Customer Reviews

MI-5, Volume 4

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The fourth series of MI-5 (Spooks) packs a slightly lesser punch than the previous three, but fascinating and entertaining nonetheless.

For my money, this series leaves stuff like 24 at the starting gate - it retains a good grip of the real world and does not treat other countries as either idiotic or as a fiefdom. The fact that the series is working through its' second team of actors is edge of the seat stuff and validates plotlines nicely.

The issues of state sponsored torture, big brother, personal privacy and civil rights are raised throughout, but never challenged to any great extent.

Well produced, slick and gives Mr Bond a run for his money.

Why, Why, Why does a US cable station not pick up this wonderful show. A&E showed the first 3 seasons but even them, it was when A&E decided and did not really care if anyone watched.

This show, espec. seasons 1 & 2 are miles ahead of anything else on US television today.

My recommendation, buy all 4 box sets, get tons of popcorn and spend your entire weekend watching a 10 out of 10 show.

This series captures the best of the thriller, English spy game with plots that reflect current global events. It is a roller coaster thrill ride with every new episode, and unlike American TV drama, they aren't afraid to put key characters in mortal danger. Highly recommended.

After three seasons of a series one always wonders if a formula becomes old.... not so with SPOOKS. The fourth series is definitely worthy of the other three, with some excellent new cast members and tension-filled episodes, that introduce terrorist plots to destabilize the country by different British and foreign cells (and not just Muslim fundamentalists). Moreover, throughout the season MI-5 gets increasing competition from other government agencies and is pressured to slowly infringe on the privacy of citizens. It makes the leading characters and the viewer wonder: when does the good guy become a bad guy, or is everything allowed in the war on terror?

Season 4 did not disappoint...

Like a lot of other fans, we first caught MI-5 on A&E and BBC America, but couldn't watch it consistently. DVD Boxsets are a God-send. My wife and I blazed through the first 3 seasons between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and just finished Series 4 a couple days ago. Thank goodness Series 5 will be out next week, because I don't think we could wait too long to see how the cliff-hanger gets resolved.

I'm a huge fan of the way the show tackles all the thorny issues that go hand-in-hand with fighting enemies, who have declared to the world that your destruction is their reason for being.

The themes that run through Series 4, are all too real -- Abuse of power, misuse of intelligence agencies for political purposes, controlling/manipulating the media, disillusioned officers, etc., etc., etc..

The episodes are written in a fast-paced manner, and the emotional impact of each crisis on the officers' humanity, as well as on the victims and conspirators is always obvious. This isn't a show where violence is gratuitously presented; it's always the honest, realistic result of the circumstances leading up to it.

There are moments where we are reminded that spooks are a breed-apart, and dispite the temptation to romanticize them, there's a great deal of pain (physcial and psychological) that goes with the territory. Spooks lie for a living, but they also have to be singularly brilliant to get the best of fanatics, psychopathic-killers, and homicidal-idealists, hell-bent on raining terror down on society.

MI-5 is a great show, and Series 4 did not disappoint.

It's too bad that A&E dumped the series to a one day extravaganza. One of the best shows of its genre, it deserves to be owned. Unforntunately it does appear next season will be picked up by A&E, so, fans stay alert for the DVD release.

This is one of the best tv series i've ever seen. if you like thrillers you'll love this show.

The energy of this series starts out strong and doesn't flag through the series ten episdoes. It's hard to compare to the first seasons, since hardly any of the cast is left. Is killing off or retiring characters due to burn-out becoming a crutch to create drama in the program? So far, it doesn't seem to have hurt.

I think they've picked up the pace of action in season four. In many of the climaxes they are fighting a ticking clock down to the final seconds. Episodes from earlier seasons seem to develop at a bit more leisurely pace, which is more realistic, but less riveting.

Whereas 24 has gone downhill over 6 seasons, MI-5 has improved. This may be the best espionage series on TV. If you liked previous seasons, there is no reason you shouldn't like season four.

While I found it hard to lose most of the original main characters from the first 3 years, season 4 still delivers a great series that is head and shoulders above 24 and anything else on U.S. television. Also, as of the date of this review I have discovered (much to my delight) that BBC America has picked up MI-5 and is showing it from the beginning. The bad news is, they seem to be putting in even more commercials than A&E did. However, that just makes viewing the DVD version that much more enjoyable.

It was quite good but I'm getting tired of all the main characters leaving or getting killed off. Is it really necessary?