From an exclusive tour of The House of Ho to guest stars like Nick Mohammed, Slow Horses Season 5 is full of exciting surprises. But Episode 3 delivers one of the greatest gifts yet when Slough House’s resident tech wiz Roddy Ho (Christopher Chung) and MI5’s Second Desk Diana Taverner (Kristin Scott Thomas) team up for some hilarious one-on-one scenes.
Ahead of Season 5’s premiere, Chung told Decider what excited him most about adapting London Rules, the fifth book in Mick Herron’s series. On top of shining a spotlight on his character’s journey, Chung said that Ho and Taverner’s scenes were at the top of his Season 5 wish list. After watching Episode 3, we understand why!
“Within the novel, reading the scenes between Ho and Taverner, it was something that I was really hoping would live up to my expectations when we got to it,” Chung said over Zoom. “When I received the script, I was thrilled. And to actually do them with Kristin was an absolute joy.”
After MI5 takes Ho in for questioning about his suspicious girlfriend, his near death experience, and possible connections to the attacks across London, Chung brilliantly flexes his comedic skills as he causes a solo scene in his MI5 holding cell. “Ain’t no prison built that can hold me. The only prison I fear is the prison of the mind, and I bust out of that years ago,” he says, for only himself and those on the other side of the two-way mirror to hear. “I am mythical, historical and futuristical. Roddy Ho is merely the latest incarnation of my most potent energy. I cannot be created or destroyed…”
As a result of Ho’s “unusual” response to the room, Taverner enters on a mission to extract relevant info on his honey trapper, Tara (Hiba Bennani). After Ho greets her with a casual,
“Welcome, Clarice,” the two engage in a gloriously compelling back-and-forth, exuding effortless chemistry and inspiring some of my big laughs of the series.
“It was something that I was really looking forward to, because we haven’t gotten to work together closely over the past four seasons. Putting those two characters in a room together and seeing what fireworks come out of that, it’s really enticing to me. To have her pressing me with information and facts, and then be coming back at her with just nothing, like a brick wall, nothing,” Chung explained with a chuckle. “The hard, cold truth is getting into Ho and playing that dynamic is so satisfying, because she is trying to get through to him, and he’s absolutely on his own planet. Having her deal with someone that has such a self-inflated sense of ego is so delicious. And when you’re actually playing back at Kristin and see just a glint in her eye where you’ve made her laugh slightly is so satisfying. But she’s such a professional that she holds her own. She’s so stoic in what she does.”
From Ho listing his various names — Clint Wolf, Dragon Slayer, The Human Tripod, The True King of Gondor, and Ice Monroe — to Taverner telling him to “drop the theatrics” and bluntly asking if he has ties to the incel community, a no holds barred conversation unfolds. While most people would simply scoff, roll their eyes, or zing Ho for doubling down and claiming Tara was genuinely interested in him because he has the “finest mind and body in MI5,” Taverner cleverly slices his massive ego down to size with the truth.
“We both know you don’t have any exes. You’re not a lothario. You’re not James Bond. Your relationship history consists of a series of deeply awkward, prematurely terminated encounters followed by periods of intense neediness and borderline harassment until you are blocked,” she says with a cutting precision that’s simultaneously jaw-dropping and hilarious.
As Ho proves he genuinely believes his relationship with Tara was rooted in truth, you can’t help but feel a sense of empathy towards him. But when he says something snarky, like, “Forbidden fruit always tastes sweeter!” suddenly, that rare form of Roddy-induced rage returns, and you’re left wondering how the heck these co-stars kept straight faces on set. Spoiler alert: They struggled!
When asked if there were any scenes in Slow Horses‘ funniest season yet that made Chung break, he told Decider, “I think all of the lines with Kristin. Delivering to Dame Kristin Scott Thomas, ‘Roddy by name, Ho by nature’ was quite difficult to do. And I think this line actually got cut, but I think I said to her at one point, ‘I’m a one man, One Direction.’ That was absolutely hilarious. Most of the stuff with her was me really pushing and pushing it down. And that is half of the acting, trying to keep yourself in check.”
After a sharp, swift back and forth, Ho casually reveals that he hacked MI5’s database in front of Tara, and a baffles Taverner visibly wonders how a man so computer savvy could be so dangerously stupid. While Ho’s logic doesn’t always make sense, we’re grateful for his brain and ego just the way they are, as they led us straight to these scenes. Taverner and Ho are officially one of Slow Horses‘ most delightful duos, now, so here’s hoping we haven’t seen the last of their shared scenes this season.
New episodes of Slow Horses Season 5 premiere Wednesdays on Apple TV+.