You may not be familiar with spy series Slow Horses right now, but the hidden gem has quietly been hooking viewers since its season one premiere in April last year.
The Apple TV+ show follows the obnoxious Jackson Lamb (played by an unrecognisable) Gary Oldman, who leads a team of underperforming MI5 intelligence service agents that are sent to the Slough House “dumping ground” for being “screw ups” in their jobs.
The first instalments of the thriller’s third season have now arrived on streaming, and so far, it’s the best reviewed series yet.
Along with landing that oh-so-rare 100 percent rating score on review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes, critics have been heaping praise on Slow Horses for being a departure from the classically seamlessly spy thriller, instead opting for an imperfectly choreographed and more realistic take on a classic genre.
Here’s a selection of what critics had to say about Slow Horses season three…
The Guardian (4/5)
“As always, Slow Horses is a pleasure. It’s big, bold and unapologetically daft [...] there are plenty of big twists and loads of chase sequences, even if they are carried out in vehicles that are more practical for the school run than high-stakes secret service stuff.
“Yet there’s a layer of self-deprecation that keeps it lively and fresh. It is funny and crude, but tense and gripping, and as such, it is a roundly entertaining, solid spy thriller.”
Empire Magazine (5/5)
“Flying as far below the radar as its cast of unlikely super-spies, this horse is more dark than slow — a beautifully crafted prestige drama that would be more than worthy of a prime-time slot on BBC One. If you’ve ever toyed with a subscription to Apple’s streaming service, this should be reason enough to bite the bullet.”
The i (4/5)
“Where spy dramas so often feel far-fetched, Slow Horses treads an admirable line in believability – if someone’s finger is on a trigger, there is dirt under the nails. But it’s the character dynamics that really sell it: with Veep and The Thick of It alumnus Will Smith at the helm, Slow Horses follows in the footsteps of those shows by luxuriating in the idea that the higher the office, the more dysfunctional the workplace.”
The Evening Standard (5/5)
“From the get go, this is nervy, visceral stuff but it still has heaps of fun letting all the players mercilessly banter each other into oblivion. The previous seasons set the bar high, but this is probably the best yet. And if you’re slightly frustrated that I’ve been extremely tight-lipped on what exactly happens, you’ll be thanking me instead of killing me as you enjoy it all unfold…”
The Telegraph (5/5)
“Is Slow Horses the perfect TV drama? I think it might be, you know. It’s clever. It’s fun. It combines the action scenes of a spy thriller with the joy of seeing a marvellously greasy Gary Oldman contemplating washing his armpits with Fairy Liquid.
“It’s on Apple TV+, which most people don’t have, but honestly – consider taking out a subscription just for this. No, I’m not getting a kickback. I just wish more people could see it.”
IGN (8/10)
“Apple TV+’s darkly comedic spy thriller Slow Horses continues to shine in its third season thanks to a strong mystery and dialogue sharply delivered by Gary Oldman and the rest of the show’s ensemble. The six-episode season never wastes a minute as it advances a twisty plot while leaving plenty of time to enjoy the company of its misfit MI5 agents.”
Paste Magazine (9/10)
“The third season now effectively dials back on some of the attempts at being too clever with a story that looks inward and keeps the action close to home, and it makes for an even more enjoyable viewing experience. But perhaps the best thing Slow Horses has going for it is its unique ability to inject humour into spy-craft.”
“In just 18 episodes, it’s displayed a remarkable ability to pick itself up when it loses key players like Olivia Cooke or Dustin Demri-Burns, replacing them without losing a step. That aspect allows for great unpredictability because it feels like no one except Oldman and Lowden is irreplaceable. It ups the stakes. The cast and direction are great but “Slow Horses” works largely because the writing is consistently stellar.”
The first two episodes of Slow Horses season 3 are now streaming on Apple TV+, with new new instalments arriving every Wednesday.