Richard Armitage appears to be the only actor that's made me cry so far. Every time Lucas- John cries I do aswell. I bow to that man! Talented actor and good looking man
Sorry, Mr Armitage, but "Dum spiro spero" (5:21) means "While I breathe, I hope" and not as stated. The common equivalent is "while there's life there's hope", of course.
I downright hated this storyline that made no sense, in fact, I probably won't continue on watching Spooks at this point, the Lucas downfall storyline was just ridiculous. But Richard Armitage ran with the material he had and knocked it out of the park in making us all feel for Lucas's journey, so if anything, this storyline proved how amazing he is as an actor to even make the most illogical and terrible script look great!
I disagree. I somehow can relate in parts to his character - I had moments in my life when I felt Lucas in the russian prison - repenting for his previous crimes and trying to rebuild himself.... I think he fits a profile of someone who would sacrifice their life for the greater good.
I definitely wish that Lucas's story hadn't been like this, however him and Maya had about as much chemistry as a sponge, whatever logical story that made sense was derailed when the magic suitcase showed up and all of the sudden Lucas magically changed. This storyline managed to make everyone into idiots. Oh yeah it was emotional and I didn't see it coming because it was frustrating and made no sense from the logical standpoint. But anyways, kudos to Richard for acting it out.
Yeah, I know what you mean. Lucas was an amazing character, loyal, brave, heroic for like two series. He **could** also have been a great study in the impact of PTSD (especially in Season 7) and gone out in an awesome way. Instead they decide he was just a cheap, weaselly conman turned violent criminal who stole someone else's identity and was obsessed with his ex.
Thanks for this SMG - great to see the wrap up & the various actors takes on Lucas' demise. And yes I was one of those viewers that kept hoping that it wasn't really happening and that Lucas /John & Maya could be happy together.
Thank you so much for this video! It was really interesting to hear thoughts about Lucas from different people. Gosh, I want this video without subtitles...
@Calexora You're always welcome! I found these analysis (especially Richard Armitage himself explaining his own vision of Lucas's/John's journey in the series) extremely interesting and wanted to share.
@GizTheGunslinger I loved this too but noticed when Vaughn and Lucas/John were talking on the bench in the park that the subtitles had Lucas saying to Vaughn, "There's one thing you never accounted for." Vaughn replies, "What's that?" and the answer shown in the subtitles is "Punishment" when I believe what he actually says is "Passion" which makes far more sense when they have just been looking at the pictures of Lucas and Maya together.
I know they had to wrap up his storyline, but it was IMNSHO, almost a betrayal of this character who was already an enigma, already a damaged person from the 8 years he spent in Russia...I'm still furious as all hell that they basically turned him almost evil, especially in his treatment of Ruth. Listen to the speech he gave to Connie about betraying ones' country in season 7, and compare that to his actions in S9. A pathetic ending to one of the best characters the show has ever had.
With hindsight of Series 9, I interpret that speech to Connie as him trying to convince himself that he isn't John Bateman anymore, and like Richard Armitage said he believed he served time for Lucas North's death in Russian prison, and then when he had finally proven himself to Harry he gives off this speech and acts and wants to have the same values as the man he killed. However, little hints of it in Series 8, he says to Sarah Caufield "Take me with you" when he thinks she's about to shoot her.
oh thanks for this. It's lovely to see how Richard rationalised the demise of his character...........and yes........I also thought........'No this can't be happening!'
Yes, i thought the same thing too when he let Danielle die and i was quite horrified that he did that. All over Albany again, which again was all for naught. All of these lives dead because of a file that was really, quite meaningless.
Is that the reason when THIS Lucas North first arrived at MI-5 why he first asked Harry Pierce where was Tom Quinn? Pierce replied that Quinn took early retirement. Was Quinn the only one who could reveal that North was an imposter?
This character change was clearly written as a way for Richard to leave the show, but, a more likely plot would have been better received than this... such as a double agent for the Russians, perhaps?! Also, this season really darkened the feel of the show for me. I suppose it really was nearing its end when Ros exited the show, as she was a great escape with her "tough-cookie" sarcasm. Anyway, kudos to Mr. Armitage for his fantastic acting, given this drivel... & yes, i cried when he died. :(
I agree. He was an excellent character in Season 7 and 8, then all of a sudden it turns out he's really a small time conman turned drug pusher who murdered some spy and stole his identity because he wasn't man enough to stand by his girlfriend? A selfish, amoral, homicidal stalker basically. Even that's not entirely credible, since people like the original LN would have years of training. Learning Russian and knowing Martial Arts, anyone? No they could have given Lucas an epic and tragic departure, which stayed true to his previous characterization. Richard Armitage is such a great actor that he managed to deliver even on this nonense, as you say, but I jus thtink he deserved better.
The thing is there were interesting details in a couple of episodes which coudl have been followed up. One Episode ended with the Chinese Mafia who had a picture of Lucas, and saying they were returning for him. So what was it? A planned assasination? Why didn't they use that? They just dropped the storyline and there was no more on it.
Just finished watching S9... probably the quickest i've watched a series and probably my least favorite. This story line was complete crap & so out of character, no matter what the writers say. Lucas/John bombing a Brit Embassy? Why? L/J Suddenly SOOO in love with Maya? Where in the hell did she come from all of a sudden? Going from one moral stance to another so quickly?! There was no build up for this "transformation," & therefore, it felt unreal and ruined what was a top notch Spook.
Agreed. Lucas North turned out to be a sociopathic-con-man with homicidal tendencies who stole someone else's identity and had this weird obsession with his ex? Its a complete 180 from his previous characterization in Season 7 and 8. If they wanted to kill him off, they could have done so in a way that was more consistent with his previous characterization, and just given him some epic, heroic death diffusing a bomb or stopping an assassin and saving the whole team in the process or something. I understand they had new and inexperienced writers on Season 9, and I think they totally ignored Lucas previous characterization. Even the timeline doesn't make sense. He said he join M-15 in 1996, so what only 4 years before he went to prison? In that time he learned Russian, became Section Chief, married (and divorced) Elizavetha? They should have made it maybe 20 years or something, but 15? Nope. There were just so many inconsistencies and plot holes.
WOW Richard! Its not fair you know. You made me care about Lucus North... then he turns into a very hurt person who needs to be saved... but he isn't saved... Just know this- Yeah, people like that, events like that, Really Happen...
OMG YES! Thank God! so then what happens? and doesn't tom skew up in the final scene? ...sorry for asking but i kinda gotta know... also I was really sad when they killed Danny. i nearly died too. lol
We do it to annoy the 'foreigners'!! 😂🤣 Sorry, English sense of humour coming out, there! 😂 Why don't you order the dvd from Amazon UK...have it sent to you, wherever you are, or delivered to a friend in the UK, who can then forward it to you. THEN, you buy a cheap £20 dvd player from a UK store (Argos is good for cheap electronic stuff) and just use an adaptor on the plug... SIMPLES!!
i couldn't decide whether i hated or loved Lucas after that, and if i should mourn the characters death or be thankful he was gone. Richard was incredible couldn't stop watching his characters change, since he was unveiling John and the lies. I couldn't watch spooks after Lucas was gone. it all seemed dull after that. season 9 will always be the best to me.cant top that. he fooled the entire team and himself.
I’m late to the party but just finished Season 9. What a way to totally butcher a fantastic character of Lucas North the way they did. He appeared at the end of S6 back in Britain and showed no desire or any recollection of Maya but by S9 he’s prepared to commit career/life suicide for her. Absolute madness and I’m so sorry the great Richard Armitage had to work with that.
You need to buy the UK version and somehow get it converted.. there's LOADS of gorgeous Richard being Richard stuff..as on all the dvds of his TV work..I have devoted lockdown in London to re-watching EVERYTHING.. and after the excitement of 8 weeks of Vanya, just 2 minutes from my workplace, followed by the MASSIVE disappointment of the cancellation of the last 7 weeks..I had to console myself with SOMETHING!! 😂😍
Yes. He jumped off the building. Although Tim Firth gave an interview the following year, and said they originally planned a different ending. It reportedly involved a much more dramatic scene on the rooftop and its rumoured they planned to have Harry shoot Lucas. Firth said they changed it because they ran out of money.
Exactly! The whole Albany thing was ridiculous and it was SO top secret, only to not be?! Huh... Really sloppy writing if you ask me. There were better and greater moments in previous seasons and certainly better demises of characters (like Danny's for example). Lucas North could have been afforded a better one. This just really puts a damper on things for me... not sure if i even want to pick up series ten after this.
Albany was an ultimate deterrent for as long as the foreign powers thought it real, an equivalent of a nuclear bomb! Harry did not therefore leaked a blueprint for a weapon of mass destruction but an element of british defence...
WOW! I'm so out of the loop. I stopped watchin' this show after Tom left. then came that cute blonde guy but i think he died too. now ruth died at the end. what a dark show. it was awesome. :D
