Slow Horses season 1, episode 5 recap – “Fiasco”

By Adam Lock
Published: April 22, 2022 (Last updated: January 26, 2024)
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Apple TV+ series Slow Horses season 1, episode 5 - Fiasco
4.5

Summary

The Slough House agents dodge the enemy in another nerve-racking installment. Gary Oldman continually steals the show as their witty and wise leader.

We recap the Apple TV+ series Slow Horses season 1, episode 5, “Fiasco,” which contains spoilers.

It is official, the second season of Slow Horses has been confirmed, with the news coming weeks before the first season’s finale, which is reassuring indeed. The penultimate episode, “Fiasco” showcases just why this espionage comedy has been renewed. Episode five is brimming with tension and twists, peppered with comedy, mainly from Gary Oldman’s surprising performance as the head of the Slow Horses, Jackson Lamb. This chapter amps up the suspense as the disgraced agents fight for their freedom.

Slow Horses season 1, episode 5 recap

Min and Louisa hop a fence to the graveyard rendezvous point. Lamb, Standish and Roddy aren’t far behind them. They explain how Struan has been compromised and River is assumed missing in action after deciding to pay ‘Sleeping Beauty’ Sid a visit in the hospital. An exhausted River Cartwright appears just in time for one of Lamb’s inspirational speeches. The lethargic leader delivers a less than motivating pep talk, divulging Diana’s dastardly scheme. They are the scapegoats in this false flag operation, but River has some dirt on Diana that might just save them all.

What follows is one tense interaction after another, in this fast-moving thriller. River and Lamb formulate a plan to infiltrate MI5, whilst the others look into the beheaded agent Alan Black’s past. There’s some great scenes, where Oldman continually steals the show, including a righteous moment where Lamb blasts The Proclaimers, smoking a cigarette, surrounded by armed guards.

Whilst the agents attempt to blackmail Lady Di, the terrorists fumble through their own plot. The hostage is still taped and bound in the boot. The bloodied racists are heading for a seemingly unlikely escape, although their getaway car is running low on petrol. Tensions rise when Zippo (Layer Cake’s Stephen Walters) draws a gun on the killer Curly. More nail-biting drama ensues when they must fill up the car in a petrol station. This really is edge of your seat stuff.

The penultimate episode doesn’t disappoint, with more smartly written reveals and an onslaught of drama. This spy thriller has it all, delivering a British tale of double-crossing espionage firmly embedded in the 21st century. A modern masterpiece with a stunning cast and meticulously plotted scripting. What more could you want?

What did you think of Slow Horses season 1, episode 5? Comment below. 

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