S01.E06: Follies

[paigow]

Season Finale

Taverner and the Slow Horses attempt different approaches to locate the kidnappers and Hassan; Ho makes a shocking discovery about Sid

Airdate: Apr 29 / 22

Note: Preview for Season 2 included

Edited April 29, 2022 by paigow

[Souris]

I enjoyed the hell out of this show. Gary Oldman was clearly having a blast. Right before Lamb got in the car at the end, the penny dropped for me about who would be waiting. Nice setup for S2.

[Athena5217]

I can’t believe this show is done for the season already. How cruel of the producers to set up two new mysteries for season 2. If it means Sid will be back, I may forgive them.

I loved Hassan explaining was a folly is to Curley. This show is entertaining and educational.

[ichbin]

Really glad this is coming back for a second season.  There hasn't been enough publicity about it.  Apple needs to do a better job pushing their quality programming.

[Gweilo]

It's a testament to Gary Oldman's acting that in two scenes where he's breaking bad news to people and showing a glimpse of vulnerability  (explaining Sid's death; and explaining that he gave dead bath guy the gun) both times he's actually lying through his teeth! You can't trust a word he says, the wily old fox.

[AheadofStraight]

Fantastic show! When are they planning to air season 2? Based on that preview, it looks like it is already filmed? 

[aghst]

Couldn't stop watching.

Sometimes I think UK series are too short for a season.

This was about the right length, with a couple of episodes under 50 minutes.

They could have padded it a bit to show the home life of some of these characters.  They mainly showed River with his grandfather, who may still be in the game or used to be and Min talking about how his wife left him after his blunder and being sent to Slough House.

They only showed a bit of Standish and Roddy's homes, because they were trying to evacuate them.

But it's fine that they didn't show more of their lives away from the office.  I guess these characters are lifers, despite their diminished status.

The series description made it sound like these are dishonored agents, sent off to the glue factory, expected to do nothing.  Well that is what Lamb kept emphasizing.

Yet when they needed to, they all got hands on or tried to.

There are comic elements but it's not entirely about these slow horses being the constant object of derision.

I wonder if MI5 has a separation between field agents and analysts like the CIA.  While they all train to be physically capable, a lot of CIA agents are house cats.

I was kind of surprised Webb was out with the Dogs to collect the slow horses, thought he was this prissy type, who couldn't handle himself -- still may not be able to, guess he's kind of comic relief.

When they were evacuating the Park, there were clearly a lot of office worker types.  Dogs are the ones who are probably ex military commando types.

Naked cynicism with Tearney and Taverner conspiring to kill all the perps so that live to tell about how it was an M I5 agent who came up with the whole idea to abduct and threaten to decapitate Hassan.

Because they were worried about protecting their careers.

[pasdetrois]

I loved this series and am thrilled there will be a season 2. The six episodes forced economical storytelling, which I appreciate. Well, except for the endless arguments amongst the bad guys.

One of the best series of the year.

Edited November 27, 2022 by pasdetrois

[akiss]

Is it me, or is it heavily implied that Lamp chose the Slough House because he didn't want to do the "dirty work" anymore?

[kwnyc]

I think so. He said he didn't want to be in the field, didn't want to be in the "wilderness."

[rejnel]

Quote

It's a testament to Gary Oldman's acting that in two scenes where he's breaking bad news to people and showing a glimpse of vulnerability  (explaining Sid's death [. . .]) both times he's actually lying through his teeth! 

We saw Diana tell him Sid had been murdered, and he seemed to believe it. 

As a lover of the books, I wish they hadn't tipped off the Sid cover-up so early, but it's a minor quibble with a truly outstanding adaptation. Loved it, and have got my husband--who hasn't read the novels--totally addicted. 

[kay1864]

The character of Charles Partner isn’t in season 2… So does that mean we don't find out why Lamb killed him?

[Kel Varnsen]

On 8/11/2022 at 2:28 PM, aghst said:

Couldn't stop watching.

Sometimes I think UK series are too short for a season.

This was about the right length, with a couple of episodes under 50 minutes.

I had the day off today and binged the whole season with my dad and it really was the perfect length. This story probably could have been told as a movie but by making it 6 episodes they were able to give the characters (especially the secondary ones like the office admin and the two agents who met up at the pub) some more depth.

On 8/11/2022 at 2:28 PM, aghst said:

wonder if MI5 has a separation between field agents and analysts like the CIA.  While they all train to be physically capable, a lot of CIA agents are house cats.

No idea if they actually do but I used to read the comic book series Queen & Country by Greg Rucka (which also has 3 novels) and in it both MI-5 and MI-6 were split up into an operations directorate and an intelligence directorate. Not sure if it is really like that but once I realized that Taverner was the director of operations it made more sense.

[Hanahope]

Just finished S1.  Good story , I liked finding out why River was at Slough House, because of the photo he just happened to take due to his own initiative and Diana got Spider to fuck him up.

But now I wonder why Charles was killed by Lamb.  Diana kept saying that they looked at Standish for treason but couldn’t find anything.  We’re Lamb and Cartwright grandfather traitors?  Or was Charles?  I hope we get the answer to that question.

I may have to add the book series to my queue 

[Rickster]

2 hours ago, Hanahope said:

Just finished S1.  Good story , I liked finding out why River was at Slough House, because of the photo he just happened to take due to his own initiative and Diana got Spider to fuck him up.

But now I wonder why Charles was killed by Lamb.  Diana kept saying that they looked at Standish for treason but couldn’t find anything.  We’re Lamb and Cartwright grandfather traitors?  Or was Charles?  I hope we get the answer to that question.

I may have to add the book series to my queue 

Watch Seasons 2 & 3 for some answers. (The book series is really worth it. Better than the TV series, IMO)

[Kel Varnsen]

So I have been reading the Season 1 book as I got it for my kindle. Thinking back to the season 1 though, one thing I can't figure out is what it would have looked like if River had done the training exercise correctly. Like say he doesn't get the wrong description from Spider and goes after the right guy from the start. The guy is still a fake suicide bomber in Kings Cross station, so even if River found him earlier he could still detonate his fake bomb in the station. I am not sure how that is any better?

[Jack Shaftoe]

Taverner: God, men are such boys.

Standish Uh, ma'am, while I appreciate you offering to include me in your circle of sisterhood, I'll have to decline.

A bit later:

Standish: I know it's the other way, Roddy, but I was in dire need of a dramatic exit

I sure hope we see more of the snarky side of Standish in the next seasons.

I just finished watching the first season and I will be certainly be continuing. Kind of surprised that Taverner kept her job despite her boss knowing it was her dumb idea that messed things up in the first place but I am fine with keeping Kristin Scott Thomas in the show, so I will take it.