‘Slow Horses’ Boss Explains Major Book Change for Olivia Cooke’s Return

Sid Baker is officially back. Going into Slow Horses Season 6, we knew that Olivia Cooke would be reprising her role as the previously thought to be dead (but suspected to be alive) character, and it’s at the end of Episode 2 that she surprises River (Jack Lowden) at his grandfather’s house. But the way in which she appears is a major change from the books. TV Insider spoke with co-executive producer Gaby Chiappe about that and another change from Mick Herron‘s source material. Warning: Spoilers for Slow Horses Season 6 Episode 2 ahead!

Season 6 is based on Joe Country and Slough House (the first season to adapt two of Herron’s books). In the latter, Sid shows up when River’s still living his normal life, going about his day-to-day and keeping it a secret (or at least trying to) from the rest of Slough House. But on Slow Horses, it’s as the team is going dark after it becomes clear that, following the deaths of two former members of Slough House, they’re being targeted. River assumes that missed calls are from his father, Frank Harkness (Hugo Weaving), and so when Roddy (Christopher Chung) traces them to his grandfather’s house, goes to confront him. But instead, he finds Sid waiting. “Hello, River,” she says.

Making that change from the book “was a way of being able to splice together or overlay things that happened in Joe Country and things that happen in Slough House. I mean, there are some beautiful scenes that we had to lose because you had to find a new pathway through to get those two books to cohere together and to take elements of one and elements of another and create a proper spine,” Chiappe explains to TV Insider. “So it felt like everything was harnessed and working together. That was part of bringing Sid in where we did, in the way we did, and wanting to get as much out of that as we could while having her appearance be a surprise.”

River is shocked to see Sid, though he is one of the ones who had a hint she was still alive after being shot in the head in Season 1.

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“There was sort of a whiff in the air, but it’s been years, and there’s been no signs,” points out Chiappe. “So, I think that little hope probably just sort of died in him, or that feeling that maybe she is there somewhere. I think that’s just faded because it’s been such a long time. And we find out from her partly — no spoilers — why it’s been so long.”

Another change from the book is the character of Reece. In the book, his partner is killed, and he turns to Lamb and the rest of Slough House for answers. Now, in the show, Reece is a teen whose father, one of the Park’s “Dogs,” is killed. That stemmed from a conversation in the writers’ room about casting Lenny Rush.

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“We were all talking about it in the writers’ room, and one of the producers suddenly said Lenny’s name, and everybody got really excited at the thought of that,” Chiappe says. “What that gives you, what the show hasn’t had before — you always want the show to be the show that the audience love, but it’s good to bring in new things. There’s not been a young character, a very young character before, and everybody, I think, was familiar with Lenny’s work and just thought, ‘Oh God, that would be brilliant.’ And then you start thinking, ‘Lenny and Ho, Lenny and Gary Oldman, that is very exciting.'”

What did you think of Sid’s reintroduction? Let us know in the comments section below.

Slow Horses, Wednesdays, Apple TV