At the end of the day, I think this was a solid series, but it was a significant step down from Series 7. The biggest problem was the lack of a true team dynamic. Killing off Jo as early as they did really crippled the show, and I thought it was a mistake not to bring in a third officer.
Lucas and Ros are terrific characters, but the show became solely about them and them only. Some of Spooks best moments have come from the simple interactions and deliberations between characters, like during the Tom/Danny/Zoe days or the Adam seasons. The emptiness of the grid became glaringly noticeable and a tad bit unbelievable.
The Lucas and Sarah storyline was solidly written, but it was marred by a really mediocre performance by the actress who played Sarah. Their lack of true chemistry hurt the believability of the relationship between them. And since so much of the series was built upon their relationship, nearly everything else suffered. On the subject of Lucas, I thought he was marvelous in this series, and I think he will learn greatly from the mistakes he made. He needed to grow, and I think the Sarah conflict will catapult him to becoming a much stronger officer (and possibly Section Chief).
Ruth's return was great, though in some ways, I felt she was underutilized. Once again, this was a case of the team dynamic not being present. Ruth's best moments in the past were when she would clash with characters (like Tom and Ros) over viewpoints of particular issues. There really wasn't much of that this series, and I was surprised by how smooth her transition to working for Ros was. Then again, some of that credit goes to Ros maturing as a character.
Speaking of Ros, if this is the end for her, it's a sad farewell to a character who really blossomed as her time went on. She went from a backstabbing ice woman to a genuinely strong leader on the grid. Hermoine Norris's acting was absolutely impeccable during her time on the show, and her presence will be greatly missed. God bless the woman who has to replace her. Yikes.
Malcolm's departure and Tariq's introduction wasn't as effective of a transition as I was hoping for, but Tariq was immediately likable so that made things a bit easier. His rapport with Lucas was great, and I look forward to seeing him come into his own next series.
I thought it was interesting how much they scaled Harry back this year. In Series 7, it seemed like Harry took over as the new central focus (versus a field officer), but Series 8 seemed to be a return to Harry as pure overseer. Which, for me, is a good thing.
And lastly, the Nightingale storyline had a lot going for it, but I agree with others who have said the exposition was overly dense. I didn't feel the same sense of tension and mystery that came with the Sugarhorse plot from Series 7.
Overall, despite its faults, Series 8 was still very enjoyable. I mean, it is Spooks after all. It wasn't as strong as some series, but it sets up some really interesting developments for the future. *crossing fingers that there IS a future*
:heart:
