"It’s a surprising moment": Will Smith on Louisa's non-violent exit in Slow Horses Season 5 premiere

Slow Horses Season 5 is back and viewers have already been introduced to a few surprises. Created by Will Smith, the spy thriller series on Apple TV+ is based on the a series of novels by Mick Herron. Featuring Gary Oldman, Jack Lowden, Rosalind Eleazar, and others, the show premiered in 2022 and is currently in its fifth season, which released on September 24, 2025.

Slow Horses Season 5 is based on the book, London Rules by Herron and continues the stories of various MI5 service reject agents, who are assigned to the Slough House and must bear the sadist boss Jackson Lamb (Oldman), while also taking up cases on the side.

In the premiere episode of Slow Horses Season 5, not only does the overconfident Roddy Ho (Christopher Chung) get a girlfriend, which makes his co-workers suspicious and worried for his safety, but there is also a sudden exit of one of the important characters in the show, Louisa Guy (Eleazar).

In an interview with The Wrap, creator Will Smith talks about the "non-violent" exit of Louisa. He stated,

"It’s a surprising moment. Mick is brilliant at getting rid of characters in unexpected ways."

---

Creator of Slow Horses Season 5, Will Smith, talks about Louisa’s exit from the show

In the first episode of the show itself, viewers get to see the unexpected exit of Louisa Guy, who entered the Slough House after a tail operation didn’t work out. The character has since become an important part of the series and yet, the show decided to surprise its viewers with her exit.

Louisa has gone through her fair share of ups and downs in the show and in the Season 5 premiere, she tells River (Cartwright) that she has had enough of the banishment room and wants to leave the place.

In the first episode of Slow Horses Season 5, Louisa is sent off with an awkward party and then has an even more awkward conversation with River, where he tries to kiss her at the wrong moment.

Talking about these scenes, creator Will Smith tells The Wrap that the awkward conversation between Louisa and River was “one of my favorite scenes." He continues to mention that he wanted Rosalind to have “some good stuff to go out with," and she and Jack made sure that the scene went brilliantly.

When asked about Louisa’s sudden exit in the premiere episode itself, Smith says that it was definitely “a surprising moment” and author Mick is an expert on “getting rid of characters in unexpected ways.” He states,

"It’s never predictable. It’s never by the numbers. Because there was so much loss in Season 4, at the start of Season 5 you’re on edge because you think anyone could go at any point. So even if you don’t kill anyone off, you’ve still got the tension of that. With Louisa, we knew we weren’t going to have her much this season, but we still felt like we could make these amazing scenes with her."

Smith therefore states that even though there was no violence and no one was killed, there is still a lingering tension and Smith knew that Louisa's endpoint had been reached.

However, Smith mentions that he still wanted to “make these amazing scenes with her." He goes on to mention the party scene, which was “brilliant and awful," and the conversation between Louisa and River, which is “kind of a breakup" and ends on an “awkward kiss."

Ultimately, Smith comments that all these scenes felt “raw and real” and attuned to the show’s themes as Rosalind and Jack showcased their chemistry well.

---

Roddy's increased role in Slow Horses Season 5 and the change in tone of the show

Slow Horses Season 5 premiered on September 24, 2025, on Apple TV+ and has six episodes. New episodes of the show will premiere every week on Wednesday and the finale will air on October 29, 2025. Further, the show will be available at 3 am ET/midnight PT.

As mentioned before, Roddy Ho gets a mysterious new girlfriend in the first episode of the series and will have a more central role in the latest season. In an interview with SlashFilm, Smith mentions that it was the “right moment” for Roddy’s character to take a central role.

Smith also mentions that he knew that Chung was “going to shine," and even though the show seems to have taken on a new tone in Slow Horses Season 5, Chung “invests it with such reality." Talking about the lighter tone of the new season, Smith also told The Wrap that even though Roddy getting a girlfriend makes it a “funnier season," it still addresses important topics like colonialism, interventionism, and toxic masculinity.

---

For more such stories, follow SoapCentral.