Slow Horses Season 4 Episode 3 Review: Penny for Your Thoughts

Critic’s Rating: 4.8 / 5.0

4.8

Whatever happened in France to cause all the havoc on Slow Horses Season 4 Episode 3 must have been a doozy.

Between the French hitman gunning for Bad Sam Chapman, Bertrand’s ghost back in Lavande, and Frank Harkness pulling the strings in the background, Slough House and the Park are in big trouble.

David’s increasing bouts of dementia, River’s continuous blunders, and Whelan unexpectedly stepping up to match wits with Tavener, there’s plenty to dissect here. 

But before we get to all the juicy intrigue of “A Penny for Your Thoughts,” let’s talk about Emily Flyte’s arrival.

While I’m not her biggest fan because she’s relentless in making Lamb’s life a living nightmare (after only two episodes!), I have to admit she’s a perfect match for him in the sarcasm department. 

Their clever, biting exchanges show Lamb may have finally met his match, and it’s a verbal duel I’m here for!

River Still Doesn’t Get It Right

I don’t want to sound like I’m picking on River, but seriously, what is wrong with him? His “Oh, Shit” moment perfectly sums it up — no matter what he does, the guy just keeps stepping in it.

The image of him awkwardly trying to escape on a moped, being chased by a giant dog, is something I’ll never forget. It’s like watching a secret agent who missed every single day of spy school.

It’s almost comical how unsuited River is for this world. Slough House exists for rejects like him, but it’s still baffling that this guy has secret agent blood running through his veins. Where did his spy genes go? 

Lamb, on the other hand, can casually use his brains (and a car) to diffuse a deadly situation, while River manages to fall through a roof while escaping a mob. Classic.

You can’t knock him too hard, though. What he’s doing is from the heart, even if his thinking cap isn’t on straight.

But he was quick to rectify a potentially costly mistake when he told Natasha that Bertrand was dead. So, I’ll give him that. He didn’t know she was Bertrand’s mother and skirted any problems by blaming it on his grandfather.

It was a small win, but a win nonetheless.

That whole situation is bizarre anyway — Bertrand seems to have made enemies everywhere, and then there’s Harkness, who’s clearly a twisted individual with his little “harem.”

But honestly, River is way out of his depth. He’s diving headfirst into something he doesn’t even remotely understand.

It almost feels like he should’ve just stayed back with David, even though he wouldn’t have been quick-witted enough to protect him from Flyte as Catherine did. 

For being “just a secretary,” she’s one smart cookie.

And poor David. His guilt about Westacres is eating him up, even though we don’t know why yet. 

But his dementia is only making things worse. It’s heartbreaking to watch him unravel.

Jonathan Pryce is doing a brilliant job portraying the confusion and anger associated with those experiencing that disorder; it’s hard not to feel the weight of what’s happening.

The French Assassin

If that wasn’t enough, now we’ve got this French assassin who’s basically the Terminator. Seriously, this guy won’t go down, no matter who or what comes at him.

He took on Marcus, Shirley, and Bad Sam Chapman like it was nothing. And then, after getting hit by a car, he just walked away like it was a minor inconvenience?

Lamb’s face said it all when he checked on the “roadkill,” only to find the guy had vanished. Clearly, these people aren’t amateurs.

We know the French hitman works for Harkness, which is bad news for River, who’s stuck in France — with Harkness. 

And if this guy is just one of Harkness’s crew, there are probably more like him lurking around. And let’s face it: What are River’s chances of outrunning that kind of danger? Slim to none.

River is in way over his head. Victor knocking out Harkness in Slow Horses Season 4 Episode 2 was a fluke. These guys are smart and deadly.  

But seriously, how do you just walk away from being hit by a car? It’s not like Lamb was taking a Sunday drive – you saw the windshield — he put the pedal to the metal! 

It’s a bad, bad situation we got going on here. 

Turning the Tables

The situation is getting worse all around because Whelan isn’t as clueless as I initially thought.

Sure, Tavener manipulated him, but something seems to have clicked. Now, he’s about to play chess with her the same way she played him.

I’ve got to admit, going to Giti was a sharp move on his part. I didn’t think he was cunning enough to pull off something like that — or even think of it.

Even though Diana destroyed all the Robert Winters’ evidence, who knows what Giti will find in those archives?

Giti’s not just tenacious — she’s loving all the attention from the higher-ups at the Park, so you know she’s going to dig deep to make an impression, especially to the guy at First Desk.

There’s no doubt she’ll uncover something Tavener forgot about, and when she does, it will throw a wrench into everything.

Whatever went down in France with David and Chapman is bad news, and if Whelan finds out, it will be even worse.

I don’t think his views on transparency have changed much, so if those secrets come to light, it could spell disaster for Tavener, Lamb, David, and anyone else caught up in it!

Over to you! What do you think about all the drama and intrigue unfolding on Slow Horses? Hit the comments and share your thoughts!