Episode 5 of Slow Horses' thrilling third season commences with Duffy's elite squad poised to strike, their sights set on eliminating Cartwright and his companions without mercy. As the team readies for their assault, a surprise arrival disrupts the tense air: Ingrid, storming into Diana's office, her patience worn thin. She wastes no time in confronting Diana over her attempts to usurp her position, emphasizing the hard-earned achievements they, as women, have secured at the First and Second Desk. Yet, the entrenched animosity between them proves a formidable barrier to collaboration.
Diana harbors a deep resentment, accusing Ingrid of jeopardizing their mission in Istanbul last year by approving a flawed device capable of wirelessly infiltrating encrypted systems. This technological marvel, though promising on paper, inadvertently claimed innocent lives, narrowly escaped killing a North Korean spy, and ultimately led to the tragic termination of their own agent, Alison.
Ingrid retaliates with ferocity, reminding Diana of the imminent danger lurking outside their walls. The Slow Horses are on the brink of extinction, but Cartwright's timely intel of an armed squad approaching saves them from immediate doom. With mounting anxiety, he and a trembling Douglas monitor the CCTV feeds as the cameras are systematically disabled. River's desperate calls for assistance from Jackson are met with cold indifference; Jackson, distracted by Ho, brushes him off, opting instead to reach out to Marcus and Shirley.
Amidst the impending chaos, Sean finds solace in confiding in Louisa, sharing the grim details of Alison's murder and renewing his resolve to uncover the truth behind her death. With the kill squad blasting through the front doors, flooding the premises with an eerie green light, Cartwright braves the hail of bullets, darting deeper into the facility while Douglas, opting for surrender, is led to a fateful journey—a ride that ends in a cold-blooded execution by Duffy's hand.
River and Louisa frantically barricade doors and race through the labyrinthine corridors, their hearts pounding as they catch up with Sean, who relentlessly searches for the elusive files that could shed light on his beloved's demise. The stakes have never been higher, and time is running out for the Slow Horses to evade their ruthless pursuers and uncover the truth that will set them free.
Jackson arrives on the scene, only to discover Catherine engrossed in a game of Scrabble with Sarah, a scene reminiscent of your own encounters. Adopting the guise of a downtrodden vagrant at the threshold, he suddenly shoves the door back with a forceful slam, sending Sarah sprawling to the floor. Catherine confesses her involvement in assisting them, her conscience torn between duty and knowledge that Ingrid and Diana would resort to extreme measures—even murder—to keep the state's darkest secrets buried.
As Jackson casually helps himself to a hearty ham sandwich, Marcus and Shirley storm in, intent on salvaging the situation at the facility. It transpires that Marcus is well-equipped, concealing an arsenal of firearms within his boots. They swiftly arm themselves and advance into the heart of the chaos.
Trapped within the confines of the house, Jackson and Catherine find themselves in a precarious position, while Sean and his companions are embroiled in a life-threatening firefight within a cramped storage room. Sean's perseverance leads him to the crucial file, but they are surrounded by heavily armed guards, closing in from all sides. In a desperate moment, one of the soldiers hurls a grenade into the fray, detonating a violent explosion that sends everyone crashing to the ground, leaving only scraps of paper and shattered debris as remnants of the once-orderly space.
