It was so hard to find in town I almost gave in and order it from Amazon (though I'm glad I waited, as it gave me time to rewatch seven series before I finally found it and I even managed to resist watching season 10 until I had finished the full re watch).

I re read my old answer. Well, all my wishes were fulfilled. Brilliant series for both Harry and Ruth, very strong last episode. I even got my glimpse of Tom (though I didn't meant the glimpse to be so literal...). Wow and awww.... you were quite right!

Contrary to some around me, I've really liked when they suddenly gave a more classic Le Carré mood to the show with the addition of Connie and later Lucas to the later series, and then with a full-on Le Carré style last series. They were brilliant when they mined the news, social issues and well... geopolitical reality for matter for episodes, but when they ran out of really good matter to keep that going in every episode they really managed to rebound with their mix of cold war stuff and contemporary stuff (after a weaker "Iranian" season that made me fear they'd soon become as mediocre and mindless as 24).

I quite liked how they decided to have an open ending. I was unsure at first, but it makes sense not to have chosen to make it end as if this was the end of an era as Harry moved on.

And Americans really make the best TV villains. It was getting a bit easy/cartoonesque during the Bush years, but it's when they managed to keep doing it after the Democrats returned to power and taking the view the changes in diplomacy/policies and general attitude of the CIA were more cosmetic than anything that it got even more interesting (the "scratch the veneer of any Ivy league soft-hearted liberal..." line is classic).

I'll miss Spooks, though I think it will remain my "classic" show of the post 9/11 years, certainly far superior to anything show or movie from the decade on those themes. Even the first seasons have not really aged much I noticed.