Slow Horses’ Season 4 ending is an anti-climax that’s too focused on the future

As a long-time fan of Slow Horses, I must admit that Season 4 ended with a bit of a letdown, especially after the intense build-up throughout the season. The finale felt more like setting up future installments rather than delivering a satisfying conclusion for this chapter.


As a devoted fan, I can’t help but express my thoughts about the finale of Season 4 of Slow Horses. It was thrilling, intense, and heartbreaking with its climactic events and the tragic loss within the Slough House family. However, Episode 6 seemed to veer off course, spending more time laying groundwork for future episodes rather than delivering the expected dramatic punch.

As a gaming enthusiast diving into the world of Apple TV+, I can’t help but be captivated by the pulse-pounding suspense of Slow Horses. This gripping spy drama follows a team of misfit MI5 agents who are given a second chance to serve their country, all while tackling terrorists and safeguarding our national security. And at the helm of this motley crew is none other than Jackson Lamb, a hard-drinking, flatulent leader portrayed brilliantly by Gary Oldman.

In Season 4, the main adversary was Frank Harkness, portrayed by Hugo Weaving, a previous CIA agent now operating as a mercenary, privy to the burial locations of MI5 operatives.

However, the conclusion of his storyline in Season 4 leaves a lot to be desired, giving off an impression that the series, Slow Horses, is more focused on the events of Season 5 and beyond rather than wrapping up the current season effectively. Let’s delve into the finale details, but beware, there are spoilers ahead

Slow Horses does Heat

In Episode 4, the narrative commences as River Cartwright (portrayed by Jack Lowden) is led to meet Frank Harkness, confirming for us and everyone else that Frank is indeed his father.

In a setting that echoes the intense conversation between Robert De Niro and Al Pacino in Heat, these two individuals found themselves face-to-face at a restaurant table. Their lives, careers, and strained family relationships were topics of discussion, while the palpable tension hung heavily in the air, thick enough to be sliced with a knife.

Harkness attempts to explain his behavior and proposes a job to River. However, Cartwright refuses to accept this, instead discreetly contacting his team via hidden messages, resulting in a tense situation near Regent’s Canal.

In the heat of the game, I quickly shoved a grenade into River’s jacket lining, hoping for the best. Luckily, Cartwright swiftly grabbed it and hurled it into the water at the last possible moment, averting disaster. What followed was a thrilling foot-chase, giving us fans a chance to witness Cartwright’s signature move – running like the wind.

A death in the family

Slow Horses’ Season 4 ending is an anti-climax that’s too focused on the future

Meanwhile, assassin Patrice discovers that David Cartwright, River’s father, is present at Slough House. In response, he decides to go there with the intention of killing him.

Despite his impressive performance in the previous episode, which was reminiscent of the Terminator, Patrice proves rather inefficient in this one. He eventually gets knocked unconscious and is left shackled to a radiator.

However, prior to his actions against Marcus, who had an unfortunate storyline in Season 4 marked by selling a firearm, purchasing it back, and ultimately meeting his end via gunshot wounds, he decided to… (The sentence structure is maintained while making the text easier to read and more natural.)

Regarding Patrice, the enigmatic character JK Coe, managed to talk Dander out of taking his life in a chilling scenario. In a particularly gripping scene, it was none other than Coe who ended up carrying out the deed instead.

Slow Horses channels Se7en

Simultaneously, River and the dogs are pursuing Harkness towards King’s Cross St. Pancras station, where Cartwright spots his father seated inside a restaurant.

Instead of using the gun to flee after a confrontation with his son, Frank chooses to relinquish it, mirroring the self-surrendering actions of the character John Doe from Se7en.

Similarly to Doe, Harkness seems to have a comprehensive strategy that he shares with Tavener during their questioning. In case something happens, Frank has prepared a contingency by writing letters to the leaders of various services, outlining instances where these agencies utilized his services.

she must release him within 12 hours, or secret documents about his crimes will be published online. If she doesn’t act, the villain from Season 4 will escape justice and potentially return in future seasons of Slow Horses, which would be a disappointing end to the storyline.

Setting up Slow Horses Season 5

Slow Horses’ Season 4 ending is an anti-climax that’s too focused on the future

Frank Harkness is once more prowling the streets, possibly causing problems for Slough House once more. Simultaneously, one of their own – Moira (Joanna Scanlan) – re-joins the team, coercing Claude Whelan (James Callis) to reinstate her at MI5. This could mean that the Slow Horses now have an insider among them.

The finale ends with River regretfully checking his father into a nursing home, before having a drink with Jackson Lamb. In silence.

A trailer for Season 5 follows, which is based on Mick Heron’s 2018 novel ‘London Rules.’ The teaser features Emma Flyte explaining what’s going down, and it’s a “destabilizing strategy” that the Slow Horses are facing, whereby their enemy sets out to “compromise an agent, attack the village, disrupt the transport, seize the media, [and] assassinate a populist leader.”

As an ardent fan, I’m thrilled about the prospect of Slow Horses coming back in 2025! Here’s hoping that instead of leaving the story of Frank Harkness dangling for future seasons, the series will finally wrap up his plotline neatly.

Check out this collection featuring the top 10 shows currently streaming on Apple TV+. If you’re seeking pulse-pounding excitement instead, explore our list of the 102 greatest action movies ever made.

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2024-10-09 12:48