The first episode of Slow Horses begins in an airport, where a flight heading for Marrakesh is about to depart. In the midst of it all, an agent named Cartwright believes he’s spotted a terrorist. Diana Taverner gives the go-ahead to apprehend their suspect, the woman in charge of the operation. Unfortunately, it turns out he’s the wrong guy after tackling him to the ground. The genuine criminal is currently waiting to go through biometric passport control on the other side of the airport. It’s impossible, given how quickly he passes through those gates.
See-Saw Films developed the series for Apple TV+, and Will Smith (“Veep”) adapted it for television. Along with Smith, Graham Yost serves as an executive producer. Executive producers of the show include Jamie Laurenson, Hakan Kousetta, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Gail Mutrux, and Douglas Urbanski. All six episodes are directed and executive produced by James Hawes.
Misfits and those who muck up on the job get sent to spy purgatory. Tap to learn more about the band of MI5 rejects known as the #SlowHorses below ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/y4o6FFjrPr
— Apple TV+ (@AppleTVPlus) April 1, 2022
The British MI5’s backup unit is banished to the rambling old Slough House branch in ‘Slow Horses,’ which digs into the less glamorous aspect of espionage. Fresh off a spectacularly botched training exercise, Agent River Cartwright is assigned to the cynical and vicious Slough House director, Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman), who assigns him the most menial of jobs.
A horrible kidnapping and the possibility of a harsh execution, on the other hand, spurs the Slough House team into action, even as Lamb tries to keep his underlings under control and order them to go about their business as normal.
The combination of biting British humour and amateurish espionage, all set against the backdrop of a truly horrific plot, makes for compelling viewing. Let’s take a deeper look at episodes 1 and 2 of ‘Slow Horses‘ to have a better understanding of what’s going on.
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Recap of Episodes 1 and 2 of Slow Horses
River Cartwright fails an elaborate training exercise in episode one, presumably due to an error by a colleague who is later promoted to MI5 headquarters. At the same time, River is exiled to Slough House. Jackson Lamb makes no attempt to conceal his contempt for the young agent, claiming that the only reason he works for MI5 is because of his grandfather, David Cartwright, an accomplished agent in his own time.
As a result, River finds himself on the trail of a disgraced right-wing journalist named Robert Hobden, and is forced to sift through his trash as part of his investigation.
Sid Baker, River’s coworker, is loved by the Slough Houser boss more for her more polite approach to espionage, but she is also frequently confined to uninteresting tasks. It’s also a mystery why a capable agent like Sid was sent to Slough House in the first place.
She succeeds to take data from Robert Hobden’s USB stick, only to discover that the journalist is wiser than he lets on, and has some severe security measures (and decoys, like the USB stick) in place.
Meanwhile, Hassan Ahmed, a young stand-up comedian, is abducted after performing at a tiny club, and a video of him being kept captive by a group known as the Sons of Albion goes viral. While MI5 is frantically trying to locate Hassan, River sets out on his own to figure out what’s going on.
Is Sid Baker Dead or Alive in Slow Horses Episode 2?
Hassan’s captors are found to be a right-wing hate gang in the meantime. Their leader claims to have served in the Afghan war and appears to despise immigrants. We are introduced to a right-wing politician named Peter Judd in between news coverage of Hassan’s hostage video, which immediately receives over a million views.
To top it off, Hassan’s kidnappers threaten to behead him on live video the next morning to demonstrate their “nationalistic spirit.”
River and Sid begin to keep a closer check on Robert Hobden after believing he might know something about the kidnapping due to his previous connections. Sid finally discloses that she is at Slough House because she has been charged with keeping an eye on River while sitting in a car outside the journalist’s house, shocking the latter.
A masked assailant bursts into Hobden’s residence and attacks him. When the agents engage in the ensuing brawl, Sid is shot.
This is not your average spy drama. Get an inside look at #SlowHorses, starring Gary Oldman and Kristin Scott Thomas, streaming April 1 on Apple TV+ https://t.co/Pip2yoSh2h pic.twitter.com/ssluBP7208
— Apple TV+ (@AppleTVPlus) March 25, 2022
The second episode ends on a dramatic note, not only because River discovers that Sid has been stationed at the dilapidated Slough House to keep an eye on him, but also because of the abrupt escalation in violence that leaves the latter severely injured.
River indicates that she’s been shot in the head while urgently calling for medical help, making things look bleak for Slough House’s most efficient agent (who also happens to be Jackson Lamb’s favourite).
Unfortunately, it appears that Sid is no longer alive. This would also add to the intrigue of the plot of the show, as she has just disclosed a potentially explosive piece of information with River. As a result of Sid’s disappearance, our befuddled protagonist now knows that the MI5 is actively monitoring him as one of their own.
Apart from trying to investigate Hassan’s kidnapping and Hobden’s role in it, River also has to figure out why she was assigned to keep an eye on him now that Sid is likely dead. The enigma becomes much more engrossing.
Slow Horses Episode 2 Ending Explained
Hassan appears to have discovered a way to get away from his ruthless kidnappers the last time we see him. We know Hassan is trying to get away since he knows he will be executed the next day. However, with the probable exception of the former military man, his kidnappers don’t appear to have much expertise in holding a captive. As a result, it appears that Hassan will finally flee.
There’s also the possibility that Hassan is unable to flee, but River (or another spy) is able to track him down before his execution, possibly using information from Hobden. Given the show’s mildly comedic tone, it’s unlikely that execution on live television will take place anytime soon. As a result, Hassan is unlikely to be killed.
