Fresh off their success at this year’s Primetime Emmys, Apple TV looks to continue to dominate the streaming world with the release of Season 6 of their critically acclaimed Slow Horses and, in doing so, proves why they should be taken more seriously by audiences. The show itself has always had a large amount of praise from fans and critics alike, for its consistent release dates all the way through to the strength of its writing and cast, but Season 6 pushes the already high standard even further with what is an exceptional six episodes of television.
For five seasons now, we have watched the sleazy but brilliant Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman) and his team of Slow Horses (effectively a group of MI5 rejects) get tangled up with cases endangering Britain, and this new season raises the stakes even higher with assassins sent to take them all out. Not only that, but Frank Harkness (Hugo Weaving) is back, having not appeared since Season 4 who causes an array of problems for River Cartwright (Jack Lowden) once again. Interestingly, this season puts the core ensemble in their most vulnerable positions yet, and it makes for a thoroughly gripping and entertaining series and, in particular, a truly spectacular finale full of twists and turns.
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The show is expertly directed by Adam Randall, who also directed the whole of Season 4. It’s part of their incredibly efficient approach to producing the show on an annual basis, with Saul Metzstein previously directing the whole of Seasons 3 and 5. It’s a really smart way of creating the show as it enables the Directors to truly understand the characters, whilst allowing them to develop the characters that they’ve previously worked with. It would be easy for a programme like this to feel similar on a season-by-season basis, a problem that has impacted numerous shows over the years (I’m looking at you, The Flash), and yet Slow Horses continues to maintain a fresh feel every season. I’ve been trying to put my finger on why that is, and the obvious answer is the quality of the writing, but I think credit has to go in particular to the quality of the relationships between the main characters. There are so many fascinating, ever-evolving dynamics between the characters that it really stands out compared to other shows on at the moment. It helps that a lot of the characters, the Slow Horses in particular, are really easy to root for. Weirdly, they all feel like they could be real people, and that’s a massive compliment to the strength of the writing and performances of those in the show.
Importantly, it makes for an easy, enticing watch, making for a lovely viewing experience. It’s going to be brilliant seeing the internet react to each episode every week as the twists and turns of the season unfold. Of course, there are links to plots from various seasons, but never any crucial enough to be off-putting if you can’t remember what happened, or if you wanted to be bold and dive in now. I will say, though, that the show is well worth watching in full, with some expertly written character development over the course of all the seasons. I’m enjoying the evolution of all the Slow Horses as seasons pass, but I’m particularly enjoying the game of Chess between Lamb and First Desk Diana Taverner (Kristin Scott-Thomas) continuing from previous seasons. Both of them are at the top of their game and really set the bar for everyone with their strong characterisations and performances. They’ve also just announced a Season 8, which is incredible given Season 6 is only just coming out, so it feels inevitable that Slow Horses will dominate conversations about the best television for years to come!
Streaming on Apple TV from 16th September / Gary Oldman, Jack Lowden, Kristin Scott-Thomas, Christopher Chung, Saskia Reeves / Director: Adam Randall / Apple TV
