Hermione Norris has made an explosive return to Spooks as Ros Myers taking over Section D. But the top job means some enormous personal sacrifices, says Hermione... How is Ros coping with Adam's death? "Adam obviously touched Ros very deeply. However, I think his death is just another thing in her life that makes her commit to her job. It's her choice in life that she is going to serve in MI5 and Adam's death defines her purpose even more. I think they'll always be a place in her heart for Adam Carter, but she has put her feelings in a box somewhere and forgotten about them for now." After Adam's death, Harry appoints her head of Section D. How do the team respond and how does she manage them? "It's a shock to the team, but Ros quickly gets back into her work and she is respected for that. Ros' goal is to bring Adam's assassins to justice and she will not rest until that debt has been settled. Ros copes well and she does things by the book, despite playing by her own rules in the past. This is the first time there's been a female Head of Section D and simply for that reason sometimes her authority is questioned by those higher up in the government and MI6, in particular. However, I think Ros believes that, with Adam gone, she is his natural predecessor." How does Lucas North fit into the team? "Lucas has come in from Russia where he's been in prison for eight years. His viability and credibility are immediately called into question and Ros is initially very cautious of him. However, having proved himself to be trustworthy, Ros has great trust and respect for him. Lucas is quite a haunted character; he's very different from Adam. The through story is all about Russia, so obviously he's invaluable to the team." Will you miss working with Rupert? "Yes I will, hugely. He was an absolute joy to work with and obviously we'll miss him a lot. However, Richard is fantastic; he's absolutely gorgeous, funny, charming and gentle, as well as being a great actor. I'm very spoilt!" In episode five, Ros really pushes herself to the limit. Tells us what happens... "There's a financial terrorist in the city who is trying to destroy Britain's economy. Ros goes undercover as her country is under threat, but she ends up putting her life on the line. She sacrifices herself and sleeps with the terrorist to get the relevant intelligence needed. Afterwards, Ros shows her vulnerability and we see that underneath all of her bravado this mission has a huge personal cost to her." Do you think being a female MI5 officer makes it a tougher job? "We live in a man's world and, as emotional creatures, women have to shut down that part of themselves in order to maintain a professional front which, in itself, makes their job tougher." What's been your highlight of this series? "Filming in Russia was amazing. I was there 20 years ago at the Moscow Arts Theatre School when I was in my last year at drama school, at the end of the 80s. I was at LAMDA at the time and I was chosen to go on an exchange. Back then there were cockroaches on the floor in my hotel room and photos of Gorbachev without his birthmark. There were massive flags of Lenin all over the place, all you could buy in the shops was Red Army stuff, you had to queue for bread and there was very little food. Roll the tape forward 20 years and you have big shopping malls on Red Square, the wealth is just astounding. There's so much money there now, yet that undercurrent of fear, paranoia and oppression is still absolutely at the forefront for the people. It's just fascinating. It was an amazing thing to go out there again." What appeals to you about your role in Spooks? "Ros Myers is just amazing. I think Kudos have created a really fantastic female character. You see her being utterly professional and ruthless, but you do see her vulnerability too. I just think she's quite a well rounded, well crafted character. Also, as an actress, you very rarely get to fight and play with guns. I love all that. It's great."
