I just finished the last episode of season 4 of SPOOKS (known as MI-5 to us folks in the USA) and it is still on target as one of the best shows I have watched. You get one major character death in episode 7 while the last ten minutes of the season finale are filled with a couple of twists where the last minute is as shocking as the final season in the series finale of BLAKE'S 7. MI-5 has to deal with threats from terrosists who come to this country and even from within the government itself. Two new characters are part of the show this year (with the second joining in the middle of season 4). The two new characters and Adam form the best trio since Quinn, Danny, and Zoe in the first two seasons.   Adam's wife, Fiona, even gets an episode focusing on her back story and linking it into the present storyline happening in that episode.  I do still miss Thomas Quinn, but i think the character of Adam is more fleshed out and interesting in season 4.   Concerns about going undercover is a thing that does pop up more than once in discussions between Adam and Fiona.  Adam goes undercover in a racist group in the United Kingdom in one episode and poses as a immigrant being shipped by truck from Turkey to try and turn a terrorist into a double agent in another episode.    As usual, not every ending is happy in the stories presented here.    The opening two parter does something unexpected by thrusting a regular person into the spy world (no, she doesn't join MI-5, but you might want to check out episode six).

The season finale would have been unremarkable if it wasn't for those last ten minutes. The episodes before it are breathtaking with the usual MI-5 type of stories. The two parter starts out the season with Adam's wife still dealing with Danny's death. I I wonder how they will deal with what happened in the last minute of season 4 when season 5 airs in 2006.   I wish they could bring back Thomas Quinn for an episode or two even though he's no longer a part of MI-5.   MI-5 aka SPOOKS taps into the current climate in the United Kingdom, the world, and even comments smartly on the United States from a British point of view.  Season 4 is gripping and as good as what came before.

this DVD Review is (c)12-11-2005 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission (except for excerpts and a link to the review). Look for additional content at http://www.livejournal.com/users/enterlinemedia and send all comments to lord_pragmagtic@hotmail.com