In addition to reiterating that the real River Cartwright (Jack Lowden) is alive and well,Slow Horsesseason 4, episode 2, “A Stranger Comes to Town,” follows the young Slough House agent to France, leaving some viewers puzzled about River’s actions. Based on Mick Herron’sSpook Street, the fourth outing of Apple TV+’s unconventional spy thriller throws audiences into the deep end right off the bat. InSlow Horsesseason 4, episode 1, David Cartwright (Jonathan Pryce), River’s grandfather and a retired MI5 agent, navigates worsening dementia. As a result,David shoots and kills an intruder in his house.
Fearing that he had accidentally shot his own grandson, David presses his panic button, but goes missing before MI5 turns up. Emma Flyte (Ruth Bradley), the new Head of the Dogs, calls Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman) to the scene to identify River’s body, even though she has already found his ID and wallet in the victim’s pockets. Although Lamb suspects River is alive, he tells Flyte that the deceasedishis fellow operative. The ruse is enough to convinceSlow Horses' other Slough House agents, thoughthe second episode reveals why, exactly, Jackson Lamb lied for the still-alive River.
Slow Horses Season 4, Episode 2 Reveals River Wanted To Be Presumed Dead
River Hopes To Pursue His Look-Alike Case Without MI5’s Oversight
It becomes clear pretty immediately that River Cartwright wants to be presumed dead. The first chunk ofSlow Horsesseason 4, episode 2, is dedicated to retracing what happened in the wake of the home invasion. Shortly after David kills River’s look-alike, the real River turns up to visit his grandfather. River finds David upstairs holding a shotgun and towering over a bloody body in his bathtub. After answering a few crucial personal questions, River convinces David that he’s the real deal. While the two are debriefing,David gets overwhelmed and presses his panic button, which ultimately summons Flyte.
Slow Horses True Story: Is Slough House Real?
Slow Horses season 4 on Apple TV+ has viewers wondering if Slough House is a real MI5 branch — even if Jackson Lamb’s antics are over the top.
In the wake of the panic button, River and David are on the clock, which upsets the younger Cartwright. The two men get into a brief argument, which ends when David mistakenly calls himself River’s father. Taking a more measured tone, River explains that David needs to get his story straight before meeting with MI5; saying the wrong thing, especially as David navigates dementia, could condemn them both. To buy a little more time,River uses David’s shotgun to disfigure his look-alike and plants his ID on the victim’s corpse. Together, the Cartwrights flee to Standish’s (Saskia Reeves) house.
River Retraces His Grandfather’s Would-Be Assassin’s Steps To France
A Return-Trip Ticket Brings River To The Small Town Of Lavande
Before driving his grandfather to Standish’s house, River rifles through the victim’s pockets. In addition to finding an ID that reads “Adam Lockhead,” River comes across a return-trip ticket to Lavande, France. To make matters even more disturbing, River finds diazepam on the body, which the intruder was probably going to use to kill David. Eager to learn more about his grandfather’s would-be assassin,River decides to use Lockhead’s ID and ticket to retrace the man’s footstepsand discover what secrets Lavande holds.
New episodes of Apple TV+‘sSlow Horsesseason 4 premiere on Wednesdays through June 10, 2025.
Meanwhile, Jackson Lamb informs the rest of Slough House that they are “never [to] blow a joe’s cover,” but still must do their best to assist River from afar. After learning that the new “First Desk,” Claude Whelan (James Callis), banished Standish’s replacement, Moira Tregorian (Joanna Scanlan), to Slough House, Lamb enlists the new character’s help. AlthoughSlow Horsesisn’t an accurate depiction of MI5, the show insists on continuing the trend of Slough House agents keeping their real objectives hidden from Taverner (Kristin Scott Thomas) and their other superiors, even thoughRiver’s case might connect to the WestAcres bombing.
What River Finds In Lavande In Slow Horses Season 4
River Cartwright Discovers More Pieces To Slow Horses Season 4’s Main Mystery
Upon arriving in the rural town of Lavande by cab, River finds it pretty much deserted. He has a brief brush with a man and his dogs before entering one of the few cafés in town. The proprietor points River in the direction of an abandoned estate on the edge of town. Little does the Slough House agent know, a mysterious man is tailing him. At the estate, he climbs over an overgrown fence and breaks into the building. Inside,River wanders through the compound, which is littered with books on warfare, weapons and ammunition, and baby pramsand toys.
InSlow Horsesseason 4, episode 1, the WestAcres bomber, “Robert Winters,” says his “brothers” will be coming.
At one point, River finds a photograph depicting an older man (Hugo Weaving) and several younger men all standing around an animal they’ve hunted. Meanwhile, Weaving’s character sneaks up on River and attacks him. Thanks to another scene, viewers know thatWeaving’s mystery man is connected to the assassin that David killed. Before the man can strangle River, the stranger who was tailing the Slough House agent bursts into the compound and abducts River. Based on what cluesSlow Horseshas planted so far, the compound seems like a breeding ground for child soldiers.
Slow Horses
Slow Horses follows a dysfunctional team of MI5 agents led by the notorious Jackson Lamb. Set against the backdrop of the espionage world, the agents must navigate complex operations and defend England from sinister forces, all while dealing with internal struggles and their abrasive boss.
