Thou Shalt Not Kill

"Thou Shalt Not Kill" is the premiere episode of the British television series Spooks. It first aired on BBC One in the United Kingdom on 13 May 2002. The episode was written by series creator David Wolstencroft and directed by Bharat Nalluri. "Thou Shalt Not Kill" focuses on MI5's activities in stopping an anti-abortion group who have smuggled 20 explosive devices to be used against family planning doctors. The episode title is a reference to the sixth Commandment. The pilot went through 30 rewrites and four separate story changes before the BBC were satisfied with the plot. It would be rewritten again following the September 11 attacks, with the purpose of acknowledging the series premise as battling terrorism. Filming took place mostly in London, England using a long lens camera. The idea of using split screen, regularly used by the series, came from Nalluri after filming wrapped up for the episode, and was not inspired by the American television series 24. Following its broadcast, the pilot was seen by over nine million viewers, easily winning its time slot, having nearly doubled viewership from ITV1 at the same time; the ratings went beyond the producers' expectations. However, critics gave varied responses towards the episode. Plot When a car bomb detonates in the Liverpool suburb of Allerton, killing family planning doctor Karen Lynott (Karen Westwood) and severely injuring her young daughter Sarah, Section D of MI5 is on the case. Danny Hunter (David Oyelowo) learns from one of his assets, "Osprey" (Kelly Rolfe), that the group responsible have smuggled 20 bombs into the country from Ireland. After following her, the team learn that the terrorist responsible for smuggling the bombs and killing Lynott is Mary Kane (Lisa Eichhorn), an American anti-abortion extremist; she smuggled herself into the country under an assumed name and has been setting up cells across the UK. Section D also learn that Kane may be setting up the attacks in tribute to her husband, who is on death row in Florida following a series of attacks on abortion clinics. Upon tracking the movements of one cell, the Central Intelligence Agency pressure MI5 to extradite Kane back to the United States; such an action will seriously hinder their efforts to find the cells and a put a stop to them. By the time Harry Pearce (Peter Firth) signs the extradition forms, Kane has evaded MI5.