Why did River Cartwright end up in Slough House? Revisiting Slow Horses Season 1 Episode 1's heart-racing moments

Just like the other agents at Slough House in Slow Horses, River Cartwright’s journey to the mundane place is filled with trouble. The first episode of the series opens with giving us a glimpse of what causes River Cartwright to end up in Slough House.

River’s mistake leads to this hotshot agent ending up in the soul-crushing purgatory from where there is hardly any return. River Cartwright’s career-ending failure truly leaves us in shock. The first episode of the series starts off with intense chaos, which sets the tone for the rest of the series.

Revisiting why River Cartwright ends up in Slough House in Slow Horses Season 1 episode 1

Slow Horses Season 1 episode 1 begins with Cartwright at an airport. He is on a mission to identify a threat. He intently keeps an eye on the terrorist suspect. On the other hand, his actions are being supervised by Diana Taverner. When the suspect begins to move, Diana gives Cartwright the order to follow him.

He quickly shoves through the people at the airport and makes his way to the suspect before the person boards the plane. The chase ensues, and it fills the atmosphere with a tense and thrilling tone. When he catches the suspect it is he finds that he caught the wrong person.

He is told that the suspect is wearing a white shirt and a blue tee, which he misheard and leading him to catch the wrong person while the actual terrorist was already making his move. Diana Taverner, after being disappointed by Cartwright’s mistake, tells him to stand down. However, instead of listening to his orders, Cartwright decides to catch the actual terrorist.

He sets out and pushes a policeman from his car and takes the car to reach the airport baggage check. He finally sees the terrorist, who starts to run after seeing Cartwright. He pushes his way through the numerous people, but it is too late. He reaches the terrorist and points his gun at him.

However, the terrorist presses the button, which leads to a massive blast. This grave mistake on Cartwright’s part pushes his career into a completely different direction at the Slough House.

River Cartwright’s journey in Slow Horses has not been an easy one. Numerous twists and turns are further unfolded as Slow Horses progresses in the later seasons. Many viewers have speculated that River’s exile was not just because of his actions but rather a setup.

Though it was just a training session, the dangers of the mission were just too high to be considered just that. The public humiliation that Cartwright faced removed him from the way. It almost seemed like a perfect setup to get rid of him. Though Slough House in Slow Horses is supposed to be a place to crush someone’s soul out of pure boredom, it turned out to be a place for a different kind of heroism, which we see in the later episodes of the series.

It became the perfect place where the agents could work without any watchful eye prying on their work. Though River Cartwright was sent to Slow House as a form of punishment, it eventually changed his life forever.

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