Warning: SPOILERS forSlow Horsesseason 4, episode 1.Slow Horsesseason 4, episode 1 is now streaming on Apple TV+, and what an emotional roller coaster of an episode it is. The series follows a team of British intelligence agents who serve in a dumping ground department ofMI5 called Slough House. Season 4 wastes no time getting into a mystery that is sure to be at the center of the rest of the season, involving River Cartright (Jack Lowden) and his grandfather David Cartwright (Jonathan Pryce).
The television series is based on a book series by Award-winning author Mick Herron. The first book in his series is called Slow Horses, with eight more to follow, leaving the door open for many more seasons to come.Slow Horsesseason 5has already been confirmed.Slow Horsesstreams on Apple TV+.
Screen Rantspoke withSlow Horses' Christopher Chung, who plays Roddy Ho, about the emotional season 4 premiere. He reveals how he felt when he realized he leads the first scene of the season - and just how much chicken he consumed while filming it. Christopher talks about thebig twistthat comes at the end of the premiere episode as well. He also discusses whether he thinks that Roddy has evolved at all over the course of the last three seasons and what it is like working with Gary Oldman and the rest of the incredible cast.
Continuing Slow Horses With Seasons 4 & 5 Is “A Dream Come True”
“I think, as a viewer, it’s really easy to get invested in something that you know is not going to get canceled.”
Screen Rant: How does it feel getting not only a fourth season ofSlow Horses, but a fifth as well?
Christopher Chung: It’s pretty awesome. You know, not many shows make it past two or three seasons these days, so to be on season 4 and have season 5 already filmed is a dream come true. I think, as a viewer, it’s really easy to get invested in something that you know is not going to get canceled. It’s nice to know we can continue, for now, with these people because they’re so fun.
Screen Rant: Let’s talk about this cast. What is it like working with Gary Oldman and everybody?
Christopher Chung: It’s insane in the best way way possible. Every day is a day to play and to have fun, especially when Gary’s on set. But even when he’s not, he’s set the tone for the rest of us being really comfortable in what we do, and what we want to achieve through making the show. We’ve had it since season one, and I think it’s really allowed all of our work to grow exponentially and become richer and more detailed and has allowed us to have fun the whole way through.
Screen Rant: You got to open up the new season!
Christopher Chung: I know. When I read that script, I was like, “Oh my God, this is sick.” I was beside myself. Actually, I think we were filming season 3 when Will, our writer, had started writing passes on season 4. He told me that he had a brilliant idea for the opening of season 4, and it’s going to be me opening in it. I was like, “That’s wild to me.” To go from season 1 to coming to open season 4? It was brilliant. So much fun. And such a fun way to do it as well and to discover that plot.
Screen Rant: But how much chicken did you have to eat? I’m so invested in this. I need to know.
Christopher Chung: There’s a lot of eating that goes on in this show. So much. Gary with his noodles. I’ve drunk copious amounts of Red Bull. The chicken, I think we did a count. I think it was like 20 drumsticks.
Screen Rant: Was it good at least?
Christopher Chung: It was all right. You never really see all the chicken that gets eaten though, you know? It was a lot.
Screen Rant: I love how brilliant that opening is. What was your reaction when you first saw it all put together?
Christopher Chung: Do you know, I think the first time I saw it was in the trailer. And obviously, the explosion was put in afterward, but I remember how epic it felt because we had a huge crane shot as it moves up, and I remember thinking, this is going to look insane, because the colors are so vibrant as well, because it’s just around Christmas, and it’s orange and red and blue. And then you really get to dive into the action of West Acres. So I think when I saw it, I was completely blown away. No pun intended.
Roddy Wanted River’s Computer For Parts In Slow Horses Season 4, Episode 1
“We were trying to find the balance of the tone of the scene to make it work.”
Screen Rant: When River dies, Roddy immediately goes for his computer. You’re the tech guy. Wouldn’t your computer be better?
Christopher Chung: I strip it for parts because I need an extra hard drive. I absolutely have a better computer, but like definitely needed an extra hard drive. Needed a couple of cables to hook up my other monitors. So it’s all just to strip it.
Screen Rant: That scene is so great. How everyone else is crying and you are just focused on the computer.
Christopher Chung: The thing about that scene that is really difficult is so many things happen within that scene. I am delivering information that River’s dead to Moira initially. Then Louisa receives that and obviously has a huge emotional response. Then informing all the other slow horses to get that information over to them. And then delivering something completely out of the blue that I have a girlfriend.
So being able to balance the comedy, the drama, and actually get plot in, within one scene, is really hard. And not make it a wink to the camera, like this is funny. We’re going to break the tension and make it funny, but trying to make it from a real place is not easy. It’s ups and downs.
Screen Rant: How long did it take to get that shot right?
Christopher Chung: That scene took quite a while, actually. Because we were trying to find the balance of the tone of the scene to make it work. And also, Rosalind [Eleazar] throws a stapler at JK [Coe] and her aim is not great, so a few more than we needed.
Screen Rant: Watching this episode ofSlow Horses, they shoot “River” in his face, and it is not clear if it is really him or not. When reading the script, was it vague? Were you aware there was a twist at the end of the episode that it is not River?
Christopher Chung: Because I had read Mick Herron’s novels beforehand, I knew what the slight of hand was there. What you don’t get from the script but you do when you watch it, is what Gary does. He tells the whole story of, River’s done this to cover up because he needs time. I’m going to buy him time by telling Emma Flyte that that is him. And he does it in such a quick look, but it tells a whole story and I think that is just… you just watch it and you’re like, that’s magic.
Screen Rant: I’m one of those people who stay away from the books until the series is done because I don’t want to be spoiled.
Christopher Chung: I just wanted to know when I die. I just gotta know.
Roddy “Is The Most Fun To Play” For Christopher Chung
Screen Rant: Do you feel as if Roddy has evolved at all over the course of the last four seasons?
Christopher Chung: I think that the thing about the characters in this show are that whatever growth potential they have is very minimal and small. Which is why I think they’re all stuck in this purgatory-style house. I think if you were to ask Ho that question, of how he’s grown, he’d have a real inflated sense of self that, I’ve survived a Russian assassin, and I’ve saved Lamb, I drove this bus into a house and I saved the girl. He would think that all of the things he’s done up until now have really made him this hugely formed and whole person. And he’s learned from his experience, where in actuality, he hasn’t done any of that.
Screen Rant: But he’s fun to watch.
Christopher Chun: He is, and fun to play. I remember when I walked out of my first, well, my only audition for the job, James Ho, our first season director said, “You look like you’re having a lot of fun there playing him. It would be a lot of fun, wouldn’t it?” And said, “It’s the best fun. And at least if I don’t get the job, at least I got to play him for a little bit.” And now he’s been with me for four years and he’s in my ear all the time.
About Slow Horses Season 4
Slow Horses is an adaptation of CWA Gold Dagger Award-winning Mick Herron’s first novel in the “Slow Horses” series, which follows a team of British intelligence agents who serve in a dumping ground department of MI5 – Slough House. Gary Oldman stars as Jackson Lamb, the brilliant but irascible leader of the spies who end up in Slough House due to their career-ending mistakes.
Slow Horsesseason 4 has just started streaming on Apple TV+, with weekly episodes releasing every Wednesday.
Slow Horses
Cast
Slow Horses follows a dysfunctional team of MI5 agents led by the notorious Jackson Lamb. Set against the backdrop of the espionage world, the agents must navigate complex operations and defend England from sinister forces, all while dealing with internal struggles and their abrasive boss.
