Gary Oldman’s spy thriller with 100% on Rotten Tomatoes premieres today

Slow Horses is officially back for its fifth season, with the first episode officially landed on Apple TV today.

The spy thriller, whose schtick is more grubby fingernails and farting than it is machismo and expensive watches, caused a genre earthquake when it first landed on the streamer in 2022.

It soon became one of the UK’s most beloved spy series starring Gary Oldman as disheveled, grunting agent Jackson Lamb, and Jack Lowden as keen whippersnapper River Cartwright – a role which saw him enter the bookies charts for the next James Bond.

Based on Mick Herron’s popular Slow Horses book series, the series – with a theme tune penned and performed by Mick Jagger – follows agents of Slough House, which is essentially British intelligence purgatory where incompetent agents go to die.

Except, this isn’t Johnny English. Of course, the characters are competent – while admittedly haunted by past mistakes, and battling with demons like addiction and trauma. Though it is darkly comic, too.

With River firmly back in London after his trip to France in season 4, Metro has reviewed the new season with a glowing five stars, saying: ‘Slow Horses season five is a bit of a triumph. I can’t think of a thing I didn’t like about it. The cast is brilliant, the story’s engaging, and the dialogue sharper than ever.’ 

Gary Oldman is back as the unkempt Jackson Lamb, who is still, miraculously, keeping his Slough House department afloat (Picture: Apple TV+/ Jack English) Jack Lowden is back as River Cartwright (left) and this time he’s firmly back in London after his French adventure last season (Picture: Apple TV+)

In contrast to previous seasons, which have revolved largely around River’s many conundrums and Jackson’s side quests, this new installment sees computer whiz Roddy take centre stage.

Empire Magazine, however, rated it 3 stars, explaining how it ‘doesn’t always gel’ while The Telegraph also slapped it with a 5/5, explaining: ‘Slow Horses is unusual: a long-running show that hasn’t had a drop-off in quality. There is a supreme sense of confidence about the way it is put together.’

Fans can’t wait to get home and sink their teeth into the action, as @trevormfisher wrote on X: ‘Happy Slow Horses new season day to all who celebrate.’

‘IT’S SLOW HORSES DAY,’ said @mishnewbooty, while @leighjones0212 said: ‘It’s Slow Horses time. I’m off line for the next hour.’

‘Babe wake up, new Slow Horses,’ added @mr_burton91.

Season five will be the last to be created by writer Will Smith, who also wrote episodes of The Thick of It and Veep; however, seasons six and seven are officially on the way.

Computer whiz Roddy, played by Christopher Chung, is more of a protagonist in season 5 (Picture: Apple TV+/ Jack English) Jack’s name has been mentioned as a possible next James Bond contender after his River portrayal in the Apple TV+ show (Picture: Dave Benett/Getty Images)

Per Variety, season six, which has already finished filming, will be directed by Gaby Chiappe (behind ITV’s crime drama The Level) while All Creatures Great and Small creator Ben Vanstone will step in for season seven, which rolls cameras this autumn.

The publication added that Smith is not involved in these two seasons at all.

Still based on the bestselling espionage series, season seven already has a synopsis, despite the fifth one just landing on screens today.

The official synopsis explained the new episodes would follow the conventional group trying to find and neutralise a mole at the heart of the British Government – in line with the plot of Herron’s seventh novel, Bad Actors.

The author behind the novel series is already working on the ninth book, so there may be much more Slough House carnage to come.

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