Apple TV+'s acclaimed spy series Slow Horses is preparing for its fourth season, and there are 7 burning questions that need be answered.
Summary
- Season 4 of Slow Horses will likely follow the plot of Mick Herron's novel Spook Street, with a bombing that uncovers personal secrets.
- Taverner's new leadership role will have unexpected challenges and repercussions for MI5, with repercussions coming from unexpected sources.
- The deteriorating mental state of River's grandfather David could lead to the exposure of buried secrets and chaos for the agency.
Apple TV+'s popular spy drama Slow Horses is gearing up for its fourth season, bringing with it a host of unanswered questions. Since its 2022 premiere, the series, adapted from Mick Herron's Slough House novels, captures the adventures of a group of unconventional MI5 agents. Their mission: safeguard England from various threats, both foreign and domestic. Starring the renowned Gary Oldman, Slow Horses offers a unique twist to the spy genre, blending humor with intense, edge-of-your-seat excitement. With season 4 on the way and season 5 already confirmed, plenty of twists and turns are still to come in the lives of the slow horses.
As season 3 drew to a close, the preview for Slow Horses season 4 dropped a bombshell: the death of one of the slow horses. This revelation, along with a series of cliffhangers at the season's end, has sparked a flurry of urgent questions. The finale saw Catherine Standish and Jackson Lamb narrowly escape an attack, River leak a critical file exposing corruption under Ingrid Tearney's leadership, Sean Donovan's death, Catherine's resignation, and Taverner's rise to First Desk at MI5. These dramatic twists and turns have set the stage for immense speculation about what awaits in season 4.
7 Will Season 4 Follow The Plot Of Spook Street?
Spook Street is Mick Herron's fourth book in the Slough House Series.
A previously released logline for Season 4 stated that it would "open with a bombing that detonates personal secrets, rocking the already unstable foundations of Slough House." This description sounds rather similar to the plot of Mick Herron's novel Spook Street, and with each of the previous Slow Horses seasons being based on the Heron's books, it seems more than likely season 4 will be too. In Spook Street, the storyline centers around a retired spy whose deteriorating mental state triggers a catastrophic chain of events, including a bomb attack in a busy shopping center. However, shows like Slow Horses don't always stay true to the books, meaning fans will have to wait and see what season 4 will bring.
6 How Will Taverner's Leadership Affect The Agency?
At the end of season 3, Taverner has got the role she has always wanted.
In an interview with Digital Spy, showrunner Will Smith suggested that Taverner might be unprepared for the responsibilities of her new role, including dealing with unexpected issues. Smith states that Taverner has got what she "thinks she wants," suggesting she may come to discover the role isn't entirely what she had in mind. Following the scandalous events under Tearney, there are bound to be repercussions, but Smith states that these will come from left field instead of the leaks directly. This suggests a storyline where Taverner grapples with the complexities and moral ambiguities inherent in leading MI5. The full quote is below:
"Where it ends in season 3, where Taverner thinks she's got what she wants – let's just say that there's a recalibration of that at the start of the next series. There's repercussions, but they're more left field than directly to do with leaks."
5 What Will Happen to River's Grandfather?
David is beginning to show signs of dementia in season 3.
By the end of season 3, David, River's Grandfather and retired Mi5 agent, has begun to show signs of memory loss and dementia. As a former agent, this could spell trouble as David's deteriorating mindset could cause him to leak sensitive information or do unpredictable things. He and Jackson have a dark past together which was revealed at the end of season 1. There could be revelations as to what this dark past contains. However, if the show decides to stick closely to the plot of Mick Herron's Spook Street, it's more than likely David will expose secrets that are meant to stay buried, causing chaos for the agency and for his grandson, River.
4 Will Catherine Return To Slough House?
Catherine quits Slough House in season 3.
In season 3 of Slow Horses, Catherine quits the Slough House team. This decision followed a tense confrontation with Jackson at a petrol station, where he accused her of willful ignorance regarding her former boss, Charles Partner, the ex-director general of MI5. Jackson harshly revealed that Charles, a traitor selling secrets to the Russians for a decade, kept Catherine as his secretary due to her alcoholism, believing she was too inebriated to notice his treachery. Catherine discovers that Jackson played a role in her late boss's demise, leading her to resign. Catherine will likely make a return in season 4, as hinted by Slow Horses' showrunner Will Smith:
“It’s very hard to imagine Slough House without Catherine. Lamb isn’t going to function well without her. Lamb needs Catherine…If you enjoyed that [gas station] scene, you’re going to enjoy some scenes in the next series.”
3 Will River and Louisa Become More Than Friends?
River and Louisa's relationship might evolve from professional to romantic.
There could be an interesting change in the dynamic between two of Slow Horses' characters, as hinted by showrunner Will Smith. Smith hints that there could be a potential evolution from colleagues to something more intimate between River and Louisa. However, staying true to the complex character dynamics of the books, their journey won’t be straightforward or conventional. It’s hinted that while their relationship will be explored, it will unfold in a typically Slow Horses manner - layered, unpredictable, and, as the showrunner forewarns, decidedly messy. Smith's full quote from his interview with Decider is below:
“We’ve definitely played with that, I would say. And I think that comes from their performance, that comes from that hug as much as anything. And I think people would want to see them together, but all I could say is we’re going to be true to the character dynamics of the books. It’s definitely — the question will not go unanswered. Put it that way. It’ll be in a Slow Horses way. And it will be messy.”
2 What Will The Consequences Of The File Leak Be?
At the end of season 3, River secretly leaks the 'footprint' document.
River's leak in Season 4 of Slow Horses is expected to have multiple unforeseen consequences. At the end of season 3, River successfully extradited the 'footprint' files and presented them to his grandfather, David, who insisted they be burned to safeguard the security services' reputation. Unbeknownst to David, River had made copies. Driven by a sense of justice for Alison Dunn's death under Ingrid Tearney's orders, River later leaked these files to expose the truth. This act of defiance is likely to have a ripple effect, causing serious consequences. If David were to find out, it could have a severe impact on their relationship. Even worse, if River is exposed as the whistleblower, it could put a target on his back.
1 Which Member Of The Slow Horses Team Is Dead?
The preview at the end of the season 3 final teased that a team member had died.
One of the biggest mysteries in the upcoming Slow Horses season 4 is which character of the team has died. The shocking revelation comes during the preview at the end of the season 3 finale. The scene shows Jackson Lamb casually dismissing a shower suggestion by mentioning that a team member has just died. It might be someone not closely tied to the Slough House crew, as Lamb's reaction to the death is notably subdued, almost like an offhand remark. Given the series' history of unexpected plot twists, this development opens up plenty of possibilities.
Season 4 of Slow Horses is expected to stream on Apple TV at the end of November 2024.
Slow Horses
Slow Horses is an adaptation of CWA Gold Dagger Award-winning Mick Herron’s first novel in the "Slow Horses" series, which follows a team of British intelligence agents who serve in a dumping ground department of MI5 – Slough House. Gary Oldman stars as Jackson Lamb, the brilliant but irascible leader of the spies who end up in Slough House due to their career-ending mistakes.
- Release Date
- April 1, 2022
- Cast
- Jonathan Pryce , Kristin Scott Thomas , Jack Lowden , Gary Oldman , Saskia Reeves , Chris Reilly , Rosalind Eleazar , Christopher Chung , Olivia Cooke
