[Prudence]

Originally Posted by Alex

From listening to some people talk about it, what seems to be confusing people is:

Spoiler:

They think that Smiley figured out who the mole was and they don't understand how he figured it out, thinking they missed a clue. When really he figured out the ruse and set up a trap to reveal who it was so he learned that at the same we did.

Spoiler:

I thought that part was very necessary to understanding Smiley's position. It's the only time I recall that you really see him engaged in direct deception, as a capable spy.