The third episode of the darkly humorous spy thriller ‘Slow Horses’ opens in the midst of a series of problems that have all been set in motion by the first two episodes of the show. In this episode, River Cartwright is concerned about his colleague Sid Baker, who is still barely holding on to life despite the fact that an enigmatic intruder attacks two Slough House staff in the middle of the night. Despite the fact that the nefarious kidnapping of Hassan Ahmed remains unsolved, it appears that a larger plot is at work. A genuinely gory conclusion makes the third episode of ‘Slow Horses’ the most exciting chapter so far, so let’s plunge in and find out all about what happened. WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD.
Slow Horses Episode 3 Recap
The episode opens with Min and Louisa sitting in a pub, following the unfolding news of Hassan Ahmed’s kidnapping on television. They decide that their employer, Jackson Lamb, might be able to provide further information about the case, so they sneak back into Slough House to attempt to hack into his email. They are taken by surprise when an intruder breaks into their office and is slain in the ensuing fight. When Jackson arrives on the scene, he quickly ascertains that the deceased intruder was Jed Moody, an MI5 agent, much to the amazement of everyone in attendance.
Jackson learns via a covert encounter with MI5 second desk head Diana Taverner that the agency may have been engaged in the kidnapping as part of a larger conspiracy during his investigation. Jed’s death, on the other hand, presents a concern since it raises the possibility of Diana’s unofficial plan, which Jackson refers to as a “false flag operation,” being discovered. The two quickly come to an agreement, with Jackson being charged with travelling to the kidnappers’ hideout in order to assist Hassan’s rescue and “hush-up” the entire incident in exchange for immunity for his Slough House underlings.
The notorious right-wing journalist Robert Hobden visits the home of politician Peter Judd, warning him of the possibility of a media firestorm if Hassan is assassinated by nationalists at the same moment. After becoming upset by Robert’s presence, the politician begs him to go. However, when Robert claims that the MI5 may be engaged in the operation, the politician becomes clearly concerned as well.
Why is Moe killed at the end of Episode 3 of Slow Horses? Who is responsible for his death?
Meanwhile, Hassan remains at the hideout, attempting to flee without his abductors, the self-styled Sons of Albion, becoming aware of his whereabouts. He comes close to escaping, but he makes a bit too much noise and is apprehended. Even as the kidnappers tie up Hassan, Jackson and his friends River, Min, and Louisa make their way to the hideout to rescue the prisoner. The situation among the kidnappers, on the other hand, takes a quick and violent turn when Curly becomes suspicious and pulls out an axe from his belt.
When Jackson and his squad get at the hideout, they are surprised to see that the door has been left open. Inside, they see a harrowing scene of brutality that leaves them speechless. Because of this, the MI5 agents, who are convinced that Hassan has been killed, are even more perplexed when they discover one of the kidnappers, Moe, has been beheaded and there is no sign of any of the other kidnappers or of Hassan.
As a result, a long-awaited murder finally takes place, but the victim is someone who was not expected. Curly, the youngest and inexperienced of the kidnappers, seemed to harbour a grudge against Moe, who, although claiming to be a former marine, is perpetually angry. When Moe tries to prevent Curly from injuring Hassan, it looks that Curly becomes distrustful of him. This is demonstrated near the end of the episode. With no demand for payment, it is evident that the kidnappers’ ultimate purpose is to kill Hassan, which calls into doubt Moe’s actions a little more than they should.
At the end of the film, it appears that Curly beheads Moe partially out of suspicion and partly out of rage. The more intriguing aspect of this story is that Diana has revealed that one of the kidnappers is actually an MI5 agent working secretly in the United Kingdom. It is possible that Curly unknowingly discovered the spy and killed him, so putting the entire MI5 mission in peril, as previously stated.
What exactly is Diana Taverner’s game plan? Is she the one responsible for Hassan’s kidnapping?
A deadly conspiracy is disclosed during a covert meeting between Jackson and Diana Taverner, the head of personnel at MI5. Diana Taverner also appears as a twisted player in episode 3 when a dangerous plot involving Jackson is revealed. Her involvement in the kidnapping of Hassan Ahmed appears to have been planned for a variety of reasons, the first of which appears to have been to destabilise the extremist right-wing movement in the country. Diana aims to sway public perception against nationalists by flooding the news with headlines about a nationalist organisation threatening to behead a student. This is why Hobden and Peter, a right-wing journalist and a nationalist politician, respectively, are concerned.
Diana even goes so far as to choose the victim of the kidnapping, making it evident that Hassan is not being abducted for his stand-up comedy performance, but rather for some other reason. She reveals that the young man is actually the nephew of a Pakistani spy named Mahmud Gul, who she has been working with for some time. Diana feels that by rescuing Hassan, she will be able to strengthen her relationships with Pakistani intelligence and obtain vital information from them. As a result, it looks that Diana, the head of the MI5’s second desk, is the one who is responsible for Hassan’s kidnapping, rather than any other person.
Also Read: Slow Horses’ Sons of Albion: Is It Based on a Real Radical Group?