Gary Oldman has racked up countless iconic films and roles under his belt. The Dark Knight, The Fifth Element, True Romance, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and (of course) Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy come to mind. There is no role, however, that Oldman was born to portray more than cantankerous spymaster Jackson Lamb on Slow Horses. What’s even more telling is that Oldman is having the time of his life. He enjoys this darkly comedic series so damn much, and the audience has responded to such a level that a fourth season is forthcoming.
Apple TV+ knew that they had a thriller-hit on their hands, too. A built-in, book-reading audience who have already devoured Mick Herron’s Slough Horses book series praised this show through word of mouth, bringing to the fold additional viewers looking for both not-as-serious takes on spy thrillers and simmering tension. The thought of these purgatorial spies handling matters of grave national importance is part of this show’s appeal, and the tech giant departed their usual process by fast-tracking seasons that have landed in relatively rapid succession. Sure, the seasons are short in number of episodes, but viewers trust that they will keep coming, so let’s get down to what will roll out of these inept MI5 agents next.
Plot
This show delivers a respite from straight-up spy-thriller vibes with these f*cked up MI5 agents led by grumpy, farting Oldman. By the way, he adores that part of his character and has spoken about why James Bond won’t fart, which is a key (and bluntly illustrative) way in which Slow Horses stands apart from the Bond imitators and shoot offs. Credit for recognizing that value for TV goes to Will Smith (Veep) in adapting this series with a cadre of executive producers that include Graham Yost (Justified, Silo)
Jackson Lamb, shown above ^^^ in the fifth season, will continue presiding over his team of espionage specialists who are really sh*tty at their jobs. The subject matter will follow Herron’s fourth book, Spook Street, and “open with a bombing that detonates personal secrets, rocking the already unstable foundations of Slough House.” That is to say, the Slough House agents will find themselves embroiled within a terror attack in a shopping district, and additionally, River Cartwright’s acquisition of the “Footprint” file includes the lingering fact that copies do exist, and Smith has promised that there will be more to come from the River-Louisa dynamic while staying “true to the character dynamics of the books.”
Jack Lowden (who portrays River) spoke with Collider about Apple TV+ putting emphasis on keeping the setting true to the books as well, so we can expect that to stay consistent:
“I think what makes it fantastic is the fact that it’s a huge show, it’s Apple, it’s massive. They could go mad with this; they could take us to the moon, they could do stuff like that. That’s the age that we’re living in with things like this, but most of it is set within a very wonderfully built and designed shithole essentially. Everything is yellowing and falling apart, and absolutely not glamorous at all.”
What also isn’t glamorous? Jackson Lamb’s living space. Oldman told Indiewire to be prepared for “the first time we can see inside Lamb’s flat.” He suggested to Will Smith that not only would it be a place where “books are everywhere” but also, according to Oldman’s input, there’s probably “a leg broken on the coffee table, but he’s put the books to level it up.”
Additionally, Smith relayed to Collider that he is hopeful that this show will keep cranking out hit seasons for a long time, and Mick Herron is working on more source material:
“All I can say is Mick is working on the ninth book, and Gary has openly said he’d happily keep doing this for the rest of his career. So, we just have to cross our fingers that everything else lines up in the equation. The material’s there and the lead actor wants to do it.”
Fingers crossed, indeed, but for now, we’re lucky that these seasons are arriving rapidly even with Hollywood recently in disarray.
Cast
Gary Oldman will be joined by his usual cadre of inept colleagues with returning cast members including Olivia Cooke, Jack Lowden, Kristin Scott Thomas, Jonathan Price, Rosalind Eleazar, Steven Waddington, Saskia Reeves, and Paul Higgins.
Additions to the cast will be plentiful with Hugo Weaving, Joanna Scanlan, James Callis, Tom Brooke, and Ruth Bradley climbing onboard.
Release Date
Slow Horses will release two fourth-season episodes on September 15, followed by four more weekly episodes through October 2.
Trailer
Apple TV+ should release a teaser trailer soon, but for now, please enjoy Jack Bowden revealing how Gary Oldman falls prey to his jokes on set.
