The second episode of Slow Horses Season 5, titled “Incommunicado,” reveals that the shocking mass shooting in Abbotsfield and the attempt on Roddy Ho’s life are parts of the same dangerous conspiracy. Ballistic evidence confirms that the bullets fired at Roddy’s apartment came from the same rifle used to kill the Abbotsfield shooter, forcing MI5 to confront a wider terrorist threat.
The Attack on Roddy Ho
The episode begins with Roddy Ho returning home, completely unaware of the danger he is in. Jackson Lamb, convinced by Shirley Dander’s suspicions, is already hiding inside Roddy’s apartment. Lamb’s presence proves vital when a masked assassin sneaks in using a key.
The intruder is the same sniper who killed Rob Trew, the Abbotsfield shooter, in the premiere episode. With Lamb’s help, Roddy fights back. Lamb squirts bleach into the attacker’s eyes, and Roddy hits him with a large novelty sword. They push the assailant over a balcony, allowing him to escape but leaving him seriously injured. Shirley Dander, who was on watch outside, chases the man through the streets but he ultimately gets away.
The investigation into the attack immediately points to Roddy’s new girlfriend, Tara. Roddy had recently lost his apartment keys, and Tara found and returned them. It is revealed she secretly made a copy, which the assassin used to enter the apartment. Tara had previously messaged unknown contacts about Roddy’s movements, confirming she was a “honey pot” used to target him.
New Clues About the Abbotsfield Shooting
In a separate storyline, Diana Taverner receives a late-night visit from Peter Judd, a former Home Secretary. Judd, now working in public relations for a private weapons company, provides crucial information. He reveals that the assault rifle used in the Abbotsfield massacre was part of a larger cache of weapons and explosives stolen a month earlier from a security equipment arms fair in Docklands.
Judd gives Diana a full list of the stolen items in exchange for a promise to keep the weapons company’s name out of the public eye to avoid a scandal. Diana agrees but asserts that MI5 will still investigate the company for failing to report the theft.
The Terrorists’ Bigger Plan
The episode reveals that the terrorists’ goals are more complex than they first appeared. The group does not necessarily need Roddy Ho dead. Instead, their real plan might be to use the attack on an MI5 agent as a deliberate distraction. By forcing MI5 to investigate a threat to one of their own, the terrorists hope to divert attention and resources away from their other, larger-scale operations.
This group specializes in using unwitting people to carry out their plans. Rob Trew was one such pawn, and Tara appears to be another. The episode’s final scenes show the terrorists recruiting a group of climate activists, giving them a mysterious chemical canister to mix into a fuel tanker. This act of sabotage causes random cars in London to explode, demonstrating that the Abbotsfield shooting was only the beginning of their campaign of chaos.
A Crisis for MI5’s Director General
Claude Whelan, the MI5 Director General, faces a personal threat. During a morning run in Hyde Park, he is approached by an investigative journalist named Carl. Carl has been hired by Dodie Gimball, the wife of mayoral candidate Dennis Gimball and a journalist Whelan previously insulted.
Carl confronts Whelan with knowledge of a secret from a security conference in Copenhagen, hinting at a potential affair or encounter that could be used to blackmail him. This personal crisis threatens to weaken Whelan’s authority at a time when MI5 needs strong leadership.
Slough House Locked Down
The episode ends with Diana Taverner and a team of MI5 agents storming into Slough House. The ballistic link between Roddy’s attack and the Abbotsfield shooting gives her the reason she needs to intervene. She places Roddy Ho under arrest and orders the rest of the Slow Horses to be locked down inside the building for failing to report the attack on one of their agents to headquarters.
Jackson Lamb, who had anticipated this move, offers no resistance. With Roddy in custody at the Park and his team detained, the Slough House agents are cut off from the investigation just as the larger terrorist threat becomes clear.
Also Read: Slow Horses Season 5 Episode 2: What Happens After the Shooting?
Credits: dmtalkies.com, vulture.com
