Lucas North
Encyclopedia
Lucas North, formerly known as John Bateman, is a fictional character
from the BBC
espionage
television series Spooks
(known in the United States as "MI5"), which follows the exploits of Section D, a counter-terrorism
division of MI5
. North is portrayed by British actor Richard Armitage
. The character is introduced in Spooks seventh series as the former head of Section D, who was captured and imprisoned during an operation in Russia
. He returns to the UK after eight years and is eventually reinstated into MI5. He is described as having once been the best in his field, and he is now trying to regain his former brilliance.
Lucas North is a main character in the seventh, eighth, and ninth series; the ninth series reveals that Lucas "isn't who you think he is." Following the creation of the character by the show's writers, Armitage was chosen early in the casting process, since the producers believed he could carry the mystery of the character. A tentative viewer of Spooks, he was approached for the role following the completion of the second series of Robin Hood, in which he portrayed series regular Sir Guy of Gisbourne. After agreeing to appear in Spooks, Armitage learned how to speak fluent Russian
and lost a stone in weight in order to fit the description of his character.
With regard to the show's notorious habit of killing off major characters, Armitage said he had no preference as to Lucas' possible exit. He has performed his own stunts on the series, which have included a waterboarding
scene, although the character becomes less physical in the ninth series. The Lucas North character and his portrayal by Armitage met with unanimous praise from cast, crew, and reviewers.
, where his father was a Methodist
minister. During his time at Leeds University he lived with Maya Lahan (Laila Rouass
). While enrolled at Leeds he visited Dakar
, Senegal
, where he engaged in shipping cannabis
to Hamburg
in exchange for money. When he was caught the authorities took the shipment and his money, stranding him in Dakar. To gain enough money to get back to the UK, he worked in a casino
. While working there John Bates was approached by Vaughn Edwards (Iain Glen
), who persuaded him to deliver packages for him. One of the packages delivered by Bateman was a bomb that exploded at a British Embassy, killing 17 people. To escape the country Bateman killed a friend of his named Lucas North. North had just made it past the first battery of tests for admission to MI5
. Bateman assumed North's identity and left Maya behind. Bateman/North would later suppress these memories, believing that Vaughn was solely responsible for the bombing and for his friend's death. He would later join MI5 in place of the real Lucas North and become head of Section D. He was also once married to Elizabeta Starkova (Paloma Baeza
). During an operation in Russia
, Lucas North was captured and imprisoned for eight years, during which time he was often subjected to torture
.
In the seventh series, Harry Pearce
(Peter Firth
) is able to secure Lucas' release from prison in exchange for a Russian spy imprisoned in the UK. However, Arkady Kachimov (Stuart Wilson) coerces Lucas to work against MI5, to assist Russia in launching a cyber attack against the UK. In the first episode, Lucas aids section chief Adam Carter
(Rupert Penry-Jones
) in rescuing a kidnapped soldier and preventing the bombing of a Remembrance Day
memorial service; the rescue results in Adam's death. In the second episode, the team begins to suspect Lucas of working for the Russians, but he later reveals that he is actually trying to stop Arkady and the attack; the team succeeds in stopping the attack and apprehends Arkady. Following Adam's death, Lucas is re-assigned as Senior Case Officer, and handles
Adam's assets
. In the third episode, Lucas recalls being tortured and asked for details of "Sugar Horse", a top secret MI5 operation involving the recruitment of Russians who move into top positions in the Russian government
. In the penultimate episode, Harry orders Lucas to Moscow
to uncover the identity of a Federal Security Service (FSB) mole in MI5 who is sabotaging Sugar Horse and framing Harry. There, Lucas discovers that Connie James
(Gemma Jones
) is the mole. In the season finale, Section D learns that operation "Tiresias", the Russian equivalent of Sugar Horse, is going to detonate a nuclear bomb in London. Lucas and Ros Myers
(Hermione Norris
) save Connie from the authorities in order to enlist her help in stopping the attack. After finding the bomb, Connie disarms it, but she dies in the process.
In the fourth episode of the eighth series, Oleg Darshavin, who had been one of Lucas's interrogators in Russia, approaches him for help in stopping a planned bombing by Sudan
ese extremists; Lucas takes the case despite Harry's suspicion that he developed Stockholm syndrome
during his captivity. Harry's suspicions are solidified when Lucas goes off-piste, but ultimately, Lucas is able to bring Darshavin in and takes him into FSB custody after uncovering his involvement in the plot, while Ros stops the bomb. During the same series, Lucas conducts an affair with CIA
liaison Sarah Caufield (Genevieve O'Reilly
), who is later revealed to be an operative of "Nightingale", a multinational shadow organisation bent on a New World Order. When he discovers this and confronts Sarah about her involvement, she flees. She returns in the series eight finale, and before she is assassinated, she reveals that Nightingale is attempting to provoke a nuclear war between India
and Pakistan
. In the end, Lucas and Ros go to a hotel rigged to explode, set up by Nightingale, to save Pakistan President
Mudasser and Home Secretary
Andrew Lawrence
before the building explodes; Lucas rescues Mudasser, who calls off the impending war, but Ros is killed in the explosion before she can get Lawrence to safety.
In the ninth series, Harry reinstates Lucas as chief of Section D; this makes Lucas responsible for the integration of two new team members into the section, Beth Bailey
(Sophia Myles
) and Dimitri Levendis
(Max Brown
). Vaughn returns and hands Lucas a briefcase with possessions from his life before MI5, including photographs of him and Maya Lahan . When he visits her, however, she is so shocked at his reappearance and angry over his letting her believe him dead that at first she wants nothing to do with him. Later, Vaughn promises to leave Lucas alone in exchange for an MI5 file on "Albany"; Lucas eventually hands him what he believes is the file. Believing he is free from Vaughn, Lucas persuades Maya to restart their relationship. However, it is revealed the file was not Albany, though it leads to the location of the actual file. Vaughn forces Lucas to find the file, which is in the possession of former Section D member Malcolm Wynn-Jones
(Hugh Simon
). After convincing Malcolm to give him the file, Lucas hands it over to Vaughn, but it is soon discovered that this file, too, is a fake, and Malcolm has abandoned the house where he and Lucas had met. To force Lucas to continue seeking the file hand Vaughn kidnaps Maya. By this time, Harry Pierce has discovered that Lucas is not who he claims to be. Arrested and questioned, Lucas admits his true identity and his past, but convinces Harry to save Maya. A mortally wounded Vaughn is able to "wake up" Lucas' true persona, who he was before MI5. Believing Harry may not honour the deal they have worked out, Lucas intends to leave the country after getting his hands on the Albany file. The file is revealed to contain directions for building a genetic weapon that Vaughn has agreed to sell to the Chinese. After Lucas acquires the real file from Harry in exchange for team member Ruth Evershed, whom he has kidnapped, Maya is killed while he is trying to escape with her. He delivers the file to the Chinese agents anyway and intends to kill Harry for revenge. During their roof-top confrontation, Lucas learns that Albany is an elaborate deception; the genetic weapon is unworkable. Lucas then forces Harry to turn around, as if he is about to execute him. Instead, Lucas throws himself from the roof, apparently to his death.
ordeal. However, in series nine, Lucas also believed he deserved being tortured, as penance
for bombing the British Embassy in Dakar.
Lucas is an admirer of English poet and painter William Blake
; Elizabeta reveals that Lucas' admiration of Blake is based on their common distrust of systems. Lucas decorates his flat
with some of Blake's paintings, and has a chest tattoo
resembling The Ancient of Days
, one of Blake's watercolour paintings. Though no longer married to Elizabeta, he maintains strong feelings towards her throughout the first half of series seven.
The eighth series sees the return of Oleg Darshavin, one of Lucas's former interrogators during his imprisonment. During his interrogations, Lucas had developed Stockholm syndrome, and his interrogator had managed to deconstruct him almost to the point of being turned and wanting to die. Lucas also becomes involved with CIA liaison officer Sarah Caufield. The initial power struggle between them ends up in a "torrid love affair," which is monitored by the team. When Ruth Evershed
(Nicola Walker
) returns in the series, Lucas "really takes control of her position", in a similar manner to Harry and Ros's actions during Lucas's return. Armitage described Lucas's friendship with Ros as a "good combo"; while Lucas likes to play the "maverick" with "all guns blazing" Ros would "slip around the back and silently slit a throat."
Following Ros's death in the series eight finale, Lucas "sees the team's been slightly shattered by it" and responds by "trying to pull the team together and aiming to be a strong figure for Harry." The ninth series reveals a dark secret in Lucas's past that will lead to the "ultimate betrayal." Armitage revealed that Lucas "isn't quite who you think he is." It sees the introduction of a character named Maya, played by Laila Rouass
, who is Lucas's old flame and possible first love; she is involved in Lucas's secret. Lucas states that Maya means more to him than his job and reputation
. Vaughn would use Maya as a way of controlling him. Armitage also revealed Lucas goes off the radar "quite a lot this series" and behaves "quite strangely."
early into the casting suggestions, because they felt he could carry the mystery of Lucas North. Writer Neil Cross
felt that Armitage would bring the entire tortured history of North on screen.
The producers approached Armitage in November 2007, following the completion of the second series of Robin Hood, for which he played the regular part of Sir Guy of Gisbourne. Though interested in appearing on Spooks, he was initially somewhat worried and hesitant to join the series, citing replacing Rupert Penry-Jones, which he thought was a "tall order," and fears of bringing the series down. He agreed to appear on the series upon reading the rough outline of the script. He and the producers discussed about the potential and direction for the character, as well as where he would fit in the world of Spooks. A tentative viewer of the Spooks, he spent two days catching up on the series before starting.
, Frederick Forsyth
and Robert Ludlum
. He tried to inspire his acting style for Lucas by Jason Bourne
, a character created by Ludlum. He also lost a stone in weight in order to keep with the description that Lucas is malnourished, but also had to keep physically fit in order to perform a fight sequence during his first week of filming. Since Lucas is a fluent Russian
speaker, Armitage had to learn it phonetically, which he found "pretty impossible." He originally tried to learn it from a disc, but found it too basic and had since moved on to a language coach.
Though interested, yet frustrated about the writing style and not knowing what is going to happen next, upon starting, Armitage was told by co-star Peter Firth to learn to run with it, as well as learn the lines and political jargon quickly. He also thought the scripts are "quite a workout for the brain." Armitage was also coached on his "serious face" and the "Spooks lean" by Rupert Penry-Jones. The numerous tattoos on Lucas's torso were actually transfers planted on Armitage, and took a couple of hours to apply. However, he was often told not to move much, as they could rub off quite easily. Armitage was also one of only two actors, along with Hermione Norris, who plays Ros Myers, who went to Moscow, Russia in the series' first overseas shoot in August 2008.
When questioned regarding Spooks's notoriety of killing off main characters, and the chances of Lucas meeting his demise, Armitage stated;
Armitage believes that when it is Lucas's turn to leave the series, he would "leave in style," and has no preference how he would exit, whether "sending Lucas to Manchester or severing his head," he believes the producers would owe him a "brilliant exit." In an interview with Lorraine Kelly
on GMTV
on May 2010, Armitage revealed that in the ninth series, "[Lucas] is not who you thought he was. He's not who I thought he was." He admitted to being surprised at the development while reading the script. With the series theme being "deception", Armitage felt that playing another side of Lucas was "interesting," "quite exciting to play" and like "working in reverse because we've already established his background and then we've had to go and establish a much deeper background." Writers Jonathan Brackley and Sam Vincent (both head writers of the ninth series, having written five of the episodes) made the decision about Lucas' story-arc in the series during the initial meetings with the producers. Throughout the process of developing Lucas' arc, they worked through "a bazillion different versions." For example, in the series finale, they considered that Lucas would release the Albany weapon on the Grid. Both writers admitted that they were "not-half" concerned with possible negative reactions from fans of both Armitage and the character. In September 2011, co-star Peter Firth confirmed Lucas was killed off in the ninth series finale. He stated that the character "was always going to die." At some point the producers considered having Harry shoot him at the top of the building where he would fall to his death. However, this changed to have Lucas just jumping off the building instead.
. For series eight, Armitage performed a fight scene in a swimming pool
, which he thought was "fun," but also thought it was difficult as it was "like acting and punching in slow motion." In another sequence, he injured a stuntman with a hospital trolley. He was only given a short lesson on how to handle firearm
s, since he was already accustomed to using them whilst working on Ultimate Force
. While discussing the shootout at the end of series seven, Armitage noted that he is "not a violent person but when you put a gun in somebody's hands [...] it's like a little animal comes out of you that wants to fire the gun again."
In a flashback sequence in one of his early episodes, Lucas is subjected to waterboarding
, a method of psychological torture. In order to ensure the authenticity of the sequence, Armitage was himself subjected to the actual torture while shooting. He agreed to perform the sequence after he was convinced by consultants for the FSB and CIA. Armitage was only subjected to it for a short time, and was filmed in slow motion
to make it appear he was on for longer. The ambient temperature of the room was also raised to make him as comfortable as possible. However, after the sequence was shot, Armitage changed his opinion entirely, stating; "I only lasted five to ten seconds, and the sound of my voice crying out to stop isn't me acting." Armitage shot more interrogation scenes during production of the eighth series, but only some were added into the episodes. He was "less physical" in the ninth series.
John Beresford of TV Scoop thought the acting of the cast in the beginning of the seventh series, including Armitage's was "pitch perfect", and noted he "looks and sounds like he's been here all along, already, and having only seen him briefly in Robin Hood I've been quite astonished by how good he is in this." Sky TV
described Lucas North's character as a "refreshing change" for the series. The Bromsgrove Advertiser noted that Armitage "certainly has the looks needed for the part" with "classic leading man presence," and while comparing past main actors of the series, Matthew Macfadyen
and Rupert Penry-Jones, the author believed that "the eye candy quota is being kept high." Leigh Holmwood of The Guardian
reacted positively towards the introduction of Lucas after Adam's departure, believing the change has "more than made amends." David Blackwell of Enterline Media liked Lucas "better than Adam Carter or Tom Quinn" and felt that his "dark and conflicted persona adds to the story and makes him a more interesting character than Adam or Tom ever were." Blackwell also believed that Armitage's portrayal gives the character "real intensity and mystery." In the ninth series Metro's Lewis Bazley believed that Lucas "continues to give a violent, powder-keg edge to proceedings – thank heaven for small mercies as his continual scowl never convinces in comparison with his predecessors Matthew McFadyen and Rupert Penry-Jones."
Critics reacted positively towards Lucas' development in the ninth series. Metro's Keith Watson said that the scene had a "touch of Don Draper
about it," one of the factors that "Spooks has still got its hooks in." Catherine Gee of The Daily Telegraph
reflected on the "dramatically provided" twist, stated "just as we were finally beginning to trust him." Vicky Frost of The Guardian stated that Spooks was "looking a bit lacklustre," but now "seems to have raised its game" because of several developments for series nine, including the closing scenes involving Lucas and Vaughn, and his relationship with Dimitri Levendis. The Daily Mail Weekend Magazine
stated "will he really turn out to be a bad guy? It wouldn't be the first time," mirroring Armitage's statement that "baddies are always the most fun to play."
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...
(known in the United States as "MI5"), 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 of 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...
. North is portrayed by British actor 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...
. The character is introduced in Spooks seventh series as the former head of Section D, who was captured and imprisoned during an operation in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. He returns to the UK after eight years and is eventually reinstated into MI5. He is described as having once been the best in his field, and he is now trying to regain his former brilliance.
Lucas North is a main character in the seventh, eighth, and ninth series; the ninth series reveals that Lucas "isn't who you think he is." Following the creation of the character by the show's writers, Armitage was chosen early in the casting process, since the producers believed he could carry the mystery of the character. A tentative viewer of Spooks, he was approached for the role following the completion of the second series of Robin Hood, in which he portrayed series regular Sir Guy of Gisbourne. After agreeing to appear in Spooks, Armitage learned how to speak fluent Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
and lost a stone in weight in order to fit the description of his character.
With regard to the show's notorious habit of killing off major characters, Armitage said he had no preference as to Lucas' possible exit. He has performed his own stunts on the series, which have included a waterboarding
Waterboarding
Waterboarding is a form of torture in which water is poured over the face of an immobilized captive, thus causing the individual to experience the sensation of drowning...
scene, although the character becomes less physical in the ninth series. The Lucas North character and his portrayal by Armitage met with unanimous praise from cast, crew, and reviewers.
Character arc
Born John Bateman, the character later known as North was raised in rural CumbriaCumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
, where his father was a Methodist
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
minister. During his time at Leeds University he lived with Maya Lahan (Laila Rouass
Laila Rouass
Laila Abdesselam Rouass is a British actress. She is best known for her role as Amber Gates in the British television drama Footballers' Wives and as Sarah Page in the third season of Primeval .-Career:...
). While enrolled at Leeds he visited Dakar
Dakar
Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
, Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
, where he engaged in shipping cannabis
Cannabis
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a...
to Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
in exchange for money. When he was caught the authorities took the shipment and his money, stranding him in Dakar. To gain enough money to get back to the UK, he worked in a casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
. While working there John Bates was approached by Vaughn Edwards (Iain Glen
Iain Glen
Iain Glen is a Scottish film and stage actor.Iain Glen was born in Edinburgh, Scotland and trained at RADA where he won the Bancroft Gold Medal. He was married to Susannah Harker from 1993 to 2004; they have one son, Finlay...
), who persuaded him to deliver packages for him. One of the packages delivered by Bateman was a bomb that exploded at a British Embassy, killing 17 people. To escape the country Bateman killed a friend of his named Lucas North. North had just made it past the first battery of tests for admission to 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...
. Bateman assumed North's identity and left Maya behind. Bateman/North would later suppress these memories, believing that Vaughn was solely responsible for the bombing and for his friend's death. He would later join MI5 in place of the real Lucas North and become head of Section D. He was also once married to Elizabeta Starkova (Paloma Baeza
Paloma Baeza
-Biography:Baeza lived in Mexico during her childhood. Her Mexican father and her English mother were hippie musicians. In 1975, when Baeza was 5 months old, her parents married in London and they went to Mexico City. They divorced nine years afterwards....
). During an operation in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Lucas North was captured and imprisoned for eight years, during which time he was often subjected to torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
.
In the seventh series, Harry Pearce
Harry Pearce
Sir Henry James "Harry" Pearce KBE is the fictional head of the Counter-Terrorism department of MI5, featured in the British television series, Spooks...
(Peter Firth
Peter Firth
Peter Firth is an English actor. He is best known for his role as Sir Harry Pearce in the BBC show Spooks, of which he is the only actor to have starred in every episode of the show's 10 series lifespan...
) is able to secure Lucas' release from prison in exchange for a Russian spy imprisoned in the UK. However, Arkady Kachimov (Stuart Wilson) coerces Lucas to work against MI5, to assist Russia in launching a cyber attack against the UK. In the first episode, Lucas aids section chief Adam Carter
Adam Carter
Adam Henry Carter is a fictional character from the BBC espionage television series Spooks, which follows the exploits of Section D, a counter-terrorism division of MI5. He is portrayed by British actor Rupert Penry-Jones...
(Rupert Penry-Jones
Rupert Penry-Jones
Rupert William Penry-Jones is an English actor, best known for his role as Adam Carter in the British television series Spooks, also broadcast under the title MI-5.-Family life:Penry-Jones was born in London on September 22, 1970...
) in rescuing a kidnapped soldier and preventing the bombing of a Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries since the end of World War I to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. This day, or alternative dates, are also recognized as special days for war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth...
memorial service; the rescue results in Adam's death. In the second episode, the team begins to suspect Lucas of working for the Russians, but he later reveals that he is actually trying to stop Arkady and the attack; the team succeeds in stopping the attack and apprehends Arkady. Following Adam's death, Lucas is re-assigned as Senior Case Officer, and handles
Agent handling
In intelligence organizations, agent handling is the management of agents, principal agents, and agent networks by intelligence officers typically known as case officers.-Human intelligence:...
Adam's assets
Asset (intelligence)
In intelligence, assets are persons within organizations or countries that are being spied upon who provide information for an outside spy.There are different categories of assets, including people...
. In the third episode, Lucas recalls being tortured and asked for details of "Sugar Horse", a top secret MI5 operation involving the recruitment of Russians who move into top positions in the Russian government
Government of Russia
The Government of the Russian Federation exercises executive power in the Russian Federation. The members of the government are the prime minister , the deputy prime ministers, and the federal ministers...
. In the penultimate episode, Harry orders Lucas to Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
to uncover the identity of a Federal Security Service (FSB) mole in MI5 who is sabotaging Sugar Horse and framing Harry. There, Lucas discovers that Connie James
Connie James
Connie James played by Gemma Jones is a fictional British MI5 spy in the BBC television series Spooks.-Introduction to the Team:According the BBC website, Connie joined MI5 as a secretary when she was 19 in 1963. She was first seen in episode 2 of Series 6, brought in as a regular female lead...
(Gemma Jones
Gemma Jones
Gemma Jones is an English character actress on both stage and screen.-Early life:Jones was born in London, England, the daughter of Irene and Griffith Jones, an actor. Her brother, Nicholas Jones, is also an actor...
) is the mole. In the season finale, Section D learns that operation "Tiresias", the Russian equivalent of Sugar Horse, is going to detonate a nuclear bomb in London. Lucas and Ros Myers
Ros 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...
(Hermione Norris
Hermione Norris
Hermione Norris is an English actress.Norris attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in the 1980s before taking small roles in theatre and on television. In 1996, she was cast in her breakout role of Karen Marsden in the comedy drama television series Cold Feet...
) save Connie from the authorities in order to enlist her help in stopping the attack. After finding the bomb, Connie disarms it, but she dies in the process.
In the fourth episode of the eighth series, Oleg Darshavin, who had been one of Lucas's interrogators in Russia, approaches him for help in stopping a planned bombing by Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
ese extremists; Lucas takes the case despite Harry's suspicion that he developed Stockholm syndrome
Stockholm syndrome
In psychology, Stockholm Syndrome is an apparently paradoxical psychological phenomenon wherein hostages express empathy and have positive feelings towards their captors, sometimes to the point of defending them...
during his captivity. Harry's suspicions are solidified when Lucas goes off-piste, but ultimately, Lucas is able to bring Darshavin in and takes him into FSB custody after uncovering his involvement in the plot, while Ros stops the bomb. During the same series, Lucas conducts an affair with CIA
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
liaison Sarah Caufield (Genevieve O'Reilly
Genevieve O'Reilly
Genevieve O'Reilly is an Irish actress who has worked in both the United Kingdom and Australia.-Background:O'Reilly was born in Dublin and raised in Adelaide. She is the eldest of four siblings. At the age of twenty O'Reilly moved to Sydney to attend the National Institute of Dramatic Art,...
), who is later revealed to be an operative of "Nightingale", a multinational shadow organisation bent on a New World Order. When he discovers this and confronts Sarah about her involvement, she flees. She returns in the series eight finale, and before she is assassinated, she reveals that Nightingale is attempting to provoke a nuclear war between India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. In the end, Lucas and Ros go to a hotel rigged to explode, set up by Nightingale, to save Pakistan President
President of Pakistan
The President of Pakistan is the head of state, as well as figurehead, of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Recently passed an XVIII Amendment , Pakistan has a parliamentary democratic system of government. According to the Constitution, the President is chosen by the Electoral College to serve a...
Mudasser and Home Secretary
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
Andrew Lawrence
Andrew Lawrence (Spooks)
Andrew Lawrence MP is a Home Secretary in the BBC television drama Spooks. He was appointed during the events of Series 8, Episode 7 after the resignation of his predecessor Nicholas Blake who was implicated in a faked scandal by covert organization Nightingale.-Series 8:Lawrence is a young...
before the building explodes; Lucas rescues Mudasser, who calls off the impending war, but Ros is killed in the explosion before she can get Lawrence to safety.
In the ninth series, Harry reinstates Lucas as chief of Section D; this makes Lucas responsible for the integration of two new team members into the section, Beth Bailey
Beth Bailey
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...
(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,...
) and Dimitri Levendis
Dimitri 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....
). Vaughn returns and hands Lucas a briefcase with possessions from his life before MI5, including photographs of him and Maya Lahan . When he visits her, however, she is so shocked at his reappearance and angry over his letting her believe him dead that at first she wants nothing to do with him. Later, Vaughn promises to leave Lucas alone in exchange for an MI5 file on "Albany"; Lucas eventually hands him what he believes is the file. Believing he is free from Vaughn, Lucas persuades Maya to restart their relationship. However, it is revealed the file was not Albany, though it leads to the location of the actual file. Vaughn forces Lucas to find the file, which is in the possession of former Section D member Malcolm Wynn-Jones
Malcolm Wynn-Jones
Malcolm Wynn-Jones was the fictional MI5 analyst, featured in the British television series Spooks, also known as MI5 in the United States. Malcolm was played by Hugh Simon from the start of Spooks in 2002 until the character was retired at the start of Series 8 in 2009...
(Hugh Simon
Hugh Simon
Hugh Simon is a British actor, best known for his portrayal of the character Malcolm Wynn-Jones in the television series Spooks. His other TV credits include Shackleton, Attachments, Cold Feet, North Square, Big Bad World, and "Unusual Suspects" .He has also appeared onstage, as in the 2005 London...
). After convincing Malcolm to give him the file, Lucas hands it over to Vaughn, but it is soon discovered that this file, too, is a fake, and Malcolm has abandoned the house where he and Lucas had met. To force Lucas to continue seeking the file hand Vaughn kidnaps Maya. By this time, Harry Pierce has discovered that Lucas is not who he claims to be. Arrested and questioned, Lucas admits his true identity and his past, but convinces Harry to save Maya. A mortally wounded Vaughn is able to "wake up" Lucas' true persona, who he was before MI5. Believing Harry may not honour the deal they have worked out, Lucas intends to leave the country after getting his hands on the Albany file. The file is revealed to contain directions for building a genetic weapon that Vaughn has agreed to sell to the Chinese. After Lucas acquires the real file from Harry in exchange for team member Ruth Evershed, whom he has kidnapped, Maya is killed while he is trying to escape with her. He delivers the file to the Chinese agents anyway and intends to kill Harry for revenge. During their roof-top confrontation, Lucas learns that Albany is an elaborate deception; the genetic weapon is unworkable. Lucas then forces Harry to turn around, as if he is about to execute him. Instead, Lucas throws himself from the roof, apparently to his death.
Characteristics and relationships
Lucas North appears to be a person divided between who he was prior to his incarceration and who he has become since. Richard Armitage has described Lucas as "very ambiguous, but quite open with everybody" and "a bit of a double-edged sword, so he's not completely white. He's a bit of a dark horse." He is also described as having "no knowledge of how damaged he is emotionally, until memories start to work their way to the surface." Following his release from prison, glimpses of him adjusting to the outside world--such as a scene in episode two in which Lucas lies on the floor rather than in a bed in order to sleep--reveal to the audience how much he is struggling, though he keeps it hidden from his teammates. Lucas also fights very hard to be accepted and to regain Harry's trust, but he does not always play by the rules. In the series seven finale, Lucas admits to having blamed Harry for hisordeal. However, in series nine, Lucas also believed he deserved being tortured, as penance
Penance
Penance is repentance of sins as well as the proper name of the Roman Catholic, Orthodox Christian, and Anglican Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation/Confession. It also plays a part in non-sacramental confession among Lutherans and other Protestants...
for bombing the British Embassy in Dakar.
Lucas is an admirer of English poet and painter William Blake
William Blake
William Blake was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of both the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age...
; Elizabeta reveals that Lucas' admiration of Blake is based on their common distrust of systems. Lucas decorates his flat
Apartment
An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
with some of Blake's paintings, and has a chest tattoo
Tattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
resembling The Ancient of Days
The Ancient of Days
The Ancient of Days is the title of a design by William Blake, originally published as the frontispiece to a 1794 work, Europe a Prophecy. It shows a figure, the Ancient of Days, crouching in a circular design with a cloud-like background. His out-stretched hand holds a compass over the darker void...
, one of Blake's watercolour paintings. Though no longer married to Elizabeta, he maintains strong feelings towards her throughout the first half of series seven.
The eighth series sees the return of Oleg Darshavin, one of Lucas's former interrogators during his imprisonment. During his interrogations, Lucas had developed Stockholm syndrome, and his interrogator had managed to deconstruct him almost to the point of being turned and wanting to die. Lucas also becomes involved with CIA liaison officer Sarah Caufield. The initial power struggle between them ends up in a "torrid love affair," which is monitored by the team. When Ruth Evershed
Ruth Evershed
Ruth Evershed was a fictional Senior Intelligence Analyst seconded from GCHQ to MI5, featured in the British Television Series Spooks, also known as MI-5 in the United States. Ruth was played by Nicola Walker from the time the character joined the show in 2003, until Walker left to have a baby in...
(Nicola Walker
Nicola Walker
Nicola Walker is an English actress, best known for her starring roles in various British television programmes from the 1990s onwards, particularly as Ruth Evershed in the spy drama Spooks. She has also worked in theatre, radio and film....
) returns in the series, Lucas "really takes control of her position", in a similar manner to Harry and Ros's actions during Lucas's return. Armitage described Lucas's friendship with Ros as a "good combo"; while Lucas likes to play the "maverick" with "all guns blazing" Ros would "slip around the back and silently slit a throat."
Following Ros's death in the series eight finale, Lucas "sees the team's been slightly shattered by it" and responds by "trying to pull the team together and aiming to be a strong figure for Harry." The ninth series reveals a dark secret in Lucas's past that will lead to the "ultimate betrayal." Armitage revealed that Lucas "isn't quite who you think he is." It sees the introduction of a character named Maya, played by Laila Rouass
Laila Rouass
Laila Abdesselam Rouass is a British actress. She is best known for her role as Amber Gates in the British television drama Footballers' Wives and as Sarah Page in the third season of Primeval .-Career:...
, who is Lucas's old flame and possible first love; she is involved in Lucas's secret. Lucas states that Maya means more to him than his job and reputation
Reputation
Reputation of a social entity is an opinion about that entity, typically a result of social evaluation on a set of criteria...
. Vaughn would use Maya as a way of controlling him. Armitage also revealed Lucas goes off the radar "quite a lot this series" and behaves "quite strangely."
Creation and casting
The character of Lucas North and his background was first revealed in March 2008, shortly after filming the seventh series began. The producers wanted to create a new character to be a part of the team. They came up with a "new heroic figure" that they wanted to "put as much distance between [the] previous hero," Adam Carter. The producers focused on Richard ArmitageRichard 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...
early into the casting suggestions, because they felt he could carry the mystery of Lucas North. Writer Neil Cross
Neil Cross
Neil Cross is a Booker Prize nominated novelist, crime writer and television scriptwriter born and raised in the United Kingdom, and now living in Wellington, New Zealand.-Life:...
felt that Armitage would bring the entire tortured history of North on screen.
The producers approached Armitage in November 2007, following the completion of the second series of Robin Hood, for which he played the regular part of Sir Guy of Gisbourne. Though interested in appearing on Spooks, he was initially somewhat worried and hesitant to join the series, citing replacing Rupert Penry-Jones, which he thought was a "tall order," and fears of bringing the series down. He agreed to appear on the series upon reading the rough outline of the script. He and the producers discussed about the potential and direction for the character, as well as where he would fit in the world of Spooks. A tentative viewer of the Spooks, he spent two days catching up on the series before starting.
Development
To research for his role, Armitage read novels from authors including John le CarréJohn le Carré
David John Moore Cornwell , who writes under the name John le Carré, is an author of espionage novels. During the 1950s and the 1960s, Cornwell worked for MI5 and MI6, and began writing novels under the pseudonym "John le Carré"...
, Frederick Forsyth
Frederick Forsyth
Frederick Forsyth, CBE is an English author and occasional political commentator. He is best known for thrillers such as The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, The Fourth Protocol, The Dogs of War, The Devil's Alternative, The Fist of God, Icon, The Veteran, Avenger, The Afghan and The Cobra.-...
and Robert Ludlum
Robert Ludlum
Robert Ludlum was an American author of 23 thriller novels. The number of his books in print is estimated between 290–500 million copies. They have been published in 33 languages and 40 countries. Ludlum also published books under the pseudonyms Jonathan Ryder and Michael Shepherd.-Life and...
. He tried to inspire his acting style for Lucas by Jason Bourne
Jason Bourne
Jason Charles Bourne is a fictional character and the main protagonist in the novels of Robert Ludlum and subsequent film adaptations. He first appeared in the novel The Bourne Identity...
, a character created by Ludlum. He also lost a stone in weight in order to keep with the description that Lucas is malnourished, but also had to keep physically fit in order to perform a fight sequence during his first week of filming. Since Lucas is a fluent Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
speaker, Armitage had to learn it phonetically, which he found "pretty impossible." He originally tried to learn it from a disc, but found it too basic and had since moved on to a language coach.
Though interested, yet frustrated about the writing style and not knowing what is going to happen next, upon starting, Armitage was told by co-star Peter Firth to learn to run with it, as well as learn the lines and political jargon quickly. He also thought the scripts are "quite a workout for the brain." Armitage was also coached on his "serious face" and the "Spooks lean" by Rupert Penry-Jones. The numerous tattoos on Lucas's torso were actually transfers planted on Armitage, and took a couple of hours to apply. However, he was often told not to move much, as they could rub off quite easily. Armitage was also one of only two actors, along with Hermione Norris, who plays Ros Myers, who went to Moscow, Russia in the series' first overseas shoot in August 2008.
When questioned regarding Spooks's notoriety of killing off main characters, and the chances of Lucas meeting his demise, Armitage stated;
Armitage believes that when it is Lucas's turn to leave the series, he would "leave in style," and has no preference how he would exit, whether "sending Lucas to Manchester or severing his head," he believes the producers would owe him a "brilliant exit." In an interview with Lorraine Kelly
Lorraine Kelly
Lorraine Kelly is a Scottish television presenter, journalist and actress, best known as a presenter for TV-am, and later GMTV and ITV Breakfast, on Lorraine.-Early life:...
on GMTV
GMTV
GMTV was the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc. in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end...
on May 2010, Armitage revealed that in the ninth series, "[Lucas] is not who you thought he was. He's not who I thought he was." He admitted to being surprised at the development while reading the script. With the series theme being "deception", Armitage felt that playing another side of Lucas was "interesting," "quite exciting to play" and like "working in reverse because we've already established his background and then we've had to go and establish a much deeper background." Writers Jonathan Brackley and Sam Vincent (both head writers of the ninth series, having written five of the episodes) made the decision about Lucas' story-arc in the series during the initial meetings with the producers. Throughout the process of developing Lucas' arc, they worked through "a bazillion different versions." For example, in the series finale, they considered that Lucas would release the Albany weapon on the Grid. Both writers admitted that they were "not-half" concerned with possible negative reactions from fans of both Armitage and the character. In September 2011, co-star Peter Firth confirmed Lucas was killed off in the ninth series finale. He stated that the character "was always going to die." At some point the producers considered having Harry shoot him at the top of the building where he would fall to his death. However, this changed to have Lucas just jumping off the building instead.
Stunt work and on-screen violence
Armitage performs his own stunts. When performing fight scenes, they would be choreographed carefully so Armitage could take part rather than a stunt doubleStunt double
A stunt double is a type of body double, specifically a skilled replacement used for dangerous film or video sequences, in movies and television , and for other sophisticated stunts...
. For series eight, Armitage performed a fight scene in a swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
, which he thought was "fun," but also thought it was difficult as it was "like acting and punching in slow motion." In another sequence, he injured a stuntman with a hospital trolley. He was only given a short lesson on how to handle firearm
Firearm
A firearm is a weapon that launches one, or many, projectile at high velocity through confined burning of a propellant. This subsonic burning process is technically known as deflagration, as opposed to supersonic combustion known as a detonation. In older firearms, the propellant was typically...
s, since he was already accustomed to using them whilst working on Ultimate Force
Ultimate Force
Ultimate Force is a British television drama series that was shown on ITV, which deals with the activities of the fictional Red Troop of the SAS...
. While discussing the shootout at the end of series seven, Armitage noted that he is "not a violent person but when you put a gun in somebody's hands [...] it's like a little animal comes out of you that wants to fire the gun again."
In a flashback sequence in one of his early episodes, Lucas is subjected to waterboarding
Waterboarding
Waterboarding is a form of torture in which water is poured over the face of an immobilized captive, thus causing the individual to experience the sensation of drowning...
, a method of psychological torture. In order to ensure the authenticity of the sequence, Armitage was himself subjected to the actual torture while shooting. He agreed to perform the sequence after he was convinced by consultants for the FSB and CIA. Armitage was only subjected to it for a short time, and was filmed in slow motion
Slow motion
Slow motion is an effect in film-making whereby time appears to be slowed down. It was invented by the Austrian priest August Musger....
to make it appear he was on for longer. The ambient temperature of the room was also raised to make him as comfortable as possible. However, after the sequence was shot, Armitage changed his opinion entirely, stating; "I only lasted five to ten seconds, and the sound of my voice crying out to stop isn't me acting." Armitage shot more interrogation scenes during production of the eighth series, but only some were added into the episodes. He was "less physical" in the ninth series.
Reception
The reaction towards the character and Armitage's portrayal were met with unanimous praise. In a viewer poll on their favourite character played by Armitage on RichardArmitageNet, Lucas North was voted third behind Sir Guy of Gisbourne, and winner John Thornton in North and South. Spooks producer Katie Swinden described Armitage's addition as "fantastic", as he "has that dark and brooding quality which make him perfect for the role." Co-star Hermione Norris thought Lucas was a "really fantastic character" and has brought "a completely different vibe and quality" to the series.John Beresford of TV Scoop thought the acting of the cast in the beginning of the seventh series, including Armitage's was "pitch perfect", and noted he "looks and sounds like he's been here all along, already, and having only seen him briefly in Robin Hood I've been quite astonished by how good he is in this." Sky TV
British Sky Broadcasting
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc is a satellite broadcasting, broadband and telephony services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, with operations in the United Kingdom and the Ireland....
described Lucas North's character as a "refreshing change" for the series. The Bromsgrove Advertiser noted that Armitage "certainly has the looks needed for the part" with "classic leading man presence," and while comparing past main actors of the series, Matthew Macfadyen
Matthew Macfadyen
David Matthew Macfadyen is an English actor, known for his role as MI5 intelligence officer Tom Quinn in the BBC television drama series Spooks and for starring as Fitzwilliam Darcy in Pride and Prejudice.In June, 2010 Macfadyen won a British Academy Television Award for Best Supporting...
and Rupert Penry-Jones, the author believed that "the eye candy quota is being kept high." Leigh Holmwood of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
reacted positively towards the introduction of Lucas after Adam's departure, believing the change has "more than made amends." David Blackwell of Enterline Media liked Lucas "better than Adam Carter or Tom Quinn" and felt that his "dark and conflicted persona adds to the story and makes him a more interesting character than Adam or Tom ever were." Blackwell also believed that Armitage's portrayal gives the character "real intensity and mystery." In the ninth series Metro's Lewis Bazley believed that Lucas "continues to give a violent, powder-keg edge to proceedings – thank heaven for small mercies as his continual scowl never convinces in comparison with his predecessors Matthew McFadyen and Rupert Penry-Jones."
Critics reacted positively towards Lucas' development in the ninth series. Metro's Keith Watson said that the scene had a "touch of Don Draper
Don Draper
Donald "Don" Draper is a fictional character and the protagonist of AMC's television series Mad Men. He is portrayed by 2008 Golden Globe winner Jon Hamm. Until the third season finale, Draper was Creative Director of Manhattan advertising firm Sterling Cooper...
about it," one of the factors that "Spooks has still got its hooks in." Catherine Gee 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...
reflected on the "dramatically provided" twist, stated "just as we were finally beginning to trust him." Vicky Frost of The Guardian stated that Spooks was "looking a bit lacklustre," but now "seems to have raised its game" because of several developments for series nine, including the closing scenes involving Lucas and Vaughn, and his relationship with Dimitri Levendis. The Daily Mail Weekend Magazine
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
stated "will he really turn out to be a bad guy? It wouldn't be the first time," mirroring Armitage's statement that "baddies are always the most fun to play."
External links
- Lucas North personnel file 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...