Slow Horses season 5 episode 2 ending explained: How is the attack on Roddy linked to the Abbotsfield massacre?

Slow Horses season 5 episode 2 builds from the explosive opener of the season: the Abbotsfield massacre that killed 11 people, and the potential threat to Roddy Ho's life. Titled Incommunicado, the episode unravels the dangling threads that threaten The Park, Slough House, and possibly the entire country.

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers for Slow Horses season 5 episode 2. Reader's discretion is advised.

In yet another action-packed installment, Slough House gets real-life proof that Roddy's life is in danger, although he remains oblivious about it. But that's not all, because the person who tries to kill Roddy Ho appears to be the man who killed the Abbotsfield shooter in Slow Horses season 5 episode 1.

However, compromising an MI5 agent is not the only threat, as the episode's final moments also tease an explosive action that will have even greater stakes.

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Slow Horses season 5 episode 2: What is the connection between the attack on Roddy Ho and the Abbotsfield shooting?

Roddy is attacked (Image via Apple TV+)

As The Park continues to investigate the Abbotsfield massacre, Diana gets help from Peter Judd, the former Home Secretary, in the form of a list of all stolen firearms that could help the shooting investigation. It turns out that the assault rifle the mass shooter used to kill the 11 civilians was among the guns and explosives that had gone missing from a consignment display.

That's not all, because after The Park gets wind of the shooting at Roddy Ho's apartment, they also find out that the bullets found during Roddy's attack are the same as the bullets found from the sniper who killed the Abbotsfield shooter. This means that the target on Roddy, an MI5 agent, is directly related to the mass shooting. They don't know the reason for the attack or the target.

That said, with Lamb choosing not to report the attempt on Roddy Ho's life, Slough House has been put in lockdown at the end of Slow Horses season 5 episode 2. The Park has also taken Roddy in for the time being.

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How does Roddy Ho survive the attack in Slow Horses season 5 episode 2?

Lamb saves Roddy (Image via Apple TV+)

In episode 1, only Shirley is convinced that someone is trying to kill Roddy. However, when Lamb finds out about Tara, it makes him suspicious enough to break into Roddy's apartment and become a lookout, which turns out to be a good choice because he ends up saving Roddy in Slow Horses season 5 episode 2.

As Shirley suspected, someone had come after Roddy. The gunman knows his address and has a key, no thanks to Tara, who turns out to be a honey pot, although Roddy still doesn't believe it. She took Roddy's key and made a copy, although it's not how Roddy would put it. He says that he had recently lost his key and that Tara had found and returned it to him.

So, when the gunman quietly enters the apartment to kill Roddy in his sleep, what he doesn't expect is Lamb being there. Lamb squirts bleach in his eyes and, during the commotion, the gunman is pushed through the window. Shirley, who is on the lookout outside of Roddy's building, runs after the gunman while two others try to shoot at Lamb and Roddy.

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Slow Horses season 5 episode 2: What is the real plan of the terrorists?

A car blows up randomly (Image via Apple TV+)

The Abbotsfield shooting, as it turns out, is not a one-off plan. Slow Horses season 5 episode 2 continues to unravel the plot as to what the perpetrators are trying to do, and the horrific act of mass shooting in episode 1 is just the beginning. Also, targeting Roddy Ho is just a part of the much bigger threat. It turns out that the terrorists don't even need to kill Roddy; they simply want to distract MI5.

With a target on one of their agents, plus the existing mass shooting investigation, The Park will be in chaos. It's enough of a distraction from the terrorist to cause even more disruption. Their plan, however, appears to be more complicated than a simple political conspiracy, as the police initially believed because of the shooting's connection to Gimball and the mayoral election.

What is apparent, however, is that the group of terrorists is intent on causing as much disruption as they can, and they are not above killing their friends or members to ensure that the plan works. Their next attempt involves giving a mysterious canister to a group of climate activists, telling them to put it in a tanker. It's used to muddy the petrol supply in the city, causing cars to blow up randomly.

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Catch Slow Horses season 5 episode 2, along with the show's previous episodes, streaming on Apple TV+.