What did you think of The Honourable Woman?

[LauraPashley]

I can't decide! MG for me veered between really good and really annoying. Loved her clothes tho. Is she in a relationship with the nanny?

www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2014/jul/24/the-honourable-woman-recap-episode-four-the-ribbon-cutter

Old Man is Zahid al-Zahid head of Fatah

The £1.5m did get through to Palestinians, hence why soldier released. Nessa's ransom is same amount as she is considered an Israel soldier.

So Ephra's shame got him booted out of the business. Nessa wouldn't conscion the payments to terrorists. She took over, presumably with the backing of British SIS and Israelis who were so disgusted with Ephra.

Interesting that he doesn't know that Kassim is Nessa's, based on toothbrush debacle and his belief he could be his.

Can I please point out the toothbrush bollocks would NEVER HAVE WORKED! See previous posts.

I still don't understand why Israeli authorities are so angry about the payments and why Ephra did it in the first place?

Presumably the Israeli's take a hard line on negotiating like everything. I didn't follow all the prattle in the car about Sir C, between Janet and scary ass American based agent.

I found the flashback interesting because Ephra was SO arrogant, and Nessa so.... demure, almost?

Yes the toothbrush thing was just absurd. Even I, scientific ass, could spot that. "it is common just to find maternal DNA" whaaaaaaaaaaaaat???

The Israeli authorities are angry about it, because they never negotiate with terrorists and by making a payment, Efra set a precedent that is against Israel basically.
I now think the secret is that in order to secure Atika's release, Nessa firstly agreed that she would keep Kassim's parentage a secret and she agreed to do something to aid the 'baddies'.
In fact, offering them her heart, implies that she offered to do anything they.asked of her.

rogue apostrophe!

Israelis Israelis Israelis

I found the rape scene really harrowing too :( I was so pleased when Atika attacked burned-face-man.

The MI5 woman's conversation with Ephra was just brilliant . It was like the kind of "I wish I'd said..." scenarios that you run through in your head when an argument's gone badly and you've been lost for words or put down by someone. Perfect come back.

I thought Janet Mcwhatsit was resplendent. But somehow I just couldn't get behind the humiliation of Ephra. Him sobbing on his knees and begging was just awful. Equally I found him being an arrogant little prick really uncomfortable.

I don't think Ephra directly or deliberately made the payment to the Gaza terrorists; I think the high-ups in UK intelligence, and the bloke in America who then had to resign, used him/the company as a 'mule' for the money.

I don't know why I think this, though . Just got the impression that Ephra, rather than being a mastermind himself, had got himself in over his head and hadn't realised he was being used –I think his ego made him feel like the big man (as rooty says, he is very arrogant in these flashback scenes), but he didn't realise the scale of what he'd got involved in.

Janet McTeer was MAGNIFICENT. I want to be her when I grow up. 'I'm. Still. Talking.'

Gawd I love a good telly thread. Am going to rewatch later with DH, who was out last night, then come back with more of my banal observations searing insights

I am going to pay more attention to scary ass agent woman who is coming back from the US to whup all of their asses. She is terrifying and definitely pulling strings.

Gosh ... This episode was

I wonder if the secret is as well as promising to keep the baby (Kassim) and not let anyone know, Nessa agreed to give the telecommunications to contract to whoever they wanted it given to, hence in the 1st episode, she offers it to Kassim corporations.

When the palestinian businessman is killed, they then kidnap Kassim.

Is Attika really the one who throws the lantern at the burnt faced man? As he says to Nessa on the phone, you burnt my face.

It seems like Attika may be the burnt faced man's sister, and hence an aunt to Kassim, and part of the PLO. It seems like she has quite a close bond to Kassim and there is much more to her. Nessa seems very led by emotion (her 1st meeting with Atika is very emotional!) and may not have seen through her. And Ephra is too busy screwing her. What a mess!

OnlyLovers, I agree, he was used.

I didn't see anything about Attica bring related to burnt face man? When did I miss that?

Shine, I agree with your theories and hadn't thought of the contract being part of the 'secret'. It seems horribly feasible though.

I thought we saw Atika throwing the lantern at him?

I don't think she's his sister, but I do think she's in the PLO or at least has links to them. She certainly has a past –she knew people who could get Nessa into Gaza.

Couple of thoughts, which keep popping in my head during the day

Ephra, DH seems to think in one of the first episodes reference was made to him once being in the Israeli Special Forces? I cant remember but would open the possibility that he was in fact part of the money transfer rather than just trying to play with the big boys.

And, last night in the car Atika and Nessa were talking about family, Atika seemed quite mysterious about hers I first thought she may actually be their sister but she cant be because her and Ephra have been together, so I think there must be something there.

And I cant get my head around burnt guy, my impression was he didnt want to rape her, hence the tablets why else would they show that?, but she turned to him to lure Spyman into his death, so do they have some sort of contact/relationship.

I had other thoughts, but have forgotten so will be back......

I don't think she turned to him. He phoned her, on more than one occasion asking if the secret was safe and when she finally said no, he acted upon it. She was distraught,again, and went to Attica to tell her she'd done a bad thing.

Are we sure it's burned face man on the phone to Nessa? I had the thought that Kassim himself is the secret: 'is your secret safe?' -- though she answered yes in the call after his kidnap, so I'm probably wrong.

Am re watching and find early Nessa so irritating. Far too naive and credulous.

So Nessa was raped to order by burned faced man - hence him taking the pills and crying over photo of wife & daughter before he DTD.

Burned face man's Dad - let's call him Dialysis man ordered the murder of Nessa & ephra's dad and is getting more revenge by being the grandfather of Old Man Stein's grandchild (Kassim).

Dark haired jogging woman spy is pulling the most number of strings:

• Helping Janet MacAteer to top job at MI5
• Getting ephra (who she was shagging) to funnel the 1.5m to Gaza
• ordered the hit on the american spy in the cab last week.

Hoyle, (deputy spy chief) is not to be underestimated. I think he will help Nessa out, at some point.

Schlomo will turn out to be something conniving - plays the clown too much. Can't figure out if he is jewish or palestinian.

question: Still can't figure out where the hanged man comes in.

Now that the yanks are involved, I do think the laying of cable is more part of a spying operation.

still no idea what the "secret" is.

Also think ephra was told to step down as head of Stein - the "cauterizing" comment by dark haired jogging spy lady in the car to janet mac.

phew!

Ephra's position was certainly untenable from the Israelis' point of view, and the Brits - but I'm interested to see what nessa's reaction is when she gets home post birth - I imagine she goes absolutely postal and squashes Ephra.

I don't think anyone's mentioned Ephra's reference to sir Christopher helping them 'before' - and presumably Julia Walsh ('tell me everything') now knows.

Scary ass Monica is terrifying. She's determined to keep stein alive and not because she wants bloody peace in the ME

So...Nessa was going to award the second rollout of the broadband contract to the man who got hanged . Schlomo assumed it was his by right as Ephra had given him the first phase, during his tenure as head of Stein.

Someone , ? Schlomo bumps off the hanged Palestinian man and Dialysis man arranges the kidnap to Kassim as revenge or to put pressure on Nessa to keep her side of the deal. Attica is the ostensibly as Nessa's friend but may also have a role to play in keeping an eye on her and making sure she doesn't stray off message.

The American have a hand in it all , hence Monica bumping off the FBI lady before Stephen area could get to her and make her talk.

Stephen Rea is a wiley old fella and will suss this and surely he's got to involve his ex wife, otherwise what's the point in her being around.

Oh no I thought/think Schlomo is a good guy, being played by either Nessa or Ephra, I think one of them wants to destroy him for some reason. Although he plays the clown he cant be can he, highly successful etc... perhaps he knows more than hes letting on? (about what I dont know)

Errm remind me why was American Woman in Taxi Spy shot again? And yes flagpole mans death is meaningful in some reason but why?

Soz no I didnt think Nessa literally turned to burn face but did in an abliet way sort of thing, you would think she would hate him beyond hate, but is there going to be another twist here?

(why does Rachel stay with Ephra, hes not nice at all to her)

Ooooh its all so good.