Based on how Rob approached the task of finding someone who might be dangerous in this story, he’d last about five minutes in the real intelligence services. He also can’t take on two men who aren’t expecting a fight, which as he’s the ‘physical’ one doesn’t bode well. But wet blanket of the week goes to Rachel (Ruta Gedmintas), who wears smug like she’s marketing a perfume called ‘superiority complex’. This seems to stem from being the character who always knows what the rules of engagement are in any given situation, and in addition to being a know-it-all, she’s the romantic love interest for at least two of the male spies. Yawn. My biggest disappointment of this episode is that we got relatively little of Kylie, played by the now red headed Georgia Moffett (previously the progeny of Doctor Who). But the trailer for the next one suggests she’s more evident in episode three. The whole premise of Code 9 was to do something different than Spooks, which the pilot show hinted at, and then in second outing they go straight back to a typical Spooks idea that wouldn’t make a best of series shortlist. What I really want to see is more going against the grain of the government they supposedly serve. One of the working titles of the series was Spooks Rogue, so let’s see them upset some people while defending what tiny chunks are left of our national identity. I think Code 9 needs to get its ducks in a line and then take them out with C4 plastic explosives, because a third of its run is now done, and they’re still trying to decide if they’re good or bad spies. If the characters exhibit and more doubt, I might get the same feeling about this series.
