Ruth Wilson in Down Cemetery Road Episode 5Image via Apple TV
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Billy Fellows
Published 54 minutes ago
Billy is a Senior Features Author for Collider. Having written over 300 articles in just over a year, Billy regularly covers the biggest TV shows and films releasing while also analysing some of the most underrated properties that may slip your attention.
Having studied for an MA in Screenwriting at UAL in 2023, Billy honed his writing skills and also developed his ability to critique the work of other creative minds.
Before that, Billy studied politics at the University of Nottingham, which helped him to bring nuanced and scholarly analysis to the frameworks within which filmmakers and writers have framed their thematic messages.
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Editor's note: The below contains spoilers for Down Cemetery Road Episode 5.
Down Cemetery Road's first four episodes have felt like a myriad of rabbit holes, loose ends, and dark conspirators linking to some of the highest places in the British government. However, the stellar performances of Darren Boyd, Emma Thompson, and Ruth Wilson were more than enough to satiate viewers as they grew closer to the story's protagonists and became more fearful of the antagonists. However, Episode 5, "Slow Dying," has begun the countdown to the show's inevitable climax where the fate of Dinah (Ivy Quoi) will finally be decided.
In Down Cemetery Road's latest episode, the origin of Downey's (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett) affliction and the reason why the government are so desperate to kill him are revealed. The scene was a disturbing reminder of the nefarious intentions powerful institutions can possess, especially when given little oversight. However, the true stinger came when Downey revealed that he may have a far closer relationship to Dinah than we previously thought, making the character's quest to save her that much more personal and harrowing.
Downey Was Purposefully Poisoned by the Government in 'Down Cemetery Road'
Downey and Sarah's (Wilson) relationship has already been growing since her initial kidnapping and rescue in Episode 3, "Filthy Work," with Sarah divulging to Downey this week that she had once jumped from a rooftop while attending Oxford. Because of this, it felt that both she and the viewer were getting closer to learning the truth about why the government wanted Downey, why they took Dinah, and why Downey takes histropine. Once they are in the car, Downey finally tells Sarah the truth, and it's even more horrifying than we'd imagined.
Downey reveals that, while he was a soldier, he and his crew were in a skirmish when a British helicopter rained dust on them that he describes as "snow in summer." Contrasting this simple, innocent description of the white dust with the screaming and chemical burns that develop on the soldiers, however, makes the scene thoroughly disturbing. Down Cemetery Road also reveals Wayne's (Joshua James) point of view as he watches the footage from the laptop that Zoë (Thompson) stole in last week's episode, "My Friends Don't Like Me." This verifies Downey's terrifying story even further, as it is no longer subjective based on what he remembers; if anything, his words don't fully convey the chaos of the event.
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Posts By Kelcie Mattson Nov 3, 2025Despite the haunting visuals, the most frightening aspect of this story is how it reveals that Downey and his men being poisoned was no accident. Before, the audience could theorize that this was a mistakenly released chemical weapon, an experiment gone wrong, or even an attack by a foreign enemy. Instead, viewers are forced to reckon with the fact that not only did the supposed "good guys" do this, but they tried to profit from it by performing further experiments on Downey afterward — and are now violently trying to cover it up, to boot.
'Down Cemetery Road's Disturbing Reveal Has Roots in Real History
Darren Boyd staring intensely ahead in Down Cemetery RoadImage via Apple TV
It would be amazing if this storyline could be chalked up to the great imagination of Mick Herron, who wrote the novel that Down Cemetery Road is adapted from; however, sadly, this is not true. While there have been many cases of government conspiracies where they have secretly experimented on populations, such as the infamous MKUltra, there is an even more specific real-world parallel that should haunt not only British citizens but viewers of the series.
Between 1940 and 1979, the British government carried out tests where millions of its citizens were exposed to bacteria to test the country's vulnerability to a Russian attack using chemical weapons. The government at the time insisted the chemicals being sprayed were safe, yet they also included bacteria such as E. Coli to mimic the effects of anthrax. According to studies, no civilians were harmed by these experiments, but there were a notable number of birth defects in Dorset, where many tests were carried out. There is little comfort in the fact that Down Cemetery Road's weapon is far more lethal and dramatized than the real-world equivalent.
Downey Reveals a Surprising Connection To Dinah in 'Down Cemetery Road'
Most would assume that this is where the show's horror stops, but another reveal makes this twist even worse. Sarah puts the pieces together, with Downey's desperation to save Dinah, and from what Amos (Fehinti Balogun) implied in an earlier scene, that Dinah is Downey's daughter. Rather than an outright confirmation of this, Downey can only reply that she might be his — though, for both him and the viewer, it might as well be the truth, considering Downey's sense of duty. This reveal only makes Down Cemetery Road's build to its climax that much more heartbreaking as it feels inevitable that this father-daughter reunion will not be a happy one.
With Downey's worsening condition and the odds heavily stacked against him, there is little chance he will survive, making Sarah even more necessary to his mission to not only save Dinah in the immediate present but also the future. In the end, Down Cemetery Road's reveal has given audiences some necessary context heading into these last three episodes. Not only has it made the government a far more villainous entity, but it also offers a much more personal connection between these characters and their aligned goals. Whether they succeed or not is still up for debate, and whether the government still possesses this weapon is also a lingering question. However, despite the answers that were unveiled, it doesn't make Down Cemetery Road any less tragic.
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Down Cemetery Road
Like Follow Followed TV-MA Drama Crime Thriller Release Date October 29, 2025 Network Apple TV+ Showrunner Carlton Cuse, Ryan J. Condal Directors Natalie Bailey Writers Morwenna BanksCast
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Emma Thompson
Zoë Boehm
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Ruth Wilson
Sarah Tucker
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