Amazingly, Slow Horses just got even better! Here’s why you have to watch season 5 of the spy thriller tonight

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While *Severance* and *Ted Lasso* have received a lot of Emmy recognition, many fans believe the Apple TV+ series *Slow Horses* is the platform’s best show. This London-based spy drama is a consistently excellent, witty, quick-moving, and sometimes delightfully strange adventure that has delivered four strong seasons.

Season five is now available, and it’s the strongest yet! The show features clever political intrigue and a brilliantly funny performance by Christopher Chung as the hilariously self-deceived Roddy Ho. Plus, there’s a truly unforgettable moment – a “weaponized fart” involving the spy Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman) – something you wouldn’t expect to be a standout scene in any other series, according to showrunner Will Smith.

Like past seasons, season five centers around Lamb and his team of unconventional MI5 agents. This includes Roddy, a skilled computer hacker, Catherine Standish, who used to work in office administration, and field operatives Shirley Dander, River Cartwright, and the enigmatic JK Coe.

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Everyone at Slough House is wary when Roddy announces he’s dating someone glamorous – as Lamb observes, it’s unusual when a woman enjoys his company. Soon, Roddy’s surprising romance becomes tangled in a larger conspiracy. He narrowly avoids being hit by a van, and a shooting occurs elsewhere in London, all happening during the mayoral election.

When a group of failed spies starts digging into a case – despite opposition from their superiors at MI5, Diana Taverner (Kristin Scott Thomas) and Claude Whelan (James Callis) – they uncover a larger conspiracy. This pulls in London mayoral candidates Zahar Jaffrey and Dennis Gimball (played by Nick Mohammed and Christopher Villiers), and also involves MI5’s tough internal security agent, Emma Flyte (Ruth Bradley).

This season of the show is based on Mick Herron’s fifth Slough House novel, *London Rules*. It includes beloved scenes from the book, such as a funny and surprising conversation between River and JK Coe, and largely follows the original plot. The adaptation does make one change: locations originally outside of London have been moved to the city.

Viewers who enjoyed Jack Lowden’s character, River, might be a little let down by his reduced role this season. While his connection to Frank Harkness (Hugo Weaving), revealed at the end of last season, is a major plot point, River still manages some genuinely funny moments. Surprisingly, he provides just as many laughs as Gary Oldman’s Jackson Lamb – who continues to be both repulsive and endearing – and the new comedic addition, James Callis.

Saskia Reeves and Kristin Scott Thomas continue to deliver their signature dry wit, and both actors have strong scenes. Aimee-Ffion Edwards also shines in a couple of exciting action sequences, portraying Shirley as she still grieves the loss of her colleague, Marcus, from the previous season.

Ultimately, Roddy Ho, played by Chung, steals the show in season five. He’s a character with a huge ego who genuinely thinks he’s a ladies’ man, even though he’s incredibly irritating.

He’s a wonderfully frustrating and funny character – whether he’s pretending to be tough during questioning or hilariously failing with a weapon. He makes an already great show even better.

The fifth season of Slow Horses begins streaming on Apple TV+ on September 24th, with new episodes released each week. You can also watch seasons 1 through 4 on Apple TV+.

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2025-09-24 10:19