Quick Read
- Season 5 adapts Mick Herron’s ‘London Rules’ and kicks off with a mass shooting in London.
- Louisa Guy leaves Slough House, marking a major cast change.
- Roddy Ho’s new romance is at the heart of a dangerous conspiracy.
- Jackson Lamb and his team are still reeling from Marcus Longridge’s death.
- Critical reviews remain strong, with a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Slow Horses Season 5: A Relentless Premiere and Political Intrigue
With the arrival of its fifth season, Slow Horses wastes no time plunging viewers into chaos. The opening episode, “Bad Dates,” launches with a cold open so gripping, it feels ripped from today’s headlines. A mass shooting in a London square, orchestrated with chilling precision, sets the tone—not just for the episode, but for a season where nothing and no one is safe.
Adapted from Mick Herron’s acclaimed novel London Rules, the show once again draws sharp lines between fiction and reality, using the backdrop of a heated mayoral election to dissect the anxieties of modern Britain. The narrative doesn’t tiptoe around its themes: terrorism, political gamesmanship, and the fragile state of public trust all collide in the first hour. As Digital Spy notes, this is a drama that remains “consistently brilliant” across five seasons, and now it’s pushing even further.
Slough House: Broken, Rebuilding, and More Vulnerable Than Ever
The heart of the show remains the misfit team at Slough House. Season 5 finds them battered by recent losses and haunted by the events of last season. Marcus Longridge’s death still casts a shadow over the group, especially Shirley Dander (Aimee-Ffion Edwards), whose raw grief and paranoia propel much of the episode’s tension. Dander’s suspicions about a van nearly running over Roddy Ho (Christopher Chung) echo the trauma of an office that’s been attacked before, and her relentless drive to connect the dots puts her at odds with colleagues dismissive of her warnings.
Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman), Slough House’s infamously slovenly spymaster, is both more abrasive and oddly more sympathetic than ever. He refuses to take the shooting seriously, brushing off Dander’s concerns while the team around him tries to process their own losses. Scenes of Lamb sleeping on a plastic-wrapped couch, quipping about his missing door, and dodging requests for Marcus’ gun offer a window into his complex leadership style—equal parts cynical and caring, even as he denies it.
River Cartwright (Jack Lowden), burdened by family tragedy, is barely holding it together. His grandfather’s declining health and the revelation about his father’s criminal past have left River adrift. Louisa Guy (Rosalind Eleazar), whose own traumas finally push her to leave Slough House, is given a poignant sendoff. Her departure is heavy with uncertainty—will she ever return, or is this goodbye for good?
Roddy Ho’s Romance: A Hilarious, Dangerous Thread
If the season’s emotional stakes are high, its comedic edge is sharper than ever. Roddy Ho, the group’s insufferable tech whiz, is at the center of a subplot that veers between farce and genuine menace. His sudden romance with Tara (Hiba Bennani) immediately raises suspicions—especially from Lamb, who jokes that nothing is more suspicious than a woman willingly spending time with Roddy.
But the laughs quickly give way to unease. As Roddy dances through the city streets (set to “Simply Irresistible”), Dander and Standish tail him, convinced his new girlfriend is somehow linked to the terror plot. Their surveillance leads to one of the episode’s standout sequences: Dander jumping from a balcony to tackle a man she suspects is an assassin, only to discover he’s just holding a beer. The show’s knack for balancing dark suspense with absurd comedy is on full display.
Roddy’s storyline isn’t just comic relief—it’s a key part of the unfolding mystery. Both Lamb and MI5’s Diana Taverner (Kristin Scott Thomas) suspect that Roddy’s dating life might be more than it seems, and as the episode progresses, it becomes clear that Tara’s intentions are anything but innocent. The episode ends on a cliffhanger, with Tara sending a cryptic text as Roddy enters his flat, suggesting danger is closer than anyone realizes.
Political Chess, Conspiracies, and the London Rules
Behind the chaos at Slough House, the larger machinery of British intelligence grinds on. Claude Whelan (James Callis) and Diana Taverner scramble to control the fallout from the shooting, wrangling the two mayoral candidates—Zahar Jaffrey (Nick Mohammed) and Dennis Gimball (Christopher Villiers)—as each tries to spin the tragedy to political advantage.
Whelan’s attempts at damage control are almost farcical. He misidentifies staff, steps on a rake while chastising Gimball’s wife, and struggles to keep the candidates focused. Jaffrey tries to maintain dignity, while Gimball leans into conspiracy theories, stoking public fears for political gain. The show’s biting satire of modern politics is as sharp as ever, with Tom’s Guide praising its “scathing dialogue” and ability to wrap complex plots in just six episodes.
Meanwhile, MI5 agent Emma Flyte (Ruth Bradley) digs deeper into the shooting, uncovering evidence of online radicalization and a mysterious second shooter who may have orchestrated the attack and then killed the gunman. Her investigation hints at a broader conspiracy—one that may connect the attacks, Roddy’s romance, and the political chaos enveloping London.
Emotional Fallout and New Beginnings
What truly sets Season 5 apart is its willingness to let characters fall apart—and try to rebuild. Standish (Saskia Reeves), Lamb’s loyal assistant, returns to the office but finds the old balance shattered. River and Dander, each dealing with loss in their own way, clash and connect in scenes that are both painful and tender. The episode doesn’t shy away from showing the toll that violence and betrayal take on these flawed, deeply human spies.
In quieter moments, the show explores themes of grief, loyalty, and the impossibility of closure. Louisa’s exit is a study in unresolved emotion—her final conversation with River is raw, awkward, and heartbreakingly honest. Even as she walks away, the possibility of return lingers, a testament to the show’s refusal to offer easy answers.
The production itself echoes these themes: Slough House is literally under construction, a physical metaphor for the team’s ongoing recovery. As FandomWire observes, “they’re rebuilding, but Lamb and his team have not finished their recovery, either literally or metaphorically.” The sense of incompleteness, of lives and missions left unfinished, pervades the episode.
Critical Reception and the Road Ahead
Early reviews for Season 5 are enthusiastic, with the show maintaining a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes (9to5Mac). Critics highlight its “taut political plotting,” emotional complexity, and the standout performances from Chung, Oldman, and Edwards. The adaptation stays true to Herron’s novel while making smart updates for the screen, including relocating some events to London for added immediacy.
Fans can expect more: filming on Season 6 is already complete, and production for Season 7 is underway. The franchise’s enduring appeal lies in its blend of sharp writing, unpredictable plotting, and the willingness to let its characters—and viewers—sit with uncertainty.
Slow Horses Season 5 doesn’t just meet expectations; it redefines them. By intertwining darkly comic character work with urgent, real-world stakes, the show delivers a premiere that is as daring as it is unsettling. The series’ refusal to offer easy resolutions or shield its characters from fallout keeps it fresh, relevant, and essential viewing for anyone seeking drama that feels both entertaining and true.