Slow Horses Recap: Roddy’s Girlfriend

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Wait, is it possible that Roddy has a girlfriend?

Slow Horses is a show full of unexpected turns, and it seemed very likely that Roddy had been tricked by an attractive woman who was much more sophisticated than him. Even Jackson Lamb, who initially doubted Shirley’s idea that Roddy was intentionally targeted by the vehicle that almost hit him, started to pay attention when he learned about Roddy’s romantic life. “It seems suspicious,” he tells Roddy at his place, “but nothing bothers me more than finding out someone is actually happy to be with you.” Especially after the last scene of the previous episode, where Tara politely turned down Roddy’s flirtations and then immediately called for help as soon as he left, it was clear he was being deceived.

However, it’s possible he’s not a target for the wrong reasons. We are now certain the same terrorist group behind the Abbotsfield shooting is targeting Roddy, but their reasons are still unclear. Roddy, who isn’t one to show much emotion, strongly believes his relationship with Tara, his girlfriend, is genuine. And tonight’s episode supports him in two key ways: First, when River and J.K. Coe visit Tara’s apartment, they’re confronted by an older woman and her son, one of whom is armed with a knife. The woman claims Tara isn’t there, but we see her watching them leave from a bedroom curtain. She appears frightened, a significant change from the confident woman who was out clubbing with Roddy earlier. Second, we know this terrorist group often forces or manipulates people with no prior connection to them to carry out their plans. Tara might be one of those people, just like the Abbotsfield shooter and the three eco-anarchists featured later in the episode.

There are many interesting questions to explore as the season continues, but it’s clear that making Roddy a central character in Slow Horses has really energized season five with humor. It seems strange to say this, considering the season began with what might be the most upsetting event in the show’s history, but the focus on Roddy provides a welcome tonal balance. While the spy plots are driven by serious issues like real-world violence and the loss of characters like Marcus, the show also strives to remain clever, lighthearted, and enjoyable. Without Roddy taking up so much screen time, the events so far might feel too bleak. Because of him, the show is progressing with the same confidence as always.

The scene picks up immediately after the last one, with Roddy returning to his apartment. He hears a sound from upstairs and instinctively grabs the first thing he can find to defend himself – a large, decorative sword with bright LED lights. (It’s questionable whether the sword is actually sharp enough to be effective, and later, when he uses it against an attacker, he hits them with the flat side instead of the blade.) It turns out Lamb has come to check on Roddy, now believing Shirley was right to be concerned about him. Roddy’s enthusiastic, and somewhat clumsy, efforts to make his bedroom romantic give Lamb the opportunity to deliver some witty remarks – about his waterbed (“must be like sleeping in a bouncy castle”) and the inexpensive champagne he’d been saving (“For losing your virginity? It would be vintage by then.”). Despite his colleagues’ worries, Roddy hasn’t realized he’s being followed, which likely explains why he has a minor position at Slough House as a tech specialist.

With Lamb inside the apartment and Shirley watching for anyone approaching from the outside, they were ready to catch whoever came looking for Roddy – but, true to form for Slough House, things quickly became disorganized. Despite being prepared, Shirley didn’t notice the masked attacker quietly approaching the door, and Lamb’s attempt to temporarily disable him with bleach led to a messy fight that injured the attacker but didn’t stop him. Shirley’s final attempt to subdue the man at a nearby skate park was unsuccessful, and the terrorist group – still using the same white van – decided to cut ties with him themselves. It seems loyalty isn’t a priority for them; they seem to prefer using and discarding fanatical followers.

As with every season of Slow Horses, cooperation remains difficult between the teams at Slough House and the Park. The situation with Roddy has given Slough House a unique perspective on the Abbotsfield massacre, but the Park is handling the official investigation, with Emma Flyte cautiously leading the charge. (She’s leading cautiously because Taverner hasn’t been happy with her performance and has told her to stay in the office until she delivers some positive results.) Back at home, while relaxing with a glass of red wine, Taverner receives a visit from Peter Judd MP (Samuel West), the slick and calculating right-wing politician that Slow Horses author Mick Herron likened to Boris Johnson. Judd reveals that the weapon used at Abbotsfield was taken from a collection at a gun show. He asks her to provide a detailed list of this and other missing weapons, and in return, she must promise not to reveal the company’s involvement publicly.

The disagreement between Slough House and the Park escalates into a public spectacle, something Lamb calmly expects. Taverner aims to demonstrate her authority by sending agents to raid Slough House, forcibly remove Roddy, and place the remaining staff under surveillance within the building. Lamb barely acknowledges their arrival as this internal power struggle unfolds. Meanwhile, while this dysfunctional rivalry plays out, terrorists have recruited someone skilled with social media to plant a bomb at a large oil refinery. What links the Abbotsfield shooting, the refinery bombing, and Roddy Ho? It’s a connection that currently makes no sense, and everyone is too focused on their own issues to notice it.

Shots

Lamb & Co. establishing themselves as a trendy, upscale high-rise bar in London works out well as a cover, considering their connection to the dingy, messy, and unpleasant offices of Slough House.

• Here’s a key point to keep in mind: The powerful rifle used in the Abbotsfield assassin’s murder is the same weapon that was fired at Roddy’s apartment from the street. A notable difference from American action movies is that British productions tend to reuse weapons instead of discarding them after a single use, like disposable diapers.

• Whelan’s excessive pride and tendency to believe anything makes him an ideal mark for Dodie Gimball. She’s the wife of a politician running for mayor-a populist candidate-and a newspaper columnist eager to use information from MI5 to help her husband’s campaign. Her assistant easily manipulates him while they’re supposedly supervising his run in the park.

• After Roddy compares his charisma to “the twin moons of Tatooine,” Lamb gives him a pen and paper and asks him to recall his relationship with Tara, saying: “Write down everything you remember – all the details matter, except for the things you were just saying.”

• Taverner makes a sharp remark, clearly frustrated with the man ruining her night: “Let’s just finish this. I’m sure many women have said that to you around this time,” she says.

• Roddy’s plan to hide his identity on the lease fails because he uses an overly macho fake name: Clint Wolf.

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2025-10-01 12:00