Lamb tries figuring out who Frank is working for. Sid, River and Coe do everything to evade the hit squad.
The assassins clearly have a way of tracking Sid. Yet it's more devastating when Diana sacrifices her agent to protect herself. She knows the price that must be paid. She makes the deal. Meanwhile, Sid still sees Diana as an ally who will protect her. First Desk was the only member of the service to visit her after she was shot. No one else was given the ability to do so. They thought Sid was dead. Even those who didn't believe the cover story had no way of contacting her. She was a ghost until she was found again. Now, all of the Slow Horses are being targeted just to get to her. Diana used her. Sid's as disposable as any other agent. As such, it's karmic justice that Jackson uses Diana's vacation home as a safehouse for his agents. They are in danger because of her. It's only right that she foots the bill. Louisa, Shirley, Standish and Moira relax in the luxuries. The night is perilous elsewhere. Everywhere River, Sid and Coe go, they are found by the assassins. They are tracked to the bowling alley and then to the mall. An explanation isn't given as to how this is possible. It's just important that it is. The danger never goes away. That makes it a huge missed opportunity when Sid had a shot and River got in the way. She was shaking and he thought it best to step in.
There was no guarantee Sid could even stop the female assassin with a bowling pin. The untapped potential exists. Everything could have changed if River actually trusted the person caught in this mess alongside him. He claimed he does. When the time called for it, he thought he knew better. That decision was made. It occurred in the heat of the moment. It serves no purpose to analyze it and wonder what could have been. It still altered the trajectory of what happened next for the Slow Horses. It eventually leads to Coe's death. These agents could only outrun fate for so long. There's no certainty Jackson will accept the deal Diana made either. He's looking at Frank as the man calling the shots. Ultimately, Frank is just following orders. He doesn't know the extent of the mess Damien has created. Moreover, Damien is just trying to please his Russian intelligence handlers. He embarrassed First Desk on national television. That influence was felt. Now, it's time to apply the pressure. That triggered all of this. The hunt for the Slow Horses is most personal for them. All of this continues to call into question Diana's morals. Nash claims she will be held accountable for her actions. The smokescreen she has created may still be enough to save her. The same can't be said for Coe. Sid may meet the same fate shortly as well.
The nerve agent attack wasn't mentioned until Diana's interview. She's experienced enough to know there would be consequences for killing one of the Russian agents responsible. She covered her tracks so she wouldn't be the one punished. She has no more loyalty to Sid than any of her other agents. Sid wasn't even the one to pull the trigger. The assassination was covered up to look like a robbery gone wrong. A woman was in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was a targeted attack. The British and Russian governments know exactly what it was. This was retaliation. Diana ordered it. The Russians have responded. They've flexed their muscles. They've shown how much influence they actually have. There is always someone owned by someone else. Damien isn't the mastermind. He simply has leverage over Diana. He uses that to the benefit of his Russian handlers. That's all this is. Diana's been compromised because she sought power. She has no patience for Damien. He's a slimy individual who doesn't deserve the dignity of a response from her. And yet, she must answer the call that awaits her. In doing so, she may save lives. It just costs the one she placed blame on for her retaliation. That can't be ignored. She accepts that burden.
No matter how fast River runs, he can't catch up to the events as they unfold around him. Sid shows him kindness by treating his injuries. They can't process things together either. They only clash. Sid trusts Diana. River knows better because of everything that has taken place since he was first banished to Slough House. That's not the woman Sid knows. It's what happens nevertheless. Coe becomes the latest casualty. He was willing to face his fate head on. He noticed the assassins as they entered. He had his push knife. That weapon has saved him before. It doesn't succeed now. He engages in a brutal battle in the bathroom. He fails. The assassin reunites with his partner as they subdue Sid in the car. All while River was eating a sandwich. It was agonizing when Coe was simply playing a racing game. He was distracted. That wasn't when he was targeted. He went down swinging. River tried his best to intervene. He was incapable of doing so. He will surely try to save Sid. The season still has more plot to unravel. The other Slow Horses may get involved too. Right now, they are a bit too safely tucked away. Jackson's concern of the threat has risen considerably. He works effectively with his new joe, Flyte. He knows Damien is pulling the strings. But again, that offers no guarantee that he can prevent the brutal outcome from occurring thanks to the decisions Diana made years ago that are coming back to haunt her now.
