‘Slow Horses’ is showing no signs of slowing down
‘Slow Horses’ is showing no signs of slowing down
The Apple TV spy thriller series is coming back for a sixth season this week, and I can’t wait to see how it all unfolds.
Spy thriller shows like “Slow Horses” always run out of steam eventually. It always feels like the protagonists find essentially the same solution to essentially the same problem season after season, and there’s not always a stellar cast that can carry such shows through less interesting plotlines.
Through five seasons, however, “Slow Horses” hasn’t shown any signs of atrophy. The show’s sixth season is coming out on Apple TV on Wednesday, Sept. 16, and I fully expect to be on the edge of my seat with no real idea of how things will end until the finale episode.
“Slow Horses” Season 6 will follow the continuing escapades of the agents of Slough House, MI5’s backwater posting for problem operatives. Despite being looked down on by the rest of the British intelligence world, Slough House always seems to find itself at the center of events that threaten death and mayhem to the British public.
In Season 6, Slough House’s gormless operatives are sent on the run as Diana Taverner wraps them in a high-stakes game of retaliation and revenge. It’s up to Jackson Lamb to protect his wayward flock while he tries to determine exactly who is hunting them and why it’s happening.
One of the most obvious reasons I’m excited for “Slow Horses” Season 6 is that fans will finally see the return of Olivia Cooke’s Sidonie “Sid” Baker,” who was supposedly killed off in Season 1. Viewers who paid close attention, however, were positive that Baker survived her admittedly gruesome shooting, and she could have a big role in the upcoming season.
Watch the trailer for ‘Slow Horses’ Season 6
Or, she might not. One of the best things about “Slow Horses” is that the series always manages to distract viewers with one mystery while setting up the season’s true threat in the shadows. Take Season 5, for example: a terror threat absorbs the attention of Slough House, but the real danger to the team is MI5 director-general Claude Whelan, whose efforts to shut down the team are only stopped by Lamb’s predictably brilliant maneuvering.
And of course, the cast of “Slow Horses” is well worth returning to the show for season after season. Gary Oldman is unspeakably brilliant as Jackson Lamb, and if Jack Lowden does land the role of James Bond (as currently rumored), he’ll have his role as River Cartwright to thank for it. The whole ensemble deserves credit, however, for being able to pull off the show’s darkly comedic tone when called upon. Kristin Scott Thomas gets some of the best comedic moments when her character, Diana Taverner, has to spend time in the same room with Oldman’s Lamb.
There may not be as much time for laughs in Season 6, however. It looks as if the Slow Horses are in some serious trouble, and if they want to survive, they’ll have to call on every ounce of their training and intellect. Season 6 of “Slow Horses” premieres on Wednesday, Sept. 16, with new episodes premiering on subsequent Wednesdays.
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.