S02.E03: Drinking Games

[aghst]

Quote

River gets cosy in the Cotswolds while searching for a sleeper agent; Min discovers Russian drinking games are the most brutal of all.

Wow, didn't expect them to kill off Min so quick.  They did kill off Sid and it was a surprise as well. Guess that's the nature of the spy game, life and death are at stake all the time.

Apparently Lamb is going to be hands on in the game, not just snoring in his office with his feet up on his desk.  Slovenliness is a cover, though you'd think he'd stand out when he was trailing that driver.

But apparently he has sharp instincts and suspected all along that it wasn't an accident at all.  So Louisa and Min were working a different case than the Cicada case that River is on, but Lamb warns River that Min is dead and to watch out.

Marcus, the new agent who doesn't even have his own desk and computer, has a gambling problem and claims it doesn't affect his job at all, as he steps aside for a few minutes to call in a bet to a bookie when they were vetting those buildings for the meeting between the Russian leader and Lady Di.

They all say that don't they, the slow horses, that they are good at their jobs but they were put in Slough House for some minor reason or a set up, as River believes.

So some of them have a chip on their shoulder to vindicate themselves (River, Louisa) and get back to the Park while others think they've been sent to Slough House for some bullshit reason (Marcus, Jackson).

River's legend is a journalist doing a story on Upshott/Cotswolds.  But the potential cicada is checking him out and while River is over for dinner, the bald headed killer shows up.

Taverner is aware of what's going on at Slough House, even if she's dismissive of them, while she has to try to please the Home Secretary, who sounds like a tool.

[Rickster]

I think this should be labeled episode 3.

Having read the books, I preferred the book to Season 1, but so far prefer the TV version of this season to the second book. I think the plot is better suited to TV, although certain twists to come, IMO, are harder to believe than the plot of Season 1.

[showme]

On 12/10/2022 at 2:41 AM, aghst said:

Marcus, the new agent who doesn't even have his own desk and computer, has a gambling problem and claims it doesn't affect his job at all, as he steps aside for a few minutes to call in a bet to a bookie when they were vetting those buildings for the meeting between the Russian leader and Lady Di.

You can't take his words at face value, you might be pleasantly surprised. 😉

On 12/10/2022 at 5:18 AM, Rickster said:

but so far prefer the TV version of this season to the second book. I think the plot is better suited to TV

I agreed. When I read the book, I thought it was a bit boring, but it actually translates onto TV quite nicely.

Edited December 11, 2022 by showme

[paigow]

Putting a cicada in a tiny village is a bad plan... too far from targets, nosy neighbours always tracking your movements and visitors...

Edited December 11, 2022 by paigow

[showme]

8 hours ago, paigow said:

Putting a cicada in a tiny village is a bad plan... too far from targets, nosy neighbours always tracking your movements and visitors...

I wish I could say something, but I can't without spoiling it for you. 😜

[pasdetrois]

I love the notion of cicadas for this story. We had our latest 17-year brood - early due to climate change - and as one ages, one wonders if it was our last.

The computer whiz and Lamb are so foul that it hampers my enjoyment of the show. Otherwise I'm appreciating the pace and performances.

[aghst]

I forgot what they called it in The Americans, deep undercover Soviet agents living like Americans but doing missions.

Did they call them immigrants?  Not as colorful a label as cicada but similar idea.

[kwnyc]

On 12/9/2022 at 1:41 PM, aghst said:

So some of them have a chip on their shoulder to vindicate themselves (River, Louisa) and get back to the Park while others think they've been sent to Slough House for some bullshit reason (Marcus, Jackson).

I think Jackson chose to be the head of Slough House. At least he said in one of the scenes from last season, he said he didn't want to be in the field anymore, and he didn't want to be in the "wilderness." (Which seems to be where Struan ended up.)

As for Min, he really was a bit of an idiot. Though if he had taken the Russian's offer to put him in a taxi, he probably still would have been killed.

And as an aside, whenever I see Webb, I think of Draco Malfoy.

Edited December 13, 2022 by kwnyc

[quirkygal]

On 12/11/2022 at 12:25 PM, aghst said:

I forgot what they called it in The Americans, deep undercover Soviet agents living like Americans but doing missions.

Did they call them immigrants?  Not as colorful a label as cicada but similar idea.

Close-  illegals is the term for foreign agents actively working on US soil. A sleeper agent or sleeper cell is a spy/group who are placed in the US and await some larger sign to activate and begin their espionage or destructive missions.

The Americans are about two illegals - Russian KGB officers - working in and around DC during the height of the Cold War.  Highly recommend it as an amazing show in it's own right and a good representation of middle class America during that time.

[ahisma]

Well, I spoke too soon last episode. I’m so glad to see Min’s idiocy wasn’t protected by plot armor. Though not feeling so good about Louisa’s backup being Marcus at the moment…

River’s legend had better be airtight.

[Milburn Stone]

This episode was the tensest so far, I thought. It reminded me of good Hitchcock. 

Edited to add: Pet peeve: People who post hints of what's to come. I realize this is not a violation of the rules since all the episodes have aired, and also because I'm writing this 18 months later, but really, I see no need for it and it does tend to spoil things.

Edited May 21 by Milburn Stone