*WARNING - Contains full spoilers for Slow Horses season 4 episode 1*
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The fourth season of Slow Horses kicked off with a majorly shocking sequence, as it appeared that Jack Lowden's River Cartwright had bitten the dust.
His grandfather, David, while suffering from dementia, shot a man who had entered his home, while confused as to whether or not it was River. David then went missing, and Lamb was called to identify the body, confirming it to be River.
Thankfully, a twist later in the episode confirmed what many will have already suspected - that it wasn't actually River, and that the young Cartwright was still alive, travelling to France to find out the truth.
Speaking during a BFI Q&A in collaboration with Radio Times, following a screening of episode 1, Lowden had to get this plotline straight in his own head, saying: "So, I’m dead halfway through this, then I’m not, right?"
Going on to speak about the storyline, he added: "The way that that is used and why that had to happen, it’s a really wonderful, intricate, brilliant storyline, and it was a lot of fun to do, and a lot of fun to try and block out how the hell we’d do it."
Jack Lowden as River Cartwright in Slow Horses season 4. Apple
By the end of episode 1, Louisa and the rest of the Slow Horses still believe River is dead - how will they react when they find out Lamb misled them? We'll have to wait until next week to find out.
Of course, it isn't beyond Slow Horses to kill its darlings. Dustin Demri-Burns's character Min Harper was killed in season 2, and in a recent interview with Radio Times magazine, Oldman teased that "somebody might cop it this time".
He said of previously saying goodbye to Burns: "It’s very sad to see a friend go. Dustin is a comedian by trade and was so funny around the set that it was awful to see him go.
"You come back and regroup and there’s one of you missing. But you can play that absence."
As the show continues to kill off old favourites, it also continues to introduce new characters. For instance, one of the new additions this time around is Tom Brooke's JK Coe - a mysterious figure who, in episode 1, was notable for not having said a word since he joined Slough House.
Slow Horses season 4 streams on Apple TV+ from Wednesday 4th September – sign up to Apple TV+ now.
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
