Aahana Swrup
Season 6 Episode 2 of ‘Slow Horses’ stages the return of a familiar face who has been missing in action for some time now. Sidonie “Sid” Baker was a part of the Slough House back in season 1. However, unlike the other agents, it wasn’t some career-defining mistake that had landed her at the MI5’s dumping ground department. Instead, she was actually planted under Jackson Lamb under the instructions of Diana Taverner to keep an eye on the then-newest member, River Cartwright. Sid took her leave from the show halfway through the debut season, presumably meeting her demise after taking a bullet to the head. Naturally, when River finds himself face-to-face with his former colleague, seemingly back from the dead, it makes for an intriguing development and opens up a can of questions. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Sid Baker’s Death in Season 1 Was Faked, Likely With the Park’s Help
Sid Baker was one of the first protagonists to die in ‘Slow Horses,’ establishing the show’s lack of hangups regarding killing off central characters in the service of the narrative. Yet, even at the time of their unexpected death, things hadn’t been quite so clear-cut. The presumed agent’s death occurred after she and River followed a masked man into journalist Robert Hobden’s house. During the chaotic confrontation, Sid finds herself in a showdown with the masked intruder, Jed Moody. The altercation ends with the latter shooting the MI5 agent in the head. Afterward, other service personnel arrive on the scene and take the injured agent to a hospital.
Unfortunately, this is the last we see of Sid. Shortly after her hospital visit, River learns that she is gone. Still, while the implication of her death remains clear, there’s no concrete confirmation. Initially, it seemed the agent’s condition was stable enough that she would recover from her injury and go on. Therefore, the news Lamb delivers is unexpected. However, the most compelling argument for Sid’s survival arrives at the end of season 1. Once the dust has settled, Roddy Ho, Slough House’s resident tech whiz, informs River of a strange anomaly in Sid’s files. He claims that the agent’s records have been erased, essentially wiping her clean from the database.
Thus, Roddy is the first one to theorize that Sid might still be alive. Years later, he is proven right. Even though at the time of writing, the circumstances around the agent’s survival remain ambiguous, certain speculations can be made about the storyline. Given the circumstances of Sid’s death and the ensuing erasure of her files, it’s likely that a higher Agency officer was involved in the orchestration of her fake death. This could be in service of a number of motives, including Sid’s employment as a secret agent under this mysterious higher officer. Unlike the other agents at the Slough House, she didn’t land in the department because of any mistakes or missteps.
As such, even after her stint at the Slough House, Sid likely remained a valuable asset for the Park. Therefore, it makes sense for her to be put back into the field, only this time as a secret agent detached from her recorded past. This would also explain why she never tried to get back in touch with any of her former colleagues. Nonetheless, the explanation for her abrupt appearance at the Cartwright house in season 6 still remains inconclusive. From the looks of it, Sid’s resurfacing could have something to do with the pair of assassins who have a hitlist, seemingly made up of former members of the Slough House. Additionally, Damien Cantor’s menacing interest in the department and its records could also have a potential connection. Either way, it seems likely that the new threat looming over Lamb and his agents is directly related to Sid’s decision to emerge from hiding and reach out to River.
Read More: How Did David Cartwright Die? Did Jonathan Pryce Leave Slow Horses?
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