If there’s one area of expertise belonging to the misfit spies of Slough House, it’s screwing up. Sent to MI5’s administrative backwater after various career-ending mishaps, they’ve earned their dismissive department name well. But what Jackson Lamb’s crew may lack in field competence, they more than make up for in dysfunctional charm. Their boss is especially rude, lazy, and perpetually sauce-stained; it’s remarkable that anything gets done with Oldman in charge.
Now four seasons in, the rascals are still somehow stumbling their way to success. Particularly impressive given the breakneck two-year pace of new episodes so far. Once again written by Will Smith and based on Mick Herron’s novels, this latest run pushes the band of misfits into yet another shambolic spy caper. What began with a festive shopping center bombing branches off into tangled threads of past wrongs, family secrets, and a new chilling adversary on the scene.
From the get-go, it’s clear this season will pivot our focus in unexpected ways. Not least the immediate “death” of River Cartwright, the team’s resident pretty boy and fan favorite. But with Slow Horses, there’s always more bungling afoot than first meets the eye. So crack open a tin of stale biscuits, pour yourself a slug of whatever Slough House is drinking these days, and settle in for another rollicking ride with the department that can’t seem to stop accidentally saving the kingdom.
The Slow Horses’ Latest Case
It’s Christmas time in London, and the holiday festivities are disrupted when a bomb rocks a busy shopping center. Top MI5 agent Diana Taverner steps in to lead the investigation. Did they have a lone wolf on their hands, or was this something more organized?
Meanwhile, River Cartwright pays a visit to his aging grandfather David, a former spy now living a quiet retirement. But all is not as it seems: David, losing his grip on reality, mistakes River for an intruder and blows him away with an antique shotgun.
When Emma Flyte calls him to the grim scene, Jackson Lamb reacts to River’s body with his usual detachment. But he senses something’s off and takes it upon himself to find David, who’s now vanished.
Lamb’s digging uncovers secrets from David’s past that tie into a new threat. Someone’s put a price on the old man’s head, and it seems they’ll stop at nothing until the job is done.
The culprit is revealed to be Frank Harkness, a cold-blooded killer leading a crew more deadly than any the slow horses have faced. With both past and present converging, the stakes are raised for Lamb and his team like never before.
As multiple plotlines start to intertwine in their usual convoluted fashion, one thing’s for sure: there’ll be no wrapping this case up neatly. The slow horses are in for the chase of their lives if they hope to outwit Harkness and stay one step ahead of the dangers closing in on all sides.
It’s going to take all of Jackson Lamb’s questionable leadership and the squad’s dysfunctional talents working in harmony to escape this mess with their lives, let alone solve the case. But for fans of the show, it’s just another thrilling ride with television’s most loveably inept spies.
Deep Dives
Jackson Lamb remains the absolute highlight of this show. Played to perfection by Gary Oldman, this guy steals every scene. As leader of the Slough House misfits, you couldn’t ask for a better mess of a man. It seems like the older he gets, the less of a give a damn he has. And I gotta respect that in a person.
The way Oldman slurs his lines and carries himself like he’s got one foot in the grave already, it’s just gold. You can really see how far Lamb has come from those early episodes too. He’s actually getting out in the field more these days.
Then you’ve got River Cartwright, the guy at the center of it all this season. After that wham-bam opener, it was anyone’s guess where Jack Lowden would take the character. Turns out, straight to some pretty dark places. It helps that Lowden carries River with this quiet intensity. Like there’s more bubbling under the surface than he lets on. And with what we learn about his past, it’s no surprise the poor guy is so uptight. Really gets you invested in seeing this mystery through to the end.
As for the new players, Hugo Weaving totally smashes it as Frank Harkness. Leave it to this guy to make the cold-blooded killer the most unsettling character of the bunch. And never seen Ruth Bradley in a role like Emma Flyte before—tough as nails one minute, softie the next. Really fleshed out the secondary characters this season. All in all, I think we can expect big things from the whole crew when Season 5 starts cooking.
Reaping What You Sow
A few key themes seem to emerge across Season 4. One big one is the idea that the past has a habit of sneaking back up on you. Several characters find old ghosts from their history rising to pull the strings in the present.
We see this clearest with River and his grandfather David. As David’s dementia worsens, long-buried secrets from his days in MI5 surface with deadly consequences. Meanwhile, River grapples with questions surrounding the family’s murky past and how it relates to current threats.
Trust is another major theme. As past and present intertwine, it grows harder for some to divorce friend from foe. David struggles with this most explicitly, his mental state weakening his grip on reality. Even the usually hardened agents of Slough House are left questioning allegiances.
Of course, mental decline itself factors heavily into affairs this season. David’s is front and center, poignantly portrayed by Pryce. But disorientation and strained connections also stem the rest of the team at points, hinting how fragility creeps up beyond just age.
Other motifs like institutional corruption and paranoia weave through as well. At its heart though, Season 4 suggests our personal histories, for better or worse, will find a way of reintroducing themselves when least expected. Sometimes the themes of the past really are a prologue for what’s yet to come.
Life in the Slow Lane
One thing’s clear: nobody skimps on the flashy bits for Slow Horses. And it’s easy to see where the budget goes because this show immerses you in its world from the get-go.
The cinematography has a real gritty charm down in its path. Shabby offices and lived-in costumes help make Slough House feel like a dreary second home. But flip a switch, and the lens slicks things up for thriller scenes that’ll leave your pulse racing.
Much credit belongs to the costumes too. Nobody rocks disheveled style like Oldman’s Lamb, of course. But whether it’s Thomas looking sharp in a tailored coat or River sleazing it up undercover, outfits here become complex characters in their own right.
As for the soundtrack, it knows just when to inject that blast of intensity at the perfect moment. Tension flies off the charts. And when a song drops, you’ll be searching your playlists to track it down.
Production seems to have pulled out all the stops, constructing worn locations that feel authentically worn-down. From peeling wallpaper in safehouses to institutional grime clinging to Slough House, settings here are as stars as the actors.
So while the writing keeps us invested in Lives of the Sleuths, production thrives on sucking us deep into their secretive world, too. With values like these, it’s no wonder we keep slipping back for another stint in the slow lane.
Captivating Cast
It goes without saying this show wouldn’t be half as great without its superb leads. Let’s start with Jackson Lamb, whom Gary Oldman somehow makes even more depraved each season. The dry quips come so smoothly, and you can practically see the cogs turning in his whiskey-pickled brain.
Playing opposite, Jack Lowden grounds River with nerves-of-steel sincerity. The inner turmoil always feels on the brink of bursting forth. And what a compliment to make us forget River may be “dead” five minutes in.
Kristin Scott Thomas masters chilly command as ever, neatly balanced by Pryce’s crumbling vulnerability as David. His confusion cuts deep.
As for villains, few do more frightening than Hugo Weaving. You’ll find yourself holding your breath anytime his character’s in frame.
Then we can’t forget Oldman’s perfectly wretched support group. Ruth Bradley smolders reined-in rage, while Joanna Scanlan warms even Slough House’s coldest hearts.
Perhaps most impressive though is the wordless work of Tom Brooke as enigmatic newbie J.K. Coe. Silence speaks volumes in his calculating stare.
Together, the cast breathes full characters between the lines. Facial expressions, stances, and nuanced line-readings flesh out page-long backstories exclusively through skill. Their magic elevates a great script to uncharted heights. In these actors’ hands, the story somehow feels much more vividly alive.
Twists and Turns Around Every Corner
In the end, that’s what makes Season 4 of Slow Horses sing—its stellar cast of characters, flawed as they may be. Even when tropes start to show, these actors imbue every line with wit, emotion, and subtlety that elevate the material. Want proof? Just listen to Oldman snarl another insult as Lamb.
Through it all, the stories manage to surprise too. Predictability goes out the window in this twisting plot, keeping viewers guessing around every turn. And with revelations like those about River’s past, the rug gets pulled in impactful ways that shift perspectives on our favorites.
It’s clear now there are fortunes left to uncover about these characters and the sly world they inhabit. With foundations laid for compelling new arcs and threats looming larger, Season 5 is sure to raise the stakes yet again. If anything, time has only seasoned this ensemble to perfection.
So until next year, cheers to MI5’s misfits. May their bumbling move in ever more unexpected directions and their interoffice hijinks never cease bringing smiles. Here’s hoping Slow Horses remains one of cable’s most reliably brilliant treats for seasons to come.
The Review
Slow Horses Season 4
Slow Horses offers delightful dysfunctional spies and twisty conspiracies, masterfully enacted by a stunning ensemble led by Gary Oldman. Despite conforming somewhat to genre tropes, Season 4 succeeds through its characters' nuanced performances and humanity. Fans will find this latest outing an excellent ride, with Season 5 eagerly anticipated.
PROS
- Complex, layered characters
- Strong performances from the leading cast
- Intricate, surprise-filled plotlines
- Humorous yet poignant tone
- Evocative production values
CONS
- Occasional reliance on spy thriller cliches
- Secondary characters are underserved at times.
- Complexity of plot threads is not always balanced.
