London Spy starts on BBC Two - Monday 9 November - 9pm

[sadwidow28]

A new 5-part thriller is starting on BBC 2, 9th November at 9pm

A romance between an MI6 code genius and an ordinary man promises happiness. But tragedy strikes when the spy dies in suspicious circumstances, forcing his lover to pursue the truth behind his death.

Have a look at the trailers and write-ups and see if you fancy watching it and joining in this MN thread.

''You might be the most innocent person I know'' - This is a clip from episode 1: On a walk by the sea, Danny flirtatiously questions whether Alex did background checks on him before going on their date.

I thought I saw pants in one of the sex scenes....I shall have to talk dh into watching it so I can "review"

I was chatting with a chum on fb so wasn't giving the scenes with clothed people whole thing my full attention so....my main query is was it Scottie/Jim Broadbent who stopped the police interview?

...I was half watching then, and someone came in, said something dramatic then Scottie and Danny were both in the cab.

oh and is there any significance in the windows across the courtyard....I thought he was idly watching them early on and then they were closed/blinds firmly down later on

It was a posh lawyer of some sort who stopped the interview, and I think then Scottie was waiting for Danny outside? I can't recall if it was explicitly stated but I think the implication was Scottie had heard what was happening and arranged for the lawyer to go over and call a halt to it all.

After the 'burglary' of the flat Danny went into the courtyard and was looking around where he pointedly noticed a large pile of cigarette butts outside the windows of that ground floor flat with the blinds firmly down. He went to knock on the window - perhaps to ask about those or if they'd seen anything? Then stopped himself. I'm guessing the cigarettes might be linked to the person/people in the white van we saw parked outside Alex's flat possibly watching them earlier - where smoke was being blown out of the van window? So someone may have been hanging around down there smoking and watching what was going on in Danny's flat.

It was a lawyer, who looked expensive and confident and (and I know this is stereotyping) sounded/looked camp and possibly gay.

I inferred from this that it was Scottie's lawyer and he'd sent him in to rescue Danny.

I didn't notice the pants. Hey ho, will have to watch again. Relatedly, did Ben tone up a bit for this role? I saw him on stage recently (admittedly in clothes) and he had more of a belly and looked generally softer.

I don't know about the blinds across the courtyard but yes, it looked significant to me too; in the later scene I got the impression that whoever lived there had moved out/been ousted and someone else had come in. I may be misremembering, but I thought that flat looked less lived-in later on and more empty.

x-post.

I didn't notice Danny noticing the cigarette butts or going to knock on the window. Must watch harder.

TBH I spent most of it musing on just how attractive Ben is and his beautiful eyes.

I also enjoyed. Beautifully shot, great build up, gorgeous men and my favourite song if all time. Looking forward to next week's episode.

ooh yes...the smoking van! And the fag ends. And totally did not tie any of that up with the burglary !

I think I may be too old for involved plot lines!

Thanks mushy and lovers

My other grievance was about the bridge....I couldn't quite get my bearings, but felt he was on the wrong side of the river for gazing up at the building. And the steps too...they seemed to be the wrong way around?

it takes me a day or so in London to get my bearings when I am there so I may be mistaken

however it's one of my pet hates when you recognise a scene, say for instance they are running along the South Bank and then suddenly seconds later they are BURSTING into the British museum....yeah, right, not without an Oyster card mateys.

I forgot about the smoking van!

I'm going to have to rewatch in hawk mode.

I'm at work about 300m away, shall I pop up and check the locations

Yes, ta, Badger .

It was niggling at me too. I don't know that part of town very well (in fact, WHERE exactly was it? Pimlico/Vauxhall way? Or further east?), so can't help.

Apparently it was Vauxhall as there was a bit of online harumphing as to how a warehouse worker could afford to live there.

So the building is on the north side of the river... I can't remember how it looked when he was looking up at it, or whether he was meant to be on the same side of the river as it.

He lives in a pretty crowded and cruddy flat, I think. Not THAT unbelievable. Someone on here suggests that Scottie helps him with the rent, too, which is possible.

Mi6 building is on the south side at Vauxhall Bridge

Did anyone else think Scottie was his dad at first?

Oh, is it? That's how much I know.

ooh badger that would be lovely. Don't feel you have to sit on the steps in the rain though, that's above and beyond the call of duty!

Mi5 are north side but not directly opposite

OK, just checked. Definitely black pants on Alex in the sex scene.

what a noble thing to do onlylovers

Yeah, thought I'd take one for the team.

Actually, I don't like sex scenes that much (don't know where to look ). The lead-up to this one is very touching though. Whishaw just radiates vulnerability.

I'm faintly dreading later episodes where (presumably) he's going to go through the emotional wringer; he's so good he'll have me breaking down alongside him.

He always looks as though he's one heavy cold away from being admitted to a TB ward. Not sure he'll stand up to the rigours of evil spy dodging.

I love that look, squoosh. Pale and consumptive.

You shoulda seen him in Bakkhai this summer, though. Sometimes camp but rampantly sexual. V different to the usual dying-swan vibe.

I am a bit like that too for sex scenes...hence being the one who spots underwear, or the bus load of people outside the window, or the cameraman in the mirror reflection.

I'm not really a fan of the consumptive. Sexually speaking. I'm sure they make lovely company.

I prefer the Victorian 'tanned illiterate farm hand who can carry an ox on one shoulder'.

Ben is a special kind of consumptive.

Zebra exactly - if I saw that hard drive/whatnot after I'd dropped the phone, I'd think:

'oops, I've broken the phone - mine doesn't have that bit'

and not:

'hmm... someone must be hiding a harddrive or whatnot, I'd better go and look for a hidden laptop and open the battery compartment and then hey! swallow what I've found because the police who are arriving at any minute are bound to be looking for it too'

Totally agree that for his ability to get up and out at 5am to track down Alex was quite out of xter too... so yup, I'm with you. All very interesting