‘Slow Horses’ Thrills in Season Two
Gary Oldman in Slow Horses | Credit: Apple TV+
The team at Slough House is back again to solve a new mystery. When a former agent is found dead, Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman) investigates and unravels a web of conspiracies stretching back decades.
Though the story is very different than the first season, this show continues to be an effective mix of humor and action. It’s another great spy story following unlikely heroes that you want to root for.
In the first season, the members of Slough House kind of stumbled into the conspiracy that they unraveled. Our expectations of them were low because they were the outcasts of MI5.
In the second season, our heroes are split up, each group pursuing its own thread. Because we’ve watched the first season, we know that they’re better than the Park deems, but we still wonder if each group will be able to solve the puzzle that they’re working on.
With such competent forces working against them, will our heroes be able to overcome the odds?
Kadiff Kirwan and Rosalind Eleazar in Slow Horses | Credit: Apple TV+
An important aspect of any spy story is competent and compelling antagonists. If our heroes are up against incompetent bad guys, the story isn’t as tense. But if the foes are the right blend of mysterious and talented, it can help make the story even more compelling.
This season of Slow Horses maintains a good balance between the villains being both intelligent and shadowy. The mystery that our heroes have to unravel stretches back decades. Lamb and the rest of the team aren’t quite sure who they’re searching for; in fact, they seem to be searching for a myth.
Watching your heroes chase after a shadow is pretty thrilling, especially when they’re convinced they are correct and everyone else is certain they’re wrong. This adds additional tension throughout.
Slow Horses also operates under the principle that no one is safe. This is a spy show, after all. Our heroes are in a very dangerous profession. They are paid to put their lives in danger and given the tools to hopefully mitigate that risk. But even the best precautions can’t always protect those in dangerous situations.
In the first two seasons of this show, important characters have been harmed and even killed. The message is very clear: no one is safe in this show.
After seeing characters killed off, it makes me appreciate how unique a position Jackson Lamb is in. He’s lived a lot of life, gone on many dangerous missions, and is still relatively healthy. He’s probably seen too many colleagues and even friends perish over the years; no wonder he’s so jaded.
The ruthlessness of Slow Horses makes each episode more exciting. No one is safe, so they are all in danger at all times. This is a necessary component for a spy thriller. And when they aren’t quite sure who they’re fighting against, it makes things even more exciting.
Christopher Chung and Aimee-Ffion Edwards in Slow Horses | Credit: Apple TV+
Like the first season, Slow Horses is hilarious. Jackson Lamb is still the same irreverent character that we came to grow and love in the first season. He continues to get himself into tight situations that he manages to escape with a cheeky word and some witty maneuvering.
But Jackson isn’t the only one with hilarious moments. Each of the characters brings their own unique humor to this show, making their interactions really sparkle.
Slow Horses is a really fun show that brilliantly combines spy thrills and witty dialogue. Our heroes stumble on yet another conspiracy where they’re not sure who to trust. And there are some dire consequences throughout.
I can’t wait to see what the next season has in store!