Based on Mick Herron’s series of gritty, witty, and distinctly British spy thriller books, Slow Horses returns for its 5th season as sharp as ever.
For the uninitiated, Slow Horses is about a group of rock bottom rejects of MI5, sent to ‘Slough House’ after monumental career mess-ups. They’re forced to do the big dog’s paperwork under Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman), a disgruntled ex-service bog of a man. Either against their will or by poking their noses too far into trouble, the team finds itself wrapped up in national security disasters, often at odds with the bigwigs in the service. Their clumsy heroics usually only land them more trouble, despite each wishing their actions might help them escape Slough House’s purgatory.
The formula is great – each character has a real underdog quality that either makes you sympathetic or intrigued by their obliviousness. Jackson Lamb is more drainpipe hair than human, his entire character steeped in lethargic reluctance. He hates his team, his circumstance, and pretty much anything that isn’t chain-smoking, drinking straight hard alcohol, or kicking up his hole-ridden shoes. Despite this, he’s also the show’s biggest asset. Oldman steals every single scene, and despite his demeanour making you want to look away, you’re still somehow drawn to this misanthrope’s greasy charisma. The show also has great momentum – each season’s 6-episode arc flows with genuine urgency without needless filler. The production cycle speed is another major plus: the show has only aired since 2022 and is already on its 5th season, so it never leaves you waiting too long.
Season 5 opens with a brutal display of violence that feels more grounded and cold than anything that came before. The team at Slough House is reshuffled, giving other characters room to shine. Shirley (Aimee-Ffion Edwards) gives one of this season’s best performances, and Coe (Tom Brooke), whose quiet character in Season 4 was questionable, now strikes a great balance between sadism and deadpan comedy. Christopher Chung returns as Roddy Ho and gets more chances to flex the wannabe-alpha keyboard warrior that makes him entertaining – he’s more integral to the plot this time. Jack Lowden and Saskia Reeves return as River Cartwright and Catherine Standish, two of my favourites from earlier seasons. They continue pulling off great performances, though they’re somewhat overshadowed by their Slough House peers – which isn’t necessarily bad, as it gives the aforementioned characters more room to grow.
More than any season before, the show doubles down on showcasing the shortcomings of each Slow Horse – particularly Roddy and River, whose obliviousness to their own mistakes and misplaced confidence takes their characters to new lows. I didn’t sympathise with either as much as in previous seasons, and this is certainly intentional. However, I do hope we see more development, as there’s only so many times it’s interesting to watch them end up in the deep end.
On the MI5 side, Diana Taverner (Kristin Scott Thomas) takes a step back this season, with Peter Judd (Samuel West) continuing his bumbling reign as First Desk. More of Judd’s scandalous extra-curricular activities come to light this season, driving him into the spotlight as he tries to cover his tracks like a child trying to put spilled paint back into a bucket.
This season features the familiar formula: credible intelligence and a terror threat overlooked by MI5, leaving the Slow Horses to do the dirty work – but it still keeps me heartily engaged. The show keeps things interesting by maintaining a clear plotline. The villains follow a step-by-step national destabilisation strategy that keeps the momentum strong, with the audience wondering what comes next.
I got hooked on this show from episode 1 of the first season due to its witty dialogue and stellar twists. This season is no exception. The dialogue has a grounded wit that makes you laugh as much as it keeps you on the edge of your seat, with delightful twists and turns that have you hitting ‘next episode’ the second the credits roll. The production quality improves with each season. London looks impressively realistic, shot on location in central London, conveying earnest authenticity. Visually, the show keeps things gritty without making everything look boring and muddy. The music builds tension wonderfully with dissonant piano and distorted rhythms.
I did find some of this season’s action-heavy scenes, particularly the gunfights, were a mixed bag. They ranged from tense and shocking to amateurish and unrealistic. There are moments where I was taken right out of the well-earned tension due to stormtrooper-levels of bad aiming.
Overall, this season is another success for the show and continues its steady reign as one of the most consistently entertaining spy-thriller shows currently on the air. The core of what makes it work – great dialogue, better twists, and Gary Oldman killing every scene – remains intact. Despite inconsistencies in the action scenes and purposefully obtuse character arcs, it was still one of my favourite watches of the year.
Author: Elliot, Holborn Store
