer.
move, Richard! I can’t see the rest of the room
This is why Richard’s particular brand of acting is so enticing to me. His eyes, his voice inflections, and his body language are all separate layers that work both with and independently of the dialogue and action. It’s a real thrill for me to see that, to feel it and understand it. To work my way through and around those layers. it affords me the chance to participate, to engage, instead of being led to how I should feel like an outdated laugh-track.
Dude, you weren’t supposed to laugh there!
So, I guess this means I should savor my sleep while I can, doesn’t it? because I’ll eventually want to get the full effect of the Hannibal world. No need to rush it though…
When asked in the 30 day challenge what my favorite bromance was, I picked John Porter and Gerry from Strike Back. My initial reaction to that question was to pick Lucas North and Adam Carter from MI-5 but since their bromance only lasted a short while, I passed them over for one that seemed more substantial. Today I’m going to give Lucas and Adam their due.
“the only one for me is you, and you for me, so happy together”
Lucas and Adam meet for the first time when Harry is signing Lucas in to MI-5 headquarters. Lucas had just been released from Russian custody; he was captured 8 years ago while on assignment and has been withering away in prison ever since.
I hope there’s vinegar on that or I’ll be sorely disappointed
Lucas is enjoying his requested meal of fish & chips, when he’s hastily introduced to Adam. Lucas wipes his greasy fingers onto his well-worn sweater in order to give Adam a proper handshake.
Adam welcomes Lucas,
Lucas shares his meal,
and the bromance is born!
It may seem trite for Adam to say “welcome home” to Lucas, after all that he’s been through, but it’s a phrase that holds a heavy meaning. My Dad, a Vietnam veteran, says something similar to other Vets upon meeting them for the first time, “welcome home, brother.” It’s purpose is to give each and every Vietnam veteran the welcome home that they never received at the time of their own homecoming, unlike the war heroes of past wars who had whole parades in their honor.
I think Adam was expressing a similar kind of sentiment. Lucas deserved a heroes welcome, instead of being jostled around under cover of darkness; Adam understood that, like he did with so much concerning Lucas.
When Lucas and his debriefing get put on hold for a crisis involving a soldier’s kidnapping by terrorists, Lucas desperately wants to help. “I know how it feels, alright?” he tells Adam, “I know what it’s like for him, so…let me help.”
Harry thinks it’s a bad idea to go against protocol but Adam wins him over. Adam understands that Lucas needs an anchor, he needs to feel useful in order to find his place again.
“Where do I go, Harry, and what am I supposed to do when I get there? Just tell me and I’ll go and I’ll do it.”
When the terrorist contact had been tracked down, Adam and Lucas sneak into his house and retrieve valuable information from his mobile telephone. They work really well together as a team. Lucas seems a bit rusty, out of his element in regards to technology and whatnot but Adam gives him the opportunity to adapt and balance himself out.
“sneak? very nice friend, oh yes my precious, very nice…”
As the operation progresses, the location of the kidnapped soldier is finally discovered. Adam and Lucas rush to the scene, knowing they have very little time left to get the soldier out alive. Adam knows the house will be rigged with traps, preventing them from entering successfully. Lucas, knowing the young terrorists have had dealings with Russians in the past, calls them and speaks with a Russian accent; convincing them to move the hostage to a different location. “don’t think, just do!”
okay there Yoda, whatever you say
The mood surrounding Lucas changed considerably during this scene. The sense of accomplishment at having come up with a useful idea at such a pivotal time, and actually have it work, is priceless!
As is the impressive heel-of-the-hand-to-the-face move
that Lucas executes so gracefully!
that moment when I knew I loved him
With the soldier now safe, Lucas and Adam rush off to the Remembrance Day ceremony that has proven to be the bigger threat. A massive bomb was found in a car just outside the memorial service. While Adam deals with the bomb, Lucas hunts down the code that can disarm it. Lucas tackles the targeted woman and all out wrestles with her, but all to no avail; she poisons herself before any information can be wrangled out of her.
Heinz does it better!
And then, well,
you know what happens next.
sad pandas, all of us
Even though Adam and Lucas were only in one episode together, they truly are my favorite bromance. Harry and the higher-ups may have orchestrated the release of Lucas and returned him home, but it was Adam who gave him his life back.
Nowhere in Particular RA 