'Slow Horses' subtly honors Heath Ledger
The fifth season of the Apple TV series Slow Horses seems to include a discreet tribute to the late Heath Ledger. Fans noticed a hidden reference in episode five that connects the show with Christopher Nolan’s 2008 film The Dark Knight.
Connection between Oldman’s roles
Gary Oldman, who stars as Jackson Lamb in Slow Horses, also portrayed Lt. Gordon in The Dark Knight. In one of the new season’s scenes, Lamb exclaims in frustration:
“When you talk, I wanna stick a pencil in my eye and headbutt the table!”
Viewers believe this line nods to Ledger’s unforgettable moment from The Dark Knight, when his character, the Joker, stages a shocking “magic trick.”
“How about a magic trick? I’m going to make the pencil disappear.”
After the Joker drives a criminal’s head into a pencil, he concludes with:
“It’s gone.”
A lasting legacy
Heath Ledger passed away in 2008, aged 28, before the film’s release. His portrayal of the Joker earned him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and remains one of his most acclaimed performances.
Author’s summary
The latest season of Slow Horses slips in a subtle homage to Heath Ledger’s Joker, crossing paths with Gary Oldman’s past in The Dark Knight through a darkly witty line.