There’s nothing slow about AppleTV’s “Slow Horses” - an ode to the medium of television

Happy World Television Day everyone! Yes, it is a very real day, created by the United Nations, no less. As you’re keenly aware from my brief - but dare I say impactful - presence in the blogging sphere, I love TV. It is my favourite art form, and while it has been much more celebrated in recent years, it wasn’t always the respected medium that it is today. We owe this newfound appreciation to the second Golden Age of Television, a period that roughly began with “The Sopranos” in 1999 and includes shows like “Game of Thrones”, “Mad Men”, “Lost”, “Insecure”, and “Grey’s Anatomy” (which won Emmys back in the day if you can believe it). 

I once told a therapist that my hobby was watching TV and she suggested that I find a  “less passive” pursuit — and I’d never been more offended. There is nothing passive about the way I watch TV, ma’am. I’m invested in every pixel put to that small screen. TV is a writer-led medium and as such  impressive character development and propulsive plots are its central features.  To witness the unfolding of the intricate details of someone’s life over multiple hours is a privilege I take incredibly seriously. You get to see characters  react to their ever-changing made-up world, through near infinite experiences, and that is magnificent. I’ve lived so many lives, recovered from so much heartbreak and rallied forward to new and exciting adventures. Seeing their fallibility has allowed me to reckon with my own flaws, something of a  challenge for a Type A perfectionist. 

It is no easy feat to come up with stories for hundreds of hours and if people are going to do the hard work of creating these worlds, the least I can do is commit myself to them. In this day and age we’ve never had more TV - scripted and unscripted - but this number is decreasing, and I have spent a lot of time mourning a certain kind of television: low budget, digestible and frequent episodes, regular seasons. This year has felt especially tough but there has been some damn good television and today I wanted to celebrate one of those shows. Let’s dive in.

Now, I’m a contradictory person. I can admit that. I constantly bemoan the loss of TV shows with long seasons (I literally just wrote about how much I love the length of Korean dramas). Nevertheless, I think, with the right material, a six-episode season can be perfect and “Slow Horses,” an Apple TV+ show based on a book series, is a shining example.  (One thing about the British, they understand the pacing for such a structure.) The latest  season of Slow Horses — its fourth — definitely had its trickier moments, when the pacing dragged and the dialogue felt stilted, but I remained energized every week and its finale was electrifying. 

“Another phenomenal thing about the show is its commitment to character flaws remaining consistent despite development and growth.”

For the uninitiated (and who can blame you because how many people actually have AppleTV+ let alone know what they’re showing on there), “Slow Horses” is a spy dramedy that first aired on April Fools Day 2022. The premiere date was apt : The show revolves around a dysfunctional group of MI5 agents and their obnoxious,  and incredibly stinky,  boss, Jackson Lamb played selflessly by Gary Oldman. The cast also features Mr. Saiorse Ronan himself, Jack Lowden, as the show’s protagonist, River Cartwright (what a name!). 

The show has exceptional humour, great action sequences, deeply flawed characters you can’t help but love and, for a spy thriller, is actually rather silly. It is understandable, then, why critics and awards bodies alike love the show. Personally, one of the best things about “Slow Horses” is its out: There have been FOUR seasons since its premiere in 2022!   At the end of each season there’s a “coming up next season” preview because the showrunner, Will Smith (not that one), gets that we have strayed too far from God’s light, waiting two to three years for eight-episode shows that you binge in one weekend. On the Ringer’s “The Prestige TV Podcast,” Smith described a day in which his creative team were editing season 3, while also filming season 4 and writing season 5. That Kim Kardashian quote about nobody working? She was absolutely not talking about Will Smith. 

But back to the content: Another phenomenal thing about the show is its commitment to consistent character flaws despite development and growth, making characters feel more authentic. Jack Lowden’s River maintains his hero complex but demonstrates it in new and exciting ways in each season, making an otherwise predictable storyline feel thrilling. Like all humans, these characters are just trying to take their experiences and work with them. Progress is never linear and backsliding into old habits is a common occurrence for the “Slow Horses” brood. Some of the characters can be a tough hang but the wonder of TV is that you get to spend quality time with them, which – as in life — leads to empathy and understanding. 

This season was a bit expositional, which I understand is because the book it’s based relies heavily on characters’ internal thoughts. However, for much of the season I found myself a little bit underwhelmed given the vibrancy of the previous season. Watching the finale though I felt like an idiot for ever doubting Will Smith’s mastery — every plot cohesively fell together to deliver an action-packed, moving and suspenseful episode. The stakes were confirmed, character motivations were clearly outlined and  the action adeptly took centre stage. It was tense, unflinching, and rivalled some of the finest of “Game of Thrones”. To top it all off, it ended with the most comforting title card one could ever see “Coming up next season”.

Rating: Fun watch

Where to watch: AppleTV+ (sorry)