While everybody debates who the next James Bond actor will be, there’s an Apple TV spy show that should be on every fan’s watchlist. Based on Mick Herron’s books, Slow Horses is a sensational series that never dips in its standards nor strays in thrills but surprisingly doesn’t get the attention of some of its contemporaries like The Night Agent and The Agency.
The show follows an MI5 sub-section known as Slough House. This isn’t an elite unit or place that anybody wants to go to, though. Instead, it’s like purgatory where the agents who have failed in their line of duty are sent to rot. Since they haven’t messed up enough to be fired, they’re banished to this dull dumping ground where the tasks are thankless and mindless, and they’re generally forgotten about.
While MI5 might not see much value in these individuals, there’s still talent at Slough House – and the crew inevitably gets pulled into wider and more serious conspiracies than their clearance allows. Leading the Slow Horses is the flatulent curmudgeon Jackson Lamb (played by the outstanding Gary Oldman). A former top field operative, Lamb isn’t hopeful nor a motivator of his joes; however, beneath his prickly exterior is someone whom anybody would want in their corner. Lamb is actually what a spy is like in the real world: inconspicuous and someone everybody underestimates.
Another main character in Slow Horses is Jack Lowden’s River Cartwright. Impulsive and reckless but brilliant when it really matters, River is at Slough House because of one mistake (this plot line gets expanded upon in the series). He also has a complicated history with MI5, since his grandfather David (Jonathan Pryce) served as one of the agency’s top spies. He feels the burden of living up to David’s legacy.
River serves as the strongest connection to James Bond, since it isn’t too difficult to see the parallels between him and Bond – especially the younger version of the character from the video game 007: First Light. It’s to the point that many viewers have suggested that Lowden should be the next 007. Frankly, it’s easy to see why. Lowden isn’t lacking in charisma and makes a believable hero.
Unlike modern shows, Slow Horses doesn’t plod around aimlessly. Each season, consisting of six episodes, adapts a book from Herron’s series. The fact that there are fewer episodes than regular streaming shows helps its cause here since the action moves briskly and there’s less time for filler nonsense. Every scene feels important and moves the plot forward, making this the perfect series to binge. It’s addictive storytelling that won’t take you days to get through a season.
Slow Horses isn’t short on star power either. Along with Oldman, Lowden, and Pryce, the likes of Kristin Scott Thomas, Hugo Weaving, and Olivia Cooke all have important roles in the series. Each season also welcomes (and says goodbye to) characters. If you think Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead could break your heart with major deaths, wait until you get attached to Slow Horses and see your favorites perish.
Now, it isn’t only us saying that Slow Horses is excellent. On Rotten Tomatoes, the spy show holds a 97% critical approval rating and an 87% audience score. In a review of the first season, RogerEbert.com‘s Brian Tallerico wrote that it’s “much like executive producer Graham Yost’s Justified in how that program relied on sharp dialogue and characters who felt instantly three-dimensional to work. It’s one of the best shows of early 2022.”
For those who like spy shows that actually center on the mysteries that have you exclaiming “bloody hell” when it all unfolds, compelling, well-written characters, and a fantastic sense of humor at the heart of it all, Apple TV’s Slow Horses should be your next watch. Right now, it’s easily the best in its genre – and that’s saying something when there’s so much quality around.
With Season 6 now confirmed to premiere September 16, 2026, there’s no better time to catch up before the Slow Horses ride again.
