Slow Horses: Uninvited Guests Show Only
December 13, 2023 8:08 AM - Season 3, Episode 4 - Subscribe
Tearney takes bold decision. Unaware of their hidden agenda, slow horses assists the tiger team. Meanwhile, Lamb and Ho Goes on a road trip.
Apparently, the UK started the covert embassy energy-weapon brain damage war. I'd guess that the kill order itself wouldn't be seen as problematic, but that the approval for zapping the North Korean embassy staff in Istanbul very much would be. This was probably Tierney's decision, and all this is a carefully-orchestrated power play by Taverner.
I was thinking last night that there's no way Cartwright et al will escape the consequences from this, but then I realized that the presence of all the private security people mean that everything that happens can be blamed on them, while our heroes escape (physically and professionally) while both Tierney and the Home Secretary take the fall. The Head Dog won't get hurt, but that deeply unpleasant dog probably will. And Lamb will suss out everything that's going on from Allison's sister. I also expect the maladroit facility manager to unexpectedly make trouble for the bad guys.
Sorry if my speculations end up spoiling anything. It's all been put together nicely, but here in the last act it's been kind of obvious. (I'd love to be proven wrong!)
Cartwright's "I'm losing someone" hit me hard, as someone going through the same thing.
I'd really like those two agents to truly be fired, even though I like the woman quite a bit. I prefer a show to occasionally zig when I expect it to zag, and normally such characters would never actually be fired.
I think the part of the show that works the least well for me is the MI5 headquarters. I vastly prefer my British spy HQs to be in the wood-paneled, smoke-saturated, bureaucratic viciousness lurking underneath polite smiles and understatement mode.
Cartwright feeling bad about Spider was a nice touch. I mean, it's a bit of spoon-feeding to make the audience's proxy such a likeable, decent, competent guy, but the fact that we also like Lamb as much as we do sort of evens it out. They make a good pair.
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 1:09 PM on December 13, 2023 [6 favorites]
I was thinking last night that there's no way Cartwright et al will escape the consequences from this, but then I realized that the presence of all the private security people mean that everything that happens can be blamed on them, while our heroes escape (physically and professionally) while both Tierney and the Home Secretary take the fall. The Head Dog won't get hurt, but that deeply unpleasant dog probably will. And Lamb will suss out everything that's going on from Allison's sister. I also expect the maladroit facility manager to unexpectedly make trouble for the bad guys.
Sorry if my speculations end up spoiling anything. It's all been put together nicely, but here in the last act it's been kind of obvious. (I'd love to be proven wrong!)
Cartwright's "I'm losing someone" hit me hard, as someone going through the same thing.
I'd really like those two agents to truly be fired, even though I like the woman quite a bit. I prefer a show to occasionally zig when I expect it to zag, and normally such characters would never actually be fired.
I think the part of the show that works the least well for me is the MI5 headquarters. I vastly prefer my British spy HQs to be in the wood-paneled, smoke-saturated, bureaucratic viciousness lurking underneath polite smiles and understatement mode.
Cartwright feeling bad about Spider was a nice touch. I mean, it's a bit of spoon-feeding to make the audience's proxy such a likeable, decent, competent guy, but the fact that we also like Lamb as much as we do sort of evens it out. They make a good pair.
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 1:09 PM on December 13, 2023 [6 favorites]
the audience's proxy such a likeable, decent, competent guy
I do not think that word means what you think it means
posted by coriolisdave at 1:36 PM on December 13, 2023 [3 favorites]
I do not think that word means what you think it means
posted by coriolisdave at 1:36 PM on December 13, 2023 [3 favorites]
It feels like the difference between intelligence and wisdom. He can get things done! But they can be *spectacularly* counter-productive and ill-advised.
posted by Pronoiac at 2:50 PM on December 13, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by Pronoiac at 2:50 PM on December 13, 2023 [5 favorites]
Yeah, that lack of wisdom is his flaw. It's kind of a lack of guile and a surfeit of earnestness — utterly the opposite of Lamb — that gets him in trouble. Operationally, he's very effective, though. They've demonstrated this repeatedly.
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 3:09 PM on December 13, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 3:09 PM on December 13, 2023 [1 favorite]
Jesus, put Louisa and River together in every scene. They're a delight!
I, uh, assume they won't actually die...but yes, I absolutely groaned when the episode ended. I wonder if we get the payoff immediately next episode, or if we see Lamb's quest first?
posted by grandiloquiet at 8:02 PM on December 13, 2023 [3 favorites]
I, uh, assume they won't actually die...but yes, I absolutely groaned when the episode ended. I wonder if we get the payoff immediately next episode, or if we see Lamb's quest first?
posted by grandiloquiet at 8:02 PM on December 13, 2023 [3 favorites]
I'm really enjoying this season. I want more and I don't want it to end! I even like Cartwright for once.
What I really want is for someone to beat up those dogs.
In an earlier episode, KST walks out on the catwalk outside her office to witness the MI-5 head's failure, and I was laughing so much because no one else in the world was made to stand on a balcony and coolly view a struggling rival the way she is.
posted by fleacircus at 2:42 AM on December 14, 2023 [4 favorites]
What I really want is for someone to beat up those dogs.
In an earlier episode, KST walks out on the catwalk outside her office to witness the MI-5 head's failure, and I was laughing so much because no one else in the world was made to stand on a balcony and coolly view a struggling rival the way she is.
posted by fleacircus at 2:42 AM on December 14, 2023 [4 favorites]
>> I vastly prefer my British spy HQs to be in the wood-paneled, smoke-saturated, bureaucratic viciousness lurking underneath polite smiles and understatement mode.
I'd prefer my British spy HQs not to be places I've previously worked at dressed up as British spy HQs. Those walkways River jumped from in episode 2 are the refurbished foyer of 2 Television Center in White City, and it's really distracting considering I've wondered about making that jump in the past.
posted by Molesome at 4:37 AM on December 18, 2023 [7 favorites]
I'd prefer my British spy HQs not to be places I've previously worked at dressed up as British spy HQs. Those walkways River jumped from in episode 2 are the refurbished foyer of 2 Television Center in White City, and it's really distracting considering I've wondered about making that jump in the past.
posted by Molesome at 4:37 AM on December 18, 2023 [7 favorites]
I must admit I rely on Vulture's recaps to get the barest understanding of the plot, but I love the characters so much!
Inspired by this show, we watched the 2011 movie Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, where Gary Oldman plays Smiley wise beyond his years. He successfully plots how to flush out MI6 moles.
Which led me to Cleveland C Cram's 1993 CIA history monograph Spy Stories: Of Moles and Molehunters. [9 p PDF].
posted by Jesse the K at 8:12 AM on December 18, 2023
Inspired by this show, we watched the 2011 movie Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, where Gary Oldman plays Smiley wise beyond his years. He successfully plots how to flush out MI6 moles.
Which led me to Cleveland C Cram's 1993 CIA history monograph Spy Stories: Of Moles and Molehunters. [9 p PDF].
posted by Jesse the K at 8:12 AM on December 18, 2023
Ooh I remember loving Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy when it came out!
posted by ellieBOA at 9:13 AM on December 18, 2023
posted by ellieBOA at 9:13 AM on December 18, 2023
I couldn't get in to TTSS or Smiley's People, but I really enjoyed The Little Drummer Girl and The Night Manager, if you're after more spy thriller vibes.
posted by Kyol at 8:58 AM on December 19, 2023
posted by Kyol at 8:58 AM on December 19, 2023
I also expect the maladroit facility manager to unexpectedly make trouble for the bad guys.
More than that, I expect him to give us an enthusiastic and exhaustive tour of all of the facility's built-in security measures. Like Kevin McAllister, but with more bullets.
posted by Uncle Ira at 10:57 AM on December 19, 2023
More than that, I expect him to give us an enthusiastic and exhaustive tour of all of the facility's built-in security measures. Like Kevin McAllister, but with more bullets.
posted by Uncle Ira at 10:57 AM on December 19, 2023
>> I vastly prefer my British spy HQs to be in the wood-paneled, smoke-saturated, bureaucratic viciousness lurking underneath polite smiles and understatement mode.
On the day I was watching this, the head of MI6 was forced to step down after his named was leaked as being a member of the Garrick Club - so it wood appear that the oak paneled dining rooms still hold their real life allure. The idea of the former service head having a meal with King Charles, Brian Cox and Matthew Macfadyen, conjurers up a Succession meets Spooks merger does it not?
posted by rongorongo at 10:23 PM on March 20
On the day I was watching this, the head of MI6 was forced to step down after his named was leaked as being a member of the Garrick Club - so it wood appear that the oak paneled dining rooms still hold their real life allure. The idea of the former service head having a meal with King Charles, Brian Cox and Matthew Macfadyen, conjurers up a Succession meets Spooks merger does it not?
posted by rongorongo at 10:23 PM on March 20
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posted by cooker girl at 9:03 AM on December 13, 2023 [1 favorite]