‘War’ Star Shaheen Jafargholi Breaks Down Saeed’s Club Moment With St. John in Episode 4

The battle between Taylor & Byrne and Cathcarts & Sons rages on in the latest episode of War, which sees arbitration over the divorce of Morgan (Dominic West) and Carla (Sienna Miller) unfold. Warning: Spoilers for War Season 1 Episode 4 ahead!

But it’s not the events in the boardroom that are nearly as interesting as what’s happening at the club in the episode titled “Sing,” as it reveals a whole new side to Cathcarts’ terrifyingly cold lawyer, St. John (Pip Torrens), who is seen out and about at the local gay club by Taylor & Byrne’s associate, Saeed (Shaheen Jafargholi).

Eager to prove he’s capable of taking on more responsibility to his boss Nick (James McArdle), Saeed pursues a potential lead for understanding what’s going on at Morgan’s business Zephyr. While doing so at the club, he observes St. John, who is attempting to connect with another young man, but an apparent rejection sends Saeed in the seasoned lawyer’s direction.

Saeed’s attempt at encouraging St. John has mixed results, though. “I’m not sure that there’s any part of the interaction he regrets because I feel like he has bigger worries,” Jafargholi tells TV Insider. “And there’s a lot more that he should be concerned about, but I think what that interaction represented for Saeed in that moment was his desire to be seen by anybody that is technically above him,” Jafagholi explains. “Whether that’s at his own firm or the opposing one, I feel like it’s like an opportunity for him.”

Miya Mizuno / Sky / HBO; Courtesy HBO / Sky

Meanwhile, when it comes to uncovering more of St. John as a character outside of work, Torrens shares, “I had a conversation with George Kay, the writer, very early on before we started, and he said we’re gonna get an inkling of this and will go further into it in Season 2.” In other words, the brief glimpse of St. John at the gay club is the only card he’s showing about himself in Season 1. “You just get a hint, and then that door is closed.”

Although Saeed doesn’t get the response he’s hoping for from the dismissive St. John, Jafargholi admits, “The reason I feel Saeed goes up to St. John in that moment is that seeing somebody outside of work almost humanizes them in a way, and it’s his way of going, we’re equal in this moment in this gay club, and he tries to be sweet and give him a little bit of a pep talk, [but] it doesn’t go down well.”

While one door closes with Saeed and St. John’s interaction, another opens as Saeed goes home with someone who has insider knowledge about Zephyr. It’s through the hookup that Saeed learns about Zephyr’s potential sale to Morgan’s competitor, which is useful to Nick as he tries to regain control during arbitration after St. John uses his devious penchant for pushing all the right buttons to get into his competitor’s head.

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Saeed’s bold move pushes the associate to also vouch for himself as a valuable asset to the team, which is so influential on Nick that he uses Saeed’s words against St. John when they meet in the episode’s final moments. As for how Saeed would feel about Nick using his words to prove that he shouldn’t be underestimated, Jafargholi says, “He would be thrilled. I love the way that episode is structured and mirroring the storyline that’s going on between Saeed and Nick in that moment,” he points out regarding Nick’s approach with his bully, St. John.

“It’s so sweet because ultimately that’s probably the first time Saeed feels like he’s done a good thing. He’s taken that leap and gone the extra mile to prove himself, and it worked; it’s paid off. So I think if he knew that had also paid off in a moment for Nick, he’d be thrilled.”

Will Saeed and Nick’s newfound boldness be enough to combat sneaky moves by St. John and Cathcarts? Stay tuned to find out as War continues on HBO, and let us know what you thought of the new twist in the comments section below.

War, Season 1, Thursdays, 9/8c, HBO and HBO Max