The term "Cicada" refers to deep-cover Russian sleeper agents embedded in British society—named after the insect that spends years underground before emerging.
River Cartwright uncovers CCTV footage showing the bald man touching Dickie on the shoulder. This suggests a sophisticated assassination involving an injected toxin, confirming Lamb's suspicion that Dickie's "heart attack" was engineered. Subplots and Slough House Dynamics
The episode introduces new recruit Shirley, who demonstrates her volatile capabilities by successfully infiltrating a secure building to retrieve hard drives, nearly getting caught in the process. Production and Themes [S2E1] Last Stop
The episode centers on , a retired MI5 field agent who now runs an adult toy shop in Soho. The inciting incident occurs when Dickie spots a man in a flat hat—a face he recognizes from his past as an agent in Berlin before the Wall fell.
The pair are tasked by an outside contact to provide security for a meeting between a Russian defector and a British businessman. This subplot hints at a larger geopolitical intrigue involving Russian oligarchs. The term "Cicada" refers to deep-cover Russian sleeper
Before collapsing from a heart attack, Dickie manages to hide his phone on the bus with a single drafted message: "Cicada" .
The second season of begins with " Last Stop ," a premiere that masterfully shifts the series' focus from modern domestic extremism to a more classic espionage trope: the resurgence of Cold War "sleeper agents". The Incident: A Ghost from the Past Subplots and Slough House Dynamics The episode introduces
Dickie had originally been dismissed from the field after claiming he was abducted and tortured by a legendary Russian puppet master named Alexander Popov .