Slow Horses
Credit: Apple TV
The latest season of Apple TV’s espionage thriller opens with a threat directed at the entire Slow Horses roster—past and present. Struan Loy (Paul Higgins), expelled from Slough House in Season 1 for betraying his colleagues to the Park, reemerges under quieter circumstances. He now teaches martial arts to children and pursues a dubious scheme involving shipping containers as housing, but his exile offers little protection.
Murder Was The Case That They Gave Me
Loy’s reunion with his killers—Jim (Kyle Soller) and Jane (MyAnna Buring), two dispassionant contract operatives—ends in tragedy. After sharing a drink in his container home, they douse the liquor, force him to the floor, and set the structure ablaze, sealing the door behind him. His death is brutal and sudden.
The brutality continues moments later when the same assassins target another former Slough House agent, striking her down on her riverfront patio and submerging her in the water with practiced indifference. The choice of unconventional locations raises questions, though the methodology suggests this is about more than geography.
As Jim and Jane move down their list, the identity of their next mark becomes clear: River (Jack Lowden). His current emotional state—grief-stricken and distracted—makes him vulnerable, though complications are already mounting.
Sid (Olivia Cooke) survives the premiere, returning for Season 6 after her absence in Season 1. While she is not the immediate target, her reappearance likely connects to the broader conspiracy. Her survival offers little comfort, given the precision of the killers.
River’s troubles deepen with the death of his grandfather, David Cartwright (Jonathan Pryce), a former First Desk at MI5 known to Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman) as the “Old Bastard.” At the funeral, River clashes with current First Desk Diana Taverner (Kristin Scott Thomas), who has finally ascended to the role she long coveted. Beyond the mourning, a systemic anomaly emerges: Slough House has been erased from MI5 records. Paychecks have ceased, and Catherine’s (Saskia Reeves) inquiry to Moira Tregorian (Joanna Scanlan) reveals the erasure was a directive from the highest levels.
Slow Horses
Credit: Apple TV
A Gloomy Beginning To Season 6
The premiere establishes a bleak tone. Overcast skies and a pronounced blue-green color grade dominate the palette, creating an atmosphere of unease that feels distinct from earlier seasons. Amid the gloom, however, flashes of dark humor persist.
Coe (Tom Brooke) delivers the season’s standout comedic beat when he strikes an estate agent with a keyboard, convinced the intruder is there to kill them. Roddy Ho (Christopher Chung) remains sharp though somewhat subdued compared to his Season 5 prominence, while Louisa (Rosalind Eleazar) continues her absence from MI5—likely to be recalled once Lamb recognizes the scope of the threat.
The partnership between Coe and Shirley (Aimee-Ffion Edwards) proves intriguing given Coe’s reserved nature. The funeral itself provides levity when River’s eulogy for Cartwright—officially listed as Transportation division—becomes an awkward tribute to vehicles, sending Lamb into hysterics. Meanwhile, Lamb quietly disobeys Taverner’s orders by retaining the dossier on Loy’s death, later showing River the crime scene and tasking Roddy with investigating other former Slow Horses.
Verdict
The season opens with a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, and the premiere justifies the acclaim. By combining two source novels into one season, the show maintains its tight, filler-free momentum. The introduction of the assassins, Cartwright’s funeral, and Frank Harkness’s (Hugo Weaving) menacing return—culminating in a throat slash and a hood-clinging chase—set a blistering pace.
Mysteries multiply: Harkness’s motives, the systemic purge of Slough House, and whether Cartwright’s death is connected all demand answers. The renewal through Season 8 ensures more slow-burning tension ahead.