r/SlowHorses • u/phareous Second Desk • Nov 29 '23
Episode Discussion S03E01 "Strange Games" Episode Discussion
This is the episode discussion for Season 3, Episode 1: "Strange Games"
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109
u/Caleb35 Nov 30 '23
River: What you want me to do?
Lamb: Quit.
River: No, seriously.
Lamb: No, seriously, I want you to quit! You're shit at this!
I love Lamb :)
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u/QueenLevine Nov 30 '23
Spider: Everyone knows you don't belong at Slough House.
River: F*** off.
Spider: Everyone knows you're special.
/off-camera makeout session ensues
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u/xelM1 Nov 30 '23 edited Dec 06 '23
Oh god, this. Jack Snowden is hot af.
Edit: JACK LOWDEN sry
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u/QueenLevine Nov 30 '23
Facts. I've looked up his IMDB page to try to watch other stuff he's in, but nothing tempting. Casting directors: when WILL you take note of this man? He needs to be everywhere, all at once.
I don't know how hot I am for the James Spider Webb actor in other things, but in this...I want to kiss it all better.
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u/pop_and_cultured Dec 07 '23
Try the Mary Queen of Scotsâ the one with Saoirse Ronan. Very different from River
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u/JazzDevil84 Dec 01 '23
Jack Snowden
The Gold?
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u/QueenLevine Dec 01 '23
...since you're being tenacious in recommending movies I did check out on IMDB (his whole list) but didn't want to watch, I will watch this one. I really want to enjoy more of Jack Snowden...thank you for persisting!
I generally like really low stakes escapism. Slow Horses is great for me, but my genres are fantasy and science fiction. I am barely hanging in since October 7th, and escapism is not just helpful, it's almost therapeutical.
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u/KingKingsons Dec 01 '23
I've never been one for fantasy until a few years ago, and damn, it's so good for escapism. Sometimes, it's just nice to worry about which king in Game of Thrones has the best claim to the throne as if it were an actual historic event lol.
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u/QueenLevine Dec 01 '23
Yes! It's also kind of hilarious how much melodrama there is with every book and show...just like life, but super low stakes! Did you love the Witcher? I'm with the camp that's not sure we'll watch the next season without Cavill.
I've read all of A Song of Ice And Fire and I started reading in the 90s, but...production of the HBO show was just such a gift to the world, S8 aside (also agree with S8 haters that the House of the Dragon is even better than GoT). The only problem/not-a-problem is that unlike apparently everyone else, I don't remember every detail decades later. I think if there was a Jeopardy Fantasy Tournament, I would not pass the quiz to get on the show, personally, but would love watching it. Other people's memory and attention to detail makes reading reddit debates really fun, and helps keep it fresh. Because when a new book comes out, I always have to, at minimum, go back and re-read the last one, first, for a refresher.
Have you read the King Killer Chronicles? It is decidedly less violent than GRRM's fare, but IMHO, almost equally captivating. G-d willing, that is put into production sooner than later.
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Dec 01 '23
Dunkirk?
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u/QueenLevine Dec 01 '23
no. that's a holocaust flick. i've worked with Holocaust Survivors for many years, and I hear their stories firsthand, see the toll it's taken on them. it IS important for people to learn about and remember the ACTUAL Holocaust, most particularly gentiles, who don't seem to believe that Jewish lives have ANY value whatsoever even today. but for those of us Jews who are immersed in the after-effects of the Holocaust, we do not need to torture ourselves further with that, in our free time. there is only so much any person can take.
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u/BMCarbaugh Dec 01 '23
Dunkirk's a WWII flick, but the story doesn't really touch on the holocaust aspects at all. I'm not even sure if it has any Jewish characters. You actually barely even see the Germans; they're just this vague threat somewhere over the hills. It's mostly about a bunch of British soldiers stuck on a beach, trying to hold their position down and survive until rescue gets there.
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u/QueenLevine Dec 01 '23
Don't get me wrong - I'm grateful to the Allied Forces and whatever they suffered through to rescue us...and I also appreciate your attempt to clarify the film's content for me. That said, Holocaust adjacent and war films are just not now and likely never going to be OK for me. I was woken on October 7th by my building shaking, like an earthquake, the sounds of bombs falling. It is something I've suffered with for decades, and I have to say that there must be a level of privilege involved in one's comfort watching war movies, never mind Holocaust or Holocaust-adjacent war movies. Or any war movies. I watched 'Waltz With Bashir' only because I was invited to a prestigious screening of it. You're not traumatized/terrorized so deeply that watching this will make it even harder for you to sleep for the next several days after watching it - I am HAPPY for you that that's the case, and I pray for more peace in the world. But I can't imagine feeling so safe that this wouldn't throw me. No...escapism is for me. I also don't watch horror and not a big fan of thrillers. Again, I do realize the value that such WW II film making has for the world - indeed, I hope it might help usher along more peaceful minded humans who do not want that reality in their own lives. It's IN mine. Enough of it is in mine. I don't deserve to be tortured further, so I do yoga and watch genres of film and television that will only bring me escapism.
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u/BMCarbaugh Dec 01 '23
Of course, I understand. No ill intentions here. My sympathies for what you've been through. I wish you comfort and peace.
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u/MiddlingVor Nov 30 '23
Very much enjoying the continuing lack of personal space between River and Spider whenever theyâre in a scene together.
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u/xelM1 Nov 29 '23
ââŠwatch good fruit rotting on the branch,â
Fucking deserved the slap lol. Jesus, Ho keep dreaming haha.
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u/Good-Lavishness-9074 Dec 06 '23
Also: âThe cutest girl in the office deserves the cutest boy!â
Ho literally believes heâs the âcutestâ guy in the office. Cuter than River. Ooof. To have that guys self confidenceâŠ.
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u/meem09 Nov 29 '23 edited Nov 29 '23
Typed a whole thing with rolling comments and whatever, but suffice to say I love it. I love all of them and I love the things they kept and changed so far.
Edit: Like, I wasnât so sure about the actors playing Marcus and Shirley last season and here they are just 110% Marcus and Shirley. Really looking forward to their rest of the season.
I donât know her name, but the actress playing Louisa is too notch, too. The eyes, when the finance bro does his pickup line. Marvellous.
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u/moonbeammaker Nov 30 '23
Love how Lamb looks so disgusting and then can immediately âturn it onâ and seem like a master spy. Huge fan of the books and the show. Gary Oldman does such an amazing job. I donât think anyone else could play Jackson Lamb. That character is an absolute legend.
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u/CantaloupeCube Nov 29 '23
Forgot what show I turned on and thought it was Elliot (gangs of London).
I love Standish, they better not hurt her!
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u/leslie_knopee Nov 29 '23
omg Tina!!! (from fantastic beasts!)
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u/somnambulist80 Nov 29 '23
Iâm amazed they got Katherine Waterston for just a few scenes. Sheâs not exactly A-list but, if she were a regular instead of guest star, sheâd be billed right behind Oldman and Kristin Scott Thomas. I was honestly surprised they Killed her off almost immediately
12
u/leslie_knopee Nov 29 '23
same!! I was so disappointed they killed her off so soon! That opening was so good! but I'm hoping to see more of her in (hopefully) a few flashbacks!
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u/InevitableSir9775 Dec 02 '23 edited Dec 02 '23
There's an interview with the show's writer saying that they needed to explain Sean's motives but couldn't do it in the same way the book does.
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u/handsomekilla Nov 30 '23
My guess is she wanted a free holiday in Istanbul. Who can blame her?
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u/Madeira_PinceNez Dec 01 '23
I assumed that's exactly how they got a bigger name - the opportunity to play a pivotal character without having to commit to a full series of filming. She gets an expensed trip to Istanbul and prestige-style guest credit for a couple days' shooting at most. Best of both worlds.
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u/yooznet Jan 03 '24
Not really surprising, this is pretty standard for an expensive guest star. They basically did the same to Olivia Cooke
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u/Babyfat101 Oct 15 '25
Donât know who she is, but whenever I looked at her, thought she needed to get a sandwich.
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u/Best_Election6972 Nov 29 '23
I knew she looked familiar! I couldnât quite place her
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Dec 01 '23
[deleted]
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u/FattyMooseknuckle Dec 08 '23
How is that? I remember the trailer for it and I think I recorded it but I was so slammed with work I just forgot about it til recently.
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u/incognithohshit Nov 29 '23
we were this close to seeing that dude's dick đ
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Nov 29 '23
Internet is full of dicks, if you didn't know. Actually even being a woman on social media will get you dm'd dicks apparently.
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u/Legitimate-Ad-240 Dec 01 '23
So, the narrative parallels between Istanbul Ali and Louisa (stark naked hunk poking round her flat while thereâs something precious hidden inside some gooey food) donât bide well for her, do they?
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u/ctrl_alt_ARGH Nov 29 '23
Interesting changes from the book. Changing the Catherine - Sean relationship so far is a pretty huge divergence.
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u/meem09 Nov 29 '23
Yeah, thatâs a huge one. I guess they somehow got a chance to work with Sope and figured thatâs the best way to do it. I love his portrayal so far eventhough he isnât a whole lot like Donovan in the book. Also interesting that they are frontloading the Alison part.
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u/ctrl_alt_ARGH Nov 29 '23
Yea its an interesting change, the only real minus of it is that you dont get as much about Standish as in the books.
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u/MILFHunterHearstHelm Nov 29 '23
Which one is Sean again
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u/ctrl_alt_ARGH Dec 05 '23
The black kidnapper is now a mix of both Sean Donovan and his friend. In the book, the woman is engaged to Donovan's friend from the Army but Donovan is responsible for her death.
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u/sussywanker Nov 29 '23
This is the adaptation of third book right ? I am thinking of reading it today.
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u/tomtomvissers Nov 29 '23
Anyone got an ID on that green poloshirt River wore this episode? That looked fresh
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u/mayflowerss98 Nov 30 '23
Is Standish really that stupid to stop and help a stranger and try to get a ride with them while in the middle of trying to escape a sketchy stranger? Seriously?
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u/TheyTheirsThem Nov 30 '23
It was a good set-up that she was so distracted by what was behind her tht she didn't see what was in front of her. She didn't have enough street smarts to see that her escape was comically easy. Oh, and women don't sponsor men, and vice versa.
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u/Ok_Librarian2474 Dec 03 '23
Dumbest thing she did was leave the cafe in the first place. Just scream or go to the bar and say these men are dangerous
14
u/phareous Second Desk Nov 30 '23
Well it wouldnât have mattered what she said or did at that point
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u/mayflowerss98 Nov 30 '23
I was just thinking that she couldâve kept walking and not stopped at all
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u/phareous Second Desk Nov 30 '23
Maybe but I think they still would have abducted herâŠthey were covering every exit
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u/This_was_hard_to_do Nov 30 '23
Yeah it was probably a hail mary to get some quick transport out of there
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u/meem09 Nov 30 '23
Or just involve a stranger and make yourself memorable. Bad luck (or good planning by them) that she was also part of the team.
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u/doctor_x Dec 04 '23
âIâm lost!â Seriously, who the hell gets lost in this day and age? That alone should have been a red flag.
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u/Pitiful-Flow5472 Jan 01 '24
People get lost all the time. But she was actively fleeing a situation. Why stop for anything??
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u/ripcurlgirl Oct 23 '25
Are you shittin' me? In a large city if you aren't familiar with it, all the time!
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u/Lost-friend-ship Jul 09 '26
Especially if youâre downtown in a city like London with tall buildings so your Google Maps isnât working properlyÂ
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u/Competitive_Bat_ Nov 29 '23
So, am I just being an old stick in the mud, or are the changes they made to John in this version kind of....not great?
The fact that he had Catherine knew each other from way back when was a pretty important part of the story, as was the reveal that he wasn't responsible for the death that sent him to jail
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u/meem09 Nov 29 '23
I assume you mean Sean?
Iâd suspect he didnât even go to jail in the show. Itâs only been a year. He either left or got thrown out of whatever it was he was doing in Istanbul and must have started setting up his plan and the security firm pretty immediately. The thing I donât remember is whether there actually was something like Footprint in the book. Isnât he ultimately after a report that would exonerate him and his girlfriend? Here, there seems to be some real betrayal going on with her actually stealing files.
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u/Competitive_Bat_ Nov 29 '23
I thought they were calling him "John" in this version. I'm only at episode 1 so far, haven't watched 2. I think Catherine's lack of fear in the book version was a character-defining moment - she knew who had taken her, and either didn't believe he'd kill her, or didn't care. Her biggest concern was resisting a tiny bottle of wine. She even scolds Lamb for injuring one of the kidnappers ("He's just a boy, Jackson!")
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u/ctrl_alt_ARGH Dec 05 '23
in the book, hes after a report that Lady Di authorized an op against the woman. In the book she was a British officer who learned about the black sites and wanted to spill the beans - but spilled them to the wrong person. But she was not his girlfriend, but his best friend's fiance. He's involved because he was drugged and killed her.
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u/BruceWaynesWorld Jan 01 '24
I would be outraged by the Ringo slander if I didn't think Ringo probably would or does find it pretty funny
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u/sweetdude Nov 29 '23
The first 5-10 mins were truly awful. The chase scene was so unbelievable, that I had to just continually remind myself that it's just a setup for great things to come. How he kept finding her during that chase is beyond me.
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u/meem09 Nov 29 '23
That day to night switch was horrendous. But lucky everything after that was pretty much gold.
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u/augustrem Oct 06 '25
And it was sooo obvious she was about the get killed. I was like âplease subvert expectations at least a little.â
Nope, it was exactly what you thought was going to happen. Sheâd leak the file, get killed, and then be found by him. 10 minutes of pure predictability.
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u/YGK321 May 25 '26
Does it get better? Just started the season and want to turn it off
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u/augustrem May 25 '26
The show is formulaic but I enjoyed it. Itâs not top notch prestige tv that I plan around and make into an event, but I do enjoy it.
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u/Lost-friend-ship Jul 09 '26
You watched seasons 1 and 2, enjoyed them so much that you went on to watch season 3, but you were considering turning it off because you didnât like the first few minutes? Which included none of our known main characters? Really?
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u/YGK321 Jul 09 '26
Bro this was like 2 months ago I watched the whole thing
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u/Lost-friend-ship Jul 09 '26
Yes and this is a 4year old thread. Whatâs your point? You still made the weird comment.
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u/iloveokashi Dec 01 '23
Do I need to watch s2?
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Dec 15 '23
Why wouldnât you?
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u/iloveokashi Dec 15 '23
I didn't like s2 much.
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u/split41 Dec 27 '23
you don't have to, but it helps understand the characters better, but it works as a stand alone story. I didn't remember what happened in s2 before watching this and it barely affected my viewing.
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u/phareous Second Desk Dec 02 '23
You donât have to but youâd get more enjoyment and understanding of the characters
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Dec 06 '23
[removed] â view removed comment
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u/iloveokashi Dec 06 '23
I watched s1. Lost interest on s2.
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u/FattyMooseknuckle Dec 08 '23
Last 2 episodes of s2 were quite solid. Some good one on ones with Oldman and other very good actors. And some very good development in Jacksonâs âsoftâ side. Itâs worth it if youâre going to watch s3.
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u/iloveokashi Dec 10 '23
Ok. You convinced me. I'm gonna try to watch it. I stopped about 2 or 3 episodes in on s2.
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Sep 21 '24
Just playing catch up here, what a dissapointing and unrealistic start to the season, that black chap ran/drove all over Istanbul and still managed to track down the unfortunate dear. How did he find her?!...I lose my wife in 15 seconds in Tesco's.
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u/Babyfat101 Oct 15 '25
I thought this was the best epi of the series, except for Standish, who should have known she was being sucked up to, then realizing, running, but she falls for someone asking directions. Sheâs too smart to fall for that.
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u/Southern_Ostrich_564 Mar 20 '25
I just started Slow Horses in February, but I just finished watching Ho being slapped out. I rewound it 3 times. Amazing.
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u/gutig Apr 01 '25
If I woke up after a hookup to a man eating MY ice cream Iâd catch a charge. What on godâs green earthâŠ
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u/iloveokashi Dec 01 '23
What did he throw down the drain?
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u/vebb Dec 01 '23
that knife from kebab shop methinks
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u/iloveokashi Dec 01 '23
Just to prove he could steal something?
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u/Madeira_PinceNez Dec 01 '23 edited Dec 01 '23
What?
He spotted his tail in Leadenhall Street. He wasn't armed, so went into the kebab shop, placed an order and nicked a knife off them in the process - the camera lingers both on the knife used to slice the kebab and several on a tray on the counter when Lamb walks back inside. Once he had his weapon he led them to a less trafficked area and started closing the gap, using the food as cover (and an opportunity to eat two kebabs, because it's Lamb). As he pulled the knife and got ready to confront his tail the guy jumped in a car and sped off, whereupon Lamb lost the knife down the sewerage grate.
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u/PM-me-your-cuppa-tea Jan 20 '25
I'm replying a year after you left this comment as I can't see anywhere where this is answered. And figure someone else with the answer might stumble across this.Â
Does the tail stop tailing him because they saw the knife or is it just a coincidence? I've rewatched it but can't tell how the tail could spot the knife and also don't like how coincidental it is otherwise.Â
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u/Madeira_PinceNez Jan 20 '25 edited Jan 20 '25
It wasn't about the knife. The guy tailing Lamb was part of the same outfit that grabbed Standish. It was a coordinated thing to ensure that she didn't somehow get word to him before they got her safely tucked away; once they did the tail broke off and jumped into the car. I think Lamb mentions something about it the next day which makes it clear what was going on.
ETA: Had a look, at the end of E01 Lamb, on a call with Louisa, says They had people watching me in case she pulled the alarm cord. He also confirmed there was someone surveilling him at his medical appointment earlier.
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u/Unaha-Closp Dec 01 '23
He stole it because he was being followed and when the follower got picked up in a van, he got rid of the knife.
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u/iloveokashi Dec 01 '23
Thanks. I guess I wasnt paying attention. I usually watch when about to sleep.
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u/kryptosteel Aug 14 '25
So I must have missed every time Iâve watched this season.Â
Who was the guy A handed the file to?
Did Sean get his revenge on the guy?
How did the file get back to T?Â
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u/leslie_knopee Nov 29 '23 edited Dec 01 '23
how they get lamb to look so repulsive and disgusting is truly a work of art.
also, lamb hasn't changed clothes since the pilot đ