How Did Min Harper Die? Did Dustin Demri-Burns Leave Slow Horses?

As the Apple TV+ show, ‘Slow Horses,’ embarks on its third season, the Slough House MI5 Agents, under the leadership of Gary Oldman’s Jackson Lamb, find themselves in yet another pickle. However, as the relative newcomers Shirley and Marcus and department veterans River, Catherine, Louisa, and Ho continue to build on their dynamics, both new and old— fans can’t help but notice the stark absence of one crucial piece: Min Harper.

Despite the high stakes unfolding this season, Min’s absence lingers around the Slough House, perhaps most notably so in Louisa’s narrative. Therefore, given his noticeable absence and the stretch of time that has passed since his last appearance, viewers must be curious about the agent’s absence, requiring a refresher about his predicament. SPOILERS AHEAD!

Min Harper Death Happened in Season 2

Min Harper has been a key player within the ‘Slow Horses’ narrative since his first appearance in the pilot episode, ‘Failure’s Contagious.’ Min saw his transfer due to a particularly unforgivable blunder, wherein he accidentally left a disk containing top-secret details behind on a train. After such a mistake, nothing awaited Min, but perhaps the most tiresome fate an MI5 Agent can dream of, a Slough House relocation.

Within the first season, Min serves his purpose and concludes the overarching storyline. Meanwhile, his romantic relationship with Louisa develops. Thus, the man starts season 2 in a fairly good place, with his rocky relationship with the other agent finally finding a footing. Furthermore, Min and Louisa receive a new joint assignment from James “Spider” Webb as security personnel for a Russian Oligarch, Arkady Pashkin.

The duo collaborates with Pashkin’s personal bodyguards, Piotr and Kyril. However, the latter two instantly catch Min’s suspicions. As a result, it’s only a matter of time before the Slough House agent begins to tail them. Although Piotr soon catches up to Min, the Russian doesn’t seem offended in the least since his own job requires similar vigilance for him. Thus, he and Piotr invite the other man to their place, where an evening of revelry and drinks follows, at the end of which Min is more than a little drunk.

Still, Min insists on leaving by his bicycle. Although the next day brings news of a roadside accident that killed Min, Lamb and the other Slough Agents can’t help but be weary of that assessment. As it turns out, something more sinister was lying beneath the surface. The night Min was drinking with Piotr and Kyril, another third unnamed man was present in the shadow. Furthermore, another man, Andrei Chernitsky, a Russian assassin, joined Piotr and Kyril soon after the agent declined their offer for a cab ride. Together, the trio attacked Min at the car park.

Even though the man was choked and brutally injured by a car, he continued to fight for his life until Chernitsky delivered the final blow in the form of a small but lethal needle. As such, Min Harper died in season two after getting too close to Pashkin’s secret for the latter’s comfort. Although Pashkin stages his death to appear as an accident, Lamb and his team get to the bottom of the truth. As such, even though the agency doesn’t wish to commemorate Min in a plaque of fallen agents, Lamb ensures that the agent receives his due respect.

Dustin Demri-Burns Has Left Slow Horses

After Min Harper’s death in season two, Dustin Demri-Burns left ‘Slow Horses.’ However, given the show’s roots in Mick Herron’s eponymous spy thriller book series, the actor and many fans already knew to anticipate such an outcome. Like Demri-Burns’ character on the show, his bookish counterpart also meets a similar end in the series’ second installment, ‘Dead Lions,’ which served as the inspiration for the show’s second season.

Although Demri-Burns wasn’t immediately aware of his character’s demise, he learned about it soon enough. “When I found that I got the part [on ‘Slow Horses’], I started looking at, you know, buying big houses. And then my agent said, no, don’t get too excited. You don’t make it past Series 2,” shared the actor in an interview with The Wrap. “So I knew [that Min was going to die]. And then it was a sort of running joke that. It was [a] ticking clock for me.”

Therefore, unless the show decides to equip a flashback narrative for an episode or two, fans can expect Dustin Demri-Burns’ departure to remain permanent. After his time in the ‘Slow Horses,’ the actor continues to dabble in other projects, including a recurring part in the historical satire show, ‘The Great.’