Okay, Slow Horses Fandom, Serious Question: We All Know That In Season 1 / Book 1, Sid Is At Slough House

SLOW HORSES 3.01

All of this. I am so obsessed with imagining their relationship before the series starts.

Also, River is all about River in a lot of ways. And he's sad about Spider's death because it's not only the final death of what their *relationship* once was, it's also a symbol of him losing who *he* once was. Or who he thought he was going to be.

I think that the insane yearning and obsession they have for each other is driven a lot by how needy they both are for a certain kind of success and recognition. They recognize each other as fellow travellers. They also have those feelings you have when you have a crush on someone and it's kind of about how you think that person has something amazing about them that makes you want to bask in their aura but also you kind of resent them because you're envious of their sparkle.

The seething disdain they feel for each other after the Falling Out is a reflection of their disappointment in how the other has failed to live up to the (still nascent) image they projected and the grimy mirror that holds up to their own respective reflections.

Instead of Britain's most dangerous field asset, River is a fuck up who can't follow basic instructions (for his surveillance assignment - hence Stanstead/King's Cross). Instead of an astute political operative climbing the ranks and pulling strings behind the scenes, James is babysitting a bunch of filing cabinets and only gets trotted out when some woman with actual power needs a biddable warm body for her own purposes. They both suck and they hate looking at the other man and being reminded of the abjectness of failure, of falling short, of being so desperately close but so far. It's embarrassing watching the other one hanging from the cliff by his fingernails while he puts on a show like he's still climbing the mountain.

I think the saddest thing about their relationship is that these boys never even really knew each other. And they couldn't because they didn't even know themselves. They were too young and trying too desperately to outrun themselves and become perfect, unassailable, lovable.

They're both so deeply lonely. And then Spider dies and River is even more alone. They ended up hating each other but James also understood what it was like to live with that black hole in the centre of himself and there was a type of company in that, even after the love was gone.

river and spider are just such a tragedy to me. the way they both (in the books) are just. constantly wistfully thinking about Back When They Were Friends… and it’s about more than just their friendship in a lot of ways, it’s that Back Then was when they still had bright unbounded futures, back when they thought they’d wander straight into influential spots at the service and be bestest friends forever while they changed the world and got everything they ever wanted.

and like. the thing is, that is already gone. they’re never getting that back. even if they somehow put all their bitterness and history aside and became close again, it wouldn’t be the same as before… they’ll never get that youthful optimism that (in my head at least) defined their pre-series relationship back. that version of their friendship is gone forever already.

but then spider dies and, well. now it’s really really gone. now even the hope of a “different from before but close enough to what they had once” reunion is gone.

just. agh. this idea of like. that, that version of their relationship, the version that they miss, is already dead and buried before the series starts and there’s no getting it back. there’s already no getting it back. but they still keep hoping (or at least, river keeps hoping, though i think spider does too) that it somehow, against all rules of logic, WILL come back anyway. until spider dies and river has to face that that hope, while impossible before anyway, it now for real actually impossible impossible…

heartbreaking, man. they’re such a tragedy.

JACK LOWDEN as River Cartwright in Slow Horses 2.01

הנני הנני

a Dr. Michael "Robby" Robinavitch mix

You Want It Darker - Leonard Cohen Tickle Me Pink - Johnny Flynn Oh My Heart - R.E.M. Sisyphus - Andrew Bird Love Love Love - The Mountain Goats There Is A Place - Silver Jews Think You Can Wait - The National Heart of Gold - Neil Young Day Is Done - Nick Drake

[Listen of Spotify]

quintessential jack lowden tongue acting

River Cartwright versus a flashbox Slow Horses

Radio Times

Slow Horses star says viewers "might be in for a surprise" in season 5

Roddy Ho will be a large focus this upcoming season.

"[I] might throw a few dance moves here and there."

[BOOK SPOILERS/speculation]

Please tell me this means they filmed the club scene. Please. I need Roddy wearing his sunglasses at night. I need Shirley in her natural element. I need the gang brutally dunking on River for how shit he is at picking up women.

I NEED THIS, GUYS.

I think post s2 is when it really sinks in for him that it's not all just a clerical error and he's never going back to the Park. And he starts to realize that the Park isn't a club he really wants to be part of anyway. So the look fits even though it's really just because Jack Lowden beefed up for his role in The Gold.

Follow up question: what happened between s3 and s4 that prompted him to cut all his hair off like a girl suffering major situational depression after a bad break up?

The whiplash i get from seeing season one feotus zygote river- bro was a little stream a canal at best- and season two's I'm just a little lad who loves berries and cream river with the nerdy specs and sneakers

AND FRICKIN DAD BOD RIVER IN SEASON THREE? WHOS A LITTLE ROUGH AROUND THE EDGES AND MEAN LOOKING?

like i understand that season one and two were filmed one after the other and in the break before season three jack lowden had to play a- lmao- 'jacked' up mafia gangster in a biopic tv show BUT STILL

In the slow horses universe, what'dya guys think happened to him in the interim? Looking like he drank depresso expresso no milk extra salt every morning ass character development

Von Dutch

Summary: River confronts Spider after the Stanstead fiasco.

Adult language

No warnings

River/Spider (ish)

452 words

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James was, let the record show, simply minding his business and heading down the hall of the pub to the toilets when River grabbed his shoulder from behind with a grip like a vice. James turned around as casually as possible under the circumstances. 

"Are you stalking me? That's an HR violation. I'm not sure you need another black mark on your record right now." River stared daggers at him. 

“We need to talk.” James didn’t bring up the obvious, which was that River had his number. 

"I didn't think I'd see you out tonight." If James had crashed Stanstead he probably would have jumped off a bridge and ended it all, not crashed the after party too, but that was Cartwright for you. Never knew when to give up.

"You gave me the wrong instructions. Blue shirt, white tee not white shirt, blue tee."

"Are you sure? Anyone could get that mixed up."

"Not me."

James arched an eyebrow. "Everyone makes mistakes." Not me, River's expression said.

"You have to talk to Taverner. Clear this up." River's hand was still crushing his shoulder.

"I don't have to do anything."

"There'll be a debriefing." He insisted. "They'll interview you." The very thought of trying to explain the realities of the situation in a way Cartwright would understand made him feel weary. Like talking to a small child asking repeatedly why the sky is blue.

"I realize you were hoping to be Diana's protégé. It must be disappointing to be suddenly on the outs."

"Does Taverner realize you two are on a first name basis?"

"Do you realize that she's going to exile you to Siberia and you're never again going to get to get the chance to come in your pants while you salute and call her ma'am?"

"Fuck, you really just can't stand that I'm better than you, can you?"

"Did you hear that I'm getting my own office?"

River snarled and pushed him roughly up against the wall and if James felt his cock twitch, well, that was alright. There was nothing like the thrill of victory. James snaked his hand down between them. 

“Not here, you psycho”, River hissed, “anyone could see.”

“Would that be so bad? It's okay to admit how you really feel about me. If anything, I'm the one who should be worried about his image, being seen with you.”

All 14 stone of River pinned him to the wall. A strong hand tight on his jaw, stubble scraping raw against his chin and cheek. James' lips parted. And then just as suddenly, River pushed himself away and stalked off without a word or a backwards glance. 

"You're a sore loser, Cartwright!" he called after him as he adjusted himself.

Well it looks like Slow Horses is finally getting some press coverage in the US (probably since season 4 got more reach somehow)