'Slow Horses' Season 6 Review: This Strange Game Is Darker, Funnier, and Sharper Than Ever

It’s almost time to reunite with our favorite MI5 outcasts. Apple TV’s hit spy thriller Slow Horses is poised to return for its sixth season, and I had the privilege of watching the whole shebang. Adapting Joe Country and Slough House, the sixth and seventh novels in Mick Herron‘s Slough House book series, Season 6 is a well-crafted affair from start to finish.

‘Slow Horses’ Season 6 Kicks It Up a Notch

Our titular Slow Horses are on the lam this season, casting aside their drab office for the uncertainty of the road. That’s just a skimming of the surface (because, spoilers), but Season 6 is easily the darkest of the bunch. The narrative stakes are through the roof here. There’s a real sense of danger, and a cleverly-executed game of cat-and-mouse embedded in the DNA of this story.

The season artfully incorporates several wide shots of the characters, making it feel like they’re being watched. It certainly ramps up tension for us viewers and keeps us on the edge of our seats. The cinematography in general is the cherry on top of another stellar season of Slow Horses. It’s catnip for filmmaking nerds.

The Performances in ‘Slow Horses’ Season 6

While this season is unquestionably darker, that’s not to say it’s bereft of levity. It’s bursting at the seams with the show’s signature biting humor, with Gary Oldman leading the charge as the irascible Jackson Lamb. Lamb is at his Lamb-iest here, if that makes sense. You can tell that Oldman went no holds barred in Season 6—he clearly had a blast, and it shows in his scene-stealing performance.

Jack Lowden gets more screen time this season, and he continues to make the case for why he would be an excellent Bond. Lowden injects more layers and nuance into River Cartwright, giving us a complicated yet lovable portrait of a man simply trying to stay alive (to be fair, that’s every season).

Kristin Scott Thomas takes Diana Taverner down a perilous path in Slow Horses Season 6, and she doesn’t shy away from portraying every facet of the newly christened First Desk, warts and all. She can say so much without uttering a word.

The rest of the cast brings their A-game as usual, even if they don’t get as much screen time as they deserve. Perhaps that’s my one true complaint for this season. There are a lot of characters, most of them scattered to the four winds, and Season 6 struggles somewhat to juggle them all.

That said, having Rosalind Eleazar and Olivia Cooke back this season has been a balm for the soul. Louisa is such a crucial part of the Slow Horses crew, and it’s wonderful watching Eleazar’s dynamic with the rest of the cast. Without giving too much away, Cooke and Lowden are a delight together, with a natural, easygoing chemistry that translates well on screen. Hugo Weaving is also a force of nature as the formidable Frank Harkness.

Leaves Us Wanting More

Slow Horses Season 6 effectively builds on the central mystery, giving us enough narrative breadcrumbs to sustain us from episode to episode. It maintains a steady clip throughout, but it especially picks up tempo in the latter half, culminating in an explosive season finale. One particular sequence in the penultimate episode left me with my jaw on the floor.

This series manages to top itself with each new season, from its deliciously acerbic wit and high-octane action to its unique flavor of compelling drama. The finale tees us up for Season 7, and kids, it’s a doozy. Thankfully, Slow Horses blesses us with one season per year, so we won’t have to wait too long for the next chapter.

Slow Horses Season 6 premieres on Wednesday, Sept. 16, on Apple TV.