To say Slow horses is a great show to understate it: I just finished rewatching all three seasons with my eldest and was once again amazed by the perfect blend of drama, comedy, and pacing that makes it one of the best Apple TV Plus shows. If you haven’t yet seen Gary Oldman and his motley crew of underachieving spies, you’re in for a serious television treat—and season four, which starts streaming September 4, looks set to be the best yet.
If you’re already a fan of TV’s most exciting, entertaining, and often funniest shows, the Season 4 trailer delivers everything you could want: Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman) is awful, River Cartwright (Jack Lowden) is useless, Diana Taverner (Kristin Scott Thomas) is Machiavellian, and a lot of things blow up explosively. But the most heartbreaking moment is the six words Lamb utters: “One of my team just died.”
Why Slow Horses Season 4 is a Must-See TV Series
Slow horses is based on Mick Herron’s award-winning spy dramas, and season 4 is an adaptation of the book Ghost StreetAs in previous seasons, it revolves around Jackson Lamb, a hilariously evil spy boss, and the title heroes: MI5 agents who have been thrown out on the street because of their behavior or personality.
Very mild spoiler alert: what makes this show so special for me is that the characters are all beautifully drawn and all the more likable for their flaws – so when, as has happened twice now, some characters don’t make it to the end of a season, it’s emotionally devastating. Every season so far has been a rollercoaster, expertly shifting from low comedy to high drama and painting a vivid picture of a world where nothing is black and white. And it’s got a killer theme tune, too.
Don’t just believe me: Slow horses has won two BAFTA Television Awards and was named Best English-Language Drama Series at the 2022 C21 International Drama Awards. All three seasons so far are available to stream on Apple TV Plus and are essential viewing. There’s even talk of a fifth and, we believe, final season streaming in 2025. But if you’ve watched them all, here are six tense thrillers to watch while you wait for season 4.
Slow horses Season 4 will be available to stream on Apple TV Plus from September 4, 2024.