With Gordievsky’s help, Britain identifies Mikhail Gorbachev as a possible new contender for Soviet leader; he could be the ticket to better relations between east and west. But fragile steps towards diplomacy are threatened by the vested interests of other spies still stuck in the old-world order.

The CIA is set on knowing who Britain’s super spy is, but their head of Soviet counterintelligence, Aldrich Ames, is getting disillusioned. He turns traitor for a paltry sum, and shortly afterwards, Gordievsky is summoned back to Russia to almost certain danger.

The episode includes exclusive audio recordings of Aldrich Ames, audio interviews from Oleg Gordievsky, interviews with former KGB, FBI, CIA and MI6 officers, some of whom have never spoken before, as well as colleagues of Thatcher and Reagan. Show less