Slow Horses Season 5 delivers another compelling arc, centered on complex matters of trust in a field where it’s essentially nonexistent. It’s a familiar theme in that regard, but the exploration feels necessary and important to continue allowing these characters to grow. Still, with more TV shows and films addressing these matters through metaphors, it gives it a fresh and exciting new perspective.
For the most part, the season is another gripping ride with dry bits of humor sprinkled into dark revelations and even darker narratives. While last season focused heavily on Jack Lowden’s River and everything pertaining to his father, Slow Horses Season 5 places Christopher Chung’s Roddy Ho at the middle of his biggest arc and dares to ask questions about trust. What do these characters do outside of their jobs, and how do they matter inside as well? It’s a slightly different sort of shake-up, but with characters in the driver’s seat, the season manages to keep things exciting for another year.
However, to expect the same level of jaw-dropping revelations as Season 4 might make this season less enthralling. It’s often silly of us to set creators to such high standards when delivering new seasons, but it’s also almost impossible at times to contain our anticipation. I can recognize that it’s hard to top the greatness of last season, which also landed Adam Randall an Emmy for his directing in Season 4, Episode 6, “Hello Goodbye,” but still acknowledge that it does feel as though something is missing this time around. It’s certainly not any sort of deal breaker, nor does it make the season less than or bad, but it’s simply human to perhaps want more.
But ultimately, excellence isn’t shocking with the strength in writing and performances on Slow Horses, so even if this season is somewhat of a quieter run, it’s still noteworthy on all fronts. On any other show, I almost feel like we wouldn’t be satisfied, but that’s exactly where the strength in this series lies, allowing every beat to come to life with thoughtful actions governing the scene. At this point, no one is expecting monumental growth from Jackson Lamb, and Gary Oldman’s performance as the unconventional leader of Slough House is precisely what makes the show work. It’s well…slow—pun, most certainly intended. But anyone who’s paying attention can grasp that he cares. A lot, even. He’s just got his way of showing it. It’s also what makes the character so frustratingly entertaining to watch.
The entire cast also continues to bring their A-game with small but significant moments that can change the course of their lives in drastic ways. Plenty is happening in the quiet beats that carefully showcase how these characters are feeling amid what’s going on around them and how those very reactions are the catalysts to the decisions they make. There’s much to explore and unveil with the six episodes, proving that where there’s a concise vision and narrative outlining, the story will continuously find a way to be captivating. And Slow Horses Season 5 certainly captivates.
Slow Horses Season 5 returns to Apple TV+ on September 24.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Apple TV+