Gary Oldman’s incredible spy thriller just proved why it’s the best thing on TV

You might be surprised to learn that watching television for a living isn’t always fun.

It’s not that you have to sit through bad TV programmes, it’s that most of the stuff that comes across your desk is just pretty forgettable. 

My work life then is a blur of half-remembered BBC dramas, doomed Channel 4 game shows, and ITV reality shows from celebs trying to remain relevant.

So when you get to watch something good, it tends to stick with you, and Gary Oldman’s Apple TV show Slow Horses is very good.

In fact, it’s not just very good, it’s brilliant, and nothing proves this quite like the Slow Horses season 5 finale.

Warning: Slow Horses season 5 spoilers to follow.

Still with us after the spoiler warning? Fantastic, you’ve only yourself to blame from now on if things are ruined for you.

Anyway, what made the finale so good?

Well, not only did the sixth episode, titled Scars, manage to wrap up the overarching Libyan terrorist plot with the series’ trademark style and wit, but it also added new layers to some of our favourite characters and gave one of TV’s smuggest villains a much-deserved and incredibly cathartic pummeling.

What I admired most about the Libyan storyline was how it managed to take a rather grand plan to extort £100 million from the British government quickly becomes a far more intense and personal mission of revenge. 

Is it an excuse to give us an action scene featuring Jack Lowden’s River Cartwright? Yes.

Do I like watching Jack Lowden run about like an off-brand Tom Cruise? Absolutely.

With that in mind, though it was nice to see River, who’s spent this season being as useful as a candyfloss wig, finally remember he’s a competent field agent. 

Honestly, though, as much as I enjoyed the finale’s action and gags – my personal favourite was Jackson Lamb telling Tara ‘he’d take prison over dating Roddy’ – I think what made this episode so special was the character work. 

Two moments stood out to me. 

The first was Lamb’s final confrontation with First Desk Claude Whelan, during which the incompetent spymaster announced his plans to frame the Slow Horse for his own screw ups. 

It was a dastardly plan, and it might have worked if he’d remembered the London Rules – ‘cover your arse’.

Instead, he was blackmailed by Lamb, who was playing by Moscow Rules – ‘Watch your back’ – and made to take the blame. 

Seeing Whelan, who’s been slimier than a slug who neglected to use its deodorant this season, was sweeter than drinking a tea with six sugars and an immensely cathartic experience. 

However, it also allowed greater insight into Lamb’s character. 

Over the course of five seasons, we’ve come to know Lamb as a ruthlessly competent agent who, despite his gruff exterior, values the lives of his ‘Joes’ above all. 

In the final moments of the season finale, though, we see how protective Lamb can be and how, despite his protestations, he does like those around him. 

After all, why would a man who claims he values ‘peace and quiet’ above all else demand Molly and Roddy be reinstated? Why would he force Whelan out when he could have kept blackmailing him for years? 

The second standout moment of the episode is the reveal of Lamb’s terribly scarred feet. 

For those who’ve forgotten – although how could you forget Goldman’s breathtaking monologue – in episode 3, Lamb told a story about how an unnamed agent had endured terrible torture, including the murder of his pregnant lover during the Cold War. 

He explains how Soviet torturers would blowtorch their victims’ feet and then make them stand for hours. 

The scars we see at the end then give us a glimpse of why Lamb is the way he is.

He was a man who endured unimaginable horrors for his MI5 and now sees it run by people who are so inept you wouldn’t trust them to run a bath, let alone protect a country. 

I liked the reveal a lot, and I admire writer Will Smith for just giving us a peek at Lamb’s backstory without going the whole hog and ruining his mystique. 

Finally, there’s one more reason I think Slow Horses is the best thing on TV. It doesn’t disappear for three years after each season.

And sure enough, the episode closed with a look at season six, which looks like it’s going to be the most intense outing yet for the Slow Horses. 

So there we have it. The Slow Horses season 5 finale is great because it balances humour, action and great character work, plus I already know it’s coming back. What’s not to love? 

But you didn’t need me to tell you this. After all, saying that Slow Horses is a great spy thriller is a bit like saying water is wet, air is breathable, or you can’t trust people who post on LinkedIn. 

Slow Horses is available to stream now on Apple TV.

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