You may recall that I declared the fifth season of Slow Horses the best of the series’ run last year in my review. Well, I’m here to tell you that the sixth season was even more enjoyable for me – and I suspect, it will be for you as well. Incredibly, this season takes the excellent narrative choices from season five – namely, keeping the focus less firmly on River (Jack Lowden, who continues to be excellent in the role) and spreads the wealth, character development, and plot points around more. And, continuing the best bit of season five, the series pairs up our cast in interesting combinations, allowing characters who didn’t interact much at all in past seasons the chance to bounce off one another to great results. I mean, who knew that we needed River and Coe (Tom Brooke) teaming up to try to stop the bad guys?
As is always the case, the denizens of Slough House remain an afterthought to the real MI5 agents at The Park (now firmly under the control of Kristen Scott Thomas’ Diana Tarverner, who managed to finally manipulate her way to First Desk at the close of season five). Unfortunately for the Slow Horses, they aren’t an afterthought to a pair of assassins who are making their way across London, killing off retired and fired Slow Horses. When the team discovers that all past and present members of Slough House have been deleted from the MI5 system, Lamb (Gary Oldman, still spectacular) gets extremely worried – why would MI5 want their names off the electronic rolls and why are his former agents turning up dead despite this? – and he calls in all former agents to hunker down at a safe house with the current team. That is, if they can all make it there and avoid the assassins. Because, unlike some shows, Slow Horses isn’t afraid of a body count.
If you’ve watched the trailer for season six, you’ve likely been spoiled as to just which blasts from the past return this time out, but if you haven’t, I’m happy to report that the characters slot nicely into the story. Explanations are given for just what they have been up to while they’ve been away – including why they didn’t want to ever come back into this world once more – and their former teammates have very differing reactions to their reappearances. Don’t worry – any dangling plot threads are addressed sufficiently. Oh! And River’s dad is back on the scene (Hugo Weaving continues to have the worst American accent I’ve heard from an Australian actor – and continues to lack any charisma in the role). Does he have something to do with the hits being carried out by the assassins (played by Andor’s Kyle Soller and Witcher’s MyAnna Buring, both perfectly cold and calculating with just a hint of malicious excitement at their task)?
The underlying mystery is perfectly fine – it’s not the best the series has come up with, but the plot points track and there’s enough to keep you guessing as to just what it really going on and who is playing who. But it’s the work of our core cast that sets this season above the rest. At this stage of the game, everyone fully understands their characters, their relationships, and just what each character’s fatal flaw is. River continues to be both too trusting and far too convinced in his own abilities. He rushes head-long into danger because he believes himself to be the good guy. On the other hand, Shirley (Aimee-Ffion Edwards) continues to be overly suspicious, hold a grudge, and worries far too much about how and why those around her are doing what they do. And good old Roddy (Christopher Chung) has lost a touch of bravado after the events of season five – he trusts Lamb a heck of a lot more and follows orders more readily – but he’s still just as sexist as ever. And, in a fun turn, Flyte (Ruth Bradley, who gets some great stuff this time out) gets to spend more time with the Slough House crew, only this time working alongside them. Unsurprisingly, she’s one of the more competent team members in the face of the growing threat against them all, which, in turn, helps them to all up their game a bit more. But don’t worry, our Slow Horses are still pretty shoddy spies.
Season six of Slow Horses is a heck of a run. It was so good that I turned right around and watched it a second time – once you understand just how the mystery unfolds, a second run through makes things pop even more. In a TV landscape that often makes you wait years between seasons, it’s a delight to have a show as good as Slow Horses appear, like clockwork, every fall. I’m excited to see where things go in season seven. It’s got a high bar to clear.
Slow Horses returns for a sixth season September 16 on AppleTV. All six episodes were provided for review.
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