Another Slow Horses episode, another jaw-dropping death.
The body count on the hit Apple TV series has been steadily climbing since Season 1, and in staying true to Mick Herron’s book series, Slow Horses has never shied away from killing core characters — no matter how painful.
We thought we lost Sid Baker (Olivia Cooke) in Season 1. We actually lost Min Harper (Dustin Demri-Burns) in Season 2. We said goodbye to Marcus Longridge (Kadiff Kirwan) in Season 4. Season 6’s premiere revealed that David Cartwright (Jonathan Pryce) passed away. And Season 6, Episode 4 ended with the devastating death of J.K. Coe (Tom Brooke). But the hits just keep coming…
Slow Horses Season 6, Episode 5, “Sayonara,” wasted no time taking another life. And we can bet you didn’t see this action-packed, absolutely brutal cold open coming.
So who dies in Slow Horses Season 6, Episode 5? Read on for answers and quotes from our interview with the actor.
Slow Horses Season 6, Episode 5 spoilers ahead.
Slow Horses Season 6, Episode 5 Recap: Who Dies In Slow Horses Season 6, Episode 5?
“Sayonara” picks up right where Slow Horses left off. Jim (Kyle Soller) and Jane (MyAnna Buring) peel out of the parking lot holding a kidnapped Sid (Olivia Cooke) at gunpoint, while River (Jack Lowden) frantically chases on foot. After losing them, he steals borrows a woman’s car — dog and all — and speeds away. But with a helpful head start, Jim and Jane confidently plan how they’ll take Sid out and complete their mission. They settle on a lake ahead, or as Jane creepily dubs it, “An area of outstanding natural beauty.” For a moment, it seems like Sid might be a goner (again!). But she’s got one final trick up her sleeve. Literally.
She stealthily slides the license plate (number plate in London?!) into her hand, leans up to the driver’s seat, and jams the sharp edge into the side of Jane’s neck, which causes her to lose control of the car. The car flips, leaving everyone inside hanging upside down and bloodied. Thankfully, Sid comes to, releases her seat belt, and claws her way out of the wreckage. But not without a fight from Jim, who tries to stop her from running until she bites his arm. After he sees what he assumes is a dead Jane, Jim — with renewed reason for revenge — chases Sid into the woods, fights her, and drags her into the lake by her hair.
Does Sid Die In Slow Horses Season 6, Episode 5? Does River Die?!
As Sid struggles and splashes, Jim holds her head underwater until she stops flailing. But this is Slow Horses, so in another twist, River comes to Sid’s rescue and throws Jim to the ground, allowing her to come up for air and gain composure.
River pins Jim to the ground and starts wailing on him, but Jim whips out his infamous knife — the one he used to kill our dearly beloved Coe — and slashes River’s arm, regaining the upper hand. Jim headbutts River, and for a moment it seems like River might be a goner, but Sid comes to his rescue, smashes Jim on the head with a stone, and drags him into the lake to take her own revenge.
Does Jim Die In Slow Horses? Kyle Soller
Sid and River hold Jim underwater together until he stops breathing, and finally, five episodes in, the Slow Horses are down an assassin. Jim’s death is even more impactful knowing he killed Coe. (But don’t worry, Kyle Soller and Tom Brooke are friends in real life!)
Ahead of Episode 5’s big cold open (yeah, there’s still a whole episode left!) DECIDER spoke with Soller about playing a Season 6 assassin, working with Buring, killing Coe, and his big fight scenes with Lowden and Cooke.
“The atmosphere was fucking cold,” Soller laughed. “It was pretty cold, but it was a beautiful setting. The stunt coordinators are really incredible on Slow Horses. I mean, they just have a knack for making it psychological and truthful, and being very real at the same time. So at this point of the story, it’s all really scrappy, everybody has been up for days, and Jim’s just been in this horrible car accident. So you see this quite primal release from everybody.”
“Working it through pre-shooting, there were a lot of stunt rehearsals trying to figure out exactly the right tone. You got to get that right — who’s got the upper hand when, who comes in to save who, and all those politics. But I think the way it’s constructed itself is great, because it’s this kind of horror film chase through the woods, then you think Olivia’s all right, then she gets dragged to the lake. And Jim has this release of like, ‘I’ve finally done it, mission completed.’ And he sees these swans across and is kind of thinking…”
Stay tuned for DECIDER’s full interview with Soller, and be sure to catch up on our Season 6 interviews with Brooke and Lenny Rush (aka Reece Nesmith), too.
New episodes of Slow Horses Season 6 premiere Wednesdays on Apple TV.