A production setback nearly derailed one of the most emotional sequences in the Apple TV+ espionage thriller Slow Horses. Director Adam Randall revealed that the crew lost its original filming location just eight days before shooting the penultimate airfield sequence in Season 6, Episode 5, titled “Sayonara.”
The high-stakes episode follows River Cartwright as he executes a rescue mission to save Sid Baker from being transferred to Bulgaria and handed over to Russian intelligence. Following a clash in the woods and a lakeside confrontation that eliminates their GRU pursuers, Sid and River are betrayed by Diana Taverner and brought to a military hangar instead of MI5 headquarters. Refusing to let Sid walk into certain doom, River stages an escape.
The sequence culminates with River and Sid fleeing through an airfield before separating during their getaway. River distracts the Park agents surrounding their car, allowing Sid to flee on foot. Before driving away to draw the agents away from her, the pair share an emotional kiss.
How a Location Loss Altered the Airfield Sequence
Speaking with Radio Times, Randall identified the airfield sequence as his favorite across the six-episode run. However, losing the primary shooting location just over a week before cameras rolled forced the production team into a frantic pivot. This required last-minute rewrites that reshaped both the dialogue and the physical action.
Despite the pressure, Randall praised the performances of Jack Lowden as River and Olivia Cooke as Sid. He noted that the logistical hurdle enhanced the authenticity of the sequence. Because the crew had to rethink the blocking and lines on short notice, a significant portion of the interaction was improvised.
"Their dialogue, and even the action stuff, we had to figure that out a week before," Randall told Radio Times. "So it had a kind of indie film quality to it, even though it’s a massive show."
The director added that the sequence encapsulates everything he loves about the series-blending high-octane tension, suspense, and unexpected humor while remaining anchored in character dynamics. He noted that the emotional weight of seeing the two characters torn apart gives the finale a moving quality.
What Lies Ahead in Slow Horses Season 6
With only one episode remaining in the sixth season, the fallout from Diana Taverner’s off-the-books Kazan operation continues to close in. Jackson Lamb is digging into media tycoon Damien Cantor’s connections, and unanswered threats-such as the vanished body of Russian operative Jane-loom large.
Fortunately for fans of the spy drama, Slow Horses has already been officially renewed by Apple TV+ for Seasons 7 and 8, with director Adam Randall slated to return to helm the eighth installment.
