Slow Horses (2022) s05e04 Episode Script

1
- [PHONES RINGING]
- [PEOPLE CHATTERING]
[PHONE BUZZING, RINGING]
[PHONE BUZZES]
[AUTOMATED VOICE] You
have one new message.
[TARA] Roddy, it's me.
I don't expect you to forgive
me, but at least hear me out.
I swear, I didn't know what was
going to happen, and I was so scared.
I don't know what to do and where to go.
Call me. Please.
[RODDY] Listen to her.
Whoever hears that phone call
knows that she's innocent.
And if she has done anything,
it was done under duress.
I agree.
You do?
I do, but no one else
in this building does.
That's why they sent me.
Yeah. Well, what makes you different?
I can hear the love, and the
conflict, and the regret in her voice.
I recognize it because
I've been that person.
Are you saying you're
in love with me too?
No. I'm saying, uh, I
once worked undercover.
Honey trapper?
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
Yeah, that's where I'd deploy you.
So I can tell when it's
real and when it's not.
Like Tara, I fell in love when
I shouldn't have fallen in love.
And that blew my cover.
Did this really happen to Flyte?
[SIGHS]
Oh. Oh. Sh-she-she's
playing him, isn't she?
I put my target, the person
I honey trapped, in danger,
and I did the right thing for them.
I brought them in.
And that's what you need to do for Tara.
If you care about her, call her,
and let us find her and protect her.
She's in no danger from us.
Like you said, she's done nothing wrong.
But she is in danger from the
people that tried to kill you.
They won't forgive her like you have.
We need to hold her on
the line for two minutes
so that we can trace
the location of the call.
That way we can find her and
make sure that she's safe.
[SIGHS]
[PHONE BUZZING]
- Roddy?
- Tara.
[TARA] Oh, my God, Roddy.
Thank God you're safe. I didn't
want anything to happen to you.
They promised they wouldn't hurt
you. They [INHALES SHARPLY]
I'm just so sorry.
You don't need to apologize to me.
The people who used you,
they're the ones you
should feel sorry for.
Because they're gonna
get invited to a hoedown,
and that's a dance you
don't walk away from.
You forgive me?
There's nothing to forgive.
But I gave them your
address. I lied to you.
No. No, you had to.
Just next time, come to me, yeah?
Come to your Rodzilla.
They said if I told
anyone anything about them,
they would kill me, and that
they can get to me anywhere.
I'm just lost, baby. Where do I go?
You need to listen to me, okay?
- Always.
- [SIGHS]
I will find you no matter where you go.
And I mean that in the romantic sense.
Like Daniel Day-Lewis in
The Last of the Mohicans,
not Ricardo Montalban
in The Wrath of Khan.
Okay.
Hang up. Don't use this phone
again. They're trying to trace you.
[SIGHS]
I used to work here, remember?
And I know it only takes a
minute to trace a phone call.
Since you left, we can
do it in thirty seconds.
[COMPUTER BEEPING]
["STRANGE GAME" PLAYING]
[JACKSON] When you two
knobheads went to Tara's address,
did you check out any of
the surrounding properties?
[RIVER] No. Why?
[SIGHS]
[BREATHES HEAVILY]
[SNIFFS]
- [OCCUPANT] Yeah?
- [STAMMERS] Uh, yeah.
Got a-a package for upstairs,
but there's no one answering.
Can I buzz it inside the door?
[BUZZER SOUNDS]
[GRUNTS]
[NEWS BROADCASTER] Across the capital,
London News, on the hour, every hour.
[REPORTER 1] London Mayor Zafar Jaffrey
had this to say about
his son's involvement
in what the police is referring
to as "fuel tampering."
[ZAFAR] Obviously I can't comment
on an ongoing investigation,
but I would like to make
clear that online chatter
[TYSON] Go for the greatest hits.
You've turned this city
into something Londerful.
Gimball seeks to set it back.
A-And don't say he
refuses to debate you.
Say he won't have a
conversation with you.
I need to mention Irfan.
It's a home crowd. They won't expect it.
No. He's my son. He's
probably going to jail.
It's a terrible thing
for me as a father.
I can't just pretend it isn't happening.
I mean, I'll look detached and afraid.
Okay. Okay. So let's use
what you were saying before.
You're proud of your son's stance
and passion, if not his methods.
Good. Yeah.
Use some of the emotion
that I'm genuinely feeling.
Stoke the sympathy.
I know that sounds cynical
but that's the game.
[PHONE CHIMES]
[SIGHS] Gimball will
certainly use Irfan against me.
- Jesus.
- What?
- What now?
- [SIGHS]
[GROANS] God. That's terrible.
Now Gimball will say that
Irfan's got blood on his hands.
Fucking Irfan.
Does he want me to lose?
- I'll deal with this.
- Just tell Gimball Irfan is off limits.
[SIGHING] Fuck.
[COMPUTER CHIMES]
[SIGHS]
What the
What the f
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
- [KNOCK ON DOOR]
- Fuck.
Yeah. [STAMMERS] Just, uh,
one [STAMMERS] Come in.
[CLEARS THROAT]
- [DOOR OPENS]
- Fuck.
[DOOR CLOSES]
- Oh, hello.
- Hello, sir.
Here are the full unredacted
background files on Jaffrey and Gimball.
Oh. Thank you so much.
I should've done this ages ago.
I've just been so busy because,
uh, it's a busy, um job.
Right. Thank you very much.
Thank you, sir.
Right.
Right.
Wanna play dirty?
I can play dirty too.
[GIMBALL] This once great city
is suffering from a plague again.
Only this time it's
not a plague of rats.
No, no. This time it's a
plague of illegal immigrants.
Well, I will not let these rats
gnaw away at the rigging
of our national identity.
[GROANS]
Oh, come on. That's not good enough.
[DOORBELL RINGS]
Well, well, well.
To what do we owe this
unexpected displeasure?
May I come in?
Of course.
I assume you're here to apologize.
[CLEARS THROAT]
Shoes off. If you don't mind.
[CLEARING THROAT]
[GRUNTING]
You didn't ask if my
husband was at home.
No.
No. In my line of work, one
tends to know where people are.
It's a perk of the job.
Would you be so good as to inform
your husband I wish to see him?
I'll see if he's free to receive you.
Thank you.
[STAMMERS] Come up.
She's not here.
Ta-da.
How did you get out of Slough House?
- Much like you did. Through the door.
- Devon?
Uh, well, she refused
to act on some intel.
So I broke out and sent
my guys to deal with it.
- Should I be worried?
- About my guys dealing with it? Yeah.
It's clear.
Yeah, well, of course
it is, you knucklehead.
I didn't just come
in and put me feet up.
How did you find this place?
[STAMMERS] Well, Tara gave a
fake address as 34 Priory Place.
I figured she wouldn't
have wanted to walk far.
So I came to number 43.
She's not a professional,
and the large amount of
takeaway boxes in the bin outside
told me someone had
Don't they Don't
they teach you this shit?
How did you know that
we were coming here?
Ho called.
Guess he spooked her.
Well, he told her we
were tracing the call.
But you expected that.
He's convinced she's an innocent
coerced into turning on him
but love held out.
[SCOFFS] Which, to be fair, tracks
with how she was on the call.
Oh, come on. Cheer up.
Why? I've lost her.
Yeah. She'll be at the one place
she thinks no one will look.
Roddy Ho's flat.
Surely that's the last place she'd go.
[GROANS] No. Trust me.
I feel it in my chakra.
Plus, before she left,
she called for a taxi.
I called them back, and
they gave me the address.
Like I said, not a professional.
[STAMMERS, GROANS] Come on.
Not even a thank you?
- I assume I can't ride with you
- [SIGHS]
so I'll follow on at my own pace.
No, thanks.
I'm sure you can understand
why I don't trust you.
- What, unconscious bias?
- [FLYTE SCOFFS]
[SIGHS] Look, I just
wanna insulate Slough House
from whatever the fuck is going on.
So as far as finding out exactly
what that is, we're on the same side.
Fine. [SIGHS] But you only observe.
I said five. It's been ten.
Go on then.
Let the bastard crawl in.
My husband will see you now.
- Mr. Whelan can't stay for tea
- Oh.
but he's just dropped
by to apologize, darling.
[GIMBALL] About time.
Um
Actually, I'm not-not here
to apologize for anything.
What about your smears
against my husband
- and your sexism against me?
- I'm
I'm like the opposite of a sexist.
You excluded me from a meeting.
That was classified.
You just don't like a strong woman.
I do, actually.
Although, um,
it's not altogether
how I'd describe you.
If you came here to beg
me not to run the story,
well, I'm sorry to break it to
you, but it's not going very well.
But I'm not here to
beg you for anything.
I'm here to tell you
how it's going to be.
You're going to withdraw this
spurious article about my personal life
that has no place in the public domain.
You're in love with a prostitute.
I struck up a conversation
a friendship with a
rather lovely waitress.
Whatever we happened to do in
our own time is our own business.
- Business is the word.
- [CHUCKLES]
- She was a prostitute.
- No. She wasn't, actually. No.
She was, um [STAMMERS] an escort.
[STAMMERS] Going to be an escort
to pay for her university fees.
So I paid her university fees so
she doesn't need to be an escort.
But you still paid a call girl
who, incidentally,
you were also boffing.
Honestly, did did you
think I'd come in here
if I didn't have a
nuclear bomb in my pocket?
[SIGHS] Yes. Because
tonight, Dennis Gimball
this is your life. Yes.
Dennis Gimball. Only, um
Only, you weren't born
Dennis Gimball, were you?
Were you?
[CLICKS TONGUE] No. No, you weren't.
You were born Dennis Özil. Hmm?
To a Welsh mother and a Turkish father.
One Yusuf Özil.
Your father, as you may
recall, was here illegally,
working as a waiter.
Your mother, Denise, was a masseuse.
One can only imagine how they met.
Now, sadly, in 1961, um,
she gave you up for adoption
when your father was arrested,
convicted, and sent to prison for GBH.
Now, obviously, as you can imagine,
um, none of this is a problem for me.
At all, you know. I couldn't
I couldn't care less really.
But we both know that it's going to be
a very big problem for your supporters
when they find out that your father
was an illegal immigrant and a criminal.
Oh, you've gone awfully quiet, Dodie.
Let's use this little pause
to remind ourselves about
your university boyfriend
[SMACKS LIPS] who was
Chairman of the Marxist Society,
if you can credit it.
And how, when he dumped you,
you had him thrown out of university
by planting cocaine on him.
[STAMMERS]
Now, anymore crap from either of you two
and I will see to it the
security services destroys you
and your god-awful
livelihoods in public.
Do I make myself clear? Do I?
Well, you know, that's, uh
that's great. Fucking great.
I'll see myself out.
[DOOR OPENS]
[CHUCKLES]
Dennis.
I don't hold it against you
that you once dated a Marxist.
[DODIE] I was a young
woman, no more than a girl.
He groomed me.
I did what I had to do
to get away from him.
- Oh.
- [DOOR CLOSES]
[RECORDING REWINDS]
[CLAUDE, THROUGH RECORDER] And I
will see to it the security services
destroys you and your
god-awful livelihoods in public.
See? [CHUCKLES] Got him on
tape trying to blackmail us.
Is it true?
D-Does it matter?
[BREATHES SHAKILY] I've
written several columns
about how the Turks are
the mongrels of Europe.
So yes, it does fucking matter!
[SOBS]
[CALLER, IN ARABIC] You're going
to blow his head off on stage.
They're not going to let
you just walk out of there.
Why are you assuming the worst?
Even if they capture me,
you and Kamal will continue.
Okay.
[SIGHS]
[CHATTERING]
This is fucked. They
all look like murderers.
There's no police outside either.
It's not ideal when there's
a death squad after you.
Am I just talking to myself?
[REPORTER] And it certainly
is a very impressive turnout
- [SIGHS]
- here today at Conway Hall.
All right. Let's check sight lines.
[JK] It's an auditorium and a
stage, so it's one big sight line.
Oh, you are on.
Oh, good.
Now, they're gonna
want cover and an exit.
[JK] Maybe they'll kill
him before he gets on stage.
[SECURITY GUARD] Frank, why
are you still letting them in?
There's too many.
[SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY]
Well, at least the
security team are top notch.
It's gonna be from up there.
- Dressing room.
- No, no, no, that's too private.
They're gonna want to make a statement.
Everything else they've done
has been on a big canvas.
What?
Earlier, you were very dismissive of me.
- Now you think there's a conspiracy.
- [SIGHS] Okay, fine. Yeah.
You were right and I was wrong. Okay?
But I'm telling you, if
it's gonna be from anywhere,
- it's gonna be from
- Dressing room.
Yeah, you go and check
where it's not gonna happen.
[GROANS]
[PHONE BUZZING]
[RIVER] The boxes above
the stage are unguarded.
I think that's too much
of a giveaway to be real.
Yeah, but can you just
come up here and back me up.
That is how this normally works, Coe.
[JK] Dressing room.
Dick.
Excuse me. Excuse me.
Excuse me.
[SNORTS]
- Fuck!
- Don't shoot.
Take it.
Fuck's sake. Fuck.
[BREATHES HEAVILY]
Shit!
[PANTS]
[GRUNTS]
Pardon me, but I do like
to open a door for a lady.
[GRUNTS, PANTS]
[BREATHES SHAKILY] No. No,
no, no. No, I'm not safe.
No. [BREATHES SHAKILY]
[PANTING] You let us flush her out.
Well, you fucked up and I saved the day.
By way of a thank you, I'd
like to sit in on the debrief.
You're supposed to still
be in lockdown, remember?
[PANTS]
Just go let my guys out of Slough House,
and I'll see what Taverner says.
W-well, she'll say
that, what's her name,
Welles and co need to
clear out their lockers.
At least my lot fuck
up on an epic scale.
They're not just run-of-the-mill
fuckups like yours.
[GRUNTS]
Come on.
Do we really need to
sit through his speech?
It'll be bland, but inoffensive.
Hold this.
[USHER] We haven't got you down.
I got a call from maintenance.
Lights in the ladies toilets. Broken.
Why can't maintenance fix it?
They said they didn't have the lights.
Look.
They have already paid me,
so it doesn't bother me
if you won't let me in.
But if the lights go, ladies
will be going in the dark.
Okay. Open the bag, please.
Okay. Fine.
Should we be worried?
He had the same boots as the
ones in the CCTV from the van.
Combat boots?
- Yeah, I know. It's mad.
- Not necessarily.
I mean, someone was
trying to kill Roddy.
You must trust your feelings, Shirley.
All right. Calm down.
It's not fucking Star Wars.
Just fixing a light,
and he got searched.
[PHONE BUZZING]
[RIVER] Where are you?
Dressing room.
Is Gimball there?
Coe?
Hello?
Coe?
- [GIMBALL] Thanks, Andrew.
- He's just arriving.
I'll keep eyes on him here.
[RIVER] Okay, you stay with
him. I'll watch the crowd.
[GIMBALL] Right. Come
on, Dennis. It's showtime.
Friends, Londoners,
countrymen, lend me your vote.
It's time for change.
Let me tell you, it's time for change.
This city is in chaos.
Poisoned from the top down.
The mayor
The mayor's son is a terrorist
who blew up cars and killed a
woman, but this rot is national.
Is the light working okay in there?
Yeah, why?
[PHONE RINGING]
Yes?
[SHIRLEY] There's nothing
wrong with the toilet light.
Oh, God.
I'm gonna look from upstairs.
Stop Jaffrey getting on stage.
- It's too late.
- Get him off it then.
- [ACTIVIST] London is
- [CROWD] Londerful!
- [ACTIVIST] London is
- [CROWD] Londerful!
[CHANTING, CHEERING] Londerful!
- [CHANTING, CHEERING CONTINUES]
- Everyone, thank you.
[CHEERS] All right.
London isn't Somali.
London isn't Polish.
Gypsies, ooh, uh, Travellers, of course.
Actually, the French.
Europeans, all Europeans.
[CHUCKLES] London isn't Bengali.
London isn't even Irish,
despite what our friends in
Kilburn would have us believe.
[CHUCKLES] Oh, yeah, that's a keeper.
[CROWD CHEERING]
[ZAFAR] Tonight was
supposed to be a dialogue.
A polite exchange of views.
Two distinct visions for the
future of this great city.
But, instead, we find ourselves mourning
- and more divided than ever.
- [EXHALES]
But I've got news for you.
I've got news for our opponents too.
In fact, I've got news
for the whole world.
We are taking our city back.
Vikram Acharya, he came
to this country in 1968.
He made his home in this city.
He was a much loved and
valued member of the party.
Gave his life for it.
For the dream of a Londerful city.
We will never give in to hate.
Love and hate are on the
ballot this election. Vote love.
[CHEERING]
[GIMBALL] The woke elite
need to wake up and realize,
London is British.
But I'm not. [CHUCKLES] I'm not.
Fucking hell. Fuck.
- [CROWD APPLAUDS]
- I now
I now propose that we
stand for a minute's silence
in memory of Vikram Acharya
and the ten other people
who lost their lives yesterday.
[CLEARS THROAT]
[PHONE BUZZES]
Oh.
[ZAFAR] London is a family.
But let me say a few
words about my own family.
I agree with my son's goals.
Who doesn't want a greener planet?
But that doesn't mean I
approve of his methods.
- [DRILLING]
- He's an adult.
It's not for me to discipline
him. That duty is with the courts.
But if the failings of my generation
have led him and his generation
to such extreme action,
then we have to hold up
our hands and do better.
Whatever the outcome, Irfan, I love you.
And I will never turn you away.
[CROWD APPLAUDING]
What is London?
- Well, sorry, New York
- Hey!
only the greatest city in the world.
- Why do you hate motorists, you wanker.
- [GRUNTS]
- You're okay.
- [GUARD] Get back.
- [GRUNTS]
- [ALARM BLARING]
[GRUNTS]
[GRUNTING]
- [STEAM HISSING]
- [SCREAMS]
[SHIRLEY GRUNTING]
[COUGHING, PANTING]
[ANNOUNCER] Please
evacuate the building.
Please evacuate the building.
[ALARM CONTINUES BLARING]
- Please evacuate the building.
- [CROWD CLAMORING]
Please evacuate the building.
Please evacuate the building.
[PANTING]
Please evacuate the building.
[CAR HORNS SOUNDING]
[SHIRLEY] Move! Move! Out the way!
[CAR HORNS SOUNDING]
[GASPS]
[PANTING]
Come on, you've been down before.
Maybe they'll never find out.
Of course they're gonna
fucking find out, you moron.
Gimball. I asked you for a face to face.
- Not now.
- Yes, now.
[GIMBALL] Irfan killed a
little old lady. That's a gift.
Listen, mate, let's leave
families out of this, all right?
Oh, come on, pal.
The mayor's murderous son is
just too good a target to pass up.
Oh, actually that's rather good,
isn't it? The Mayor's Murder
Mayor's Murderous Son.
Mr. Gimball, that's low. Even for you.
Oh, come on. As if you wouldn't use
it if it was the other way around.
It's electoral fucking kryptonite.
- We've never attacked your family.
- Well, why would you?
No murderers in my family.
[LAUGHING] And how do
your family feel about you?
Are your parents proud of you?
Don't mention my parents.
[TYSON] You calling the mayor's
son a murderer is dangerous.
[PHONE BUZZING]
[RIVER] Anything?
- [GIMBALL] That innocent woman died
- He's getting into it with a man
- outside the stage door.
- That's a fact.
[ATTENDEE] Oi!
Irfan could go to prison.
Your talk will get him hurt.
Well, you'd know all
about that, wouldn't you?
Listen, I'm-I'm trying
to get through to you.
Sounds to me like you're
trying to threaten me.
Your lot always revert to type.
- My lot?
- Yeah.
You can't wait to give
in to your animal passion.
[GRUNTING]
[GRUNTING, GROANING]
Fucking disgrace.
[GRUNTING]
- [GRUNTING, GROANING]
- What are you doing?
Who the fuck are you?
[GRUNTS] MI5, dickhead.
- [GRUNTING]
- What?
[GROANING]
- [GROANS]
- Coe!
Fucking help me!
- Who the fuck is that?
- [GRUNTS]
[RIVER] Coe!
[GRUNTING, GROANING CONTINUES]
- Fucking calm down, all right?
- What the fuck?
[PANTING]
Yeah, fuck off, Bowman.
[PANTING, COUGHING] Fuck.
[CROWD CLAMORING, CHANTING]
Sorry about that.
Man's an absolute idiot.
- [RIVER PANTING, GROANING]
- Thanks for your help.
Good to see the bulldog spirit's alive
in the younger generation. [CHUCKLES]
[RIVER] I'm MI5, and there's
been a threat to your safety.
[GIMBALL] Yeah, probably for you,
doing the deep state's dirty work.
Oh, do fuck off.
[GROANS]
- [PANTING]
- [PAINT BUCKET RATTLING]
[CROWD CLAMORING, CHANTING] Gimball!
What did you just do?
I just came down the
ladder. What did you just do?
He was, uh
[SNIFFS]
Yeah, he really is dead,
isn't he? [CHUCKLES, SNIFFS]
[JK] I think this is recording.
[CHANTING CONTINUES]
[RECORDING REWINDS]
[RIVER, THROUGH RECORDER]
Yeah, he really is dead, isn't he?
[CHUCKLES, SNIFFS]
[JK, THROUGH RECORDER] I
think this is recording.
[CHANTING CONTINUES]
Should we, um
Yeah.
["STRANGE GAME" PLAYING]