Beth Bailey
Encyclopedia
Beth Bailey is a fictional character
from the BBC
espionage
television series Spooks
, which follows the exploits of Section D, a counter-terrorism
division in MI5
. She is portrayed by British actress Sophia Myles
. Beth Bailey was introduced in Spooks's ninth series as a private contractor in her first episode, and later joins Section D. The character is based on a real-life person Myles met while working on the series. Reaction towards the character was generally positive.
while studying at the University of Edinburgh
. She eventually decided she didn't want to work with them, and worked as a private contractor. At 22, she worked with a Colombia
n militant group as a way to anger her father, until she realised what she got herself into and left. She first appears in the series nine premiere disguised as a prostitute in a freighter from Tangier
, working to track Hussein Abib, a Somali
terrorist Lucas North
(Richard Armitage
) was sent to kill. They both escape the ship when Abib's men take control of the ship. Afterwards, Beth reveals that a Colombian drug lord built submersibles to smuggle drugs; because of this, MI5 learn Abib is using the submersibles to smuggle explosives to the Houses of Parliament. After they stop the attack, Harry instates her to MI5 officer.
In the next episode, Harry plans on dismissing her after she is lying to the team; she appears to work with an assassin, but she successfully explains her subterfuge as "the way we used to work" to avoid any damage. Lucas later gives her another chance after he is promoted to head of Section D. In the fourth episode, Beth successfully turns Kai from Chinese intelligence to become an asset, the first time MI5 was able to do so.
, (Max Brown
) to be her closest ally because of their same age and time they joined MI5, comparing the two as "new kids at school". Because Bailey knew Harry 12 years previously, she feels "very comfortable already with him." In a separate interview, Myles stated that Lucas is "highly suspicious of her because she's highly confident" and that Beth "likes him more than he likes her." In the second episode of series nine, Beth mentions that she never prays, indicating she may be atheist
.
(played by Miranda Raison
), who left Spooks during the eighth series. Bailey is based on a real-life person, whom Myles met while working in the series, but unlike the person, the producers added elements to make Beth a darker character. Before joining the series, Myles did not see an episode of Spooks, but caught up by watching the first and eighth series so she would know "where [she] was coming in."
Myles felt nervous becoming part of an established series, comparing herself as the "new kid on the block" and "like joining the Big Brother
house late." Though Myles posed as a prostitute for her first episode as Beth, she felt that the outfit she worn was "the most hideous, most unattractive outfit" she ever worn. When questioned about the possibility of the death of her character, Myles stated; "you'd be an idiot not to expect your death at some point because that's the way they roll on this show." Since the cast "never stop running" in the series, Myles trained by running around her local park once or twice a week. Despite this, she does not perform many of her own stunts. On April 2011, it was revealed that Myles will not reprise her role as Beth Bailey in the tenth series
, indicating the character will be "decommissioned."
, Adam Sweeting of The Arts Desk believed that Beth "looks poised to bring a refreshingly brash self-confidence to the party." Comparing some of Sophia Myles' earlier roles, Vicky Power of The Daily Telegraph
said that her "grubby debut" in Spooks is "noteworthy" because of a "leap from the crinolined English roses we've seen her play up to now in costume dramas such as Mansfield Park
, The Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby and Tristan & Isolde
. In review of the second episode of series nine, Jane Simon of the Daily Mirror stated that Myles "is already proving to be a most exciting addition to the Spooks team," and Beth can "handle herself pretty well."
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
espionage
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
television series Spooks
Spooks
Spooks is a British television drama series that originally aired on BBC One from 13 May 2002 – 23 October 2011, consisting of 10 series. The title is a popular colloquialism for spies, as the series follows the work of a group of MI5 officers based at the service's Thames House headquarters, in a...
, which follows the exploits of Section D, a counter-terrorism
Counter-terrorism
Counter-terrorism is the practices, tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, militaries, police departments and corporations adopt to prevent or in response to terrorist threats and/or acts, both real and imputed.The tactic of terrorism is available to insurgents and governments...
division in MI5
MI5
The Security Service, commonly known as MI5 , is the United Kingdom's internal counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its core intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service focused on foreign threats, Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence...
. She is portrayed by British actress Sophia Myles
Sophia Myles
-Early life:Myles was born in London. She is the daughter of Jane, who works in educational publishing, and Peter Myles, a retired Anglican vicar in Isleworth, west London. Her maternal grandmother was Russian, and she refers to herself as "half-Welsh, half-Russian". She grew up in Notting Hill,...
. Beth Bailey was introduced in Spooks's ninth series as a private contractor in her first episode, and later joins Section D. The character is based on a real-life person Myles met while working on the series. Reaction towards the character was generally positive.
Character arc
At age 18, Beth trained with MI6Secret Intelligence Service
The Secret Intelligence Service is responsible for supplying the British Government with foreign intelligence. Alongside the internal Security Service , the Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence Intelligence , it operates under the formal direction of the Joint Intelligence...
while studying at the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
. She eventually decided she didn't want to work with them, and worked as a private contractor. At 22, she worked with a Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n militant group as a way to anger her father, until she realised what she got herself into and left. She first appears in the series nine premiere disguised as a prostitute in a freighter from Tangier
Tangier
Tangier, also Tangiers is a city in northern Morocco with a population of about 700,000 . It lies on the North African coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel...
, working to track Hussein Abib, a Somali
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
terrorist Lucas North
Lucas North
Lucas North, formerly known as John Bateman, is a fictional character from the BBC espionage television series Spooks , which follows the exploits of Section D, a counter-terrorism division of MI5. North is portrayed by British actor Richard Armitage...
(Richard Armitage
Richard Armitage (actor)
Richard Crispin Armitage is an English actor famous for his roles as John Thornton in North and South, Guy of Gisborne in Robin Hood, and Lucas North in Spooks...
) was sent to kill. They both escape the ship when Abib's men take control of the ship. Afterwards, Beth reveals that a Colombian drug lord built submersibles to smuggle drugs; because of this, MI5 learn Abib is using the submersibles to smuggle explosives to the Houses of Parliament. After they stop the attack, Harry instates her to MI5 officer.
In the next episode, Harry plans on dismissing her after she is lying to the team; she appears to work with an assassin, but she successfully explains her subterfuge as "the way we used to work" to avoid any damage. Lucas later gives her another chance after he is promoted to head of Section D. In the fourth episode, Beth successfully turns Kai from Chinese intelligence to become an asset, the first time MI5 was able to do so.
Characteristics
Actress Sophia Myles said that Beth believes Dimitri LevendisDimitri Levendis
Dimitri Levendis is a fictional character from the BBC espionage television series, Spooks, portrayed by actor, Max Brown.-Character arc:...
, (Max Brown
Max Brown
Max Brown is an English actor. Max was born in Ilkley, Yorkshire, England, but spent most of his childhood in the town of Shrewsbury, Shropshire, which he refers to as his home....
) to be her closest ally because of their same age and time they joined MI5, comparing the two as "new kids at school". Because Bailey knew Harry 12 years previously, she feels "very comfortable already with him." In a separate interview, Myles stated that Lucas is "highly suspicious of her because she's highly confident" and that Beth "likes him more than he likes her." In the second episode of series nine, Beth mentions that she never prays, indicating she may be atheist
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
.
Conceptual history
The character Beth Bailey and portraying actress Sophia Myles was first revealed in March 2010 as a replacement for Jo PortmanJo Portman
Joanna "Jo" Portman was a fictional Field Operative in the Counter-Terrorism department at MI5, featured in the British television series, Spooks, also known as MI5 in the United States. She was played by Miranda Raison...
(played by Miranda Raison
Miranda Raison
-Early life:Born in Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk, her father Nick Raison is a jazz pianist and artist, while her mother Caroline read the news for Anglia Television. She has two brothers and two sisters: Ed , Rosie, Sam and May. Her parents divorced when she was six years old, and her father remarried...
), who left Spooks during the eighth series. Bailey is based on a real-life person, whom Myles met while working in the series, but unlike the person, the producers added elements to make Beth a darker character. Before joining the series, Myles did not see an episode of Spooks, but caught up by watching the first and eighth series so she would know "where [she] was coming in."
Myles felt nervous becoming part of an established series, comparing herself as the "new kid on the block" and "like joining the Big Brother
Big Brother (UK)
Big Brother UK is the British version of the Dutch Big Brother television format, which takes its name from the character in George Orwell's 1948 novel Nineteen Eighty-Four...
house late." Though Myles posed as a prostitute for her first episode as Beth, she felt that the outfit she worn was "the most hideous, most unattractive outfit" she ever worn. When questioned about the possibility of the death of her character, Myles stated; "you'd be an idiot not to expect your death at some point because that's the way they roll on this show." Since the cast "never stop running" in the series, Myles trained by running around her local park once or twice a week. Despite this, she does not perform many of her own stunts. On April 2011, it was revealed that Myles will not reprise her role as Beth Bailey in the tenth series
Spooks (series 10)
The tenth and final series of the BBC espionage television series Spooks began broadcasting on 18 September 2011 on BBC One and BBC One HD, and will continue until 23 October. It consists of six episodes. The series continues the actions of Section D, a counter-terrorism division of the British...
, indicating the character will be "decommissioned."
Reception
Reaction towards the character by critics are generally positive. Reflecting on the departure of Ros MyersRos Myers
Rosalind "Ros" Sarah Myers was a fictional character from the BBC espionage television series Spooks, which follows the exploits of Section D, a counter-terrorism division in MI5. She is portrayed by British actress Hermione Norris. The character was a former MI6 officer who works with MI5 in the...
, Adam Sweeting of The Arts Desk believed that Beth "looks poised to bring a refreshingly brash self-confidence to the party." Comparing some of Sophia Myles' earlier roles, Vicky Power of The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
said that her "grubby debut" in Spooks is "noteworthy" because of a "leap from the crinolined English roses we've seen her play up to now in costume dramas such as Mansfield Park
Mansfield Park (2007 TV drama)
Mansfield Park, an adaptation of the classic Jane Austen novel of the same name, premiered on 18 March 2007 on the UK network ITV at 9 p.m., as part of their Jane Austen Season. It was filmed at Newby Hall, North Yorkshire, England. It made its TV debut in Canada on 23 December 2007 and in the...
, The Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby and Tristan & Isolde
Tristan & Isolde (film)
Tristan & Isolde is a 2006 romantic drama film based on the medieval romantic legend of Tristan and Isolde. It was produced by Ridley Scott and Tony Scott, directed by Kevin Reynolds and stars James Franco and Sophia Myles, with an original music score composed by Anne Dudley...
. In review of the second episode of series nine, Jane Simon of the Daily Mirror stated that Myles "is already proving to be a most exciting addition to the Spooks team," and Beth can "handle herself pretty well."
External links
- Beth Bailey at BBC.co.ukBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...