One of the very best shows on TV returns later this month. Apple TV+’s Slow Horses is not only a great spy show, it’s just a great show all around. Somehow they’ve managed to put out five seasons in three years, with a sixth season already filmed and ready to go.
That’s remarkable in a day and age when premium TV shows take two to three years to make. Of course, it’s only six episodes per season (a standard for BBC dramas) but it’s not so much about quantity here. The quality is superb.
Gary Oldman plays Jackson Lamb in the series, the curmudgeonly and flatulent chief of Slough House where all the MI5 misfits are sent. He leads a crew that includes River Cartwright (Jack Lowden), Louisa Guy (Rosalind Eleazar), Roddy Ho (Christopher Chung), Catherine Standish (Saskia Reeves), J.K. Coe (Tom Brooke) and Shirley Dander (Aimee-Ffion Edwards) as they work together and against MI5 and its dynamic duo, Diana Taverner (Kristin Scott Thomas) and Claude Whelan (James Callis).
Here’s the just-released trailer for Season 5:
Look for my review of the new season ahead of the September 24th premiere date. I can’t spill any beans just yet, but I’m excited to share my thoughts and discuss each episode as they air weekly on Apple TV+. The trailer certainly suggests yet another smartly written, tightly paced, action-packed spy thriller with more than a few good laughs.
Season 4 ended on a bit of a down note, with a major character death, and lots of family trouble for River Cartwright to navigate. Season 5 picks up in the aftermath of all that, though I doubt our heroes will have long to dwell on the past. Roddy Ho is the biggest mystery of this season, as we see him in the trailer dancing with a girl at a club who is way, way out of his league.
Do yourself a favor and watch the first four seasons if you haven’t already. I guarantee you’ll love the series and burn through all four before the Season 5 premiere. It really is that good.
