Last Stop – The episode begins with Dickie Bow/Richard Bough (Phil Davis) working in an adult store alone.  A man standing in front of the store reminds him of being abducted when he was younger. He pursues the man to Oxford Parkway Station where he boards a train. In a flashback, unknown men are pouring alcohol down young Dickie Bow’s throat (Mark Stewart). Back to the present, he pursues the man to a commuter bus. He typed something on his phone before his hand slips to his side.

The bus driver (Delroy Atkinson) tries to wake him up with no luck.

Molly Doran (Naomi Wirthner) stamps “deceased” on retired field agent, Dickie Bow’s file.

Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman) tells Simon (Divian Ladwa) at the depot that his brother passed away on one of the buses. Simon informs him that the agency utilizes several bus lines. Lamb says he’d really like to see where he died. Simon tells him that he’ll make a few calls.

Roddy Ho (Christopher Chung) tells Catherine Standish (Saskia Reeves) that with his seniority, he shouldn’t have to share an office with Shirley Dander (Aimee-Ffion Edwards). Shirley suggests he not regard his tenure in this “shithole” as a status symbol. Roddy tells her that power is how humans organize themselves. Catherine informs them that she’ll bring their work down later. Shirley warns her that she’ll kill Roddy if she doesn’t have something to keep her busy.

Lamb says Dickie died of a heart attack. The bus driver informs him that a hat found in the seat beside Dickie was taken to lost property. He describes Dickie’s demeanor as “calm” Lamb assures him that is what he would have wanted. Lamb questions if life forces exist. The bus driver says he’ll wait outside. Lamb discovers Dickie’s phone wedged between two objects. Dickie had typed “cicada” in the Notes on his phone.

Elessar Intelligence Specialists – River Cartwright (Jack Lowden) tells Elessar interviewers (Charly Burridge-Jones and Fergus Rees) that he believes his specialty is private intelligence. An interviewer asks if he’s part of the Slough House unit. The female interviewer asks what Lamb’s like.

Min Harper (Dustin Demri-Burns) warns Louisa Guy (Rosalind Eleazar) that Lamb’s going to kill them. She tells him that Lamb was in the office this morning. He suggests Lamb was wanking at the morgue when Spider Webb (Freddie Fox) approaches. After informing them of their being seconded to work security, Spider says the meeting will be off-record with Ilya Nevsky’s main guy, Arkady Pashkin. Min asks who approached the idea. Spider tells him that it was Krimov before handing them a folder. Louisa warns him that the Anti-Capitalist March and the meeting are scheduled for the same day.

Min warns Louisa that Lamb will have a fit when he finds out about them working with Spider. She tells him that he’s afraid of Lamb.

River sneaks upstairs to change clothes while Lamb, Roddy, and Marcus Longridge (Kadiff Kirwan) check out CCTV footage of Soho. Lamb asks Roddy if he can pick up Dickie at Marylebone. Louisa says he died of heart failure, according to the coroner’s report. Lamb says, “Bullocks. She reminds him of Dickie being 60 before suggesting he drank and smoked. Lamb claims to be in his prime even though he drinks and smokes. River asks why would someone want him dead. Lamb says he may have did a job interview without informing his boss which justifies murder. River asks if he’s positive it’s murder. Lamb says it is according to the note on his phone. CCTV footage shows Dickie passes the entrance without a ticket.

Catherine informs them that Dickie was really Richard Bough. Min suggests he’s following the gentleman wearing a hat. Lamb tells him that the hat was discovered close to a luggage rack where Dickie put it. CCTV footage shows the bus arrives at Oxford Parkway Station. Min says the man wearing the hat didn’t get off. Lamb reminds him that the hat was left on the bus before showing it to him. CCTV footage of both platforms shows a “bald-headed” man that disappears after the train passes. Lamb orders Roddy to obtain the CCTV footage inside the Oxford Parkway train. Roddy says the hard drives are transferred to a data center where they’re copied and wiped before returning to the trains.

Lamb asks Min and Louisa who seconded them. Min admits it was Spider. River asks if they’re going to work with the “dick” that screwed him over. As Lamb and Min discuss the details, River says he’ll retrieve the hard drives from the train station. Lamb reminds him of his Elessar interview. River claims to have turned down the job. Lamb says here is your farewell gift, his middle finger before delegating the job to Shirley.

David Cartwright (Jonathan Pryce) asks how did the interview at Elessar turn out. River asks how he found out. David tells him that the director contacted him. River suggests they just wanted information about Lamb. David assures him that something will come along. River says Lamb refused to let him track FSB wet squad, Richard Bough who died of heart failure. David admits to knowing him.

After pickpocketing Cal Fenton’s (Ojan Genc) wallet, Shirley returns it to the store clerk. She contacts Roddy to ask him to switch the power off at the Datalok building at 9pm. He asks why cut the power if she has the security key. She informs him that the security protocol is facial recognition. He asks what will he get out of it. She says, “A quick death” before ending the call.

River says cicadas train underground for years until they hatch before being implanted into British society. David asks if he remembers they’re a hoax. River tells him that they were created by the Russians to keep them chasing their tails. David claims Dickie returned from being AWOL, claiming Popov abducted him and forced brandy down his throat. He says Dickie was tossed out. River asks if it was possible Dickie’s story was true. David assures him that there was no evidence of a real Popov. After informing him of Dickie following a man before his death, River questions if it’s KGB. David assures him it is nothing.

Louisa and Min study Webb’s plan to meet Pashkin above Nevsky’s office on the 42nd floor of the Glasshouse. Min asks how Lamb found out about River’s interview. She tells him that Catherine received a call from Elessar looking for a reference.

Shirley utilizes the security key to enter the outer gate. CCTV footage of her plays on Roddy’s computer. A security guard walks the grounds. He leaves to answer the door at 21:02. She mutters him a death threat. A security guard closes in on her when Roddy gets around to shutting down the power at 21:04. She rushes to the Datalok data center.

Cal informs another security guard of his missing security key. Shirley stuffs the hard drives before sliding something across the floor. While the guards get a closer look, she flees out the door as the power comes back on.

Shirley admits to punching her case officer for making a pass at her and saying she punched like a girl. She says Dickie boarded a train at Oxford Parkway en route to Stroud, Cotswolds. CCTV footage shows the “bald-headed” man walking in the direction of a taxi booth before disappearing. He questions how close he got to Dickie.

River meets Lamb at a local eatery. They go back and forth with the insults. The CCTV footage shows the man touching Dickie’s arm. In another frame, Dickie’s rubbing the same arm as he walks down the corridor. River suggests it was an untraceable toxin before betting him 50 quid that he can interpret the message on Dickie’s phone. When he says cicada, Lamb shows him Dickie’s phone. While slopping down his food, Lamb asks what the message means. River suggests Dickie was telling the truth about Popov, believed to only be a myth. Lamb reminds him that Popov’s still a myth. River says maybe the cicada is real, not Popov before heading to Cotswolds. Lamb orders prawn buns to go as the episode comes to an end.

 

Slow Horses Synopsis

Slough House owner, Jackson Lamb becomes intrigued by the death of a retired MI5 agent, Richard Bough/Dickie Bow. Dickie had died in pursuit of a “bald-headed” man. He unexpectedly dies on a commuter bus. Lamb’s suspicions become more profound when he discovers the man’s hat was left on the bus and a message on Dickie’s phone that reads “cicada.”

In the meantime, River goes for an interview at Elessar Intelligence Specialists without informing Lamb. Min and Louisa meet with Spider to discuss an off-the-record security mission. They agree to provide security for a meeting between Spider and Arkady Pashkin at the Glasshouse. Roddy’s full of complaints regarding his office which he doesn’t want to share with the new Slough House agent, Shirley.

The coroner’s report reveals Dickie died of heart failure. Lamb disagrees, he believes it was murder. Lamb needs the CCTV footage “inside” the train to determine what really happened. Roddy informs him that the railway station doesn’t store data on software but on hard drives kept in a data center. River volunteers to obtain the hard drives from the Datalok data center. Lamb refuses his offer as a form of retribution for his Elessar interview. Shirley’s chosen instead.

Shirley pickpockets a key card to the front security gate at the Datalok center. She turns to Roddy to switch off the electricity at 9pm so she can access the building. Roddy, being Roddy, intentionally waits till 9:04 to cut the power. She locates the hard drives but needs to create a distraction to throw two security guards off her tail.

David says Dickie claimed to have been abducted by Popov as a young MI5 agent. Popov allegedly poured brandy down his throat, which was never substantiated. River suggests the KGB wanted to keep him quiet about something but David assures him there is no truth to Dickie’s story.

The CCTV footage inside the train shows the “bald-headed” man touching Dickie’s arm. He is seen rubbing the same shoulder walking down the corridor. River suggests Dickie was poisoned with an “untraceable toxin” that lead to a heart attack. Is Popov or/and cicada true?

 

Slow Horses Review

The premise is intriguing, but the execution is a mess. The timeline is all out of whack as if the editor(s) was an amateur. Nothing much has changed since season 1, other than the case. Lamb’s still a disparaging slob that treats his workers like second-class citizens.

The investigation just seems too easy. Take, for instance, hard drives. Shirley swooped in, grabbed the hard drives, and swooped out with minimal effort.

The terminology may be relevant to MI5 but for the common viewer, it’s foreign. Viewers wait for an explanation that never comes.

As a big fan of Poldark actor, Phil Davis (Bleak House, Vera Drake, Silk), it was disappointing to see him killed off in the first episode.

The episode deserves a 6. Get more Slow Horses recaps here. Support Reel Mockery by clicking the link.

 

Slow Horses Season 2 Cast

• Jackson Lamb – Gary Oldman
• Roddy Ho – Christopher Chung
• River Cartwright – Jack Lowden
• David Cartwright – Jonathan Pryce
• Catherine Standish – Saskia Reeves
• Diana Taverner – Kristin Scott Thomas
• Louisa Guy – Rosalind Eleazar
• Spider Webb – Freddie Fox
• Shirley Dander – Aimee-Ffion Edwards
• Min Harper – Dustin Demri-Burns
• Dickie Bow/Richard Bough – Phil Davis

What Did Dickie Mean By Cicada

The KGB invented cicada, highly trained spies living in Britain. Since evidence never surfaced, MI5 labels the group a “myth.”

What Is Popov

Rumors have it, Popov is a Russian KGB agent. Due to the lack of evidence, MI5 still disputes the claims.

Where Was Slow Horses Filmed

The second season of Slow Horses, written by Will Smith and Mick Herron, was filmed in the small Gloucestershire town of Stroud and in and around Essex, and London, England.

According to relevant sources, several Stroud businesses were updated to complement the show.

Where To Watch Slow Horses Season 2

The second season of Slow Horses, directed by Lovering, was released on Apple TV on December 2, 2022.