The titular team of “lackluster” British intelligence officers goes off the radar after witnessing a horrendous incident in ‘Slow Horses’ episode 4, titled ‘Visiting Hours.’ River Cartwright and his team hustle to escape underground as they are pursued by their MI5 rivals, affectionately known as the “dogs.” Meanwhile, Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman), the old, grumbling head of Slough House, finally begins to show us why he’s boss. The trip is just getting started, so let’s go straight into episode 4 of ‘Slow Horses.’ WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD.

Recap of Slow Horses Episode 4

The plot takes up immediately after the Slough House team uncovers the severed body of Moe, one of the kidnappers holding Hassan Ahmed captive, in the previous episode. Moe swiftly reveals himself to be Alan Black, an MI5 agent recruited to infiltrate the kidnappers. While the rest of the squad recovers from the horrible scene, Jackson Lamb takes command and instructs them to collect up the other Slough House agents. He also destroys all of their phones, making it impossible for MI5 to locate them down.

River, Min, and Louisa set out to find Roddy Ho, the team’s tech prodigy, and agent Struan Loy before they are apprehended by the MI5. Struan is unfortunately seized by the hounds and brought to Diana Taverner, who blackmails the Slough House agent into declaring that Jackson Lamb is responsible for Alan Black’s death. River is more fortunate and manages to contact Roddy before he is apprehended. A simple visit to the hospital to see Sid Baker, who is still healing from her injuries, turns disastrous when MI5 agents arrive. River manages to flee, but not before Roddy abandons him.

Meanwhile, Jackson Lamb visits his long-suffering assistant Catherine Standish’s flat and persuades the slightly befuddled woman to accompany him on his escape. They arrive too late and are apprehended by MI5 operatives, who return the couple to Diana.

Slow Horses Episode 4 Ending: Why is the MI5 looking for the Slow Horses?

The kidnappers are also fleeing in a panic when Curly beheads Moe. While Larry and Zeppo try to persuade Curly to let Hassan go, the hot-headed kidnapper, still covered in Moe’s blood, refuses. Hassan’s fate is in jeopardy, and things aren’t looking good for the kidnapped student.

Back in the car with the agents, Jackson Lamb alleges Diana is attempting to cover her tracks by using the Slough House agents. Jackson indicates to Catherine to bring out the revolver he’s placed in her luggage, and the two seize the car, leaving the MI5 agents stranded.

In the suspenseful episode 4, the relationship between the British Intelligence MI5 agency and its filthy sibling agency at Slough House takes an unexpected turn. MI5 agents are now pursuing their Slough House counterparts rather than attempting to rescue Hassan, as Jackson points out. Diana and the death of Moe, the kidnapper who is actually an undercover MI5 agent, appear to be the catalysts for this new rivalry.

In episode 3, Diana is revealed to have had a hand in Hassan’s kidnapping, which was planned with ulterior reasons. However, with Alan Black’s untimely death, the entire plan appears to have gone awry. If the MI5’s involvement in the operation is discovered, basically proving that a government agency is involved in the kidnapping of a citizen, all hell breaks loose. As a result, Diana’s strategy appears to be to blame Jackson Lamb and his gang, claiming that the Slow Horses of Slough House have gone rogue.

Who exactly is Alan Black?

Alan Black, also known as the kidnapper Moe, is an MI5 covert agent. Interestingly, Alan is also a former Slow Horse, and Diana exploits his link to Jackson Lamb to suggest that the latter may have been involved in the agent’s killing.

Diana, in reality, had sent Alan undercover to ensure that Hassan was not hurt by the kidnappers. However, now that Alan has died, the life of the abducted college student is in the hands of the true kidnappers.

Finally, there appears to be a tantalizing clue concerning Alan, which is hinted at in episode 4 when River claims to have seen him but can’t remember where. A visit to Sid Baker in the hospital appears to have triggered River’s memory, but what River has finally remembered is unknown. As a result, the Slough House representative is last seen rushing to an unknown place after connecting Alan Black and Diana Taverner.