Slow Horses: Identity Theft

September 4, 2024 12:38 PM - Season 4, Episode 1

A London bombing puts Taverner under pressure. When River grows concerned for his grandfather, Louisa encourages him to go for a visit.

Slow Horses Season-Premiere Recap: Identifying Marks [Vulture / Archive]

posted by ellieBOA (18 comments total)

Well shit.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 5:51 PM on September 4

this show is so damn good, i have nothing else to add
posted by dis_integration at 8:11 PM on September 4 [3 favorites]

This show is indeed great, and i always kind of forget that. ( mentioning a second shot was a good wink.)

The shot of Lamb’s carpet and socks was.. evocative.
posted by supercres at 7:07 AM on September 5 [1 favorite]

Poor Louisa! So glad River’s death was faked though, poor Grandpa too.

this show is so damn good, i have nothing else to add

The weekly release schedule is so tough!
posted by ellieBOA at 10:13 AM on September 5 [3 favorites]

I'm not sure how a show can be but deadly serious and laugh out loud belly jiggling funny, but Slow Horses (and this episode in particular) manages.
posted by wierdo at 10:59 AM on September 5

Poor Louisa!

She is such a good actress generally and I'm sorry for the character but excited to see more of the actress being awesome. So many lingering shots to set the scene in this opener.

Looking forward to getting to know all the new players and hoping Marcus can keep his gambling under control. Good to have the show back.
posted by jessamyn at 11:21 AM on September 5 [1 favorite]

The weekly release schedule *is* tough, but I prefer it that way for many shows (Fargo, Succession, Reservation Dogs, What We Do In The Shadows, etc.). My most recent fave (KAOS on Netflix) would have, IMHO, greatly benefited from letting the story marinate a bit with a weekly release. I guess the true secret is always leave 'em wanting more. For me, the anticipation is part of what makes them so compelling.

So happy to have slow horses back though. It's like slipping into your favorite coat once cooler weather arrives.
posted by ssmith at 1:49 PM on September 5 [2 favorites]

As someone who had to use deceit to get my dad out of the house as he was falling into dementia, so I could get in and get all the guns out... this episode was a LOT.
posted by ursus_comiter at 11:06 PM on September 5 [4 favorites]

I am not normally faked out by a show/movie (which, lemme tell you, makes things frequently really boring), but they really faked me out there at the beginning. I thought for sure it couldn’t be River, but everything about Lamb’s demeanor made for a great, great convincing fake out.

Never thought that I’d feel sorry for Kristin Scott Thomas’s character, but oh man, being stuck under an incompetent man like that…ouch. What professional woman can’t identify?

I really should go back and start again at the beginning, because I couldn’t remember half the names people were referring to or the events.
posted by kitten kaboodle at 11:07 AM on September 6 [1 favorite]

The weekly release schedule *is* tough, but I prefer it that way for many shows

I have no self-control, and I would binge this in a day or two if Apple let me. I'm grateful for the the weekly schedule so I can't.

I can't tell if the new First Desk is an incompetent who fails upward or there's something more nefarious there. I do love seeing Diana saddled with the work and responsibility of the job.

I'm so glad this plot gets Catherine back into Lamb's orbit so quickly.
posted by gladly at 8:38 PM on September 6

Yes to more Catherine!

I am not normally faked out by a show/movie

I totally bought it 😂
posted by ellieBOA at 4:38 AM on September 7

Interesting thing I went back to check on: David only shoots “River” once, but when Lamb is at the scene to identify the body Flyte says “He was shot twice. Once in the chest, once in the face.” Hmm!
posted by bcwinters at 6:58 AM on September 7 [3 favorites]

bcwinter caught one thing I did. Another one was that title, I hoped.

Also, I thought they talked about him being shot by bullets, though I thought he had a shotgun. The pellets / bullets distinction may be lost to Brits or shorthand though.
posted by Pronoiac at 10:25 AM on September 7

they really faked me out there at the beginning.

There were also teasers last season that someone big in the show would die (I don't recall the specifics) so when I saw this whole thing being set up I was like "Aaaaa, there it is."

I can't tell if the new First Desk is an incompetent who fails upward or there's something more nefarious there.

Yeah he seems uniquely bad at this so far. Like I get some of it is just being a dude in a high position wanting others to do the work but the way he is like "Oh my this is TERRIBLE" at everything makes you wonder where he came from, and why.
posted by jessamyn at 12:14 PM on September 7 [1 favorite]

well this season started off with a bang!!

I was completely taken in by the River fake-out and pretty upset to see him go down like that. but my husband saw through it so I held out some hope. the fake-out was really well done.

MOAR!!!
posted by supermedusa at 9:30 AM on September 8

I was preeeety sure they weren't going to kill off River but not 100% sure. At one point I thought they might pivot to a flashback format working back from the death. Thankfully, no.

For all that was here the very best bit was Louisa's line to Roddy about the Christmas Party right at the very start, something very dry like "well you let me know when you figure out what happened" and then it dawning on Roddy.

(Mirrored later by Lamb telling Roddy about River being killed, knowing that he will spread the news in the most believable way possible (and also take River's PC).

it's just all really good
posted by chavenet at 5:09 AM on September 10 [1 favorite]

i knew river wasn’t dead from the start but i remain completely baffled by WHO gramps blasted away with the 12 gauge and why they were impersonating river. it can’t have been planned in advance by River, right, because that would be murder plain and simple but the conversation at the start sure felt like a set up to make it clear that grandpa cartwright is armed dangerous and confused so the shooting would be plausible. but it’s an amazing hook for a first episode
posted by dis_integration at 6:33 AM on September 10

Interesting thing I went back to check on: David only shoots “River” once, but when Lamb is at the scene to identify the body Flyte says “He was shot twice. Once in the chest, once in the face.” Hmm!


My assumption: Someone was impersonating River to get into David's house or get information from him (and getting him into a bath would ensure he was far from his gun and phone and unable to defend himself.) David shot him, then panicked because he thought he shot River and drove off.

River arrives a bit later, figures out what happened, and shoots the body in the face and leaves his ID and phone so that he can stay "dead" for a while to investigate.

I wasn't fooled because the blocking of the scene was weird, it seemed like they were trying to hide River's face. Sure sounded like him though.
posted by mmoncur at 10:46 PM on September 12