Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Slow Horses Season 4.The fourth season of the British spy thriller Slow Horses just wrapped up on Apple TV+ with Episode 6, "Hello Goodbye," but not before a big reveal was made concerning River Cartwright (Jack Lowden). River has been the focus of this season, as he has been to France and back to London searching for the man responsible for trying to have his grandfather, David Cartwright (Jonathan Pryce), killed in the premiere's opening sequence. During that time, River had a near-death encounter with an ex-FBI agent named Frank Harkness (Hugo Weaving) before being saved. In the season finale, River meets Harkness again, and casually drops a game-changer that explains a lot more about why River is the way he is, and why he is so passionate about catching the man who he believes is not only responsible for the assassination attempt, but also the terrorist bombing of Westacres.
How River Meets Frank Harkness in 'Slow Horses'
In the final sequence of Episode 5, River is being transported by another MI5 agent, Emma Flyte (Ruth Bradley), to headquarters when their SUV is ambushed in a hail of gunfire. The driver is killed, and it appears that River and Emma are trapped. But instead of killing them, the mercenary Patrice (Tom Woznickza) knocks Emma out and tells River to get in the trunk of his car. It is the second time this season that River escaped a sure death and was taken away via car.
'Slow Horses' Reclaims an Impressive Rotten Tomatoes Score With Season 4
Season 4 has a perfect record so far.
Episode 6 opens with River in the trunk being taken to a nearby London café. There, he is met by Frank Harkness, who is sitting calmly at a small table. As River goes to take a seat across from Frank, he casually says, "Hello, Dad." It's a doozy of a curveball that few saw coming, but it explains many events that have transpired throughout Season 4 and even prior to that. The last thing the audience expected was for the two to know each other, much less be father and son.
Frank Is a Sociopathic Killer, and River Never Had a Chance
As the conversation unfolds over the next several minutes, Frank Harkness comes across as a sociopathic nightmare of a father. He explains to River that he is impressed with his work tracking him down but wishes he had applied his skills to something more lucrative, like being a homicidal mercenary like him. Frank tells River that if it weren't for his mother, he would have had his son practicing guerrilla savagery when he was in diapers. It is illuminating to see some backstory on River, as it helps the audience understand a lot more about him, and why he's at Slough House instead of a more respectable MI5 department.
No wonder River is an underachieving Slow Horse, right? Just take a look at who his father is! Having a dad like Frank Harkness is worse than not having a father at all. He is such a bad influence that it is impressive that River is not a hardened criminal, but actually a member of MI5 (albeit as one of the rejects in Slough House). River became a decent human being despite his father's absenteeism and lack of ethics.
Meeting With Frank Also Helps River Catch Him Later
Frank tries to offer some sagacious paternal wisdom, saying that one of his secrets to being such a good agent is "When you're that target, attack. When you're being pursued, stand still." River will use these words against him later in the episode as Frank finds himself on the run from the authorities. But before Frank can elude Louisa (Rosalind Eleazor), Emma, and the local police who have tracked him down at the café, this Father of the Year uses his son as a human shield to negotiate his escape and drops a grenade in his hoodie. What a dad!
River and Louisa are in a full sprint trying to chase Frank down when he suddenly stops running and remembers those words of wisdom from his father. River tracks him down, sitting quietly on the nearby subway platform where he's waiting. River surreptitiously sits behind Frank, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. He calmly says, "What was it again? When you're being pursued, stand still." He has caught his deadbeat dad using the advice he had given him just minutes prior. Frank surrenders his gun and is arrested by Emma. In a humorous scene-finisher, when Louisa asks River who is being hauled away, he replies, "My dad," and chugs a glass of Chardonnay.
Slow Horses is available to stream on Apple TV+ in the U.S.
Slow Horses
- Release Date
- April 1, 2022
- Writers
- Will Smith, Mark Denton, Morwenna Banks
WHERE TO WATCH
- Seasons
- 4
- Streaming Service(s)
- AppleTV+
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