Slow Horses' Most Spineless Character Finally Stands Up For Himself In Season 5

This article contains spoilers for "Slow Horses" season 5, episode 4, "Missiles."

Nobody does bumbling characters better than "Slow Horses." This is, after all, a show about burnout spies who've managed to mess things up so badly they've been permanently banished to a shoddy office in the middle of London. But that doesn't mean the staff at MI5 headquarters, aka The Park, know what they're doing, as exemplified by the brilliantly slimy Claude Whelan (James Callis, who previously portrayed one of the best characters on "Battlestar Galactica" in Gaius Baltar). In "Missiles," however, Whelan suddenly displays some uncharacteristic competence when he threatens blackmailers by using the resources of the intelligence service to fight his way out of a bind.

Back in season 4, Whelan was appointed as the new Director General of MI5, replacing Ingrid Tearney (Sophie Okonedo) — much to Diana Taverner's (Kristin Scott Thomas) chagrin. Clearly unsuitable for the role, Claude quickly reveals himself to be in over his head, relying on Taverner to help guide him through a position he has no business occupying. Whelan has been depicted as a bit of a weasel ever since, but in "Missiles," we see a more ruthless side to the character that suggests he might finally be getting the hang of this whole spook thing ... or setting himself up for an even bigger disaster down the road.

In the episode, Whelan is blackmailed by Conservative MP and London mayor hopeful Dennis Gimball (Christopher Villiers) and his wife, gossip columnist Dodie Gimball (Victoria Hamilton). The Gimballs unearthed compromising photos of Whelan meeting with a sex worker, and use the images to blackmail the MI5 chief. But just when the walls seem to finally be closing in on Whelan, he fights his way out in a storyline that doesn't bode all that well for Taverner's hopes of finally taking the top spot at the intelligence service.

"Slow Horses" is still the best spy show on TV, even while it takes a slightly different, more comedic approach in season 5 than it did in the previous season. "Slow Horses" showrunner Will Smith spoke to /Film about the show's tonal shift in the new episodes, following a fourth season that delved into River Cartwright's (Jack Lowden) dark family history while his grandfather succumbed to dementia. With Christopher Chung's Roddy Ho taking center-stage in season 5, the series is even more lighthearted in places than it has been previously. Claude Whelan, meanwhile, appears to be taking things a little more seriously.

After Whelan dismisses Dodie Gimball from a debriefing session with her husband, the columnist takes offense and digs up dirt on Whelan, who's suddenly confronted with compromising photos of himself that Dodie plans to run in an upcoming column. At first, it looks as though Whelan might finally be done for, with the MI5 chief even meeting with a service lawyer for advice. But just as it seems Diana Taverner might have a clear shot at First Desk, Whelan decides to use MI5's resources to his advantage, pulling Dennis Gimball's file from the archives and traveling to the MP's house to confront him and his wife.

Once there, he asks his hosts, "Honestly, did you think I'd come in here if I didn't have a nuclear bomb in my pocket?" before producing the file with a delicious flourish, announcing "Dennis Gimball, this is your life," in reference to the 1950s reality show which spawned a British spin-off in 1955.

After imposing on the Gimballs and enduring Dodie's mockery, Claude Whelan unleashes his "nuclear bomb," turning to Dennis and informing the firebrand conservative that he knows all about his father being an illegal Turkish immigrant who was eventually convicted and imprisoned for Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH). Given Gimball's entire political career rests on his reactionary populist ideas about immigrants ruining the United Kingdom, this would be a major blow to his chances of ousting incumbent London mayor Zafar Jaffrey, played by Nick Mohammed (who might look familiar to viewers).

Whelan then informs Dodie that he knows all about her university boyfriend being chairman of the Marxist society — not exactly the ideal association for the wife of a reactionary who has made a career out of advertising her ultra-conservative views. The MI5 boss also reveals that Dodie framed her former boyfriend by planting cocaine in his room. As he continues to read out the incriminating file, Gimball and his wife clearly recognize they've been bested — and by one of the biggest worms in the intelligence service, no less.

It's a very uncharacteristic moment for Whelan, which suggests he might finally be getting better at his job and that Taverner could have a fight on her hands for the top job at MI5. Of course, there's also the possibility this is one big misdirect on the part of the writers, setting up Whelan as somewhat of a dark horse before he fails even more spectacularly than usual. We'll have to wait and see how the rest of the season plays out to know for sure, but at this point, it looks as though Whelan might finally be coming into his own — which is both a delightful switch-up for a show that's clearly entering a new phase with the departure of showrunner Will Smith, and sort of a shame because James Callis plays the combination of slimy and incompetent so darn well.

"Slow Horses" is streaming on Apple TV+.