Ben Kaplan
Encyclopedia
Ben Kaplan DSO
, portrayed by Alex Lanipekun
was a starring character in the British spy series, Spooks
.
. He tried to expose what was going on with MI5's and Section D's activities in stopping terrorism. During the crisis in which three important diplomats (the Iranian Special Consul Dariush Bakshi, the British Foreign Secretary Ruth Chambers and the CIA's London liaison Bob Hogan
, all guests on the TV panel of Ask the Question) are held hostage along with the audience, Ben helps Adam Carter
and Ros Myers
free the hostages. He is offered a role in the team by Adam but refuses.
However, In Episode 6, Series 6, Ben helps the team uncover a plot to assassinate them before they can make peace with the Middle East. At the end of this ordeal, Harry extends Adam's former offer to join the team and Ben accepts.
By the start of Series 7, he is working for Section D, replacing deceased agent Zafar Younis
. He operates in the field, helping Section D to prevent a Russian attack on London and stop Al-Qaeda terrorism attacks. He goes undercover in the financial markets with Lucas North
to stop a financier who is planning to ruin the British economy and help protect a 16-year-old boy targeted for assassination by a rogue MI6 officer.
In Series 7, Episode 7, Section D's boss Sir Harry Pearce
is accused of being an FSB mole who has been passing secrets from MI5 regarding Operation Sugarhorse (Sugarhorse being a high level operation in the 1980s whereby pro-western people were placed into Russian society to find out about Russia's nuclear capabilities). Some of the section's contacts were assassinated; Harry sent Lucas to Moscow to find an asset, who tells Lucas to find a package in a bar.
When Lucas finds the package, it shows a photo of Connie James
, Section D's analyst, and Bernard Qualtrough
, Harry's mentor, and proves that Connie is really the mole in MI5, not Harry. Lucas calls Ben and tells him this. Ben stashes a form he finds in the paper archive proving that Connie is the mole, but Connie appears in the paper archive to assist Ben in finding the form. Connie sees Ben put the form into his pocket.
Before Ben can leave the archive to warn Ros and the rest of the team, Connie uses an underwire from her bra to slit Ben's throat, taking the form from his pocket as he dies in a puddle of his own blood. Ben's dead body is found later by the team. Ros arrests Connie, and Harry recommends to Home Secretary Nicholas Blake
that Ben, for all of his contributions to MI5 and Britain, should be given a Distinguished Service Order
.
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, portrayed by Alex Lanipekun
Alex Lanipekun
Alex Lanipekun is a British Actor of Nigerian and Italian/English origin. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art but left early to join the cast of the BBC drama Spooks as journalist come spy Ben Kaplan. In 2007 he won the prestigious Carleton Hobbs Award, joining the BBC Radio Drama Rep...
was a starring character in the British spy series, Spooks
Spooks
Spooks is a British television drama series that originally aired on BBC One from 13 May 2002 – 23 October 2011, consisting of 10 series. The title is a popular colloquialism for spies, as the series follows the work of a group of MI5 officers based at the service's Thames House headquarters, in a...
.
Appearances
Ben Kaplan first appeared in Series 6, Episode 5 as a freelance journalist who was in a relationship with Jo PortmanJo Portman
Joanna "Jo" Portman was a fictional Field Operative in the Counter-Terrorism department at MI5, featured in the British television series, Spooks, also known as MI5 in the United States. She was played by Miranda Raison...
. He tried to expose what was going on with MI5's and Section D's activities in stopping terrorism. During the crisis in which three important diplomats (the Iranian Special Consul Dariush Bakshi, the British Foreign Secretary Ruth Chambers and the CIA's London liaison Bob Hogan
Bob Hogan
Bob Hogan is a fictional character in the British television series Spooks. Bob is a high ranking CIA agent in Britain working from Grosvenor House, the US embassy. Hogan is an ally or enemy of the team at times, however he normally will work with his counterpart Harry Pearce. Hogan was introduced...
, all guests on the TV panel of Ask the Question) are held hostage along with the audience, Ben helps Adam Carter
Adam Carter
Adam Henry Carter is a fictional character from the BBC espionage television series Spooks, which follows the exploits of Section D, a counter-terrorism division of MI5. He is portrayed by British actor Rupert Penry-Jones...
and Ros Myers
Ros Myers
Rosalind "Ros" Sarah Myers was a fictional character from the BBC espionage television series Spooks, which follows the exploits of Section D, a counter-terrorism division in MI5. She is portrayed by British actress Hermione Norris. The character was a former MI6 officer who works with MI5 in the...
free the hostages. He is offered a role in the team by Adam but refuses.
However, In Episode 6, Series 6, Ben helps the team uncover a plot to assassinate them before they can make peace with the Middle East. At the end of this ordeal, Harry extends Adam's former offer to join the team and Ben accepts.
By the start of Series 7, he is working for Section D, replacing deceased agent Zafar Younis
Zafar Younis
Zafar Younis is a fictional character in the popular BBC espionage drama Spooks, known in the United States as MI-5. The show follows the exploits of MI5's counter-terrorism group, Section D. The character is played by British actor Raza Jaffrey. Zafar is introduced in the last episode of series...
. He operates in the field, helping Section D to prevent a Russian attack on London and stop Al-Qaeda terrorism attacks. He goes undercover in the financial markets with Lucas North
Lucas North
Lucas North, formerly known as John Bateman, is a fictional character from the BBC espionage television series Spooks , which follows the exploits of Section D, a counter-terrorism division of MI5. North is portrayed by British actor Richard Armitage...
to stop a financier who is planning to ruin the British economy and help protect a 16-year-old boy targeted for assassination by a rogue MI6 officer.
In Series 7, Episode 7, Section D's boss Sir Harry Pearce
Harry Pearce
Sir Henry James "Harry" Pearce KBE is the fictional head of the Counter-Terrorism department of MI5, featured in the British television series, Spooks...
is accused of being an FSB mole who has been passing secrets from MI5 regarding Operation Sugarhorse (Sugarhorse being a high level operation in the 1980s whereby pro-western people were placed into Russian society to find out about Russia's nuclear capabilities). Some of the section's contacts were assassinated; Harry sent Lucas to Moscow to find an asset, who tells Lucas to find a package in a bar.
When Lucas finds the package, it shows a photo of Connie James
Connie James
Connie James played by Gemma Jones is a fictional British MI5 spy in the BBC television series Spooks.-Introduction to the Team:According the BBC website, Connie joined MI5 as a secretary when she was 19 in 1963. She was first seen in episode 2 of Series 6, brought in as a regular female lead...
, Section D's analyst, and Bernard Qualtrough
Bernard Qualtrough
Bernard Qualtrough is a fictional British spy appearing in series 7 of the BBC television drama Spooks . The character was played by Richard Johnson....
, Harry's mentor, and proves that Connie is really the mole in MI5, not Harry. Lucas calls Ben and tells him this. Ben stashes a form he finds in the paper archive proving that Connie is the mole, but Connie appears in the paper archive to assist Ben in finding the form. Connie sees Ben put the form into his pocket.
Before Ben can leave the archive to warn Ros and the rest of the team, Connie uses an underwire from her bra to slit Ben's throat, taking the form from his pocket as he dies in a puddle of his own blood. Ben's dead body is found later by the team. Ros arrests Connie, and Harry recommends to Home Secretary Nicholas Blake
Nicholas Blake (Spooks)
Nicholas Blake MP is a fictional character in the British TV series Spooks, portrayed by British actor Robert Glenister. Blake was Home Secretary in the British government. He was regularly in contact with Harry Pearce, regarding National Security....
that Ben, for all of his contributions to MI5 and Britain, should be given a Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
.