Strikeback Episode 2

Plot: Former SAS soldier Felix Masuku assassinates what he believed was Robert Mugabe in Harare, but was in fact a double. He is quickly arrested and sent to a highly secure prison. Not wanting him to stand trial, Section 20 deploys Porter to break Masuku out and kill him before then. Porter travels to Harare posing as a blood diamond dealer and is soon arrested and brought to the same prison. After learning from Leyla Thompson (May) that the trial date is being brought forward, Porter moves his plan forward also. Meanwhile, an anonymous source tips off the escape plan to a Colonel Tshuma. As his men arrive, Porter successfully breaks Masuku out. As he prepares to execute Masuku, he tells Porter he was hired by British intelligence to assassinate Mugabe, but was betrayed by his handler. Believing him, Porter keeps him alive and they plan to escape Zimbabwe.

Colonel Tshuma leads a manhunt to find the two. After evading his men by jumping into a river, Porter and Masuku search for a telephone to contact Layla. In the process, they stop a group of raiders intimidating a local orphanage. As they prepare to leave, Masuku pleads with Porter to help the children leave with them. By the time the children leave, Tshuma’s men picks up their trail again. Meanwhile, Section 20 learns that the betrayer is the Embassy contact, who was paid $6 million by Mugabe’s ministers to frame Masuku. When Collinson travels to South Africa to confront him, the contact commits suicide. Porter and Masuku hold off their position from Thsuma until Collinson and back-up arrive. Tshuma is killed and Masuku disappears. In the end, Porter learns that his ex-wife, Diane, died from a tumour.

Apologies for not having posted this last weekend, it completely slipped my mind as real life took over. Thanks to @AnnieVickery for the heads up.

Discuss away!

Poll: Vote for the next RA film you want the club to discuss

Strikeback Episode 1

Plot:

On the eve of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, a Special Forces unit takes part in an operation to release a hostage, during which, John Porter (Armitage) disarms a boy named As’ad wearing a suicide vest. After the hostage is found, two soldiers are killed and one is left in a vegetative state. Believing the boy was responsible, and that Porter did not kill him, he is dishonourably discharged. Fellow officer Hugh Collinson (Lincoln) becomes the head of Section 20 of MI6. Seven years later, journalist Katie Dartmouth (Brady) is kidnapped outside Basra by the “Sword of Islam”; the kidnappers demand the release of one of their comrades from Belmarsh Prison. Upon realising one of the kidnappers is As’ad, Collinson “reactivates” Porter. A separate unit is tasked with retrieving Dartmouth after tracking the live feed, but are killed when the building rigged with explosives detonate. In the end, Porter goes on his own to the same apartment building during the same operation seven years previous.

After finding a “Sword of Islam” member, Porter persuades him to lead him to where Dartmouth is being held, and then allows himself to be captured. After finding and removing a tracking device on one of his teeth, the terrorists move both hostages to another location. Later, they decide to execute Dartmouth one day sooner after realising the British will not give into their demand. Porter breaks free and kills the kidnappers, whilst As’ad wishes to join them, claiming he knows who killed the soldiers seven years ago. While the trio are pursued by re-enforcements during their escape, the extraction team arrive. Collinson refuses As’ad entry into the helicopter, who is last seen running for his life. When Porter questions Dartmouth about what As’ad said about who killed the soldiers, Dartmouth recalls that it was a British soldier; it is revealed the killer is Collinson.

What did you think of this episode? What did you think about John Porter’s character and the build up to the series? Discuss.

Strikeback Episode 1 Discussion

As announced on Twitter previously, we are moving the discussion of Strikeback’s first episode to next Saturday, January 8, 2011. Time to be announced closer to the day.

Having received feedback from some of you, those who can not make the real time discussion which we will all deliberate in the next coming days can just post their thoughts on the episode via our blog. It would be nice if we all online, but due to time zones and other personal responsibilities we dont want you to feel burdened. As a group, we will endeavour to reply to your posts to get the discussion going and we can have a follow through on Twitter.

You have another week to get the DVD, watch it and mull over the character development and story arch. Looking forward to our first discussion!

AdoRAbles Membership Card

Are you a proud, beaming card holding member of the hippest, spankiest group of wonderful individuals who appreciate the thespian talents of Richard Armitage? #adoRAbles evolved when yours truly, known to Twitter friends as FeignedMischief wanted to group all her Twitter friends who loves RA in one list, thus #adoRAbles was born.

One adoRAble, bccmee who makes fantastic fanvids and is a living expert on John Porter lovingly & kindly created this membership card & is personalized for each member. If you want to be added to the Twitter adoRAbles list and get updates via Twitter, please comment & I will add you, bccmee might even give you a treat with your new card.

Welcome adoRAbles!

I hope you are all doing well and have started or will about to start watching our first movie club installment, Episode 1 of Strikeback. We have tentatively scheduled our first discussion on January 2, 2011 but have yet to set a time as we want to accommodate as much adoRAbles as we can to join us in the discussion.

To test drive our new site, please feel free to suggest a time for our discussion on January 2 by posting your comments. I will also set up a poll so you can all vote for the next Richard Armitage programme we want to discuss once we have finished with Strikeback to allow you all enough time to either purchase or add it to your DVD rental queue.