Slow Horses Season 4 Episode 3 Ending Explained: Sam Chapman’s Fate and Insights

The highly anticipated Slow Horses season 4 episode 3 debuted on Apple TV+ on September 18, 2024. In keeping with the ongoing narrative, this episode not only answers lingering questions but also introduces new mysteries as both personal and public crises continue to unfold.

Titled Penny for Your Thoughts, the episode’s synopsis states:

“River is trapped inside France. Back at Slough Houses, the Dogs have come for Lamb.”

The episode kicks off by revealing River’s location following the conclusion of the previous episode, while David’s already struggling mental state teeters on the brink of collapse in London.

Moreover, the orchestrator behind the recent bombings in London has sent an assassin to eliminate Sam Chapman, David’s former bodyguard. Chapman narrowly avoids death, thanks to the timely intervention of Lamb.

Slow Horses Season 4 Episode 3 Ending: Sam Chapman Survives

Previously, Lamb had tasked Moira with investigating any possible link between David and France. If she succeeded, Lamb intended to bring Moira back to ‘the Park’. In episode 4, Moira reveals that although David never visited France, his former bodyguard, Sam Chapman, did travel to Lavande (the site of Les Arbres) in the 1990s.

This revelation prompts Lamb to want to meet Sam. However, Frank, the mastermind behind the threats, has ordered an assassin to kill Sam. Sensing he’s being followed, Sam instructs Lamb to cancel their meeting. Nonetheless, Lamb insists that Sam attend, ensuring that his agents, Marcus and Shirley, would provide protection.

Despite this, the assassin manages to outmaneuver Marcus and Shirley and nearly takes Sam’s life. Just as the assassin is about to finish his deadly task, Lamb crashes into the scene in a taxi, colliding with the assassin to save Sam.

Although the assassin escapes, Lamb’s actions save Sam’s life, underscoring that the mysterious planner of the London bombings also wants Sam dead.

Unveiling Frank’s Identity in Slow Horses Season 4 Episode 3

After being abducted in the last episode, River finds himself near Les Arbres, where he meets Natasha and Victor, his captors.

It becomes apparent that River bears a striking resemblance to Bertrand, aka Adam Lockhead, Natasha’s son and the individual dispatched to kill David. River’s tracking leads him to this dangerous encounter, as Victor and Natasha mistakenly believed Bertrand had returned.

Upon discovering River is an MI5 agent, Natasha recognizes a photograph he found at Les Arbres and identifies Frank as the group’s leader.

Frank is shown to be a peculiar individual who formed romantic relationships only to take the women to Les Arbres and ultimately separate them from their children post-birth. In a chilling revelation, it seems that Frank has been planning something sinister for years, intending to use his children as agents under harsh conditions.

Furthermore, Natasha discloses that Robert Winters’ real name is Yves. Hence, both Yves and Bertrand, along with their father Frank, have been conspiring toward something grand and malicious, effectively establishing Frank Harkness as the primary antagonist of Slow Horses season 4.

David’s Condition in Slow Horses Season 4

Throughout Slow Horses season 4, David Cartwright has been grappling with dementia, transforming from a once formidable First Desk into a vulnerable elderly man struggling with memory loss and daily routines.

In this latest episode, Emma Flyte confronts David regarding the murder of Lockhead. However, Standish has already relocated him, preventing Flyte from taking action.

Unfortunately, this isn’t necessarily a good sign. When Standish and Louisa arrive at David’s new apartment, they discover he is missing, and the backdoor is ajar, indicating David may pose a danger to himself, given his mental instability.

Moreover, episode 3 implies David may have a more complex, indirect involvement in the London bombings, though details remain unclear, leaving him feeling responsible.

As Slow Horses season 4 progresses, episode 3 successfully entangles major plotlines and character developments in intrigue, with episode 4 slated for release on September 25, 2024, on Apple TV+.

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