‘Slow Horses’ Recap: ‘Identity Theft’

9/4/2024

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb in Episode 401 of ‘Slow Horses’ – ‘Identity Theft’. (Photo Courtesy of Apple.)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the Season Four Premiere of ‘Slow Horses’. To revisit the Season Three Finale, click here.

It is definitely safe to say that the Apple TV+ series, Slow Horses, is one of the boldest and most dynamic spy stories around. In large part because the series makes a point of offering up incredible stories that aren’t grounded in spectacle and grandiose villains as most spy stories prefer. Instead, we are treated to intimate, character studies that explore the emotional impact of the moment and the ugly that the members of Slough House see, and the wonders of this series don’t end there. Since it is also quite brave in nature, courtesy of moments that raise the stakes and well, these elements are top of mind today, simply because the series is going to take that to a whole new level in season four.

For the season four premiere of the show, opted to take us on the boldest ride this series has assembled to date, and it accomplished such a feat… by first lulling us into a sense of security. For ‘Identity Theft’ picked up some time after the season three finale, wherein life was getting back to normal at Slough House and in London in general. For Taverner settled into a new role at the service and attempted to have the day-to-day nonsense be handled by a new chap named Claude Whelan and back at the office, life was pretty relaxed, despite some changes. For Standish was indeed retired and done, and River spent his days pondering upon the future of his grandfather, who was showing signs of mental collapse.

All of which truly seemed to signal, a more relaxed and intimate season, where these spies worked to live life and handle simple cases. That is… until the first surprise in this season’s storytelling arrived. In that, a marketplace was blown to hell by a bomber, who immediately garnered the attention of MI-5. For this act was brutal, savage, and came with no intelligence or claims from responsible parties. It was just cruelty, the kind that was further enhanced by the fact that the bomber, outfitted his flat to be nothing short of a death trap. One complete with its own set of well-hidden bombs that quickly dispatched an MI-5 tactical team when they poked about a normally safe spot. Putting London on edge and leaving everyone scrambling to uncover the horrific, ‘why.’

Jack Lowden and Rosalind Eleazar as River Cartwright and Louisa Guy in Episode 401 of ‘Slow Horses’ – ‘Identity Theft’. (Photo Courtesy of Apple.)

While that was going down, Slough House was dealing with their own shocking moment. For as the investigators began to explore the bombing sites, River dropped by his grandfather’s house to see how he was doing. Which was… not well. For he was indeed suffering through one of his episodes and in process of trying to decipher what was real and what was not, he blasted River with a shotgun, a truth that was confirmed by Jackson Lamb when he was roused from his unsettling slumber. Which was… a true stunner. For while we’ve seen agents and charcters fall in this show, we’ve never seen a core member, this big, disappear from the landscape. Which of course, brought shock to the office and tears, especially from Louisa. Who was getting closer to River in this downtime.

But of course, the audience undoubtedly, and this writer for certain, could not stand the thought that somehow, someway, this was legit. Because River is integral to the story, to Slough House and to us. For we love the guy, and we love Jack Lowden, and thankfully… it turned out that River was in fact, all right. For someone else’s body was identified by Lamb, because he knew something was amiss and he knew where River would take his grandad, since he went missing after the shooting… and no one thought twice about an old man with dementia just wandering off after committing a crime. Which reunited Jackson with Standish. Since she was keeping David Cartwright safe, and of course, that reunion informed us of the good news and left us quite curious and quite worried about what lie ahead. Because this was… a shockingly bold episode. One that really did plunge the story into quite the bleak and uncomfortable place and tugged at our heartstrings and left us sick in doing so.

Because the thought of anyone at Slough House that we deeply love being harmed, is a lot for fans to bear and while we did indeed get some relief and an understanding that only Jackson and River seem to have an understanding of what is going on, and how all of this ties together (because how could it not in a spy story?), this does leave one to wonder. Is this a hint that darker days are coming? Was this a Walking Dead type move designed to prepare for us loss? Not to mention… why is such cruelty being imparted on the people of London and how will Slough House stop it? Because it will of course fall to them. Guess we will just have to wait to find out and while we do… we can celebrate the show’s best season premiere to date. For this one was something else and it truly signified that year four is going to take us on quite the ride, one filled with surprise. Until next time.

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