Slow Horses season 4 episode 3 ending explained: What’s going on with Sam Chapman?

Slow Horses season 4 episode 3 was released on Apple TV+ on September 18, 2024. Like the previous episodes, the latest one progresses by answering some questions while introducing others as several personal and public crises keep brewing.

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

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

Following the events of the previous episode, episode 3 starts by showing the current whereabouts of River. Meanwhile, in London, David’s hitherto failing mental faculties are now on the verge of a complete collapse.

Furthermore, the mastermind behind the recent London bomb blasts orders an assassin to kill Sam Chapman, David’s former bodyguard. Chapman narrowly escapes the attempt on his life thanks to the timely intervention of Lamb.

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Slow Horses season 4 episode 3 ending: Sam Chapman is alive

In the previous episode, Lamb asked Moira to unearth any possible connection between David and France. If successful, Lamb would try to get Moira back at ‘the Park’. In episode 4, Moira’s findings are presented: while David never went to France himself, his former bodyguard Sam Chapman did, visiting Lavande (the place where Les Arbres is located) in the 1990s.

Learning of this, Lamb wishes to meet Sam. Meanwhile, Frank has ordered the French assassin to kill Sam. The latter realizes that he is being followed, so he tells Lamb to call off their meeting. Lamb, however, tells Sam to turn up at the meeting, as two of his agents, Marcus and Shirley, would be on their guard and protect him.

However, the assassin gets the better of Marcus and Shirley and almost manages to kill Sam. But before he can do that, Lamb barges into the spot, steering a taxi and knocking the assassin down with it.

Though the assassin manages to escape, Lamb’s actions save Sam’s life. Slow Horses season 4 episode 3 makes it clear that whoever masterminded the London bombings wants Sam dead too.

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Slow Horses season 4 episode 3 reveals who Frank is

River, after being kidnapped by a person in the last scene of the previous episode, is brought to a place near Les Arbres. There, he meets Natasha and Victor, his kidnapper.

It turns out that River's appearance resembles that of Bertrand, aka Adam Lockhead, who is Natasha’s son and the man that was sent to kill David. River was being followed, and eventually, kidnapped by Victor and Natasha since they thought that Bertrand had come back to his hometown.

However, Natasha learns that River is an MI5 agent. When he shows her the photograph he found at Les Arbres, Natasha identifies the leader of the group as Frank.

Frank is a strange person who used to get involved with women romantically, take them to his house at Les Arbres, and impregnate them. Once they had given birth, the women would be made to leave, and Frank would keep the babies.

Bertrand was similarly taken away from Natasha. It seems that Frank has been planning something long-term and sinister for quite a while, and he intended to use his own children as his agents. For this, he brought up his children under tough circumstances.

Natasha also reveals that the actual name of Robert Winters is Yves. Thus, Yves and Bertrand are all part of Frank’s cult, and together they have been planning something big. Slow Horses season 4 thus introduces its primary antagonist, Frank Harkness, in episode 3.

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What is wrong with David?

David Cartwright has been struggling with dementia in Slow Horses season 4. The once formidable First Desk is now reduced to a helpless old man who often forgets things and struggles to keep pace with day-to-day happenings.

In the latest episode, Emma Flyte attempts to bring David to book for the murder of Lockhead. However, he has already been moved to a new apartment by Standish, preventing Flyte from arresting him.

However, this does not necessarily mean good news. When Standish and Louisa come to the new apartment to meet David, he is nowhere to be seen, and the backdoor is open. It is clear that the old man is now a threat to himself since he has no control over his mental faculties.

Additionally, Slow Horses season 4 episode 3 presents some details that suggest that David, indirectly, has something to do with the recent London bombings. The nature of his exact involvement is not known, but he keeps blaming himself for the same.

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Halfway into its run, Slow Horses season 4 has introduced all of its major plot and character elements, wrapping them up in mystery. Some answers might be provided in episode 4, which will be released on September 25, 2024, on Apple TV+.