Aahana Swrup
Season 5 of ‘Slow Horses’ has gotten off to a frenzied start as the department’s resident social disaster, IT guy Roddy Ho, finds himself in a unique pickle. Currently, the MI5’s best, including Diana Taverner and Emma Flyte, are occupied with investigating the Abbotsfield shooting. The incident led to the death of 11, including the attacker, who is suspected to have been assassinated by his supplier. Naturally, this incident overshadows Shirley’s possibly paranoid insistence that someone has set a target on her co-worker. That is, until the agent’s secret lair ends up getting shot up, compelling Jackson Lamb and his slow horses to make moves of their own. Meanwhile, an unexpected late-night visit brings some damning evidence to Taverner. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Lamb and Shirley Foil an Assassination Attempt
Despite the previous chaos at the nightclub, Shirley remains steadfast in her belief that something is amiss with Roddy. More than anything, it’s the fact that he has somehow found himself a girlfriend that sets off the sirens in co-workers’ heads. Still, it’s a little disconcerting when even Lamb shows up at his apartment, convinced that someone will be making an attempt at his life. Eventually, after a carefully planned ambush, the assassin attacks. Fortunately, Lamb and Roddy manage to drive him away while Shirley gives him a mean chase. Even though she loses him in the end, she makes sure to give him enough injuries that locating him in a hospital would be relatively easy. On the other hand, the Slough House head takes his agent to a high-profile restaurant to buy some time and regroup.
Immediately, the first point of suspicion remains Roddy’s girlfriend, Tara, who was apparently the only one aware of his address and could have had access to his key. Therefore, the agent is stuck jotting down every detail about their relationship while River is stuck on door duty with Coe as his partner. The duo finds themselves vetting Tara’s address to confirm whether or not she was indeed a spy sent to set Roddy up. Despite the latter’s insistence that she’s innocent, her guilt is proven when it becomes evident that her address is only a fake decoy. Consequently, the horses have to reckon with the fact that someone has managed to dupe one of their own, likely into spilling some heavy-duty MI5 secrets.
Taverner Gets Her Hands on Some Evidence While Claude Gets Blackmailed
The night undoubtedly brings some less-than-pleasant surprises for the Agents of the Slough House. However, it takes an unexpected turn for other MI5 Agents. Moments after the firefight at Roddy’s apartment, Emma Flyte, Head of Security, learns about the incident. Meanwhile, shortly after Taverner retires to her home, she receives a peculiar visitor: Peter. As it turns out, the man has some useful information about the Abbotsfield shooting, one which unsurprisingly comes with a prize. Peter is currently working with a few companies that have their toes in the arms dealing world. And it just so happens that one of his clients managed to misplace a crate of armory earlier, with weapons that match the profile of the mass shooting incident.
Thus, in order to preserve the company’s reputation, Peter has come to Taverner with an indecent proposal. He wants to exchange information about the other missing weapons as compensation for keeping the company’s good name out of any public disclosures. In the end, even though MI5 Agent asserts that she will bring the security issue up in internal channels, she has no choice but to agree to his other demands, given the high value of the information he is offering. The next morning, while MI5 runs the information, Claude Whelan, the General Director of the Agency, has an unusual run-in of his own. During his morning run, a stranger approaches the Director, subtly implying he has information about his possible international affairs that could ruin his marriage. Thus, it seems his earlier stunt with mayoral candidate Campbell’s journalist wife has finally come back to haunt him.
Roddy Gets Arrested and the Slough House Goes on Lockdown
Soon after MI5 starts investigating the shootout at Roddy’s apartment, they make a startling discovery. As it turns out, the ballistics report from that crime scene is a match for the Abbotsfield shooting. Therefore, once those two facts are put side by side, an obvious conclusion emerges. The people responsible for the mass shooting attack want the Slough House agent dead. Adding Tara’s mysterious angle on top makes it evident that the agent is likely responsible for the leaking of some possibly top-secret agency information. As a result, the agents at MI5 find a reason to make an arrest.
Lamb, having anticipated it, makes it pretty easy for Taverner by leading her straight to the Slough House, where he reconvenes with the other agents. Soon enough, Emma Flyte and the rest of the Dogs arrive at the department to clear the premises. This includes Devon confiscating Lamb’s gun. Afterward, Taverner pays him a visit to let him know that she will be putting the department and all its agents on lockdown. As per the rules, the horses had a responsibility to inform the MI5 Deputy Director about their suspicions regarding the plot on Roddy’s life. Therefore, the blatant overlooking of protocol equips the latter with the power and the motive to initiate the lockdown.
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