SERIES REVIEW – Slow Horses, Apple TV+’s sleeper hit, made an unexpected splash at this year’s Emmy nominations, snagging recognition in categories like Outstanding Drama Series, Best Lead Actor for Gary Oldman, and Best Supporting Actor for Jack Lowden. It also picked up an additional six nominations in areas like writing, directing, and editing.

Initially flying under the radar in its first two seasons, the series has now earned a place among the most acclaimed shows on television. This recognition will likely draw even more viewers when the fourth season premieres in September. The good news? The quality hasn’t dropped one bit—in fact, the cast seems more comfortable than ever in their roles, and the writing is tighter and deeper than ever before.

Worn-Out Heroes, Still Fighting

If you’re new to the Slow Horses universe, the title plays off the name Slough House, the outpost for MI5 agents who have failed spectacularly in their duties—or simply crossed the wrong superior. Leading this team of outcasts is Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman), who openly mocks his station in the intelligence world but secretly cherishes his rebellious agents, especially River Cartwright (Jack Lowden), once the agency’s golden boy and now Slough House’s top operative. It’s a job that comes with deadly risks, and the team has seen its members change over time, but Season 4 kicks off with familiar faces like Louisa (Rosalind Eleazar), Ho (Christopher Chung), Shirley (Aimee-Ffion Edwards), and Marcus (Kadiff Kirwan) still on board. New additions include the enigmatic J.K. Coe (Tom Brooke) and the by-the-book administrator, Moira (Joanna Scanlan).

Lamb’s loveable band of misfits is often at odds with the seemingly superior yet morally compromised agents of MI5, headed by Diana Taverner (Kristin Scott Thomas). Watching Thomas and Oldman spar on screen is pure joy, as both characters have resigned themselves to their roles in the espionage world but can’t imagine doing anything else. Thomas, in particular, shines this season, especially in her clashes with another inept bureaucrat, Claude Whelan, brilliantly portrayed by James Callis. Whelan is the classic example of someone who takes credit for others’ successes while passing off his own failures.

Losers Chasing Losers

Whelan is clearly out of his depth when a suicide bomber drives into a crowded mall, resulting in mass casualties. Agent Emma Flyte (Ruth Bradley) investigates the bombing and quickly links it to David Cartwright (Jonathan Pryce), River’s grandfather, who is sadly struggling with worsening dementia. After the shocking act of violence in the premiere, the season follows one of the Slow Horses characters to France, where the Cartwright family’s murky connection to a team of assassins with ties to the past is uncovered. The exceptional Hugo Weaving plays Frank Harkness, leader of this group, and his connection to the Cartwrights is a twist no one will see coming, but it fits seamlessly into the themes of this season and the show as a whole.

Slow Horses is about people whom MI5 deemed weak because their moral compass and personal connections were seen as liabilities. But, as each season reveals, having a heart in the spy game can be an asset. The bond between River and Jackson faces new challenges in Season 4, testing them in unexpected yet narratively satisfying ways. The show’s writers are experts at staying one step ahead of the audience, making Slow Horses one of the most binge-worthy series on TV. While many shows struggle with pacing midway through the season, Slow Horses makes the most of its six-episode format, packing each episode with enough twists and character development to keep viewers hooked.

Would Be Hard to Not to Love Them

It’s no surprise that Weaving fits seamlessly into this world, but the real stars remain the regular cast members. With each season, Thomas has steadily increased Taverner’s world-weariness, creating a fascinating counterbalance to Oldman’s Lamb. Both characters are fed up with the incompetence around them but know that without them, things would only get worse. A show like this thrives when the actors and writers dive deep into their characters, and now, 24 episodes in, it’s nearly impossible to imagine anyone else in these roles.

If there’s one flaw in the adaptation of Spook Street—each season is based on a different Mick Herron novel, with the upcoming fifth season set to tackle London Rules—it’s that it almost goes by too quickly. Season 4 is so packed with plot and character development that it’s sometimes hard to keep up, but that’s partly intentional. The season not only reflects David Cartwright’s confused memories but also the idea that the power structures in this world are built on buried secrets, always threatening to resurface. It’s rarely been this entertaining to watch those secrets bubble to the top.

-Gergely Herpai “BadSector”-