Episode #5.4 (25 Sep. 2006)
"Spooks" Episode #5.4 (original title)

During a world conference which could signal the end of poverty in Africa, MI5 uncover two conspiracies which threaten an individual life and world relations. Is anyone using the conference for its intended purpose?

Director:

Kenneth Glenaan

Writer:

David Farr

Stars:

Hugh Simon, Nicola Walker, Alex Jennings

Cast

Episode cast overview:
Hugh Simon	...	Malcolm Wynn-Jones
Nicola Walker	...	Ruth Evershed
Alex Jennings	...	James Allan
George Harris	...	Gabriel Sekoa
Colin Stinton	...	Traynor Styles
Lucian Msamati	...	Manu Buffong
Peter Firth	...	Harry Pearce
Rupert Penry-Jones	...	Adam Carter
Hermione Norris	...	Ros Myers
Raza Jaffrey	...	Zafar Younis
Miranda Raison	...	Jo Portman
Nikki Amuka-Bird	...	Michelle Lopez
Shanika Warren-Markland	...	Sophie Brewster
James Dicker	...	Wesley Carter
Gugu Mbatha-Raw	...	Jenny

Storyline

The UK Foreign Secretary is hosting the Addressing Africa conference with the hope of re-shaping the North-South trade relationship. MI-6 has intercepted a conversation between the French and the Americans that indicates their earlier support for the British initiative is now waning. MI-5 has the meeting bugged and blanketed with CCTV. A conversation with the US Secretary of State and the Japanese Foreign Minister eventually gives them the edge they need to beat them at their game. Their work isn't over however. When MI-6 intercepts another call, they believe that one of the African delegates, Gabriel Sekoa, will be assassinated. It turns out Sekoa may not be the beacon of hope that he's made himself to be.

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Plot Keywords:

mi5

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Details

Release Date:

25 September 2006 (UK)

Filming Locations:

Tower Bridge Business Complex, Bermondsey, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Did You Know?

Trivia

It is claimed the DVD is of the 1985 Stanley Cup Final, won by the Kansas City Flamers. Not only is that wrong (it was won by the Edmonton Oilers), but there is no team called the "Flamers" in the NHL, nor does Kansas City have a team in the NHL.

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Goofs

Malcolm spoofs an IM message to Styles, pretending to be from Styles's masters in the USA. He uses the word "prioritise", spelled the common UK way and not only does Styles not react to the strange spelling, he responds in kind, repeating what would, for an educated American, be a peculiar spelling error.

User Reviews

By far the Worst MI-5 episode ever

This episode is by far the worst episode ever in this series. The writing is terrible, the plot line is preposterous, and it couldn't be more boring. This show has really gone downhill since the departure of Matthew Macfadyen and Keely Hawes. In this absurd episode the British Spy agency gets involved in trying to expedite agreement on a trade treaty which will lift poor African nations from the horrors of poverty and illness. The "big, bad self-serving" Americans stand in the way of this agreement--and it's obviously because the U.S. wants to profit from arms sales to friendly countries which border its enemies, i.e. China. Who comes up with this preposterous drivel? The script is horrible and the story impossible to follow. Let's hope that MI-5 has better things to do with its time and resources. A good example of Junk TV written for a moron audience that will watch anything as long as there is slick editing, fancy camera antics and lots of sound effects. BTW, early in the episode an MI-5 staffer talks about the American Trade Secretary coming to the meeting, and thereafter he is referred to as "Secretary of State".