Slow Horses season 5: Episode 3 recap and destabilisation strategy explained
Slow Horses season 5 episode 3 upped the ante, as a pattern was spotted with the recent terror activitiesSlow Horses season 5 episode 3 left us a little tense as new terror plots and information came to light.
We’re halfway into Slow Horses season 5 now and the story is vastly unfolding. The latest episode opened in the aftermath of the climate activist’s terrorist activity set up in episode 2.
It soon becomes clear that this recent attack is one of many meticulously planned events to ensure mass destruction. And as usual the Slow Horses gang seem to be one step ahead of the Park…
Read on for our comprehensive recap of Slow Horses episode 3, including a breakdown of the destabilisation strategy that is at the core of the season 5 drama.
Slow Horses season 5 episode 3 recap
Slow Horses season 5 episode 3 kicked off with mass chaos. Streets were at a standstill as several car engines emitted huge streams of smoke caused by the tampered fuel tanker. This was the work of the climate activists who broke into the fuel plant in episode 2, equipped with the device given to them by the terrorists.
As MI5 tried to get a grip on the petrol crisis, we saw Roddy Ho (Christopher Chung) brought into the Park and put into a room ahead of his interrogation.
Back at Slough House, Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman) and his team of Slow Horses were doing, well, nothing. Last episode, Diana Taverner (Kristin Scott Thomas) placed Slough House under lockdown while they investigated Roddy. As a result, River (Jack Lowden), Standish (Saskia Reeves) and JK Coe (Tom Brooke) were being closely watched by head dog Emma Flyte (Ruth Bradley).
They were required to hand over their phones. River tried to warn an incoming Shirley (Aimee-Ffion Edwards) to the situation, but she frustratingly picked up the call on a noisy street and couldn’t hear him. She arrived and joined her fellow ‘captives’.
Flyte managed to take the phones away from all but one Slow Horse – JK Coe was allowed to keep his to listen to music and podcasts for mental health purposes. As they sat around, Coe took the opportunity to put forward his case for the ‘destabilisation strategy’ believing it connects recent terror events. However, River shut him down deeming his theory rubbish.
The penguins were targeted
Elsewhere, one of the terrorists approached a homeless man on the street and asked him to carry out a task in exchange for money and drugs. The man accepted and took a flask from the terrorist.
Back at the Park, first chair Claude Whelan (James Callis) consulted with a lawyer at M15, worried about Dodie Gimball’s upcoming newspaper column that exposes his street soliciting. Their chat was cut short though, as they saw a huge explosion go off in the London skyline.
Flyte informed fellow dog Devon that a bomb had gone off in Regent Park’s Zoo. She left Devon to monitor the Slow Horses while she headed to the scene of the attack. We learned upon her arrival that 22 penguins were killed at the Zoo, caused by the bomb in the flask dropped off by the homeless man. But why penguins?
What is the destabilisation strategy in Slow Horses season 5?
Back at Slough House, the Slow Horses reacted to the penguin incident. Coe declared the bomb at the zoo was step four of the destabilisation strategy: Seize the media. And Lamb surprisingly agreed.
1. Attempted murder of Roddy Ho
2. Abbotsfield mass shooting
3. Tampered fuel tanker
4. Bomb at the zoo killing the penguins
5. Assassinate a populist leader
“It’s happening, it’s really happening,” Lamb said. “It’ll be on the news for days, peoples [bleeping] love penguins. I mean look how teary-eyed you lot just got. It’ll push Abbotsfield right off the headlines.”
He added: “Ho, Abbotsfield, the traffic disruption, now this [bleeping] bomb at the zoo. They’re all part of a destabilisation strategy. The next on the list is to assassinate a populist leader. The Park don’t even realise.”
Subsequently, Coe confirmed that the final step of the destabilisation theory was the assassination of a populist leader. Shirley put two and two together and revealed that the London mayoral candidate debate was that night. Finally, River declared that Dennis Gimball fit the profile of a populist leader and was the likely target.
The Slow Horses escape lockdown
Lamb tried to convince Devon to inform the Park that an assassination could be imminent. However, she refused to contact MI5 on the basis of being told not to trust Lamb.
Appearing defeated, Lamb sat down back at his desk. He then started recollecting a famous spy lockdown at Berlin, going into detail about how they tortured the captured spies. He went to light a cigarette but Standish told him off, putting out the cigarette and confiscating the lighter.
Shortly after, Lamb continued his story and explained how the spies were tortured with homemade weapons, like a DIY blowtorch made with a lighter and aerosol can. Standish, River, Shirley and Coe caught on to what Lamb was suggesting, with Standish eyeing up the lighter and River spotting an aerosol can.
The Slow Horses then sprung into action, causing Devon and the bodyguard to duck from the makeshift blowtorch. Shirley then took out the bodyguard with a heavy bottle of wine. Meanwhile, Coe got Devon’s gun and pointed it at her head. The two were then tied up to a chair in Lamb’s office, leaving the Slow Horses free to go.
Who is Zahar Jaffrey’s son?
In Slow Horses season 5 episode 3, it was revealed that the lead climate activist turned terrorist is mayoral candidate Zahar Jaffrey’s son Irfan.
Irfan approached his dad (Nick Mohammed) as he went to enter his rally venue. However, Irfan was apprehended by police, who arrested him for breaking into a depot and sabotaging the fuel supply. Zahar asked for proof of the charges, with a police officer showing him Irfan’s social media confession.
Zahar claimed Irfan was doing it to embarrass and sabotage his mayoral run angering his son.
“You embarrass me, what are you doing for my generation?” he shouted at his dad. “You’re all talk and no action dad, there is no time. The planet is dying from plastics. The last thing we need is another plastic politician.”
Irfan was escorted away and Zahar went off to prepare for his rally. The mayoral debate was cancelled by Zahar’s opponent Dennis Gimball earlier in the episode with the two politicians now holding separate rallies instead.
The newly escaped Slow Horses left Slough House and split up to prevent an assassination attempt at the rallies. River and Coe headed to Dennis Gimball’s rally being the “obvious target”. While Shirley and Standish set off for Zahar Jaffrey’s rally.
What did Roddy Ho do?
Back at the Park, Diana Taverner questioned Roddy, asking him about any links with the Incel community. She informed him that Tara was a “honey-trapper”, hired to fake a relationship with him to get something for the terrorists. But Roddy refused to believe it.
Taverner threatened Roddy to tell the truth or face being locked up in a cell. She asked him if Tara showed any interest in Roddy’s profession. He scoffed: “I’m telling you she had no interest in me being a spy. It meant nothing to her.”
Taverner made to leave the interrogation room but stopped when Roddy finally divulged some key information. “She wasn’t even fussed when I showed her I could hack into the MI5 database.”
Roddy claimed he did it to impress her. Nevertheless, Diana was suspicious and asked if Tara was ever left alone with the hacked database. Roddy replied that she might have been for 20 seconds while he opened the door to a delivery driver.
The episode ended with Diana on a phone call: “Find Ho’s girlfriend and tell IT to check the system for a breach.” Oh Roddy.
Read More: Slow Horses season 5: Who was John Usher? Apple TV+ honours him in end-of-credits tribute
