10 Most Shocking Moments In Spooks
8. Ben Discovers That Connie Is A Traitor
MI5 officers often have to conceal their true selves from those they love in order to ensure their safety and to avoid security leaks. Miranda Raison's Jo Portman experienced this when she had a brief relationship with freelance journalist, Ben Kaplan (Alex Lanipekun). Ben spent his time trying to expose the activities of MI5 before coming to join them.
He entered The Grid as a junior case officer at the end of Series 6 and gradually earned his stripes until his particularly grizzly death in episode 7 of Series 7. Digging into The Grid's archives, Ben discovered irrefutable evidence that the team's analyst, Connie James (Gemma Jones) was actually a mole working for the FSB. Intercepting him before he could reveal the truth, Connie removed the underwire from her bra and used it to slit Ben's throat. Whilst the junior officer bled out at her feet, Connie stole the evidence of her betrayal and left Ben to die alone.
Harry Pearce subsequently recommended that Ben be posthumously awarded a Distinguished Service Order.