Slow Horses season 5 spoiler-free review: Lamb’s one-liners are as lacerating as ever

The difference of Mick Herron’s Slough Home novels, Sluggish Horses, has proved a smash hit for Apple, with season 4 proving far and away the preferred to this point. The present’s fifth collection sees our MI5 exiles dealing with a few of their greatest challenges to this point, in a race in opposition to the clock. With an ever-increasing viewers, the problem can be assembly followers’ expectations.

So, does the collection stand as much as the lofty requirements of the earlier seasons? I’ve seen everything of season 5, so maintain studying for my spoiler-free evaluation.

Season 5 of Sluggish Horses ups the stakes

Season 4 noticed one of many present’s most memorable villains to this point in Frank Harkness, a former CIA operative, hell bent on inflicting chaos for MI5 and Regents Park. It definitely helps when your villain is performed by somebody as reliable as Hugo Weaving (The Lord of the Rings, The Matrix). Whereas there might not be a villain as compelling as Harkness on the coronary heart of the fifth season, there isn’t any scarcity of carnage from this season’s “unhealthy actors” to coin a phrase from Herron’s books.

We open with a capturing at Abbotsfield, a quiet London suburb, going about its each day enterprise. The sense of calm is disrupted by a lone gunman, seemingly working alone, however was he? How does this hyperlink to Roddy Ho’s new girlfriend, Tara, and the London Mayoral election? What ensues is a always escalating state of affairs that threatens to spiral uncontrolled in a short time. In fact, the gradual horses aren’t removed from the motion.

The present switches issues up

As ever, Will Smith, the mastermind behind the present’s success, brings Herron’s supply materials to life splendidly. There are some slight alterations to sure character arcs and plot threads on this collection. Fairly than derailing the present, nevertheless, the adjustments really feel pure and maintain the present action-packed and filled with suspense, whereas retaining the construction and core narrative of Herron’s novel, London Guidelines.

The problem for the present’s writers has all the time been balancing the wit and humour, significantly of Jackson Lamb, the top of Slough Home, by no means removed from a scintillating one-liner or putdown. Others like James Callis’ Claude, the primary desk of MI5, additionally convey their share of snickers. That is arguably the season with probably the most motion, brilliantly choreographed and maintaining the viewers on the sting of the couch.

Christopher Chung’s Roddy Ho has been within the present since day one however has felt on the periphery… till now. As with the ebook, Ho is on the centre of the motion, permitting Chung to essentially flex his comedic and dramatic chops and show why he has change into such a fan favorite on each the web page and display screen.

The ensemble solid will get extra concerned

Spearheaded by Gary Oldman’s fart machine, Lamb, the present has had a key set of gamers with season 4 significantly revolving round Jack Lowden’s River Cartwright and his grandfather David (Jonathan Pryce). Whereas Lowden remains to be a vital cog on this season, it feels an ensemble affair very a lot, with the workload unfold throughout the solid.

Apart from Ho, one other solid member to have a significantly bigger position is Jk Coe (Tom Brooke), launched in season 4; his position was largely on the fringes. Coe is vital right here in understanding what the enemies of MI5 have deliberate, placing the talents he developed whereas working on the park to good use. Brooke is a greater than welcome addition to the ever-expanding ensemble, a very fulfilling foil to the formidable River, reeling from his grandfather’s ailing well being and the aftermath of the occasions of the earlier season.

There might not be any new gradual horses on this season, however the solid expands with Nick Mohammed’s Mayor, Zafar Jaffrey. Whereas Mohammed is finest identified for comedies like Ted Lasso, he proves right here that he has greater than what it takes to play it straight.

Lamb continues to be a real delight on display screen, with Gary Oldman as soon as once more delivering some dialogue for the ages and new mannerisms to go down within the present’s legend. Kristin Scott Thomas’ Taverner, once more, shines reverse Oldman, together with her personal schemes in play.

Do you have to watch Sluggish Horses season 5?

Followers of the present’s first 4 seasons and Herron’s books will discover a lot to get pleasure from in season 5. It has all of the motion, humour and suspense we’ve come to count on from the crew primarily based out of Aldersgate with out a drop in high quality from the stellar earlier seasons. The adjustments from the supply materials really feel natural and assist drive the plot ahead, whereas retaining the essence of London Guidelines.

The problem for me is the sidelining of a few characters (for availability causes), however this doesn’t cease it from being one other massively fulfilling six-episode run. With the sixth season already filmed and a seventh on the way in which, we’ll see Lamb, Cartwright and co on display screen for a few years to return, with a lot extra important collection books and spin-offs for Apple to adapt.

Will Smith, who received an Emmy for his work on the present, is leaving after this season, and whereas that will increase an eyebrow from some followers, this can be a superb manner for him to bow out. Hopefully, the crew taking on from him for season 6 and past can proceed to convey Herron’s world to life in the identical style.

If you happen to really feel a Jackson Lamb sized gap in your schedule as soon as this season of Sluggish Horses finishes, worry not, the crew behind this present are adapting Herron’s earlier novel Down Cemetery Street with an equally juicy solid together with Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson.

Sluggish Horses season 5 drops on Apple TV+ globally on 23 September 2025 – new episodes will drop weekly. 

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