Slow Horses (2022–…): Season 2, Episode 6 - Old Scores - full transcript

Lamb and Katinsky go head to head. Ho finds himself trapped on a train with a Russian assassin.

You have reached the voice mail
of Jackson Lamb.

Leave a message
and we will get back to you.

I'm sorry to blow
your element of surprise,

but would you mind picking up?

I'm reluctantly impressed.

How did you know I would be here?

The office is empty,
my guard would be down.

That's how I'd do it.

So, if you're not too busy,
please drop by.

Well, that's a tempting offer,
but you wanna murder me, Nikky.

So if it's all the same to you,



I'll get an armed response unit
to drop by on my behalf.

Listen, it only took a drop
of radioactive poison to kill Nevsky.

Imagine what it can do
in a bomb hidden in a box

on a busy street with a breeze.
Who knows how many will die.

There's no need to do this
in my office, Nikky.

No one there killed your joe.

I'm the one who put a barrel
in his mouth and squeezed.

Besides, I wouldn't wanna leave a mess
for the maid.

You have a maid.

Well, not as such.

The name Catherine Standish ring a bell?

She worked for Charlie.

She found the mess I made of him.

She works for me now.



Doesn't need to go through that
with another boss.

Although in my case, she might
open a bottle of nonalcoholic champagne.

What do you suggest?

Your place.

I mean, whichever way this goes,
you won't be renewing the lease.

Catherine Standish.

Have you got Marcus and Louisa
out of the Glasshouse yet?

Sorry.

Get out of the way!

It's been too long, Jackson.

I'll see you in another 15 years, Molly.

Jackson,
I have grave doubts you'll last the day.

Golf Whiskey Alpha Charlie Whiskey.
Do you read me?

We opened a communication channel.
I repeat, we opened a communication...

Please evacuate the building
via the nearest exit or stairwell.

All elevators have been suspended.

Attention. This is
an emergency announcement.

Please evacuate the building
via the nearest exit or stairwell.

All elevators have been suspended.

It looks like the bleeding
has stopped, but he's passed out.

Security alert. Make your...

- When did you put the gun under the table?
- During the bug sweep.

Why didn't you tell me?

Look,
Lamb told me to watch you, all right?

After last night,

didn't think it was wise for you to be
around Pashkin with a gun in reach.

What's this thing made out of?

The bullet's probably hit an artery,
so you're gonna need a tourniquet, okay?

Can I take your belt?

Security alert.
Make your way to the nearest exit.

Security alert.
Make your way to the nearest exit.

If I don't stop the blood loss,
you will die.

Show me the wound.

- Louisa, what the fuck?
- What's going on?

- What's going on?
- Louisa!

You just keep breaking down the door.
What's going on?

Stop that!

We needed to shut down Glasshouse.

Why?

To put virus in Nevsky computers.
Moscow can drain his accounts.

The fuck was that?
Was that an explosion?

We really should've checked
the boot of the car.

Yes! I'm aware of that.

How will you get into the accounts? There
has to be security on his computers.

We cut off his thumb,

and let him have his gun
in return for passwords.

A quick death was his reward.

Louisa.

Security alert. Make your way...

No.

No.

I lost him.

- He got on a train.
- But which one?

I don't know.

Wh... I can't hear. Why
are you whispering?

Because I got on the train with him.

What? You're on a train with Chernitsky?

Sure am.

Well, where is it going?

I'm trying to work it out.

Well, fucking find out.

It's stopping at Orpington,

- Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Wells.
- Okay, sit tight. I'll let Lamb know.

- I'll get to you as soon as I can.
- How are you gonna do that?

Leave it with me.

Sorry about all this.

I'm sure it must be quite a shock.

I'm sure we can offer you support
to help you deal with this.

If you want it.

Someone will...

I'll just leave you to it.

Oh, fucking no.

Shit.

Oh, Jesus.

What?

That's the stuff
I thought was on the plane.

The bomb?

Yeah, the bomb.

I thought it was on the plane.
Wait, why is it not on the plane?

- Did you see them put it on the plane?
- No.

Well, why did... Why
would you even think

- there was a bomb on the plane?
- Because I thought it was on the plane.

Sorry, just one minute. It's just...

I mean, the way they talked,
what he said, why would you not take...

They wanted me to call it in.
That's why they left a phone in there,

- you c... Fuck.
- What's going on?

Dickhead here
just called in a fake bomb. So...

- Yeah, yep, yeah.
- What?

- I can't believe this is happening again.
- Again?

Yeah. There was a training exercise
that I didn't... It doesn't matter...

Tell them that there's no bomb.

Otherwise,
they're still gonna shoot her down.

Right, but then I have to resci...
Okay, fine.

Oh, Christ.

Right, well, I need a phone. Phone.

Yeah.

Jesus Christ.

- And a pass code. Can you open it?
- Oh, fuck.

Thank you.

Fuck.

Fuck.

All elevators have been suspended.

Attention.
This is an emergency announcement.

Please evacuate the building
via the nearest exit or stairwell.

All elevators have been suspended.

Come on.

Attention.
This is an emergency announcement.

Please evacuate the building
via the nearest exit or stairwell.

All elevators have been suspended.

Security alert.

- Go.
- Make your way to the nearest exit.

- Which floor is it?
- Forty-second.

- Please evacuate the building...
- Oh, fuck.

- All right, stairs it is.
- Yeah.

...have been suspended.

Zero, do you read me?

Golf Whiskey Alpha Charlie Whiskey.
Open a communication channel.

A military escort has been...

Golf Whiskey Alpha Charlie Whiskey.
This is Jackal 1.

Zero, this is Jackal 1.
Target is unresponsive.

Cartwright, agent five-two-six-three.

Access code,
bravo-tangerine-excelsior-eight-nine.

Bravo-tangerine-excelsior-eight-nine.

Confirmed.

Yeah.

Cartwright.

New intelligence has
come to light, ma'am.

The bomb was never assembled.
It's still on the ground.

I have a military helicopter
on both sides of that plane,

waiting for my signal to take it down.

You have to stand them down, ma'am.
There is no bomb.

Then why is the plane headed straight
for the Glasshouse?

It's a hoax, ma'am.

I think they wanted
to trigger the Code September.

- They?
- Yes, a cicada and her Russian handlers.

They tricked you into thinking
there was a bomb,

and now you're telling me
it's part of a plot?

Look, Russian operatives
want the city shut down for some reason.

I don't know why, but there's no bomb.
You have to rescind that order.

The plane is nearing
the exclusion zone, ma'am.

This isn't like canceling a Deliveroo,
Cartwright.

It only gets canceled
when every suspicious-looking madman,

every abandoned bag,

every empty coffee cup
gets checked, rechecked

and then blown up if necessary.

You can't take that plane down.

In one minute, the plane will be
less than one mile from the target.

If the pilot has not made contact
or diverted by then,

they will take it down.

Ju...

We might have to take the plane down.

I need your confirmation.

Minister?

It's your command, Diana.

You have my full support to take whatever
decisions you see fit in the moment.

Stern weapons, hold.

Jackal 2, this is Zero.
You're cleared weapons tight.

I repeat, you are cleared weapons tight.

Still no response from radio.

Pilots are locking on, ma'am.

This is a last warning.

I repeat, we will use lethal force
if you do not respond.

Jackal 2 is locked
to the target. In range,

awaiting further instruction.
Confirm weapons tight.

Thirty seconds till launch.

Last and final warning.
Divert, or we will shoot you down.

Roddy, I need you to
track a plane for me.

Where the fuck have you been?

Look, just shut up and listen to me.

It's a single-prop plane.
It's headed for the Glasshouse.

I need to know if they shot it down.

- I'm on a train. No can do.
- Just get off at the next stop then.

Negative. I'm on a mission.

Roddy, w...

Golf Whiskey Alpha Charlie Whiskey.

This is Golf Whiskey Alpha
Charlie Whiskey.

I'm reading you loud and clear.

I'm turning away from the exclusion zone
and awaiting your instruction.

Zero, this is Jackal 1.
Target's communicating.

Oh, God. Thank God. Alex?

I'm okay. I'm just...
I'm being escorted to an air base.

Target is now complying
with our instructions.

We are weapons safe. Repeat,
we are weapons safe.

Jackal 1 to Zero.
Confirmed, target not live.

Okay. I can talk now.

Doesn't matter.

The plane's been diverted.

Thank God.

I was in the quiet car. I had to move.

Still got eyes on him though.

Wait, Roddy, what mission are you on?

I tracked Chernitsky using your phone.

You're tracking Chernitsky in the field?

Yeah. I'm on a train with him.

What train?

Southeastern.

Wait, Roddy, what was your last stop?

St. Johns. We just left St. Johns.

Oh, shit, he's gone. I gotta go.

Wait, Rod... Ch...

Shit.

I need to get to Tunbridge Wells
in 30 minutes.

Even if I wanted to give you my car,
you couldn't make that.

Can you fly me?

Good. Come on.

We will shortly be
arriving at Sevenoaks.

Please take all your belongings
with you when leaving the train.

Oi, kid.

- Sorry.
- All right, easy, mate.

Move.

- Hey!
- Sorry.

What's going on?

Uh-oh.

Bitch.

- Ho, open up!
- Who is it?

Who do you think it is? Open the door!

- What are you doing?
- Fuck's sake.

No!

The train at platform two will...

You okay?

Yeah, great.

I'm rollin' in piss.

- Hold off. They might still be inside.
- Yeah. That's what I'm hoping.

Fuck me, is that Nevsky's thumb?

Looks like they got to the accounts.

What you think happened here then?

Pashkin got greedy.

Yeah, and took a bit extra.

I'm guessing diamonds.

All right, let's go.
He must have gone down.

- Louisa!
- Yeah. Coming.

Hey, where are you going?

I'm gonna go get more out of Kyril.

Do not torture him again.

No, I won't.

I'm in here.

No surprises.

Don't want your dirty bomb going off.

Can we stop pretending
there's anything in there?

Why did you come
if you did not believe the threat?

Couldn't take the risk.

And it's overdue, you and me.

So what do I call you? Katinsky? Popov?

Whatever you like.
My real name is buried.

The rest of you will be soon.

Can we put these down?

I don't know about you, but at my age,

it's murder on the wrists to keep 'em
pointed longer than five minutes.

Yeah.

Well played.

Keeping us fooled all these years.

What, with cicadas and Popov.

And on a personal note,

it really fucking stings
to know you got one over on me.

Sending an agent to Upshott,
just like you wanted,

so you could get the
Glasshouse shut down.

Who was that for? The FSB?

What they up to in there?

I don't know, and I don't care.

That is what they asked for.
That is what I delivered.

Now...

in return for what?

The identity of the man
who killed Charles Partner?

You killed him.

If you wanna hear it
from the stallion's mouth, yes, I did.

He was a traitor selling secrets to you.

He was my joe.

Dickie was a joe too.

Which is why you have to pay for
him dying on a bus in the fucking rain.

Dickie was an alcoholic
you hadn't thought of in 30 years.

And Charles Partner was a First Desk
at MI5 and my agent.

Between the two of
them, I prefer Dickie.

At least he didn't
smile at his colleagues

knowing he was sending them
to their deaths.

It was called the Cold War for a reason.
People died.

Yeah, and like you said
the last time we met, we won.

Who's winning now, Jackson?

Hard to say.

But it feels
you still want something from me.

Otherwise you wouldn't have
put your gun down.

Was it my fault that Charles died?

Is that what's been eating away at you?
All these years?

That's probably what
gave you the cancer.

This is your friend, Piotr,

in case you can't tell,
seeing as part of his face is missing.

And if you'd been there,
you'd look like this too.

Pashkin took whatever he could
from Nevsky's safe and ran.

Probably diamonds.

- That fucker.
- What is the exit strategy?

If you don't give him up,
I'm gonna let you die.

Fuck him.

He's called an Air Ambulance.

- Standish, what are you doing here?
- Just a moment.

I came to warn you.

Shit. If you're here,
it means he didn't come down. Fuck.

Hey! Thank you. Thank God.

Stop!

Stay where you are.

Get back.

Get back.

Get back, or I will shoot you.

You can't.
They'll leave if they see the gun.

Get out of the way.

I'm not moving till you tell me
why you killed Min.

- I didn't. It was an accident.
- Stop fucking lying to me!

Tell me, and I'll let them land.

He saw me when he shouldn't have.

That's it?

Wrong place, wrong time, that's it?

That's it.

Now this is your last chance
to get out of the way.

Hey, no.

Fuck.

You fucking shit...

Please, I must know.

Did I slip?

No. I did.

We had an agent
in what was left of the Stasi.

Partner knew the code name, knew where
they worked, but not their identity.

One night, we were
drinking, I slipped up.

I referred to the agent as "she."

That could have been one of three women.

So the Stasi, being...

well, the Stasi, killed
all three of them.

Hung 'em up with piano wire
till their heads came off.

I saw the photos.
I wish I could unsee 'em.

Was that your handiwork?

I just passed on the information.

I didn't know what
they would do with it.

Well, you're gonna sleep easier than me.

Not by much.

I wanted to kill Partner there and then.

But I was ordered not to.

So we fed him shit for years.

Which is why Moscow thought he
had turned and why you had to flee.

And why you thought it would be fun
to feed me a load of shit

about a bomb attack on the Glasshouse.

I wanted the professional humiliation
of you and your team.

Well, that was a waste of effort.

My team have already
professionally humiliated themselves.

That's why they're my team.

Well...

as nice as it is to chat,
how do you wanna do this?

Three, two, one, go?

Or should we do the whole
ten paces and draw?

- I was waiting for a call.
- Who from?

A contestant on
Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

You see, as a payment for my help
in the death of Nevsky

and the return of the money he stole,

I asked the FSB for two names.

You wanted to kill Charles
immediately, right?

But you were told not to.

By whom?

The person with the real power.

The person who decided when
and how Charles would die.

You sure, mate?

Thank you. I walk from here.

Won't be a moment.
Just finding the keys.

Sorry to keep you.

Hello?

Hello?

Armed police!

- Armed police! Put the gun on the ground.
- Okay!

Easy! Target's down.
All right? The target is down.

You knew I would go for Cartwright?

Here.

- Thank you.
- There's one live there.

- Wait, who called you in?
- Jackson Lamb.

I left you a message specifically
saying not to answer the door.

Yes, well, he's dead and I'm not.
What more do you want?

I'm gonna put the kettle on,
and you can tell me who I just killed.

Go on, kill me.

Come on, kill me.

I will not end my days
in a fucking prison.

Never.

If it's any consolation, Nikky...

you were really fucking good.

It's the fucking...

- Two secs.
- Go ahead, sir.

For a brief moment, I thought
they'd arrest you as an MI5 impostor.

Well, the good news is,

they're not gonna press charges seeing
as you helped save my grandfather's life.

Great.

I presume they're not gonna let me
take off from here.

No. But they'll transport you
to the nearest airfield.

You can take off from there.

I don't have enough fuel to get back.

You want me to chip in for petrol?

No. You can pay for all of it.

Right, yeah, fine. Fair enough.

- Are you kidding me?
- Do you... Right, fine. Okay, yeah.

I'll just find a cashpoint.

You expect me to stand by this crap?

One of your agents fucked up
and falsely called in a Code September.

How about we nail their balls
to Tower Bridge and then open it?

Everything that happened
needs to go into a locked box.

Someone needs to go
into a fucking locked box, Diana.

Maybe it should be you.

You're Home Secretary.

Responsible for the health and safety
of citizens of the United Kingdom,

including Ilya Nevsky.

Our report cites suicide
as the cause of death.

Do you really want the world to know that
he was radioactively poisoned by the FSB

and that the FSB broke
into his office in the Glasshouse

and drained the accounts
on his private banking server?

I don't think that's a good idea.

Make you look weak.

And any retaliation you take
will make you look weaker.

But you want me to stand up
and say the city closed down

because of a radar glitch?

Do you prefer to say
that it was shut down

because of a Russian sleeper agent
who'd evaded us for decades?

Of course not. We'd look like twats.

I presume she's not being prosecuted.
The trial would be excruciating.

It suits everyone that she be
put back in her assumed life.

So who the fuck do we hang this on?

The defense systems need upgrading.

Have done for years,
but, in his wisdom, the prime minister,

when he was chancellor,
refused the request.

All his fault, the
penny-pinching fucker.

Risking the nation over a few quid.

You can't say that.

But I'm sure there are plenty people
on the backbenches who will.

Okay. So our agreement stands?

If you remember
your side when the time comes.

And I'll need an advanced warning
of when that time is coming,

'cause I have to buy a new dress for when
I take my seat behind the First Desk.

Good grip there, Diana.
Stronger than most men.

Yes.

Put that out.

What,
no "How the hell did you get in here?"

I knew you were in the building
for your Katinsky debrief.

Yeah, but I should get points
for getting in your office.

Is this gonna last long?

Only normally we meet outside,

where your lack of deodorant
is slightly less noticeable.

- Harper's funeral.
- What about it?

It should be at St. Leonard's.

No, that's for officers
of good standing.

Fuck off. I bet Webb's getting
a big St. Leonard send-off.

Webb isn't dead.

Is he still clinging on?

He's doing quite well, actually.

I could always pull the plug.

Waste of a pair of
good kidneys, that one.

No St. Leonard's for Harper.

You'll be lucky to be there yourself.

I'm not sure I'd even wanna be there.

Knowing I'll be rubbing shoulders with
the likes of Partner and Cartwright...

and you.

Thank you for joining me
in that moment of quiet reflection.

It's a sign of Min's popularity
to see so many of you here today.

Husband, father, friend or colleague,

all knew Min as a dependable man
of good spirit.

His sons, Lucas and Jared,

have chosen one of their father's
favorite songs to be played.

"The Scientist" by Coldplay.

- What, it's just you?
- No, the others are coming.

- Is it open?
- Well, it is now.

You didn't pick the lock
on a church, did you?

No, I gave the geezer
who runs the place a fifty.

Yeah, you couldn't find a way
of getting me reimbursed, yeah?

Will Taverner find out we did this?

I hope so.

Chewing gum's new.

Nicotine. For these.

How was it?

Well, the Park sent a Dog.
So, you know, not great.

Hey.

You all right?

Not really, no.

These places haven't been the same
since they banned smoking.

You were never allowed
to smoke in the church.

Well, they should reconsider that.

Might boost the numbers.

Here, give me a hand.

All right.

Who's got the thingy?

All right.

Is a... Anyone wanna say anything?

We thought you would've
prepared something.

To Min Harper.

- Min Harper.
- To Min Harper.

All right, come on, fuck off.

- Marcus?
- Sorry.

You can push things away,
but sooner or later,

you have to deal with them.

Secrets will always come out.
There will always be a reckoning.

I have an early start tomorrow.

Oh, come on. You can't leave.

We haven't talked about what we
came here to talk about.

Jackson Lamb.

We're at Standish's flat.
She didn't come home last night.

They have two hostages,
and you propose to stand them up?

Get down to their office.

And if you haven't worked it
out by then, don't come back.

They're not hostages, and you're
not gonna do anything to them.

Grey Books?

Elvis shot JFK,
and Hitler built the pyramids.

People died today.

Sometimes, the stakes are higher
than your personal safety.

I just wanna say,

- this is an absolute honor.
- Shut up.

River!

Wait...

Who was it who said,

"You cannot reason with a tiger
when your head is in its mouth"?