nuclear strike nuclear strike series seven finale episode british espionage television series originally broadcast bbc december episode written directed episode russian equivalent awakens sleeper agent detonate nuclear bomb central london section team use mole helped set help stop bomb team find targeted kill squad unaware bomb threat idea episode came earlier series episode series russian weapons united_kingdom set cold war cross felt kill character created sixth series filming took place summer taking place disused tunnels london underground series seven finale seen million viewers quarter television audience large increase viewers share points previous week critics reacted episode near universal acclaim superb season closer exciting thrilling plot kent receives message rain heaven russian numbers station hearing crane section having heard wakes tomorrow previous episode work message means discover russian equivalent bigger better placed pro western russians infiltrate government opposite recruit spies infiltrate believes mole know planning lucas release custody posing masked russian agents later revealed officers assigned assassinate head orders kill squad search provided kill section team safe house ottawa reveals helped set decades ago sleeper agents operations exchange safe passage new_zealand listening numbers station broadcast reveals awakened sleeper agent specific task nuclear bomb central london way know detonate locker london bridge station contain members codes start journey encounter kill squad lucas engage shootout team decide split harry returns returning harry warns home secretary threat tells receives order evacuation parliament lucas head london underground station lucas wounded sniper seriously wounded kill squad follow lucas blood trail slow lucas sets rudimentary traps venture tunnels station later kill squad send runner find lucas able trip kill thames house harry believes aware bomb threat decides meet face face order alive harry uses emergency reasons turn stops kill squad lucas attempts draw squad splitting confrontation gun jams killed calls team orders help stop bomb find locker bomber location square sniper kills crane request bomb sent person expertise bomb secondary countdown initiated removes nuclear material bomb detonate words admits set lucas moscow years ago resulted imprisonment lucas run safety bomb killing disaster lucas calls harry receives answer end revealed locked boot car production writing episode written started writing cross know mole previous episode included help storyline character originally intended killed end episode cross kept alive end finale wanted killed episode created sixth series felt kill character created writing plot cross inspired script frequently asked questions series revealed series weapons united_kingdom set russians cold war cross wanted use way introduce nuclear bomb bombs design episode based actual designs invented producers intended audience brutal killing previous episode think things worse team nuclear threat finale scene team breaks intended audience protagonists willing extreme measures stop threats cross wanted pure episode setting entire plot scene include chase london officers main characters cross enjoyed creating team featured episode especially created russian version protagonists base lit windows bomb scene originally set graveyard producers decided best set underground took script remained fundamentally writing process asks safe passage new_zealand sly personal reference cross writer resides country scene lucas seen breaking car getting hands items useful help set traps officers episode development items kept changing staff discussions away terms protagonists killing officers prominent discussions included harry officer lucas shooting head cold blood despite unarmed subdued casting cast man bomb character word entirety episode strong presence producers felt unique guest star series fuller lot getting director felt fuller influential actors worked plays spoke russian dialogue russian sullivan trained speak play filming episode filmed summer miller wanted style filming cameras following team like documentary day spent ottawa safe house set reveals threat shoot hip problems concerned producers set body double hand jones insisted end double shootout scene episode miller wanted sequence real possible having camera film attack recalled shootout sequence shoot final episode surprised rounds pull quickly weird thing violent person gun somebody hands strange happens like little animal comes wants fire gun filming face sequence lucas breaks car supplies filmed street near end street event park end wedding took place fuller carried mock bomb film square situated square shortly fuller filming crew arrived found surrounded armed american security officers believed fuller commit attack fortunately location manager able sweet talk american officials allowed film area days filming spent london underground tunnels filming took place actual tube tunnels albeit disused ones crew scouting disused tunnels found northern line stock train tunnel maintenance training filming purposes called cross development writer included minute addition script sequence shot day way scare audience cross included homeless woman living train filming crew present disliked filming underground sequences filmed summer hot locations work crew prohibited bringing food drink tunnels attract rats furthermore break times longer usual crew member leave tunnels break return base filmed london near london cultural references series general note cultural references decided include particular episode phrases rain heaven twice numbers station taken quality mercy speech william_shakespeare play merchant venice speech begins quality mercy strain gentle rain heaven place beneath twice gives takes later episode lucas tells person united_kingdom run killed car big news time forgotten time single moment like contributions country cold war asks evacuate mother explains busy watching place sun television programme buying property abroad followed countdown game channel_4 broadcast reception episode originally broadcast bbc time slot monday december held northern_ireland broadcast scotland day finale attracted million viewers original broadcast earning audience share ratings viewers share points previous episode aired celebrity week finale beat time slot nuclear strike ended ninth seen broadcast bbc 24th seen broadcast overall week aired episode attracted near universal acclaim producers regard nuclear strike favourites series guardian reacted positively episode stating nice locking horns russians maybe people got bored islamic terrorism restarted cold war bold admirable daily_telegraph placed episode critic choice calling superb season closer exciting said episode settings streets underground tunnels london rarely climactic effect great performances involved complimented setting great cliffhanger ending leave fans absolutely series times felt finale exciting episode conducted minimum acting praised episode saying knows thing tension finale seventh series found thing fourth pressure pressure brilliant finale new success led bigger problem called chase sequence episode thrilling traditional chase sequences seen british characters handled ended wait series
Nuclear Strike (Spooks)