102 Episode Guide
Threat/Villian of the Week
Robert Osborne, a racist who organises race riots in the UK.
What happened
Danny and his team bungled an operation to plant listening devices in the home of Robert Osborne. In order to find out more information about Osborne's plans, the team sent in a female operative who tried to befriend Robert Osborne's wife. The operative became involved in a drunk driving incident and was put out of commission. It then became necessary for Tom to go undercover himself. He would have liked to partner with Zoe on this operation, but Tess managed to commandeer Zoe for a joint operation with Customs. Tom decided to give Helen Flynn a chance to go undercover with him. Helen was a desk officer who was eager to become a field agent. Her inexperience in this area resulted in a number of mistakes being made when they dealt with Osborne and this made him suspicious of the true identity of this new couple. The operation was not helped by the fact that a journalist was also working undercover at the same time in order to find material for a story on Osborne. After Osborne unmasked the journalist, he also captured Tom and Helen. When Tom refused to give up information sought by Osborne, Helen was sacrificed. Tom managed to escape to a safe house.
The Home Office then muscled in on this operation. Much as Section D wanted to avenge the death of Helen, the Home Office effectively told Harry and his team to leave Osborne alone, because they felt that as long as Osborne was stirring up trouble on the race front, this would enable the Government to formulate an immigration policy. A while later, we see that Osborne was assassinated.
The fact that Tom has to go undercover created more tension in his relationship with Ellie. At the end of the operation, he tried to placate Ellie by asking her and her daughter to move in with him.
Other comments
Colin makes his first appearance in this episode, complete with the beginnings of a goatee.
We see how a legend is created - photos taken and doctored, back story created.
First time we become aware that Danny has money troubles.
We find out that Helen had been sharing Danny's flat. After her death, Danny asked Zoe to become his flat mate.
First funeral for an MI5 agent on Spooks following Helen's death.
