Apple TV+ unveiled a first look Tuesday at the upcoming fifth season of its Emmy and BAFTA Award-winning espionage drama Slow Horses. It stars Academy Award winner Gary Oldman. The “look” is just a photo of typically rumpled and dyspeptic MI5 section chief Jackson Lamb, Oldman’s character — but at least it comes with a premiere date. And it looks like he might be dining in a slightly nicer restaurant than usual. It even provides napkins.
The six-episode season will premiere on Wednesday, September 24. As usual, the first two episodes drop together. Then weekly releases follow through October 22, Apple TV+ said.
Slow Horses season 5 premieres on Apple TV+ September 24
The darkly comedic spy thriller continues its remarkable streak as Apple TV+’s longest-running series by season count, even as the streaming service has already green-lit a sixth season. This rapid production schedule has become a hallmark of the show, with filming for season 6 already underway even as season 4 recently concluded in October. And you can read a plot synopsis and watch a season five trailer, included below.
Tech nerd Roddy Ho takes center stage
Season five, adapted from Mick Herron’s novel London Rules in his CWA Gold Dagger Award-winning Slough House book series, puts the spotlight on resident tech expert Roddy Ho. Christopher Chung plays him. The new season finds everyone suspicious when Ho suddenly acquires a glamorous new girlfriend. It’s a development that longtime spy fiction fans will recognize as a classic “honey trap” setup.
“When a series of increasingly bizarre events occur across the city, it falls to the Slow Horses to work out how everything is connected,” the streamer revealed. “After all, Lamb knows that in the world of espionage, the London Rules — cover your back — always apply.” Look up the London Rules and other spook terminology.
The season’s plot involves protecting Britain’s Prime Minister amid political turmoil and terror attacks, Apple TV+ noted. It also delves deeper into Jackson Lamb’s mysterious past and how the former Cold War operative ended up running the MI5 dumping ground known as Slough House.
Star-studded cast returns with new additions
Oldman returns as the brilliant but cantankerous Lamb, a performance that has earned him Golden Globe, Emmy and BAFTA Award nominations. The ensemble cast includes Academy Award nominee Kristin Scott Thomas as the scheming Lady Di Taverner. Emmy Award nominee Jack Lowden stars as River Cartwright. And Saskia Reeves, Rosalind Eleazar, Aimee-Ffion Edwards, Ruth Bradley, James Callis, Tom Brooke and Academy Award nominee Jonathan Pryce round out the great cast.
Season 5 will also welcome Ted Lasso star Nick Mohammed as a special guest star, adding to the show’s impressive roster of British talent.
Watch the season 5 teaser trailer:
Critical acclaim and awards recognition
The series has maintained its status as what one critic called “undoubtedly the best spy series on television.” All four existing seasons hold Certified Fresh scores on Rotten Tomatoes. And two seasons achieved a rare perfect 100% critics’ score. The globally acclaimed third season earned nine Primetime Emmy Award nominations, winning Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series.
This critical success has translated into rapid renewals. Apple TV+ continued its pattern of greenlighting future seasons well before current ones conclude. Season 5 was approved immediately after the season 3 finale, and season 6 received its green light just after season 4 wrapped.
Looking ahead to season 6
While season five focuses on Ho’s predicament and the London Rules, season 6 promises even higher stakes. Apple TV+ revealed the upcoming season “sees the Slow Horses on the run as Taverner embroils them all in a fatally high-stakes game of retaliation and revenge.”
The sixth season will adapt from Mick Herron’s novels Joe Country and Slough House, continuing the author’s acclaimed series about the dysfunctional team of British intelligence agents who serve in MI5’s most undesirable department.
With its unique blend of dark humor and high-stakes espionage thriller elements, Slow Horses carved out a distinctive niche in the crowded streaming landscape. It proves that audiences have an appetite for smart, character-driven spy fiction that doesn’t take itself too seriously while delivering genuine thrills.
Source: Apple TV+
