Slow Horses Season 6, Episode 6, “Judgment Day,” went out with many bangs and a series of memorable heroic rescues. But one of the most legendary scenes — where Reece (Lenny Rush) unexpectedly saves Roddy (Christopher Chung) — almost didn’t happen.
Slow Horses Season 6 finale spoilers ahead.
“It was in the original script that Reece kills Frank’s (Hugo Weaving) henchman, but then it was removed, and I was like, ‘Damn it!'” Rush told DECIDER when chatting about his “unreal” experience on Apple TV’s Emmy-winning spy thriller. “Then on the day, Adam [Randall], the director, said, ‘I don’t know why we removed that.’ And I was like, ‘No, I don’t either! It’s a good idea!’ … When you see Roddy, he almost has this slight, really genuine smile on his face, as if he’s like, ‘Oh, thank you.’ It’s a really cool moment, and I’m excited for everyone to see that.”
From his fart-off with Sir Gary Oldman and face-off with Hugo Weaving to quality time with the Slough House’s misfit MI-5 agents and Season 6’s action-packed finale, Rush had such a superb Slow Horses experience that he admittedly has FOMO over Season 7 and Season 8 filming. “I would absolutely love to go back, even if it’s for 10 minutes,” Rush told DECIDER. “It was genuinely the loveliest job with the loveliest group of people, and so much fun. I really miss it.”
In celebration of Rush’s fan-favorite five-episode run, the 17-year-old Slow Horses star spoke with DECIDER about his favorite Season 6 finale scenes, filming that huge safe house action sequence, and more. (Can’t get enough of Reece? Check out Part 1 of our interview with Rush, too.)
DECIDER: In Episode 4 and Episode 5, you had some incredible, really intimate scenes with the Slow Horses in that gorgeous fishbowl of a safe house. What do you remember from filming those indoor group scenes?
LENNY RUSH: That was great, because we shot the whole series in order. So I’d done loads with Chris, and Ruth, and Gary already, and it was me getting to meet everyone else, like how you see it in the show. I was just fanboying. I’m like, “These are the Slow Horses!” One of my favorite scenes, I think it’s actually really lovely, is with Reece and Standish. It’s a real heart-to-heart moment. And Saskia is incredible. She’s so lovely, and I love that scene with her. I remember we were eating pasta in that scene as well, and I ate a lot of it. [Laughs]
And everyone knows the greatest honor in Slow Horses is to get an eating scene.
Yes! And in that lovely house with that lovely view, it was perfect.
The finale is so action-packed, and it puts people like Reece and Roddy, who don’t really have experience with violence and explosions out in the field. What can you share about watching that big set piece with the house come to life? Did it make you more interested in the action genre?
Yeah. When you think of these sort of action things, you probably think blue screen, green screen, effects that’ll be put in after. But there’s the bit where we’re all sitting around the table, and Shirley and Louisa are arguing, and then the window smashes in. And I think, “Oh, that will look good once you put it in post!” And they’re like, “No. So now we’re gonna smash this window over you.” And it’s like, “Oh wow!” It was sugar glass or something, and I had so much fun. There’s this really weird, genuine adrenaline you get when there is smoke filling the room, you’re hiding behind a sofa, and you can just hear the gunshots. It’s like, “Oh my god, this feels so real.” But I had a smile on my face throughout the whole thing.
The show is so incredible at crafting those sequences. We have to talk about the beach, too. Even though he has a little attitude about it, Roddy does carry Reece to safety, which we’re grateful for. But in the end, it’s Reece who saves Roddy’s life. What did it mean both for you and Reece to get that bad-ass heroic moment? And such a unique one, without a conventional gun!
That was amazing. It was in the original script that Reece kills Frank’s sort of henchman, but then it was removed, and I was like, “Damn it!” And then on the day, Adam [Randall], the director, said, “I don’t know why we removed that.” And I was like, “No, I don’t either! It’s a good idea!” And then we’ve done it, and it was so cool. When we filmed that bit, I couldn’t really see Chris, because he was in the distance with the gun. But that’s actually, weirdly, a really sweet moment. When you see Roddy, he almost has this slight, really genuine smile on his face, as if he’s like, “Oh, thank you.” It’s a really cool moment, and I’m excited for everyone to see that. That was good fun.
It’s an incredible final scene for you, but I have to say, after Harkness stands down and we jump forward to see the Slow Horses living their lives again, I wanted more Reece! I was hoping we got some sort of parting scene with him and the Slow Horses — at least Roddy — because they all went on this life-changing journey, and I’m sure it’ll stick with him. What do you think life looks like for him after the finale? I know they tend to stay pretty true to the books, but I need them to bring you back one day.
I never really thought about it, but I like to think that, weirdly, even though it’s a really scary journey, I feel like it’s one of the only journeys that Reece has had, and it’s probably the only first time that — even though it is Lamb, and Lamb says these things to him, and he says these things back — it’s genuine relationships that he’s built with people, which I don’t think he’d have had. I like to think that he’s doing all right, and I’ve not been told I’m coming back, but I would absolutely love to go back, even if it’s for 10 minutes. I’d so love to go back. It was genuinely the loveliest job with the loveliest group of people and so much fun. I really miss it, and I’m jealous of them all on Season 7 and Season 8.
Looking back at the season, was there a favorite line that stayed with you?
My favorite line is when we’re in the beach hut in the last episode, and Roddy Ho says, “I’ve got to look out on the sea in case they come that way.” And I say, “They’re not Vikings!” [Laughs]
Incredible. Before we wrap, Slow Horses is the rare show that reliably drops a new, very good season each year. Having worked on so many other sets, what’s something that you’ll take with you from your Slow Horses experience?
I learned so much being on that job, to be honest. I think the one thing I just couldn’t fathom was that this is a job. [Laughs] It’s unreal. And one thing I would say [to future guest stars] is to take in every moment, because I had the best time, but I was always like, “Tomorrow we’ve got that bit, and then we’ve got that bit!” I was so excited, and then before you know it, it’s done, and you’re like, “God, I’m really going to miss these people.” So just take it all in.
Be sure to catch up on DECIDER’s Slow Horses Season 6 coverage, and check out the rest of our interview with Lenny Rush here if you missed it.
This interview was edited for length and clarity.
Slow Horses Season 6 is now streaming on Apple TV.