As some of you are already probably aware, when I am covering a series which is an adaptation from a popular novel I tend to include slightly more detail than I would with my other previews. Therefore, if you are not familiar with the material, or haven’t read the press release issued, then please be aware that the following will contain some spoilers for the episode.
BBC drama appears to be showcasing new James Bond’s recently. In December there was Aidan Turner looking suave in a tux during And Then There Were None, and now we have Tom Hiddleston in what could be seen as a six-hour audition for the role. His Jonathan Pine, an ex-soldier who finds himself going undercover to smoke out a despicable arms dealer, isn’t a world away from Fleming’s Secret Service agent, although there are differences of course. Jonathan Pine is not a conventional espionage hero, he is flawed and in many ways unprepared for the task ahead. Roper’s world is very seductive, the glamour and influence that his illegal lifestyle affords him is a magnet for many who cross his path, and he knows how and when to use his charm too. Once Pine finds a way into the inner circle he may find it extremely hard to resist the allure of his intended target.
Apart from a brief opening video of Richard Roper which depicts him as anything but the “world’s worst man”, you won’t be seeing much of Hugh Laurie’s character in the opening two-thirds of the episode. Instead, we get to uncover the truth behind the mask he portrays to those who those who are unaware of his criminal life through the eyes of Pine as he is drawn into his world. Pine is an efficient, yet unremarkable night manager of a luxury hotel in Cairo in 2011. Amongst the chaos of the Arab Spring risings which is causing many tourists to flee the area there is one guest who catches his attention.
We then rejoin Pine four years later in Zermatt, an isolated part of Switzerland, where he has retreated after having managed to narrowly avoid becoming ensnared in the aftermath of the events in Cairo. The past isn’t quite ready to let go of him, however, as the new hotel he works at is one that Roper and his entourage use from time to time, and he is about to fly in for a business meeting with other gangster bigwigs. With the failures of the past still playing on his mind, Pine is determined that he will again pass on any intelligence that he can collect during Roper’s stay. Once he hands his findings over to Angela Burr (Olivia Colman) he discovers that the Secret Service need far more evidence than he has, and Burr has a plan on how to acquire it.
Episode One airs at 9pm on Sunday 21st February on BBC One and BBC One HD, below are a few dialogue teasers to see you through until then. Don’t forget to come back and vote in our poll after the episode and let us know what you thought.
“I saw things in Iraq that didn’t line up with my idea of what it means to be a soldier”
“This parcel came for them. Please give it to them when they arrive. Goodnight Mr Pine”
“My Safe Haven project for refugees, which we began in ’98, is the true expression of my belief in a commitment to the wider world”
“Bloody hell. There are enough toys here to start a war”
“I have received an offer, combine harvesters, sometime in the next six months. I’m looking for interested buyers”
“The Hamid family have invested over a billion dollars in Britain in the last five years. They’re having hotels built in London, Manchester. They fund political parties. ”
“What happened in Cairo shames me to the bottom of my soul. I know you can’t forgive the man who did that, the question is, what are you prepared to do about it?”
“Are you the night manager? You have a guest in the Hatshepsut Suite. She’s to leave the hotel immediately. Call me when she’s safe”
“Pretty isn’t she? Went to New York to buy a painting, came back with her”
“Roper told Freddie that the deal was off. Apparently, Roper had been warned”
“Get me all the files you can on Richard Roper. Defence, FCO, Bank of England, Treasury, HMRC. We’ll need the River files too”
“We have tear gas grenades going off in the street 50 yards west of here, and I have several guests extremely keen to leave”
