Penny For Your Thoughts – The episode opens with River Cartwright (Jack Lowden) waiting to find himself in a strange room and his head bleeding. He looks out the window to see a man on a bench and making a call. While looking for an escape route, River sees smoke off in the distance. He bangs on the door to get someone’s attention. Hearing footsteps, he arms himself with a pot when Victor (Eric Savin) barges in with his gun raised. After ditching the pot, River asks who he is and if it was necessary to hit him. Victor reluctantly says someone wants to speak with him before leaving and locking the door behind him. Elsewhere, David Cartwright (Jonathan Pryce) is washing his hands when Catherine Standish (Saskia Reeves) arrives with tea and asks if he remembers Charles. David tells her that he killed River. She says the man resembled River and it was self-defense. He claims to have done it to protect River. She explains how she knows River and Charles Partner. He insists on telling First Desk what happened was his fault. She convinces him not to contact Park.

Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman) arrives at Slough House. Seeing a shoeprint on the floor, he steps around it and makes his way to Roddy Ho’s (Christopher Chung) office. Roddy tells him that the “deadweights” are upstairs. Lamb informs him of the shoeprint ascending the stairs. Roddy and Louisa Guy (Rosalind Eleazar) refuse to take the blame for the woman. Lamb orders her to warn Catherine to move David. She is surprised by the revelation. Emma Flyte (Ruth Bradley) scolds Lamb for helping River. He admits guilt. She insists on having River detaining. He denies any knowledge of where River is at. She threatens to bring in the Dogs if he doesn’t go with her. Lamb reluctantly holds out his hands. She cuffs him. He suggests she is trying to right her trouble with Diana Taverner (Kristin Scott Thomas). Marcus Longridge (Kadiff Kirwan) watches them leave. Lamb bribes her to let him go by turning in David who he describes as a piece of “sh*t.” She unlocks his cuffs. Roddy stops working out to apologize to Emma for mistaking her for a Dog when she is surely an angel. Getting in his face, she cuffs him. As she walks away, he says she loses because he has a girlfriend and assures her that he can slip out of the handcuff.

Claude Whelan (James Callis) thanks Agent Gigi Rahman (Kiran Sonia Sawar) for her work on the cold body case. She says thankfully it was a glitch. He suggests she continue searching the system for more potential cold bodies. She claims Diana shot the idea down when she suggested it. He says they will keep it between the two of them and she will report directly to him. Molly Doran (Naomi Wirthner) calls Whelan “Weasel.” He explains away what it means before telling her what Giti will be doing. She insists Diana has more power than him. Elsewhere, Natasha (Coralie Audret) demands to know why River has a fake passport. River says the man is dead. She tells him that he was her son, Bertrand. He says Bertrand, disguised as him, visited his grandfather with the intention of drowning him but his grandfather shot him. She urges Victor to put his gun down. Speaking in French, Victor assures her that it was Bertrand’s fate, with a father like his. Natasha releases him. Victor says the men outside believe River is Bertrand. Holding up a photo of her son and Robert Winters, River says they were at Les Arbres together and Winters detonated the bomb in London.

In a voicemail, Louisa warns Catherine that Flyte is coming for David but it’s too late. Seeing Flyte approaching Catherine’s flat, Louisa pretends to be frantic, claiming a man is following her. Flyte leaves her with Tattoo Dog (Joshua Lacey) and continues into the apartment building. Louisa says it was a mistake and starts to walk away when Tattoo Dog believes he recognizes her. She threatens to report him for coming on to her. He assures her that he was only trying to help her. Catherine refuses to let Flyte in until she sees her ID and a warrant. Flyte says as a member of the service, Catherine is subject to her jurisdiction. Catherine says her resignation was submitted a while back. Flyte reminds her that she continues to receive a salary. Catherine denies spending the money and reluctantly lets her in. While Flyte searches the flat for David, Catherine asks who told her. Flyte says it was Lamb. Not finding David, Flyte storms out of the flat.

Shirley Dander (Aimee-Ffion Edwards) urges Marcus to not sell his gun. JK Coe (Tom Brooke) warns him of a repeat of the Westacres bombing. Shirley orders him to shut up. Marcus says once his gambling debt is paid, it will be over. She receives a call from Roddy asking for help but she refuses until he is committing suicide. He calls her back and explains his situation. She races to take a photo of him handcuffed to the exercise machine. When JK starts to help Roddy, Shirley removes his hoodie. JK jumps up, sticks a knife to her throat, and explains how he spent 72 hours handcuffed to a chair. While JK works to remove the handcuff, Roddy smirks at Shirley before she leaves. JK claims his assailant threatened to slice up his stomach with a carving knife and unlocks the handcuff. Roddy holds up his fist but JK refuses because he doesn’t like to be touched.

Natasha tells River that Frank Harkness (Hugh Weaving) at Les Arbres impregnated her when she was just 17 and Victor stood by her. She claims Frank refuses to let her take Bertrand when she left. Bertrand stopped recognizing her as his mother. River suggests he interfered with Frank’s plan to get rid of evidence. She says Yves, the bomber, was filled with hatred. He shows her a photo of the mural at Les Arbres. She says one of the girls there painted it. Frank impregnated Russian, English, and Greek girls and after they gave birth, he forced them out of Les Arbres. Victor goes outside to tell the men that River is not Bertrand. Pointing at a French unshaven man (Mikael Fitoussi), Natasha says Bertrand put his son in the hospital and assaulted his daughter. The men bust open the door and barge into the house. Natasha tries to tell them that he isn’t Bertrand but someone hits her. River races to the bathroom, locks the door, and jumps out the window onto a roof. He gets a short distance before the roof collapses. Regaining his footing, he flees through the town with the men and a large dog in tow. River steals an electric bike from a local man and flees.

Catherine tells Louisa that she hid David in flat 25. Louisa considers leaving Slough House after Lamb lied to her about River’s death. They enter the flat to find David gone and the back door open. Lamb is asleep in his office with Robert Winter’s video playing in the background. Moira Tregorian (Joanna Scanlan) enters his office, takes a sniff of her “tussie-mussie” to block the stench, and informs him that there is nothing in the Park system that shows David went to France. He takes their deal off the table. She says Bad Sam Chapman (Sean Gilder) visited Lavande in the early 90s. With the deal back on the table, Lamb tells her to ask Roddy why she was sent to the Slough House. Elsewhere, Chapman asks a group of guys if they know a 13-year-old boy, KZ. A guy agrees to tell them if he is willing to pay. Chapman denies having any money, retrieves his baton for protection, and walks away. He receives a call from Lamb requesting a meeting. Patrice (Tom Wozniczka) tells Harkness on the phone that he has Chapman under surveillance. Harkness orders him to show Chapman that he is being pursued, kill him in a remote location, and go after David.

Marcus identifies himself as an MI5 agent. Dancer Blaine (Turlough Convery) buzzes him in. Marcus admits to needing quick cash. Dancer is sure Marcus has a good heart. Marcus slides the Beretta M9 across the table. After inspecting the gun, Dancer offers him 3 grand. Marcus reluctantly accepts the offer. Dancer pays him. At a Laundromat, Lamb receives a call from Chapman saying someone is following him. He suggests it is connected to KZ’s case. Lamb informs him of the failed attack on David. Chapman asks who carried it out. Lamb denies knowing the man but David killed him. At the market, Shirley is waiting for Chapman when Marcus calls. She tells him that Lamb wants them to follow Chapman from the market to fallback number two. Marcus emerges from where he met Dancer. Patrice pursues Chapman through the crowded market. Marcus catches up with Shirley. They see Chapman a short distance away. Patrice shoves Marcus into a store window and keeps walking toward Chapman. Utilizing a rag to pick up a piece of broken glass, Shirley takes off after Patrice. Marcus gets to his feet and follows her.

Chapman calls Lamb to warn him that he is still being followed. Lamb urges him to keep moving and promises to be there. Chapman enters a shop, grabs a pipe wrench, and takes refuge behind a car when an armed Patrice arrives. Patrice orders him to show himself. Shirley stabs him in the upper chest with the broken glass. He hits her with his gun, pulls the glass out of his chest, and aims his gun at her. Chapman knocks the gun out of his hand. A struggle ensues. Patrice gets the best of him and retrieves the pipe wrench. Marcus attacks him and a fight breaks out. Lamb arrives, sees them fighting, and continues walking. Patrice gets the best of Marcus, retrieves his gun, and aims it at Chapman. Lamb drives a stolen taxi into the building and mows Patrice down. He orders Shirley to help Marcus into the taxi before realizing Patrice has escaped.

 

Slow Horses Review

Moira digs until she finds evidence that Chapman visited Lavande in France in the early 90s. As promised, Lamb agrees to have Roddy find out why she was transferred to Slough House. Chapman’s meeting with Lamb is derailed by Harkness’ man, Patrice. Slough House agents join forces to save his life for now.

Fyte is upset when she learns Lamb lied about the body belonging to River. Lamb insists it was his responsibility to help River. She is ready to take him in when he offers up David’s location. Louisa warns Catherine and creates a diversion to give her time to hide David. Fyte is terribly upset when she doesn’t find David in Catherine’s flat.

Bertrand’s mother, Natasha tells River that Harkness impregnated her and several other young girls. After their babies were born, he forced them out of Les Arbes. Bertrand stopped recognizing her as his mother. A victim’s father wants River dead because he believes he is Bertrand. Natasha and Victor try to tell him otherwise, but he refuses to listen. River escapes on a stolen electric bike.

 

There are far too many remarkable moments when the characters are facing death and/or capture only to escape. These occur throughout the episode. In some sense, it makes the story unbelievable.

The scene in which Louisa threatens to report Tattoo Dog for coming on to her is repulsive.

Although Shirley is a recovering drug addict, she puts herself on a pedestal. Slough House is supposed to stick together, not Shirley. She refused to help Roddy out of a fix. I guess every story needs an antagonist who isn’t always the villain. The episode deserves a 6 out of 10.

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