Aahana Swrup
Season 4 of the Apple TV+ spy show, ‘Slow Horses’ brings another adventure for Jackson Lamb and his MI5 Slough House agents. As a bombing attack on a shopping center in London promises the arrival of a new danger, Diana Taverner, the new First Desk Head, finds herself in the middle of the latest crisis. Naturally, around the same time, one of Lamb’s agents, River Cartwright, the resident daredevil with a hero complex, manages to get himself in trouble with a new villain and his dreadful assassination squad. Thus, the so-called “rejects” at Slough House enter another daunting mission. However, amidst the unfolding chaos, one familiar face of Catherine Standish seems to be missing from the action. Consequently, fans may be compelled to wonder how her character ended up resigning from the team after spending years by Lamb’s side. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Catherine Standish’s Arrival at Slough House
Catherine Standish, a longtime colleague of Jackson Lamb and one of his closest friends, has been a fixture at the Slough House office since the very beginning. Earlier in her career, she was working for Charles Partner, the then-Director General of MI5, whom she greatly idolized. Charles supported her even after learning about her alcoholism, going as far as to provide financial aid during her recovery treatment. As a result, Standish subconsciously upheld the man as a paragon of virtue and goodness.
For the same reason, when Standish found Charles in a bathtub, dead by presumed suicide, the instance broke something intrinsic in her. In the aftermath, she fell off the wagon again, succumbing to her alcohol addiction as her life spiraled out of control. From there, it wasn’t long before she was reassigned to Slough House, the department’s patent dumping ground for any agent whose career deteriorated after significant mess-ups. Thus, she started working with Jackson Lamb, another agent who formerly worked with Charles. At the Slough House, she handled the administrative side of things.
Over the years, a friendship formed between Lamb and Standish as well, with the latter becoming a natural part of the Slough House. Consequently, she was around to oversee River Cartwright’s arrival into the team and every other misadventure that has followed since. In fact, in the previous season, she found herself in the middle of direct danger after getting kidnapped as a way to get to River. The team’s frantic efforts toward finding her and getting her back significantly showcased the close relationship each member had with her. As such, her abrupt decision to quit the Slough House at the end of season 3 remained a surprising development for everyone.
Catherine Standish Couldn’t Bear the Truth About Charles Partner
After charting years of dangerous missions with the horses, Catherine Standish’s exit from the Slough House came from a personal disagreement rather than a professional complication. At the end of season 3, Standish finds herself discussing Charles with Lamb, reminiscing about his golden leadership. However, she finds herself in for an unbelievable surprise when Lamb reveals a different truth. As it would turn out, Charles wasn’t actually the man Standish thought he was.
Charles was actually a traitor to the MI5 and was involved with the Russians, selling invaluable information about the British Intelligence directly to the enemy. Furthermore, as per Lamb, his kind and understanding disposition toward Standish and her alcoholism was due to his selfish motives of carrying out his suspicious dealings without anyone—such as a personal assistant—taking notice. Not only that, but before Charles was caught, he was also planning on fleeing from the scene by incriminating Standish for his own crimes.
Even though Lamb’s account of the events remains true, Standish finds his claims hard to believe due to the idea she had made up in her head about Charles. As a result, rather than taking the revelation as a lesson in trust and blind faith, Standish chooses to professionally part ways with Lamb and quits out of the Slough House. Charles and his presence in her life meant a lot to Standish. Consequently, she’s unable to accept the truth about his treachery toward the Agency. In light of the same decision, one can’t help but wonder how she might react once she discovers that it was Lamb who had actually killed Charles and staged his death as a suicide.
Nonetheless, as it stands, Standish has resigned from the Slough House over this disagreement with Lamb. Consequently, she isn’t present in the office at the start of Season 4, with another administrative worker, Moira Tregorian, replacing her in the team for the time being. Yet, as Standish makes an appearance in the first episode—already entangled in River’s antics—it remains evident that despite her departure from the Slough House, she will continue to be a key player in the horses’ story.
