Based on the novels by Mick Herron and starring Gary Oldman, Slow Horses has become a sleeper hit with audiences and critics alike. Not only one of streaming’s best shows right now but also one of its most fun, Slow Horses continues to top itself, perfecting its formula heading into its fifth season.
Slow Horses Season 5 Review
Season 5 of Slow Horses sees the MI-5 misfits dealing with one of their most mysterious threats yet: a series of inexplicable terrorist attacks that may have ties to a political conspiracy, as well as one of Slough House’s own. After a more restrained (but still phenomenal) season four, it’s nice to see season five go back to something bigger and more bombastic, showing the range that this show can have.
As always, Slow Horses continues its breakneck pacing that has made it such entertaining television for its past four seasons. Its six 45-minute episodes breeze by, playing out so effectively that it feels like a four-hour movie. Furthermore, this season also sees the show perfect its blend of darkly sardonic humor with its gritty spy elements, achieving a tone that other series have tried (and failed) to emulate.
This season also sees Slow Horses at top form from a technical standpoint. Saul Metzstein returns to the director’s chair after ceding it to Emmy winner Adam Randall for Season 4, and Metzstein absolutely nails every aspect. This is one of the more action-focused entries so far, and the technical aspects are top-notch, with fast-paced editing, kinetic cinematography, and impressive practical effects that lend the show its explosively addictive tension.
Viewers might feel as if season 5 is one of the most timely yet, despite the book it is inspired by, London Rules, being published in 2018 (which was amid the Brexit dilemma). However, many of the topics it addresses, such as intense political division, national interference in international affairs, and political violence, ring just as true today as they did in the time when the book was published.
One of the best things about Slow Horses is that, because each season is based on a relatively self-contained book, we get to spend more time with different characters each season. Season 4 really dove into development for River Cartwright (Jack Lowden), but he has an almost supporting role this season. That being said, it’s also interesting to see how the character has changed — and, in turn, Lowden’s performance has evolved — because of the events that transpired.
Instead, this season we get to learn more about some of the other horses. Roddy Ho (Christopher Chung) is responsible for this season’s inciting incident, and as a result, gets upgraded from being the comedic relief to becoming a key player. And Chung is great, showing us a side that the role hasn’t previously allowed him to highlight. J.K. Coe (Tom Brooke) also gets plenty of time to shine, with some of the season’s best scene-stealing moments.
The most notable addition to the cast this season is Ted Lasso’s Nick Mohammed, who is playing incredibly against type here. His role as a politician who becomes the target of the conspiracy the Horses are attempting to thwart is not lovable whatsoever, but it’s fun to see him play a darker, less comedic character.
Is Slow Horses worth watching?
For those worrying that Slow Horses is moving too expediently for its own good, season 5 shows that there’s no slowing down, and television is all the better for it. In fact, fans can already count on two more seasons of the hit thriller, as Slow Horses has been renewed through season 7 on Apple TV+. And with nine books and several novellas (and counting) in Mick Herron’s Slough House series, there seems to be plenty more where that came from — and if the quality remains as strong as it has been, we’ll continue to eat it up.
Season 5 of Slow Horses debuts on Apple TV+ on September 24, with new episodes airing subsequent Wednesdays. All six episodes were reviewed.
