Do you like action? Mystery? Political intrigue? Compelling characters?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, I’m begging you to watch Slow Horses on Apple TV+.
The Post-Bond Era: No More Suave Spies
After decades of smooth, sophisticated spies gracing our screens both big and small, the screwups of Slough House prove to be much more compelling than their predecessors.
The Slow Horses feel real. That alone is enough to make us care about them. We have more to invest in a character who fails than one who consistently succeeds. Slow Horses shines BECAUSE it allows the screwup spies of MI5 to fail as much as they succeed. They may be “MI-fucking-useless” to Jackson Lamb and the higher-ups at Regents Park, but to me, they’re the ragtag team I’d gladly watch take on every mission they can get their hands on. The series walks the line of believability brilliantly, always letting you know “what can go wrong, will”, but not in a way so out of left field it betrays the viewer’s trust. It sets up both failures and successes in such a way that you gasp and say, “oh god, of course that would happen”.
Slow Horses has everything a good spy story should, in this writer’s opinion: mystery, action, political intrigue, and compelling characters that keep us hooked. We see something familiar in the Slow Horses, be it someone we know or a fictional reflection of ourselves. We have the tendency to find pieces of ourselves in everything we consume–and while many of us are decidedly not MI5 agents, we can relate to the Slow Horses in one way or another. A crappy, run-down office, meaningless work, a boss you don’t like, being overlooked or underappreciated. These are facets of everyday life that become touchstones for viewers tuning in.
Improving Upon the Source Material
There is something to be said for a show that improves upon its source material in such a way that it honors the spirit of the story and the characters without needing to commit to the book verbatim. I’ve read the first 2 books in the Slough House series by Mick Herron (Slow Horses & Dead Lions, respectively), and I had an AMAZING time watching the first 2 seasons (soon to begin season 3). Each time I thought I knew how it would all end, they still found ways to surprise me. I honestly think that’s my favorite thing about this adaptation overall–they aren’t afraid to make changes, especially when they know it will benefit the story overall. It’s a mean feat to not only brilliantly bring these stories to life, but to still surprise and delight readers of the original series.
As mentioned previously, I’m about to begin season 3, but I can confidently say I’m both excited and nervous for it, as I haven’t had time to read Real Tigers before we begin the next season. But, this will give me the authentic viewing experience, truly not knowing what’s going to happen next. Actually, after that reveal in S2E3, nervous is an understatement when it comes to character safety.
TLDR
Slow Horses starts with a bang and keeps up the pace throughout the 6 episodes of season 1. Not only is the story fantastic, but we’re also treated to some amazing performances from the ensemble, with an obvious standout performance from Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb.
How Long is Slow Horses?
There are currently 4 seasons of Slow Horses on Apple TV+. 24 episodes total, with each episode clocking in at 45-60 minutes. If you’re a binge-watcher, you could knock out all 4 seasons in the one-week free trial that Apple offers if you commit to 3-ish episodes a day.
I personally recommend one episode per day, which puts you at one season per week. If you start now with the free trial, your $13 for one month of Apple TV+ will buy you enough time to start season 5 of Slow Horses when it premieres on September 24th. Since it’s likely episodes will be released weekly, start your free trial on the 24th to watch every episode, including those in season 5.
Where to Read Slow Horses
If you’re like me and you’d like to read the book before committing to the series, you can find Slow Horses (Slough House book 1) here on Amazon, Thriftbooks, and Barnes and Noble.
I highly recommend looking for it at your local library! I read the first two Slough House books through my library using Libby.
If you’d like to read my review of Slow Horses by Mick Herron, you can find that here.