Identity Theft – The episode opens with Roddy Ho (Christopher Chung) at the Chickado making calls until Louisa Guy (Rosalind Eleazar) finally answers. He reminds her of their planned Christmas Party at the Chickado. She assures him that they don’t have Christmas Parties. He smugly suggests Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman) only invited the elites. She eventually hangs up on him. He finishes his meal while walking down the street when something explodes behind him. Listening to music via earphones, Roddy doesn’t hear a thing but eventually turns to see the chaos off in the distance. A news report about a car bombing blasts across the radio. Westacres Dog (Brinsley Terence) alerts dispatch that First Desk, Claude Whelan (James Callis), who replaced Tearney, is approaching the scene. Diana Taverner (Kristin Scott Thomas) and Agent Singh (Bally Gill) arrive and are immediately greeted by Whelan. CCTV footage shows the car speeding through the crowd into the mall before the driver, 28-year-old Robert Winters (Zachary Hart), an IT consultant freelancer, detonates the bomb. The vehicle was a rental. Winters’ address in Leicester has been desolate for years.

River Cartwright (Jack Lowden) watches a news report about the Westacres terror attack. He suggests it is a lone wolf. Louisa hopes they are out of Slough House by next Christmas. He says not likely. She contemplates quitting. As he tries to tell her something, she blurts out that she likes him. He admits to feeling closer to her before saying his grandfather, David Cartwright (Jonathan Pryce) has dementia and is dying. Jack would like for David to be admitted to a senior care home but dares to suggest it to him. She insists he visit David who raised him. Elsewhere, David keeps looking back while walking down a road. He tells whoever he thinks is there to show their self. He races to his house, retrieves his loaded shotgun, peeks out the window, and sits down in a chair. It’s nighttime when a knock at the door wakes him, he is relieved to see it is River. While River is in the bathroom, David looks at a photo of them together. He places a panic button in his shirt, retrieves his gun, and ascends the stairs. River tells him that his bath is almost ready. David disputes he is River before shooting him in the head. He immediately realizes that he made a terrible mistake.

Lamb is awakened by a phone call about River’s death. A short time later, he arrives at David’s house where Emma Flyte (Ruth Bradley) is waiting for him. She watches as he struggles to put on shoe covers. She asks if he oversees The Rejects. Lamb walks into the bloody bathroom. She says the police were notified at 9:03pm via a panic button and arrived 36 minutes later. He scoffs at the police’s delay in reaching the scene. She claims David had a habit of utilizing his panic button for non-emergencies. While looking through the vanity for an Alka-Seltzer, Lamb informs her that panic buttons are traceable. She claims the panic button in question was traced to David’s kitchen. River was shot in the face and the chest. He describes the shooting as a bit excessive. Lamb identifies the remains as that of River before leaving. She tells him that David is missing. He suggests they want to keep River’s death on the low end, so soon after the Westacres car bombing. She urges him to take a shower but he refutes the idea.

Taverner informs Whelan that David fatally shot River. He recalls David was one of their friends. She claims to be okay with him hiring Flyte to replace Duffy. He assures her that Flyte being an outsider will be beneficial. She insists on keeping River’s death out of the news for now. He forces her to attend the COBRA meeting, even though, it is part of First Desk’s responsibilities. Elsewhere, Marcus Longridge (Kadiff Kirwan) demonstrates waterboarding. Shirley Dander (Aimee-FFion Edwards) plays the suspect. He stops after seven seconds. She assures him that she could have lasted longer. He argues everyone has a breaking point. She pays him in paper clips. Seeing all the water on the floor, Moira Tregorian (Joanna Scanlan), who is Catherine Standish’s (Saskia Reeves) replacement, asks if there is a leak. Shirley tells her that Marcus waterboarded her. While mopping up the water, Moira boasts of her previous position as a Desk Allocator to the Queens of the Database. Shirley and Marcus are unimpressed. Moira orders them to put the council complaints in order by date. Shirley says Catherine grouped them by number of complaints. Moira reminds her that Catherine is no longer working at Slough House. A solemn JK Coe (Tom Brooke) arrives and ignores them all the way to his desk.

Lamb stops at a store for Alka-Seltzer. He comments on the car bombing. The newsagent (Omar Shaker) questions what is next for London. A video airs across the news, showing Robert Winters threatening payback for his being imprisoned by the system. He says they will hear from his brothers soon. A team of armed agents arrives at an apartment building. Elsewhere, Flyte is informed that River’s body has been identified. Taverner warns her to watch out for Lamb. Flyte assures her that she can handle him before telling her that David is still missing. She offers to work on the Westacres terror attack case. Taverner orders her to focus on River’s murder and abruptly ends the call. At the MI6 headquarters, Taverner turns her attention to a video that shows Robert Winters carrying a black bag to his car around 1pm yesterday. Agent Davies (Alisha Williams) says Winters’ flat is vacant. Taverner suggests he has accomplices. Turning her attention back to the CCTVs, she insists the agents move the children playing outside the apartment building. Whelan joins her as the agents arrive at the flat. She authorizes forced entrance. Armed agents search the flat to find it empty. Winters’ passport is located inside the flat. When a forensic officer (Christos Lawton) arrives, he demands the agents leave. He opens the drapes and a bomb is detonated, blowing out the window and nearby CCTV camera. Three people are killed. Taverners calls for the entire block to be vacated. Whelan appears distraught. She insists he pull it together and notify the victims’ families.

Roddy tells Moira that River died and he is taking his computer. Louisa refuses to believe him. He shows them a text from Lamb who identified River’s body. Marcus verifies it via the Duty Log. Distraught, Louisa blames herself because she encouraged him to visit David. Roddy announces he has a girlfriend. Louisa throws something at him. JK becomes irate because it hits him. Elsewhere, Catherine is watching the news report about the Westacres bombing that claimed the lives of Jack Warton and other victims. Lamb rings the doorbell until she reluctantly lets him in. He flips off the TV. She turns it back on. She informs him of River’s death. Shocked, she asks him to leave. He asks for a glass of water for Alka-Seltzer. She pours him a glass of water and reminds him that she resigned three times. He admits to receiving her resignation but refuses to sign it for fear she will start drinking. He insists River is alive and she has seen him. She denies the allegation. He points out that River’s vehicle is parked in front of her apartment building. Lamb finds David asleep in Catherine’s spare bedroom. He demands to know where River is hiding.

River is in a taxi, holding a British passport. He appears to be utilizing an alias. The episode ends.

 

Slow Horses Review

Season four starts out with a car bombing inside the Westacres Mall in London. To top it off, River fakes his own death with the help of his 80-year-old grandfather and ex-MI6 agent, David Cartwright. The only problem is the bomber is a white British citizen named Robert Winters. Anyone who knows anything about car bombings, the culprits are generally connected to radical Islam. The IRA led a series of bombings throughout London between 1939 and 2001. I’m not an expert but I do suspect the writer has an agenda.

Story progression is slow but not so much that it interferes with the flow. The acting has always been the series’ strong point. Roddy is still remains my favorite character.

The production quality has dropped significantly since the series debuted. The lighting, camerawork, and editing have gradually deteriorated over the seasons. The clarity is hit and miss and night and indoor scenes are a bit too dark. Overall, a fairly good opening for season four. I rate the episode a 6 out of 10.

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