Slow Horses Episode 3 ‘Bad Tradecraft’ Recap and Ending Explained

Slow Horses Episode 3 Recap and Ending, Explained

Slow Horses Episode 3 Recap – Following the second British MI5 squad downgraded to the old Slough House branch, the ‘Slow Horses‘ entered the less apparent side of the spies. Agent River Cartwright, a newly traumatised trainee, finds himself in the hands of Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman), the critically praised and grief-stricken head of the Slough House, who gives the young agent a plethora of low-paying employment.

The horrible kidnapping and threat of violent death, on the other hand, drove the Slough House team to act, precisely as the Lamb attempted to stop its minions and order them to go about their business as usual. The combination of British dry comedy and strange espionage, all set against the backdrop of a very terrible conspiracy, makes for an intriguing viewing.

The third episode of ‘Slow Horses‘ picks up in the middle of a series of crises that began in the first two episodes of the darkly humorous spy thriller. River Cartwright is concerned for his colleague, Sid Baker, who is still clinging to life despite a strange invader attacking two Slough House employees.

Hassan Ahmed’s kidnapping remains unsolved, but a larger conspiracy appears to be at work. The most exciting chapter so far is ‘Slow Horses’ episode 3 titled ‘Bad Tradecraft’, which has a pretty violent ending, so let’s dig in and pick up all the facts.

Must Read: ‘Slow Horses’ Episode 1 and Episode 2 Recap and Ending Explained

Slow Horses Episode 3 Recap Explained

Recap of Episode 3 of Slow Horses ‘Bad Tradecraft’

Min and Louisa begin the episode in a pub, watching the news of Hassan Ahmed’s kidnapping unfold. They assume their employer, Jackson Lamb, may have additional information about the crime, so they return to Slough House to try to hack into his correspondence.

Unfortunately, an intruder in the workplace surprises the two, who are slain in the subsequent scuffle. When Jackson arrives on the scene, the dead intruder is identified as Jed Moody, an MI5 agent, much to the amazement of everyone there.

Jackson learns that the MI5 might be engaged in the kidnapping as part of a larger conspiracy in a covert meeting with MI5 second desk chief Diana Taverner. Jed’s death, on the other hand, poses a dilemma since it risks exposing Diana’s unofficial plan, which Jackson refers to as a “false flag operation.”

So Jackson is charged with travelling to the kidnappers’ hideout to assist Hassan’s rescue and “hush-up” the whole event in exchange for immunity for his Slough House underlings.

Simultaneously, disgraced right-wing journalist Robert Hobden visits politician Peter Judd’s home, warning him of a possible media scandal if Hassan is killled by nationalists. The politician is annoyed by Robert’s presence and tells him to go, but he also becomes concerned when Robert claims that MI5 may be engaged in the operation.

Slow Horses Episode 3 Recap

Why is Moe killed in the 3rd episode of Slow Horses?

Meanwhile, Hassan remains at the hideout, attempting to flee without being discovered by his kidnappers, the self-styled Sons of Albion. He almost gets away, but he makes too much noise and is apprehended. While the kidnappers bind Hassan, Jackson, River, Min, and Louisa arrive to the hideout to free the prisoner. However, when Curly becomes suspicious and pulls up an axe, things among the kidnappers take a violent turn.

When Jackson and his squad get at the hideout, they are surprised to see that the door has been left open. Instead, they discover a perplexing scene of violence inside. Blood is splattered everywhere, and the MI5 agents are even more perplexed when one of the kidnappers, Moe, is found decapitated with no sign of the other kidnappers or Hassan.

As a result, a long-awaited murder occurs, but the victim is an unexpected one. Curly, the kidnapper with the least expertise, appears to have a grudge towards Moe, who claims to be a former soldier and is usually confrontational.

When Moe tries to dissuade Curly from injuring Hassan near the end of the episode, it appears that Curly becomes suspicious of him. Because the kidnappers have not sought a ransom, it is evident that their ultimate purpose is to kill Hassan, which makes Moe’s behaviour rather suspect.

Curly appears to behead Moe partially out of suspicion and partly out of rage in the end. The fact that Diana has revealed that one of the kidnappers is actually an undercover MI5 agent adds to the intrigue. As a result, Curly may have unwittingly uncovered the spy and killed him, jeopardising the entire MI5 mission.

Slow Horses Episode 3 Ending, Explained

What exactly is Diana Taverner’s Game plan? Is she the one Who kidnapped Hassan?

In episode 3, Diana Taverner, the chief of MI5 staff, also emerges as a twisted character when a hazardous plot is revealed during her covert meeting with Jackson. She appears to have orchestrated Hassan Ahmed’s kidnapping for a variety of reasons, the first of which is to weaken the country’s fanatical right-wing movement.

Diana aims to change public opinion against nationalists by flooding the news with headlines about a nationalist group threatening to behead a student, which is why right-wing journalist Hobden and nationalist lawmaker Peter are concerned.

Diana goes so far as to choose the abduction victim, indicating that Hassan is not being kidnapped for his stand-up comedy routine. She discloses that the young man is actually the nephew of Mahmud Gul, a Pakistani agent. Diana feels that by rescuing Hassan, she would be able to strengthen her relationships with Pakistani intelligence and obtain important information. As a result, it looks that Diana, the chief of MI5’s second desk, is the one responsible for Hassan’s kidnapping.

Watch Slow Horses Episode 3 ‘Bad Tradecraft’ on Apple TV+.