Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #189 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-09-20
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Number of discs: 3
• Formats: Box set, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 3
• Running time: 600 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Revelling in its reputation for pulling no punches, the second series of the BBC's slick spy drama Spooks maintains the quality of its award-winning first year, serving up enough nail-biting moments of genuine tension to outweigh any concern that occasionally it courts controversy for no better reason than to cock a snook at the notoriously timid Auntie Beeb.

The Islamic terrorist episode unsurprisingly received a great deal of negative publicity, but a show that prides itself on its contemporary edge could hardly ignore such an issue. Other episodes tackle computer hackers, Eastern European terrorists, Columbian drug cartels, inter-service territorial disputes with the CIA and even a mutiny in the army. One of the strongest episodes, set entirely within the sealed-off MI5 Section B department, tracks the team's individual reactions to what might be a drill, or a real and devastating VX gas attack. Throughout, this year focuses a great deal on the team's personal problems, notably Tom Quinn's chaotic love life, which ultimately brings his loyalty to the service into question.

Cast changes introduce some new faces, while some old ones pop up in unwelcome places (Jenny Agutter relishing her new role as a villain). Pacy direction and snappy editing, generous use of slo-mo, split-screen and dramatic music all add to the tension inherent in scripts that bring a modern, youthful edge to the creaky old spy genre. Only the final episode resorts to some hackneyed plot contrivances in a rather strained bid to produce the now-obligatory cliffhanger. --Mark Walker

Synopsis
The second series of the television drama series centring on a team of counter-terrorist spies collectively known as "Spooks" because of the shadowy nature of their existence. Technically speaking, Spooks don't even exist--they have no names, identities, or known locations. Yet these secret agents are all that stand between the nation and the terrorists who try to undermine national security. This collection contains all 10 episodes from the second series about the secret world of this most covert of government agencies.

Customer Reviews

Warning - Incorrectly designated Disc
In the DVD set that I have, the disc with the face of Tom Quinn indicated as disc 1 is actually disc 2. Imagine my puzzlement when I was waiting to see how the cliffhanger from series 1 would be resolved. Of course, if you look at where the indicating arrow on the rack in the opening menu is pointing, you then know which episode you should be viewing. I am a fan of Spooks and have watched every series to date but like a number of other people, I find the DVD set up annoying. A brief guide to each episode or at least an episode title on the case sleeve would help. I have resorted to inserting written notes in the case !

Edge of your seat series
After watching the first series, I thought I was prepared for the 2nd. With the cliff-hanger last episode of the first series, I was glad I had already bought the second. But things become more complicated in personal lives, "spy" lives, and just plain spying. It started very strongly and promised to be the equal or better than the first series. Episode 5 is by far the best episode of any series I have ever seen. I was literally on the edge of my seat for all 59 minutes. In some ways it isn't fair to compare the rest of the series after that mind blowing episode. But after that, some of the episodes just did not have the quality of the original series. The stories were not quite as tight and the edgy feel, not there. Possibly new writers were not as familiar with their (spooks) genre and by the final episode, the characters had changed so much that you wondered who they were. (...or were left thinking- Harry/Tom would never do that.) Although one of the main writers for the first series was brought back to write the finale, it had lost its focus by then. Thus it rates 4 stars (4 1/2 would have been closer) but I have to admit that three of the last 5 episodes were not quite up to the very high standard set by the first series. It is very hard to maintain that kind of energy, tension and excellence over ten episodes, so they are forgiven. But I missed the close camaraderie and the obvious chemistry of the characters private lives that was apparent in that first series as well. Or the near comic rivalry with MI6 in the person of Hugh Lorie. Tom became a caricature of James Bond in his shallow love life. Zoe and Danny shared a flat but nothing else. Ruth at times anchored the boat, but who is she? Harry (and the writers) evidently forgot he had a wife since his house was entirely his with no sign of her. I know, she was only mentioned once in the very first episode, but still, that was part of who he was.
Knowing what I do about the 3rd series, I'll give it a miss. Kudos are still owed to Kudos (production company) for raising the bar so high, I'm not sure any series will ever measure up, much less actually clear it. By all means buy it. Spooks series 2 is a great series, but buy the first series too and watch it first.

Menu impossible
I really love Spooks and bought this box set a year ago intending to collect all seasons. However, after a year grappling with the ridiculous menu in this set I've gone right off the idea. It's all I can do to access the episodes - and they are as good as ever - but I still haven't managed to access any of the extra features because I just can't figure out how! If I'd wanted a nerdy computer game I'd have bought one. When I buy a DVD I expect a straightforward menu with obvious direction to episodes - titled and numbered would be nice too - and a clear link to extras. There's also the red mist inducing silly intro you've to sit through very time you go to the menu. Therefore despite Spooks as a programme rating at least four stars, as a product this set can only scrape three.