Episode 4 of *Slow Horses* Season 5 kicks off with Tara leaving Roddy Ho a voicemail. It becomes clear that she's consumed with regret over what has transpired, insisting she had no inkling it would escalate to a hit being ordered on his life. Back at MI5, her claims are met with universal skepticism—everyone except Emma Flyte, that is.
Emma takes Roddy aside and weaves a tale of falling in love while submerged in the shadows of an undercover operation. There are subtle hints that this romantic interlude might be more fiction than fact, but the details don't matter. Her storytelling prowess is enough to sway Roddy, who agrees to play along. He rings Tara back, determined to keep her on the line long enough for the team to trace the call.
Roddy, feeling rather clever, hangs up swiftly after warning Tara that her call is being traced. His smug grin suggests he believes he's outmaneuvered the system, but unbeknownst to him, the call has already been pinpointed.
Meanwhile, Jackson Lamb, ever the maverick, slips out to do some sleuthing of his own. He dons the guise of a delivery driver and breaks into the apartment where Tara is hiding. Not long after, Emma arrives on the scene, where Jackson proceeds to demonstrate his unorthodox yet effective methods. He shows just how much more fruitful old-school legwork can be compared to MI5's high-tech call-tracing endeavors.
Jackson has also pieced together that Tara has made her way to Roddy's flat. The plan is set: Emma will coax Tara out into the open, and Jackson will swoop in to be the hero of the hour. And that's exactly how it unfolds.
With a dramatic flourish, Jackson slams a door shut, trapping Tara, before sitting firmly on her legs to immobilize her, allowing Emma to swoop in and place her under arrest.
Elsewhere, Jaffrey meticulously reviews his speech, preparing for the grand occasion where he will address the crowd as a mayoral candidate. But he's not the only one in the spotlight; Gimball, too, is holed up in his office, rehearsing his own oration with equal fervor. The atmosphere thickens with tension when ominous news arrives—a death has occurred in the aftermath of the recent fuel strikes, casting a long, suspenseful shadow over the proceedings.
In the wake of this tragic development, Claude pays a visit to Gimball, engaging in a ruthless underhanded tactic. He delves into Gimball's past, uncovering a sordid history that reveals him to be an illegal immigrant with a criminal record, a dark stain on his family's legacy. Given that much of Gimball's campaign is built around the slogan "Britain for the British," this revelation threatens to unravel his entire political aspirations. Gimball, aware of the conversation being recorded, remains ambiguous about whether he will expose this damaging information, knowing full well the catastrophic impact it could have on his campaign if made public.
That fateful night, before the pivotal speeches are to be delivered, River and JK make their way to the venue, determined to uncover the identity of the would-be shooter. River is certain that any attack will be a grand, public spectacle, but for now, their search yields no results. Meanwhile, Shirley fares better with Jaffrey; she spots a pair of combat boots on one of the individuals who arrives at Jaffrey's event. Claiming to be an engineer there to fix a lightbulb in the restroom, his story quickly unravels as Shirley notices the light is functioning perfectly. Realizing the deception, she springs into action, racing to intercept the impostor before it's too late.
The assassin, it turns out, has positioned himself in the plant room on the upper balcony, offering a clear line of sight to Jaffrey on stage. Armed and ready, Shirley arrives just in the nick of time, with Catherine creating a diversion to buy her precious seconds. The building is swiftly evacuated as the assassin flees the scene. Shirley gives chase, but the assailant manages to escape in a white van, eerily similar to the one used in previous incidents.
As for Gimball, fortune does not smile upon him. Outside, he becomes entangled in a heated altercation with his security detail, hurling racist slurs while attempting to focus on his speech. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the volatility and unpredictability that surrounds these high-stakes political events.
As River makes a dramatic entrance and engages in a fierce skirmish with the security guard, JK stands by, a silent observer, taking in every harrowing detail of the unfolding drama. In a moment of clumsy haste, he decides to descend from the lofty heights of the scaffolding to the ground below. Alas, his haphazard leap sets off a disastrous chain reaction. A paint can, caught in the ensuing chaos, hurtles through the air with lethal force, striking Gimball squarely on the head and delivering a fatal blow.
To compound their misfortune, the entire violent encounter has been captured in crystal-clear audio by an unseen recorder. When the gravity of the situation finally sinks in for River and JK, they find themselves standing amidst the wreckage, paralyzed by indecision and unsure of their next move.
