Slow Horses’ weaponised fart wasn’t even this week’s wildest moment

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The new season of *Slow Horses* starts with a bang – though not the kind you’d expect. While the show is known for its action, the initial shock comes from a rather unexpected source: a spectacularly loud and embarrassing moment for Jackson Lamb.

This kind of outlandish behavior is typical for the show. Remember when the main character woke himself up with a loud fart? This week’s explosive moment is particularly crucial, though. After three episodes, the team is trapped inside their headquarters by other MI5 agents. They must find a way out to stop a series of attacks, including several attempts to kill agent Roddy Ho.

Lamb’s plan involved a deliberately disruptive act – a fart. The smell was immediately overwhelming, prompting one guard to jokingly suggest Lamb might be carrying a ‘pauper’s grave’ in his rear. Lamb offered to use an upstairs toilet, but warned the smell would be even worse. The mere thought was enough to make everyone sick, so he was quickly escorted to a distant toilet, a matter he insisted was about basic dignity.

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This is all part of Lamb’s scheme to create a diversion, giving the team time to escape. As usual, the plan works perfectly. Lamb frequently uses unexpected noises to confuse his opponents.

When the show’s creator, Will Smith, mentioned a “weaponized fart” would appear this season in an interview with *Empire* magazine, fans weren’t entirely shocked.

On the show, Oldman jokingly calls himself a “fart consultant,” explaining to *The Wrap* that he and the creators regularly discuss the details of the sound effects – how often they happen and how strong they are – through email.

Interestingly, even more shocking events unfolded on *Slow Horses* this week. Despite Oldman’s character causing significant destruction, an even more dangerous incident took place elsewhere in London.

A suspect from the first mass shooting reappears, offering a homeless man fifty pounds to run a quick task for him.

The plan’s consequences aren’t immediately clear, but another explosion soon hits London, this time at Regent’s Park Zoo. Thankfully, no people were injured. Sadly, the attack killed 22 penguins – an unbelievable event where nearly two dozen of the birds were killed in front of zoo visitors.

The homeless man was led to believe he was setting off a harmless device that would simply change the water’s color. Instead, it turned the water red with real penguin blood. Like the earlier bomb used by Lamb, we don’t see the explosion directly, but the result is still incredibly shocking and impactful.

When someone asked the homeless man if the person who asked him explained their motives, he responded with disbelief, saying, “No, why would anyone want to kill penguins?”

It’s a surprisingly bizarre question within a generally realistic show. And if that seems strange, you’re in for an even bigger surprise when a homeless man asks the police for drugs as payment.

He exclaimed, “I was hit by a flipper!” – something we truly never expected to hear. It’s hard not to picture the incredibly strange scene that statement creates.

While it’s intentionally absurd, *Slow Horses* works surprisingly well thanks to its clever writing. What other series could seamlessly blend a penguin massacre with a gritty spy thriller?

Despite the strange and shocking nature of this event, these penguins tragically died as part of a larger plan. The attack was actually a diversion, connected to the shooting that happened at the premiere, and intended to create instability.

Taking control of the media allows the terrorist group to advance their plan to the final stage: the assassination of a leader. It’s only then, when this tragic event occurs, that Lamb understands the full scope of the situation and realizes this isn’t just a baseless conspiracy theory, but a deliberate strategy to cause chaos.

It’s unclear whether Lamb can resolve the situation with another unconventional solution, or if more serious actions will be necessary.

The fifth season of Slow Horses began streaming on Apple TV+ on September 24th, with new episodes released each week. You can also watch seasons 1 through 4 on Apple TV+.

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2025-10-08 22:50