#spooks bbc

[piraticaltwit]

lucas north + every episode, 8.02

[onetrueluv]

dipping my toe back into the Spooks fandom after 6 years away…anybody still here?

[pebblysand]

[THE BEST OF THE BEST] - [MULTIFANDOM FIC REC LIST]

if you’re in need of something to read, welcome to the crème-de-la-crème rec list. this rec list is multi-fandom, and contains all of my all-time faves, the ogs that will always stay the closest to my heart. i will keep it linked and accessible and try to update it... whenever. for a more up-to-date version, please see my ao3 bookmarks here.

.

BEST OF 2021 SUMMER 2022

BOY WITH A SCAR by @ink-splotch (SERIES) (MULTIPLE POVS) (AU) (<250K)

“This Ginny had never met a diary. But she had still died once, though in a flaming home and not a cold, damp castle basement. She had still been reborn into something her mother would always love and never fully understand.” this series by the same author explores canon through unbelievably well-written what-if AUs. i haven’t read all of them because they tend to give me a lot of feels and live in my head for days after that, so I’m taking my time. this being said, one of the ones i have read is the kids who choose themselves and i couldn’t recommend it enough. it might tear you up, though, consider yourself warned.

THE CHANGELING by @annerbhp (POV GINNY WEASLEY) (AU) (<200K)

if you gravitate anywhere close to hinny circles, chances are, you've already heard of this fic. i'm not quite sure what to add to what literally everyone else has said before me, aside from the fact that it is absolutely amazing and 100% deserves the hype. it honestly took me ages to get to because i initially couldn’t get behind the idea of ginny being sorted into slytherin and what a mistake! as soon as i started, i could not put this down. i think what i absolutely love with this fic, above the fact that the writing style is gorgeous, is the characterisation. particularly, the work put into developing ginny's character, and the way growing up in slytherin affects her. it really makes you question nature v. nurture. and, i think a lot of what-if-so-and-so-was-in-another-house fics tend to irk me because they tend to gloss over how that house and the friendships developed (v. those of canon) would affect the characters. this fic is definitely the opposite. it dives in to characterisation, and makes you think about people in ways you probably never have before. nothing is really ever black and white, and the character work is stellar. the following works in the series are great as well, but this is really the one that got me hooked. this instalment is generally gen but the ultimate endgame of the series is harry/ginny.

WE MUST UNITE INSIDE OUR WALLS OR WE WILL CRUMBLE WITHIN by @ink-splotch (SERIES) (MULTIPLE POVS) (CANON-COMPLIANT) (<50K)

"Annie, eleven, watched her mother come to the decision that Bella was someone you pointed at people." this series is one of the most beautiful things i've ever read. it's a collection of character studies themed around the four hogwarts houses. the writing style is very unusual and so poetic and beautiful. i'm an absolute stan.

THE SEAM BETWEEN by @copper-dust (POV HARRY POTTER) (CANON COMPLIANT) (<50K)

i fell in love with this story before making friends with the author, i swear. in fact, that's how we met haha. this is honestly one of the most beautiful things i have ever read. it's one of those beautifully nostalgic stories in which everything and nothing happens, and is my absolute ultimate headcanon for what happened during the summer of '95. it's beautiful, the style is flawless - go read it! i fell in love with this story before making friends with the author, i swear. in fact, that's how we met haha. this is honestly one of the most beautiful things i have ever read. it's one of those beautifully nostalgic stories in which everything and nothing happens, and is my absolute ultimate headcanon for what happened during the summer of '95. it's beautiful, the style is flawless - go read it!

WARM FRONT by @jiilys (POV HARRY POTTER) (CANON COMPLIANT) (<10K)

this is kind of fluff-with-a-plot post war fic that I adore. if you’re looking for a funny, well-written, feel-good and realistic fic to read, i would highly recommend this. additionally, it's another one of those fics where harry goes away/travelling directly after the war, which is a trope i definitely have a weakness for. the dialogue in this is impeccable and i love the presence of teddy and andromeda as well.

MAPS TO THE STARS' HOME by lizbee (POV HARRY POTTER) (AU) (<10K)

out of all the fics on this list, this is probably in the top 3. it's another (i know, i know) one of those harry-fucks-off-after-the-war but it's just - the most beautiful thing in the world. the writing is so utterly brilliant and perfect. it’s poetic, realistic, funny, sad, and is incredibly canon-compliant considering it was written before book seven came out. plus, the non-linear timeline is just So Well Done. i'm speechless every time i read it. it’s everything i wish i could write if i was better at writing. the way it intermingles the muggle and wizarding worlds as well is incredible. honestly can’t recommend it enough.

WE ONLY MAKE TSUNAMIS by dis0rderly (POV OMNISCIENT) (CANON COMPLIANT) (<25K)

this is probably one of the best fics I have ever read, period. to me, it's the harry/hermione classic, in a its-romantic-because-it-never-happened kind of way. the writing is gorgeous. it is about fate, expectations and things that don’t happen (and sometimes, that’s okay). it will break your heart. it's honestly haunting. (and the title is fucking perfect).

‘TIL THE SIRENS COME CALLING by vexmybones (POV OMNISCIENT) (AU) (<25K)

same as the above. on my top ten favourite fics of all time, similar themes. will rip your heart out with a sense of the way that life happens. also, good smut.

DECAY OF YOUR GOLDEN CITY by soapboxblues (POV HERMIONE GRANGER) (CANON-COMPLIANT) (<3K)

this one is also incredibly sad, but beautifully written. it is a very dark take on post-war, with harry slowly slipping into alcoholism. it’s very subtle, very delicate, and one big heartbreak. tagged harmony, though honestly you could read it as gen. some of the lines in this are just heartwrenching and absolutely gorgeous. Hermione here is talking about her and Harry, romantically: "there was a time a time she thought about it. two, actually. (…) now she thinks about it all the time - wondering what she was thinking” it’s the slow and painful breakdown of the trio in this that gets me too in this. very dark but gorge.

IS THAT SUCH A STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION? by aceofdiamonds (HP/GOSSIP GIRL CROSSOVER) (BLAIR/HARRY) (POV SPLIT) (CANON COMPLIANT) (<100K)

so, look: have i ever watched gossip girl? nope. did i solely jump on this bandwagon because i stan the author? sure. is it fucking amazing? absolutely. this is so, so beautiful. it’s the harry-dating-a muggle-trope done so, bloody, fucking well. it’s poetic, heart-warming, realistic, incredibly well-written and i absolutely loved it. you can 100% read this if you haven’t watched gossip girl before, trust me it's brilliant. it also broadens the wizarding world, normalises muggle/wizard relationships and opens up so many doors - i so, so, love this.

THIRTY-FIVE OWLS by letterblade (GRINDELWALD/DUMBLEDORE) (POV SPLIT) (CANON COMPLIANT) (&lt;10K)

i named this as my favourite fic of 2022, which is a bit unlikely given that this is not a pairing i typically read, but i could not put this down. this fic is an exchange of letters between grindelwald and dumbledore that spreads over years, after grindelwald's arrest. the character's voices in this are incredible, the characterisation is on point -- i could not recommend this enough.

i'm placing these in a separate category because i know some people don't like WIPs, but in this house, we do, so here are a few recs for you.

THE SQUIB by @btelling (GEN) (POV MULTIPLE) (AU) (<25K)

this fic is also one of the best things i've ever read in my life. it lives in my head rent-free and is absolutely insanely brilliant. nargles' ability to say so much in such a small amount of words is absolutely unmatched. the basic pitch is: following the end of the second wizarding war, muggles found out about the existence of wizards and, seeking revenge for the hurt they suffered as a result of voldemort’s reign, they started to hunt wizards down. the fic takes place in this post-apocalyptic/dystopian post-DH world and centers on hermione, harry and ginny as they try to survive. the writing is absolutely stellar. it’s slightly harry/ginny and ron/hermione (as well as seamus/dean, whoop, whoop - funnily enough, it's partly what motivated to write the fault) but romance is not the main focus. it contains absolutely beautifully heartbreaking quotes like this:  Harry threw up and picked at the scar on his forehead until it bled. Like it’d ache again, and they’d have problems they knew how to solve. if you enjoy this fic would like to listen to nargles talk about her work, you can head over here!

THE WANDSMITH'S APPRENTICE by @marycontraire (SEAMUS/DEAN) (POV DEAN THOMAS) (CANON COMPLIANT) (<50K)

this fic was in my summer 2022 wrapped but i could not fail to include it in the massive rec list as well. it’s a post-war story (and, we all know i love post-war) told from dean’s pov. the premise of this story is that dean takes on an apprenticeship with ollivander and, i suppose, life ensues. i cannot stress enough how much i truly adore this work. first of all, the writing is stellar. i totally fell in love with dean’s characterisation in this, which is so on point - i love the world the author has built around his family, his sisters, his parents (his mum!), their lives, ect. so many OCs that feel real. the fic also really explores what life looks like for muggleborns, existing with a foot in both worlds, especially after the war, and the impact magic can have (positively or negatively on muggles' lives). the worldbuilding around wandmaking is also frankly mindblowing and the amount of detail marycontraire has put into the creating and crafting of wands, as well as ollivander, his mind, his work, his shop, etc. is truly next level. the deamus is also the loveliest. i love seamus in this. i was in absolute awe. 

KNOWING WHERE TO LOOK by @ala-baguette (GEN) (POV GAWAIN ROBARDS) (CANON COMPLIANT) (<250K)

i like to think of knowing as castles' sister from another mister. it is a post-war, canon-compliant, adult continuation of the books, and literally everything i've ever wanted and loved in a post-war fic. the outsider's pov is absolutely incredible, the worldbuilding and wizarding politics are stellar, as well as the characterisation. the fic is regularly updated and honestly, every time i get an email notifying me, i get the brightest smile all day. also, @ala-baguette is one of the nicest people i've met in fandom, and interviewing her on the podcast was an absolute joy. if you fancy a listen, it's here.

.

UNDEFINED by orbythesea (GEORGETOWN) (POV ALICIA FLORRICK) (WILLICIA) (<10K)

i re-read this recently and i don't think i've ever read a fic so perfect. it is the top-tier of the top-tier, the canon for georgetown era willicia and will shatter your heart into a thousand pieces. i would highly recommend reading the entire series (and anything by orbythesea for that matter) but this one is the ultimate gold. it really made me think of one of the key themes of the good wife, a dissertation on the decisions you make as a "kid" which then shape the direction of the rest of your life. both will and alicia are so in character in this, and the entire cast of recurring orbythesea OCs is lovely.

A BETTER GRACE by @tessiete (WILL GARDNER CENTRIC) (POST 5X15-ISH) (<5K)

when i interviewed tess on the podcast and she told me this was based off the myth of narcissus i was like "mmmh" and in my head "omgofcoursehowdidinotseethisbefore?!" despite what the author herself claims about it not being "legal" enough, this is a very good fic, which i would highly recommend. it's an interesting take on will/his own reflection, and is written absolutely beautifully. it has that heartbreaking tone all post-5x15 fics have, and no, i'm still not over it.

.

SPOOKS

LIFE DURING WARTIME by likeyourefuse (POV ADAM CARTER) (AU) (<3K)

i'm sorry. how can such a short story in fandom i've barely ever been in fucking HAUNT me this much?? it's an AU set in a world where the coup at the end of s4 isn't stopped, and the uk falls into a dictatorship. i don't want to quote it cause it's at the very end but the last three paragraphs are all i can think about when i can't sleep at three o'clock in the morning. swear to god.

PEAKY BLINDERS

FIVE FEVERS by ariadness_string (POV TOMMY SHELBY) (AU) (&lt;5K)

this fic is truly unbelievably beautiful. it covers the presence of illness/fevers in the shelbys' lives. there is so much soul and heart in this story, especially now in hindsight with what we know about ruby. part of it isn’t canon anymore (we know their mum didn’t die in childbirth but by suicide) but this is such a gorgeously written story. the characterisation is spot on, not only with tommy, but with all the characters as well. i love (love love) may in this, and tommy “detoxing” from grace. polly is so on point. truly unbelievably good. probably one of my fave PB fics ever. 

[hamsolo]

Soooo I know that I pose these kinds of questions a lot but you guys haven’t wronged me yet. As long as y’all are willing to give an answer, I’ll throw my questions out there.

Is Spooks worth watching??? It’s 10 seasons long, but it looks exactly up my alley....I need something to watch once I’ve caught up with Peaky Blinders.

[andallthatmishigas]

Halloween fic! I wanted to give Ruth magical powers and here’s what happened.

[olbas006]

Letter from Jonathan Hyde

Hello everybody. I promised that later I would publish the full version of the letter from Mr. Hyde. And here it is. I decided to convert it into *interview* format, for your better understanding of the text. First I will write a question from my letter, then I write his answer from his letter. I am very grateful to Mr. Hyde for responding to my letter. It's very nice that he sent me an answer for Christmas 😊. I am also grateful to his daughter, who helped me to solve the problem with lost letter, and allowed to contact her father by e-mail. Reposts are allowed. All Comments Welcome. 👍 J.H: Dear *my name*. Many thanks for your letter and my apologies for the tardiness of this reply. I have been working (I think my daughter may have mentioned) and am just now finding time to get in touch. My apologies, also, that my previous reply didn’t reach you, the mail can be troublesome at times. At any rate I do try to respond as often as possible so hopefully this will reach you this time. I: Mr. Hyde, I will not probably surprise you if I tell that I grew on your movies. Richie Rich, Titanic, The Mummy, Jumanji – all the 90's children know and remember them. The first movie I watched with you was Richie Rich. But I particularly memorized you in «Anaconda». I still remember that feeling of a child's offense when your character died, and I discontentedly screamed «It’s unfair! He jumped! How could this snake catch him if he jumped?». I seemed to be 7 years old at that time. By the way, I heard that allegedly in the original version of the script your character Warren Westridge survived. Is it true? Or just some silly Internet rumours? J.H: It is interesting that you should ask about the fate of Warren Westridge. Unfortunately he was always, as we say in the movie business "a designated meal" - that is to say, it was written from the beginning that he would not survive the entire film. Gratifyingly however, Warren was not the first to succumb to the snake’s jaws, served up as a dessert rather than an appetizer. It's always pleasing not to be the first character to die on screen. I: But after the 90th, I somehow lost you from my vision... J.H: Since all the movies you mentioned I have done a fair amount of theatre work. Captain Hook was a great role, which I performed over 100 times and there was also a world tour of King Lear with Ian McKellen, a lot of fun and a great trip. Speaking of travel I have been to Russia. I played The Royal Hunt of the Sun in Moscow and Leningrad in 1974 and I remember enjoying the experience immensely. I: I remember you in «Spooks» series. And, oh my God! Mr. Hyde, I know that you do not know Russian, but you have to know this. The surname of your character in Spooks might have brought wild laughter to every Russian viewer. Ilya Gavrik. Because of the word “gavrik” in Russian means… (are you ready?)… an underage thief! And I laughed every time when your character was addressed by your last name. J.H: I confess that I didn't know that Gavrik means «underage thief» though it wouldn’t surprise if it was an intentional writer’s joke - they do sometimes pop little laughs in. I: But really I wish to talk to you about «The Strain». First, I cannot help but ask – how this turned out that you were the only actor on The Strain who had to dye your own hair? As far as I know, all other actors were given wigs why were you forced to dye it? Is it some kind of discrimination? Ha-ha just kidding. J.H: First of all - it was a wig! In fact I did dye my hair in the hope of not having to wear the wretched thing but continuity demanded that the wig stayed. I would much rather not have had it but there we are. I: I wish to say thank you – the work which you have done on Palmer is simply enormous! You took one of the most boring and uninteresting characters of the book and turned him into the most ambiguous, complicated and therefore most realistic character in the series … my applause to you! From the character I cared least about in the books, Palmer turned into my favorite character in the series by the season two. You have shown him as a person – capable of loving, care, worry, grieve, able to doubt his decisions. And such evolution happens to him gradually, as he slowly changed from the season to season. I cannot say the same for the rest of The Strain characters, as all remain in their initial stage. Except for Zach Goodweather perhaps, but this has been expected by everybody who’s read the books while Palmer's “evolution” was a really pleasant surprise. And right for this reason I just hate an outcome of the third season! Mr. Hyde, I feel so sorry for that the screenwriters have destroyed all your great work on Eldritch by killing him so ridiculously and stupidly! It is both silly from the plot viewpoint (such cunning and pragmatic person as Palmer would never have gone alone at night to the place where his enemy would search for him in the first place, especially if Palmer knew that he could be infected with worms for the sake of obtaining information on a bomb), and from the character development viewpoint. What for were all those flashbacks about Palmer’s past? What for were all those attempts to humanize him and transfer to the light side? What for we needed his tragic love storyline? All these things make no sense anymore as he is dead and his body is used by the Master. I am upset not because Eldritch was killed, I knew that he would most likely die at the end of season three. I just really thought that all these changes happening to him were leading to something bigger… Personally, I thought that at the end he would have overcome his fear of death and perhaps do something that would allow him to take revenge but killed him in the process. J.H: Your concerns regarding Palmer's demise are understandable but, as is so often the case, the writers and producers have final say in such matters, regardless of what may or may not make logical sense. There are a great many ways the storylines could have gone and so it is difficult to say which would have been the ‘best’ direction for the plot to travel in. Ultimately we went so far away from the original books that it became quite a different story. I: And a little more about «The Strain», if you don’t mind. It has been a long time dispute of the fans of the series, and it seems that only you can help with this. Would you be so kind to tell if Eldritch and Coco’s feelings were sincere? Was it really love? Or those who claim that “Coco was just a golddigger who seduced the old man to reach his money” are right? As you definitely read the script and certainly discussed this topic with Lizzie Brochere or maybe with Guillermo del Toro himself – could you please answer this question and be so kind to help the fans resolve this dispute? J.H: In consideration of your questions over Coco’s relationship with Palmer I can only suggest that the ambiguity of it is what makes the story interesting. If all the answers were clear then perhaps it would leave no space for interpretation and in my opinion it is the actors’ role to present a full, layered character i.e. not to fall into the trap of being one dimensional. My overall interpretation is that Coco’s feelings are genuine but, as with all human nature, she is also driven by, and attracted to power/ success. As the saying goes Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely”.  Hopefully the dispute about Coco and Palmer can be laid to rest - for the most part anyway. J.H: Finally, I would like to thank you for your thoughtful questions and genuine interest in the work. Wishing you all the best and with kind regards. The end 😇

[piraticaltwit]

lucas north + every episode, 8.01

[piraticaltwit]

lucas north + scenes that i love / 9.06 ↳ john. hi! i was wondering where- / tell me what you want me to do and i'll do it.