James “Spider” Webb

**James “Spider” Webb** is a supporting character played by Freddie Fox in Season 1 and Season 2 of Apple TV+'s *Slow Horses*.

## History

At an airport, River Cartwright gets ready to board his flight while waiting for someone. He talks to a team which guides him, telling him to look for an Asian male with a "blue shirt white T". He is asked if there is a handover and he sees the target move. However, he is told to wait and not move. He is told he can move and apprehend the subject, who he starts chasing with other agents. When Cartwright looks inside the bag, he finds the man is clean and they have the wrong subject, due to Webb stating the wrong clothes who he blames in the moment, on Cartwright mishearing what he said stating they are looking for a "White shirt blue T". Cartwright is told to stand down as the team locates the real subject, but Cartwright runs towards the man anyway.

River makes it to baggage reclaim where the man is at, but he is walking straight out. Cartwright finally has a visual on him and runs towards him as an alarm starts sounding and telling people to evacuate the airport. Cartwright chases the man, who starts running down a flight of stairs. Cartwright has to take down police as he chases the man. However, when he finally reaches him, the man looks him straight in the eye as a train reaches him and he pulls a trigger to a bomb.

River makes his way to a safe, where he makes a copy of the files to his computer before finally going to deliver the package. When he reaches the front desk, he says that he is part of MI5, but the secretary tells him that he is not showing up on their database, so he clarifies that he comes from the Slough House. River makes it to Webb's office, refusing to shakes his hand and making fun of him for being part of HR. River wonders if he was ever going to admit that he had made a mistake in the training exercise. Webb makes fun of him, later telling him that his grandfather had to pull many strings for River to not be expelled from the force altogether.

River walks down the street and into Webb's barber shop. Webb taunts him saying he could not afford to go to a place like that one, but River says he only wants to know what was on Hobden's USB. Webb tells him that is classified, but River thanks him for letting him know that there was nothing important in it, leaving afterwards.

Walking into a store, Lamb looks around while disguised. Later, Webb shows up and asks to see security footage.

Webb and Duffy see that Lamb had been in the store and see he had purchased a flight to Istambul. However, Webb, sees that he had also booked flights from Heathrow, Stansted, London, Manchester, and Birmingham. However, Diana knows where he is going.

Catherine asks Lamb if River had gone rogue, but he says that Baker had been hurt and Moody is dead. He adds that there is probably a C&C out on all of them at that very moment. They get off an elevator and into the street, where Duffy and Webb see them. Webb asks to see if he had a weapon and Lamb tells Duffy to shut the kid up. Duffy pats him and tells Webb that he could drive as they escort the two to their car.

In the car, Lamb sneezes, asking if they would be taken to the basement cells. He says he knows that Slough House would be blamed for the disaster, also adding that of course she would rather have the kid die than admit it was her fault, asking Duffy what he believed. Duffy says that the last time he was in the Park, Diana was in charge, so he would do what she said until that changed, but he says that finding the kid is more important. Sneezing, Lamb wants a tissue, but Catherine wants a question answered first, wondering about the voicemail she had received. Lamb says that he would tell her later and she pulls a gun out, telling Webb that she would shoot his foot if she needed to. Duffy and Webb get out of the car and are left behind after that.

As Webb walks into his office, he is held at gunpoint by River, telling him to get him the file, which Webb pretends to not know about. He orders him to tell him where the photo was at because he knew that Taverner wanted him out because she knew that he had taken a photograph of her and Alan Black. Webb says that Taverner probably had many reasons for wanting him out, but River says that he knows it was all a setup. He tells Webb that he knows Taverner probably asked him to delete the photo and he probably kept a copy for insurance, but Webb says that he lost him. River hits him in the face and knocks him out, starting to look for the photograph himself.

In season 3, Webb is killed by Sean Donovan as he mocks Alison Dunn Donovan's lover. Webb's body is dropped off at restaurant where Peter Judd is eating lunch.