Apple TV+’s Slow Horses is darkly funny espionage drama that follows a team of British intelligence agents who serve in a dumping ground department of MI5 – the Slough House – due to their career-stifling mistakes. Led by their brilliant but irascible leader, the notorious Jackson Lamb (Academy Award winner Gary Oldman), they navigate the espionage world’s smoke and mirrors to defend England from sinister forces.
Slow Horses was released in 2022. However, despite its critical acclaim and absolutely intergalactic Rotten Tomatoes scores, I’ve simply never made the time to watch it.
So just how good is Slow Horses? Well, seasons one, two, and three have Rotten Tomatoes scores of 95%, 100%, and 98% respectively, which is not to be sniffed at. Slow Horses really does have it all, its cast, led by Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Jack Lowden, and Olivia Cooke boasts not only impressive individual displays but also fabulous chemistry. The drama and plot line are rip-roaring and intense, and even the quieter scenes are laced with suspense and intrigue, so much so that my Wife and I felt compelled to binge all six episodes of the first season in one sitting. Visually and stylistically the series is an absolute joy to view, too. Perhaps my favorite thing about Slow Horses, however, is how funny it is… Oldman’s character uncorks a series of absolutely first-class one-liners, and there are some brilliant moments of deadpan humor.
As I said, after barely 10 minutes, I realized that not making the time for Slow Horses had been a huge mistake.
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MacDailyNews Take: Apple in January renewed Slow Horses for season 5. Hopefully it’ll go well beyond a fifth season.
“We’ve been signing the praises of Slow Horses since it debuted (before, even, since Apple had us a ‘Gary Oldman.’ The series is even better than we could’ve hoped it would be.” – MacDailyNews, December 28, 2023
“We watch and very highly recommend Slow Horses – only on Apple TV+!” – MacDailyNews, January 2, 2024
MacDailyNews Note: Apple TV+ is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $9.99 per month with a seven-day free trial. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, or Mac can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free.
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A big YES! This is Gary Oldman at his finest after he swore he was retiring from acting for good. However, he said playing Jackson Lamb––supposedly his final role––where he doesn’t have to wear a prosthesis, major makeup, change his dialect dramatically from his normal London brogue (along with the great writing, production, directions and ensemble acting), that he’s more than happy to keep drawing a paycheck.
As I wrote (similar to MDN) sometime back, Slow Horses is truly worth your time. Darkly funny, sad, tragic, dry, and somehow serious at the same time.
AppleTV+ has boldly claimed the throne that HBO/Max once held, setting a new standard for quality productions. While the catalog may still be growing slowly, there’s a sense of anticipation that those in charge of it are considering that a big pile of Apple Cash could lead to an exciting acquisition.
The number of enjoyable, viewable Apple TV productions could be counted on one hand with a few fingers left over. Slow Horses is hands down the best…a low bar perhaps, but it is rewarding on so many levels. I’ve started reading the books and find the TV production to be remarkably close to the original source material. I highly recommend the books too.
Simply put I love this series.