Agent Running in the Field

Nat explains that Ed was born to a Methodist family in Northern Ireland that immigrated to England in the 1920s. Ed’s father was a communist who left the party following the USSR’s invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. Ed had a difficult childhood following the death of his father, and he went to university having renounced his Methodist faith in the intervening years. He developed a prickly personality, obsessed with politics and international affairs. He became a proponent of the European Union with a deep hatred of right-wing nationalists, particularly Donald Trump and the Tory Party.

Florence and Nat walk down the Thames toward the Head Office, planning to present their substation’s special operation—their first in three years. They propose bugging the apartments of a money launderer for a Kremlin-backed crime syndicate. Nat feels nervous about the meeting, as it will prove the efficacy of his office.

Nat has cautioned Florence to remain emotionally neutral when pitching their operation. As the presentation starts, she follows this guidance, staying on task. An agent named Marion interrupts Florence, wondering about the ethics of bugging all the rooms in the target’s home, as some of the rooms will be occupied by children.