‘Slow Horses’ seems in the fast lane for more awards
‘Slow Horses’ seems in the fast lane for more awards
The fifth season of ‘Slow Horses’ premiered on Wednesday, and is my favorite stream of the week.
I happen to absolutely adore dry British wit. British humor doesn’t beg for your guffaws by stooping to the lowest common denominator; rather, it almost scoffs at your interest with indifference as it tumbles into the next searing witticism. That’s one of the reasons I love “Slow Horses,” which is ostensibly a spy show, but has some of the best British humor of any new series I’ve seen in quite some time.
“Slow Horses” returned with its fifth season on Wednesday, Sept. 24, with one episode per week streaming on Apple TV+. The show follows a section of MI5 agents that have somehow disgraced themselves, the agency, or both, who have been shunted off to an obscure branch known as Slough House, under the direction of the obtuse and flatulent Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman).
Fans of the show already know exactly who Lamb is, and will be pleased to know that he’s the same acerbic, combative jerk he always has been. His delight in showing apathy for his operatives and his job is palpable, as when he responds to Slough House agent Shirley Dander’s (Aimee-Ffion Edwards) protestations that she’s upset with inaction rather than bored as a “criticism of [his] leadership style.”
But underneath, of course, Lamb is a man for whom the wheels are constantly turning, and he has a deep-seated affection for his team and their well-being that never surfaces when they’re present, except in the form of unyielding abuse. The team has had quite enough abuse when Season 5 picks up, with River Cartwright (Jack Lowden) still processing the revelation of his father’s identity, Louisa Guy (Rosalind Eleazar) still haunted by her past at Slough House, and Shirley dealing with the death of former partner Marcus Longridge in Season 4.
With Slough House feeling unsettled in a way it hasn’t in a long time, the dung is hitting the fan in predictable ways in Greater London. When a man radicalized online stages a massacre that begins with the shooting of a mayoral candidate’s local supporter, the plot seems to be headed in a direction that is all too close to real-life events these days. But as we know with “Slow Horses,” things are so rarely as they appear.
It’s cool to see Nick Mohammed (“Ted Lasso”) show up as London’s mayor Zafar Jaffrey in the series, and I’m guessing he’ll have more to do as the season goes along, considering the furtive looks he got to throw around in the season premiere. James Callis also turns in a masterful performance as Claude Whelan, the simultaneously bumbling and confident Director General of MI5.
The way things are setting up, “Slow Horses” looks to be returning to formula in Season 5, which is an adaptation of the Mick Herron novel “London Rules.” That isn’t necessarily a bad thing at all; “Slow Horses” knows what it does well as a thriller/mystery series, and at heart it’s still all about its characters more than anything else. The actors continue to make that possible, and there isn’t a weak link in the ensemble.
I can’t wait to see where the new season of “Slow Horses” goes from here, even if I can probably predict some of the stopping points based on seasons past. It doesn’t matter to me when the show’s writing and character work are this good, and I’ll be eating up new episodes as soon as they drop.
Apple TV
Apple TV (formerly known as Apple TV+) is a subscription video streaming service for $14.99 per month, offering a growing slate of original series, films, documentaries, and specials. Unlike other platforms that combine licensed titles with originals, Apple TV is built entirely around exclusive programming, making it the home of critically acclaimed hits such as “Ted Lasso,” “Severance,” “The Morning Show,” and “Silo.” Its lineup continues to expand with award-winning dramas, comedies, family-friendly shows, and blockbuster original films like “CODA,” which won the Academy Award for Best Picture.