Who is Roddy’s Girlfriend in Slow Horses?

‘Slow Horses’ season 5 introduces many new plot points into the spy espionage series. However, the most perplexing of them all, perhaps, remains the newfound activity in Roddy Ho’s love life. Over the course of the past four seasons, the MI5 Agent has more than proven himself as a social disaster who is more likely to repel women than attract them. For the same reason, the idea of him having a girlfriend makes for such a strange picture that his co-worker, Shirley, becomes convinced it must be a sign of a greater threat. As such, while the computer whiz takes his new apparent paramour on a date at the nightclub, Shirley finds herself tracking the agent like a second shadow to look out for dangers like possible assassins. While the premise of a new girlfriend equating to a red target on one’s back may seem outlandish, Roddy’s general unpleasant personality leaves little other explanation to consider. SPOILERS AHEAD!

Roddy’s Girlfriend, Tara, is Involved in a Larger Scheme Against the Agent

Initially, Roddy’s girlfriend is introduced as an intriguing new addition to the agent’s social life. It’s no secret that most of the agents in the Slough House are riddled with a number of issues. Yet, he stands out in the crowd with his eclectic and aggressive personality. Therefore, it’s no surprise that the idea of him maintaining anything resembling a steady relationship turns a few heads among those who know him best. The fact that this fact emerges around the same time that Shirley begins suspecting assassins to be on Roddy’s tail adds another layer of intrigue to the whole ordeal. Soon enough, it becomes evident that Shirley’s concerns were not for naught.

On the night that Roddy goes on a date with his girlfriend, Tara, the latter subtly tips someone off about her apparent boyfriend once she’s on her way back home. In a dubious text to someone mysterious, the woman emphasizes the fact that the Slough House agent will be alone in his apartment. Furthermore, the conversation between Roddy and Lamb reveals that Tara was one of the only people who had this highly secret address. Additionally, the former event admits to losing his keys around his girlfriend, which were then magically found again by the latter. Therefore, there’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that Roddy’s new link is in on a bigger conspiracy.

Still, Lamb sends River and Coe in for a final check-in at Tara’s alleged address. In the end, the address is proven to be a fake one, confirming that the woman was conning Roddy from the beginning. However, this isn’t a simple instance of a romance con. Instead, Tara is likely connected to the bigger picture in some way, particularly the recent terrorism attack of mass shooting at Abbotsfield. Shortly after she tips her contact off about her boyfriend’s vulnerable position, an assassin attempts to kill the agent. Even though the attack inevitably fails, it confirms that the same people who were behind the Abbotsfield shooting had targeted the slow horse. Thus, it seems all of it has been a bigger ploy to frame Roddy as a traitor, with Tara as the planted honeypot to extract valuable information from him.

Read More: Who is Devon Welles? Who Plays Her in Slow Horses?