The Tip-Off (Spooks)

"The Tip-Off" is the third episode of series seven of the British espionage television series Spooks, and the 59th episode overall. It was originally broadcast on digital channel BBC Three on 28 October 2008, and repeated on frontline channel BBC One on 3 November. The episode was written by Russell Lewis; with additional writing by Ben Richards; and directed by Peter Hoar. In the episode, Ben Kaplan (Alex Lanipekun) goes undercover to infiltrate an Al-Qaeda cell in London during a dry run before an expected attack. However, it later becomes apparent the terrorists are going to attack during the dry run.

Actor Alex Lanipekun believed the episode became a sort of "coming of age" for his character, as he had to deal with issues dealing with undercover operations including not to get close to a terrorist. The episode introduces the "Sugarhorse" story arc, which continues through to the series finale. In making the scene where Lucas North was waterboarded, Richard Armitage who portrays him was subjected to the actual torture to ensure the scene's authenticity. It was seen by over five million viewers after its original broadcast, and was given generally positive reviews. However, it received criticism for featuring the waterboarding scene.