Most media focusing on spy work showcases elite, highly trained, successful agents, but what about the failures? Surely there must be misfit agents who mess up and are cast aside. This is exactly the concept “Slow Horses,” the Apple TV series based on the book series of the same name, seeks to explore. In the show, these disgraced MI5 agents are sent to a dingy, dilapidated office called Slough House, where instead of going on high-stakes assignments, they are given mundane office work in the hope that they will eventually quit. Ironically, though, these agents, given the nickname “Slow Horses,” always seem to outperform the professional MI5 agents who work at the agency headquarters. Season six was released on Sept. 16, with episodes dropping weekly on Wednesday, and the finale airing on Oct. 21.
The season starts by throwing audiences right into the action: former Slough House agents have been showing up dead with strange circumstances surrounding their deaths. Head of MI5, First Desk, Diana Tavener, played by Kristin Scott Thomas, brushes off the deaths as accidents.
However, Emma Flyte, played by Ruth Bradley, head of MI5 security, doubts it’s that simple.
Going against direct orders, Flyte informs the head of Slough House, Jackson Lamb, played by Gary Oldman, of the deaths. This, combined with the fact that files regarding Slough House have been wiped from the MI5 database and that the Slow Horses are not being paid, makes Lamb more than concerned. He instructs his agents to go to William Blake’s grave, their known emergency meeting destination. There, Lamb orders them to go dark, switch off their phones, and head to a safehouse to lay low until they can figure out what’s truly happening.
The agents split into groups with Lamb and Roddy Ho, played by Christopher Chung, attempting to track down the deaths. Catherine Standish, played by Saskia Reeves, and Shirley Dander, played by Aimee-Ffion Edwards, go to round up any former Slow Horses, and J.K. Coe, played by Tom Brooke, goes to find River Cartwright. Cartwright, played by Jack Lowden, is a current Slow Horse agent, but he had gone to his grandfather’s house when the Blake’s grave meeting was held. These are the three main plotlines the season follows, as well as Tavener serving as First Desk at MI5, who is seemingly being blackmailed from previous events in season five.
“Slow Horses” seems to follow a similar plotline for most of the seasons: a devastating or shocking political event happens, the Slow Horses respond by trying to figure it out, they clash with MI5 headquarters, and the events lead up to a high-stakes finale that seems to put everything in jeopardy.
Although there is a formulaic structure to the series, audiences are always left on the edge of their seats time and time again. This formula also seems to be successful due to the diverse cast of characters in the series.
No two personalities are alike, and oftentimes this causes them to clash in very entertaining ways. Each character has their own flaws and struggles, making them relatable and much more realistic than your typical spy.
Season six is based on two of Mick Herron’s novels, “Jo Country” and “Slough House.” There are a total of nine novels in the “Slow Horses” series, and there will be eight Apple TV seasons. Upon the end of the sixth season, the first teaser trailer for season seven was released, and it is expected to be released in the fall of 2027. Season eight is currently in production and is being filmed in London and Oxford.
Since its initial release in 2022, “Slow Horses” has been nominated for six Golden Globe Awards and 23 Emmy Awards. The series has won three Emmys including Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series in 2026 and 2025 as well as Outstanding Writing For A Drama Series in 2024. Following the release of season six, it is expected to receive multiple award nominations.
Season six leaves off on a cliffhanger, but if fans are particularly keen to find out what happens, it is a perfect opportunity to pick up the book. Not only will they get to reminisce about their favorite moments of the series, but they will also get to see the plot and characters through a new lens, shedding a different light on “Slow Horses.”
