Warning: SPOILERS lie ahead for Slow Horses season 5!Tara’s loyalty has finally been revealed in Slow Horses season 5, and one star is sharing their thoughts on the new twist. The latest season of the Apple TV+ thriller adapts the fifth book in Mick Herron’s novel series, London Rules, in which the titular agency investigates a destabilization terrorist plot. Tara, played by Hiba Bennani, is first introduced as Roddy Ho’s new girlfriend, though the Horses prove suspicious of her motivations.
As was finally revealed in both episode 4 and episode 5, Tara is a key member of Slow Horses season 5’s terrorist group, using her relationship with Roddy in an effort to infiltrate MI5’s servers and aid in her plot. After initially being arrested and sent by the Horses to a meeting with her group at Piccadilly Circus, Tara’s computer virus causes an outage at Regent’s Park, subsequently escaping from the group and declaring the intent to launch the final phase of the attack.
In honor of the show’s return, ScreenRant interviewed Ruth Bradley to discuss Slow Horses season 5. When asked about the reveal that Tara is a key figure in the terrorist group, the Emma actor acknowledged that “the books are a good blueprint” for the show’s twists and turns, and was therefore somewhat prepared for what was to come:
What’s amazing about this show is that you can read ahead and see what happens to all the characters if you’re so inclined, because the show is pretty faithful to the books. So, I had an idea about Tara, but what I was really taken by was Hiba [Bennani]’s performance.
Bradley went on to praise Bennani as being “so brilliant” and leaving her and audiences “really convinced” of Tara’s deception. The star denoted the Piccadilly Circus scenes, in particular, as a highlight of her performance, as she was able to draw sympathy by feigning to have been drawn into the terrorist plot, rather than being a key figurehead in it:
You’re really like, “My God, this poor girl! This absolute victim.” That was not so much in the reading, but in the playing of it. I was really blown away by her. She’s amazing — and she has to be to fool everybody. It’s brilliant.
There’s One Major Player Who’s The Real Problem In MI5
With her working for the agency’s security team, the Dogs, Emma often finds herself dealing more directly with the bureaucracy of MI5 than many other Slow Horses characters. Season 4 saw the agency also come under watch from James Callis’ Claude Whelan as the Director General, much to the chagrin of others, as he makes questionable decisions and has an unsavory history.
Bradley explained that Flyte’s main source of frustration comes from Claude, who she views as more of the problem than the agency itself, as she’s “privy to a lot of these decisions that he makes”. She also describes the Dogs leader as being “very much Team Taverner”, being “by her side every step of the way” and teasing that the duo will “narrowly get away with” their efforts to upend Whelan’s power.
One thing that Bradley does note is different for Emma in Slow Horses season 5 is that the character is “not trying to cover her mistakes” or “pretend she’s brilliant”. Instead, after being outsmarted by the Horses in season 4, Flyte’s “pride is so wounded” that she’s now “much more comfortable with saying, ‘I don’t know””.
“Even though it didn’t go perfectly, she feels like she’s become a shoulder for Taverner to cry on or something,” Bradley shared. “They have a bond now; they’ve been through the trenches of MI5 together, and they’ve barely left each other’s side. They’ve been together the whole time, which is so fun to play. I think she really thinks, ‘Taverner and I are together now. We’ve really been through something.’ She loves it.”
What Else We Learned About Slow Horses Season 5 & Beyond From Ruth Bradley
ScreenRant: As we start the season, Taverner still doesn’t particularly like or trust Flyte. Why do you think that is, and how does their dynamic evolve over the course of the season?
Ruth Bradley: Great question. Season 4 ended pretty badly for Flyte. I think she started that season so confident and cocky, thinking she was going to be doing one job, but she ended up not succeeding in that at all. So, I feel like at the beginning of season 5, Flyte’s gone back to basics. She’s kind of got her hair back, she’s in her black suit, and she’s like, “I’m just going to keep my head down and do my work.” She’s aware that Taverner probably isn’t a fan of hers, but I really think Flyte loves Taverner and just wants any kind of crumbs from her. She just wants any kind of pat on the back. It’s like there’s an unconscious maternal thing going on for Flyte, where she just wants Taverner to tell her she’s great and give her a hug or something. Flyte’s much more careful this year in how she deals with Taverner, but she is really hoping for some kind of approval.
ScreenRant: On the flip side, we as viewers can immediately tell that Claude Whelan should not be First Desk. What is Flyte’s view of him at the start of season 5, and does it change at all as the crisis keeps evolving?
Ruth Bradley: I thought about that last year as well, how Flyte feels about Whelan. Honestly, he helped her get in, but I don’t think she has any professional respect for him. She would probably agree that he shouldn’t be First Desk, and she probably thinks that Taverner should be. And though he may have been how she got in the door, we don’t go into finding out the details of that. There’s a bit more of that in the book, but he’s absolutely not the main person in the room. For her, it’s all about Taverner. She’s gone in through this door, but she’s hoping to get to the other side. I think she definitely can see how much it would’ve taken for Taverner to get to her position, and she can see that for herself. So, she’s not a professional or personal fan of Whelan at all.
ScreenRant: Obviously, every season of this show is politically charged and correlates to real life, but I can’t help feeling this season hits particularly close to home. Is that something you discussed with the showrunners at all, and does it affect your approach to playing the role?
Ruth Bradley: I think we were very aware that it reminded us of certain things, and there were echoes of real characters throughout when we were shooting season 5. But I’m shocked at how much more it is now the case because it was obviously a while ago that we shot this. It’s like life imitating art. When we were shooting it, we thought this was something from the past, whereas now it feels like, “F–k, it was something in the future.” It’s incredible, unnerving, and unsettling. I think that the opening of season 5 is just so Earth-shatteringly awful. I don’t know if I can speak about it, but all of that felt very uncomfortable. Unfortunately, that’s what is so good about this show, really. It’s light and fun, but then you’re also like, “This is real. So much of this is what we’re living in right now.”
ScreenRant: Maybe the next season that you film can suddenly take place in a utopia.
Ruth Bradley: Yeah, we’re all just sipping champagne, and Emma Flyte has nothing to do but chat about her childhood!
ScreenRant: Emma has some really fun interactions with members of Slough House, especially with Lamb. Does she respect his mind, if not his methods? Can you talk about the kind of banter and back-and-forth you have with Gary Oldman?
Ruth Bradley: Definitely. She’s much more respectful of his genius this time around, as she was totally unaware and ignorant of it last season. Much like Taverner this season, she can now finally see how intelligent he is and how he’s always a step ahead of the game. Even when he’s pretending…There are certain things that happen this season that she thinks are a cover for something. Actually, she’s probably right about them, but she’s trying to get a step ahead of Lamb. Which is impossible because he’s such a genius. She couldn’t — nobody could — because he’s kind of 10 steps ahead of everybody, particularly this season. She knows he’s the genius in the room, though she wouldn’t let him see that and wouldn’t want him to know that. He’s desperate for it, too, and that’s so much of the humor of it.
ScreenRant: In the post-mortem era, is there a scene or sequence this season that you were proudest of that really stuck with you after you filmed it?
Ruth Bradley: Yeah, the Piccadilly Circus sequence [in episode 5] was just incredible. I’ve been living in London for over 20 years, and to shoot something like that in such a landmark and see hundreds of extras was incredible. The place was shut down! It felt like you were really in it with all these people. That was mind-blowing. It reminded me of 28 Days Later when Cillian Murphy is walking across the Thames. It was one of those pinch yourself moments, and it was an incredible sequence to film.
Check out our other Slow Horses season 5 interviews with:
Gary Oldman Ruth Bradley, Christopher Chung & James Callis at NYCC
The Slow Horses season 5 finale airs October 29 on Apple TV.
56 9.8/10 Slow Horses 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed TV-MA Crime Drama Comedy Thriller Release Date April 1, 2022 Network Apple TV+ Showrunner Douglas Urbanski Directors Adam Randall, James Hawes, Jeremy Lovering, Saul Metzstein Writers Mark Denton, Jonny Stockwood 8 Images Close Cast See All Gary Oldman Jackson Lamb Jack Lowden River Cartwright
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.
Main Genre Crime Executive Producer(s) Douglas Urbanski, Emile Sherman, Gail Mutrux, Graham Yost, Hakan Kousetta, Iain Canning, James Hawes, Jamie Laurenson, Jane Robertson, Julian Stevens, Will Smith Producers Anna O’Malley, Jane Robertson Seasons 5 Streaming Service(s) AppleTV+ Powered by Expand Collapse
