The Best Spy Show On Streaming Finally Gives You A Reason To Open Apple TV+
It's a cruel reality that the best spy series on television right now is on one of the least popular major streaming services. I'm guessing a lot of people ditched their Apple TV+ subscription after the whole "Ted Lasso" phenomenon came to an end, but if you enjoy spy fiction with spectacular performances, "Slow Horses" is absolutely worth renewing that subscription.
Based on Mick Herron's novels, the show is set in modern day London and centers on Jackson Lamb, an MI5 agent who's been put in charge of Slough House, a broken-down, off-the-beaten path building where agents are sent when they've seriously screwed up their careers. Lamb — a slovenly, disgusting, unwashed mess of a man who also happens to be an excellent spy — is portrayed perfectly by Oscar winner Gary Oldman. It's a role he seems to have been born to play: Lamb is the type of hyper-competent boss who constantly berates his f***-up employees (nicknamed "slow horses" by the more respectable branch of MI5), but his gruff demeanor hides a loyalty and protectiveness that makes the character incredibly endearing.
Slow Horses is the spy show I didn't know I needed
I like (most of) the James Bond movies as much as the next person, and a smattering of other spy movies occasionally makes its way into my media diet, but "Slow Horses" is different. This may be the platonic ideal of a spy show for me thanks to the way showrunner Will Smith (not that one) checks practically every box: There are well-drawn characters I'm emotionally and intellectually invested in, clever plots, people regularly getting backed into "how the heck are they going to get out of this?" situations, backroom dealmaking, strong rivalries, political power grabbing, and thrilling action set pieces. Plus, there have only been three seasons so far, and each season consists of only six episodes that average around 45 minutes, so it's easy to catch up. Even better, the seasons come out extremely quickly — while some shows take literal years off between seasons, there have already been three season of "Slow Horses," and the show only premiered in 2022. (Season 4 is rumored to arrive later this year.)
I spoke about this fantastic show on today's episode of the /Film Daily podcast, which you can listen to below:
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