Slow Horses creator defends one “shock” element of the beloved show – and why it’s necessary

Mick Herron, the author who created the popular show *Slow Horses*, has explained and justified a surprising plot point, stating why it was important to include.

The Apple TV+ spy series, inspired by Mick Herron’s *Slough Horses* novels, centers around a team of flawed MI5 agents led by Jackson Lamb, played by Gary Oldman.

The popular and highly praised drama has aired four seasons and will premiere its fifth next week. Throughout the series, several main characters have died.

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Herron discussed the significant character deaths in the show, explaining why he believed they were crucial to the story.

In a recent Q&A session for season five at the BFI Southbank, creator Chris Herron explained to the Radio Times his willingness to eliminate key characters from the show.

I feel bad for the actors, honestly! The creator, Herron, explained that he initially thought the story would *need* some really intense stuff to feel real. He wanted to write a thriller about people in risky jobs, even if those characters weren’t supposed to be the main action heroes, and that meant things had to get dangerous for them.

Herron explained his decision to have characters die by saying it prevented the story from becoming too lighthearted and more like a comedy series.

Herron explained that he killed off certain characters to delve into the theme of grief, and to show how loss impacts those who remain.

He explained that he specifically wanted to explore the experience of grief, starting with the death of a key character.

He explained he wanted to explore how the other characters would react to losing one of their own, showing a range of emotions from deep sadness to complete indifference, like Roddy (Christopher Chung) who wouldn’t care at all.

The sixth season of *Slow Horses* will begin streaming on September 24th with the first two episodes available immediately. New episodes will then be released each week until October 22nd.

Slow Horses season five premieres on 24 September 2025.

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2025-09-19 23:19