Summary
“Cicada” plays up to Slow Horses’ two biggest strengths: intricate spy plotting and that famous, sarcastic wit. It’s another addictive episode as the Slough House agents start to piece together the Russian conspiracy.
We recap the Apple TV+ series Slow Horses season 2, episode 4, “Cicada,” which contains spoilers.
Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman) believes wholeheartedly that Min Harper (Dustin Demri-Burns) was killed by Russian spies, but he doesn’t quite know how it all played out just yet. In “Cicada”, the Slough House elite continue to investigate this Russian conspiracy in more depth. Louisa (Rosalind Eleazar) targets Pashkin (Alec Utgoff), River (Jack Lowden) follows Dickie’s killer Andre, and Lamb spies on Nevsky’s mansion. The mystery continues to unravel in another exciting installment of the Apple Original.
Slow Horses season 2, episode 4 recap
The fourth chapter opens with Lamb interrogating Rebecca Mitchell, the woman who was involved in the car crash that apparently killed Min. Her confession details exactly how Min was killed and who did it. She was told to meet at a car park that night, where she saw Min and Pashkin’s security guards together. Min appeared to be drunk or drugged as he spoke with the Russians. He was then strangled and run over in Rebecca’s car by these guards. Viewers are shown this brutal attack and watch as Min crawls away from the killers, even after the collision. Andre finishes off the job, poisoning poor Min just like he did with Dickie. Lamb shows Rebecca images of Pashkin’s security guards and Andre, confirming their involvement. Rebecca asks for help with her future safety, now that she has snitched on the Russians. He passes her a phone number to call. It happens to be that of his favorite takeaway restaurant though.
Back at the meal in Upshott, Leo aka. Andre Chernitsky is charming the dinner guests. River knows this is a Russian agent and a killer, but he plays it cool. Leo explains that he is here on business and he then proceeds to ask River about his specific line of work. River continues with the journalist act, but Leo sees straight through it. The spy mentions being on a bus, dropping a hint about his involvement with Dickie Bow. As they are leaving, River slides his phone into Leo’s coat pocket, so that he can track the murderer.
Meanwhile, Louisa wants revenge for Min’s death and sparks up a conversation with Pashkin. It seems like an innocent enough rendezvous at his hotel bar, but Louisa has a Stanley knife hidden in her bag, that she is eager to use. The duo flirt and chat about their work. Louisa tells Pashkin that she works for MI5, but has been exiled to Slough House as an undesirable. Pashkin suggests that she quits, but Louisa twists the conversation to address Min’s death instead. Pashkin calls the incident an accident, although Louisa isn’t letting him off the hook one bit and airs her concerns.
Lamb follows up on a seemingly insignificant piece of information that Rebecca gave him. She was paid for her participation in the cover-up by the Russians, at Nikolai Katinsky’s business. This ex-KGB spy is linked to all this chaos. Lamb breaks into Katinsky’s office, but the spy is on to him. Via a phone call, he admits that he has been hired to distract Lamb. The Slough House boss runs outside, but he’s too late, Katinsky has gone. Lamb updates Catherine Standish on the situation. She takes it upon herself to do a little bit of digging of her own. She questions the Russian who organized Pashkin’s meeting with Webb – Victor Krymov. But he is unhelpful and purposefully wastes her time.
At Slough House, Roddy is tasked with looking into Min’s whereabouts in the lead-up to his murder. He informs Lamb of an industrial estate where Min was spotted. Lamb inspects this shady business firsthand. Pashkin’s security picked up an unknown package and the transaction was then deleted from their database, which seems rather fishy. Roddy is then required once again. River calls him whilst chasing after Leo’s car. He has Roddy track Leo, who is heading for the Flying Club.
While River chases after a killer, Lamb and Shirley simply drive up to the mansion of their enemy. Lamb is shocked when none of Nevsky’s guards come over to interrogate him further and then he sees that the front door is open. Lamb and Shirley enter the property and find dead bodies in the kitchen. Then Shirley discovers Nevsky’s bloodied corpse by the pool. Lamb believes he is radioactive, having been pumped with some deadly material. The remnants of this are found on a table by the pool. Perhaps that was what was in the package all along? The two agents sprint out of the mansion, worried they are now infected. Lamb thinks Pashkin has had Nevsky and his men killed, as well as Min – the plot thickens.
Ending Explained
Following up on her plans of revenge, Louisa heads for Pashkin’s hotel suite with her trusty knife. Marcus intercepts and drags her away at the last minute. She planned on torturing Pashkin with the knife, but Marcus stops her on Lamb’s orders. Lamb then calls and tells Louisa to stand down. He’s going to the Park to see what the hell is going on and needs Louisa on her best behavior. She is ordered to attend the meeting tomorrow as if everything is hunky dory.
In the final moments of “Cicada”, River tracks the Russian spy down to the Flying Club. He finds Nikolai and Andre loading a plane with ingredients you’d need for constructing a bomb. Kelly’s mother Alex enters the hangar to find River pointing a gun at the Russian spies. They all play dumb, stating that this is just a surprise party for Duncan, but River isn’t fooled. He tells Alex to phone the police, although she tasers him instead. River falls to the ground as the Russians communicate with each other in their mother tongue.
What did you think of Slow Horses season 2, episode 4? Comment below.
