Finished my Scorpia reread and it's honestly so fascinating how this book really helps to humanise Blunt and Mrs Jones tbh. Like before this book we see them arguing a bit about Alex, with Mrs Jones being concerned, but here we actually learn about their personal lives. Mrs Jones's children being taken, everything Alex notices in her flat, her history of being on Albert Bridge etc. And for Blunt, Alex funnily enough actually learns next to nothing about his personal life, but we as readers do because we learn that he's married, that Sir Graham Adair is his friend and that they even play bridge together sometimes. And we learn that Blunt is genuinely doing his best to keep people safe from Scorpia.
Coupled with this is the fact that this book also seems to be the first time they really trust Alex. Like Blunt lies for him during the Cobra meeting and they are all on one page about sending Alex in again, Alex wants to go (because he wants revenge but also because he knows the stakes) and honestly that prep meeting feels like the first time Alex is treated as proper operatives like his dad or uncle might have been. He's given a homing device and told to use it if he can't find the dishes but feels he's in danger, that they'll pull him out. And with everyone knowing the seriousness of the situation there's never any question if he might want out early or they will wait like in Point Blanc. Blunt does tell the SAS teams to prioritise the dishes over Alex but honestly who can blame him for that. Overall, with MI6 contrasted against Scorpia on the one hand and Mark Kellner on the other, they come off so much better than in earlier books. Even if they literally admit to killing people lmao
