Subj : You think youre okay then comes the shock: James Callis on Claud To : All From : TechnologyDaily Date : Wed Oct 29 2025 17:15:07 You think youre okay then comes the shock: James Callis on Claudes dramatic ending in Slow Horses season 5 Date: Wed, 29 Oct 2025 17:03:55 +0000 Description: Slow Horses season 5 finale leaves Claude Whelan facing the fallout of his own 'stiff upper lip', but James Callis says thats part of the 'Englishness of it all.' FULL STORY ====================================================================== Spoilers follow for Slow Horses season 5 episode 6. Slow Horses season 5 has officially wrapped, bringing Claude Whelan's comical stint as its MI5 boss to a close in a make-or-break finale that sees his bureaucratic rigidness confronted by real-world danger. Following the episode's release on October 29, fans of the Apple TV spy show will now know that the fifth season's ending pushes Whelan to his breaking point after being threatened at gun point by one of the Libyan terrorists that had been behind numerous attacks on London. Saved in the nick of time by none other than Slough House agent River Cartwright, Whelan doesn't have time to properly recover, because he needs to save his job by shifting the blame of the agency's mishaps and who better to pin that all on than Jackson Lamb. The plan ends up backfiring, though, when Lamb outmaneuvers Whelan by blackmailing him in return with a recording that reveals the MI5 boss previous threats and scandalous affair that came to light in Slow Horses season 5 episode 4 . Lamb's final checkmate move brings what James Callis described as Whelan's "most impactful role" in Slow Horses to a close, as he's forced out of his role as head of first desk, leaving Diana Taverner to take the reigns. Being the fall guy will undoubtedly take its toll on Whelan, but Callis says that his character is more likely to be left reeling from the shock of almost being killed. "That kind of thing doesnt just glance off people," Callis told TechRadar. "Maybe if youre special forces and used to that sort of combat zone, but if youre used to running strategy out of an office, thats not what you strategized for. Thered be some kind of emotional fallout [because], realistically, if youve been in any form of a hostage situation, or if someones really pulled a gun on you with intent, youd probably be in therapy afterwards. One imagines a very different person emerging from all this. I dont quite know if it would be a phoenix rising from the ashes, but there are certainly a lot of ashes, Callis added. Why Slow Horses is the perfect British spy show Diana Taverner (left) will take over Claude Whelan's role as head of MI5 in Slow Horses season 6 (Image credit: Apple TV) While such a shift in power dynamics would leave a character like Whelan lashing out in anger, Callis plays the whole exchange with Lamb at the end of episode 6 with a cool composure that masks his underlying embarrassment. It's part of the shows quintessentially British tone, showing humor and restraint even amid chaos. "And thats part of the Englishness of it all, isnt it?" Callis said. "The stiff upper lip, the idea that what doesnt kill you makes a great story. Theres a lot going on under the surface. You think youre okay, you convince yourself youre okay and then afterwards comes the delayed shock." It's this formula that has helped to make Slow Horses one of the best British spy shows in not just in the UK, but globally. In fact, classic espionage with a helping of Britain's signature sarcastic wit is particularly popular in the US, Callis pointed out. " Slow Horses is emblematic of something distinctly British," he said. "Theres this seesaw between how seriously you take something and how you approach it with humor, and I think the self-deprecating comedy really travels well, even across the pond. In America, you dont see this as much. "As an audience, were not always laughing with the Slow Horses, were laughing at them," he continued. "Roddy exists in a world slightly apart from everyone else, Shirley is immediately spiky and aggressive, and River is paddling around trying to keep up. And Claude, well, we certainly have fun at Claude not being so comfortable. "The British do this really well. We know about crushing embarrassment, like showing up late to a party and having only one chair in the center you have to walk through everyone to reach. That awkwardness, that social cringe, it comes naturally to us. Its part of our charm, and part of our fragility." Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button! And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too. ====================================================================== Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/streaming/apple-tv-plus/you-think-youre-okay-then-co mes-the-shock-james-callis-on-claudes-dramatic-ending-in-slow-horses-season-5 --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64) * Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100) .