I’ve only just hitched my wagon to Slow Horses – but I’m loving the ride

There is definitely still a great deal of television, despite the fact that peak television has officially reached its peak. In spite of the fact that my profession requires me to watch as many television shows as I possibly can, there are moments when I feel as though I am only able to take in the very top of the iceberg. Just when I believe that I have a decent handle on things, someone will send me an email saying, “Lou Diamond Phillips gives the performance of a lifetime in Not Without My Carrots, exclusive to the new Google Maps streaming platform, starting at just £75 per month,” and I will be placed back in the beginning of the process.

The point I’m trying to make is that it’s inevitable that we will all forget things from time to time. Nevertheless, I have to admit that I am feeling a little bit stupid about the fact that I have only recently been aware of Slow Horses.

In justification of myself, I was aware that Slow Horses existed. I just couldn’t bring myself to watch it because I am stubborn in the traditional sense. I made the decision that there are an excessive number of streaming platforms, each of which is too greedy to take a bite out of my pay. I began acting as if the new ones did not exist a while ago, and I have continued to do so ever since. What about BritBox? Sorry, but no. A Plus for Paramount? There is no record of her. What is Apple TV+? The only reason I’m not going to do it is because of how awkward it appears with a question mark after it.

But I have given in. Over and over again, I had heard nothing but praise for Slow Horses. The reviews are overwhelmingly positive, and it has a legion of devoted followers. According to a tweet that I came across not so long ago, if Slow Horses had been shown on BBC One rather than Apple, it would have been a huge success comparable to that of Line of Duty. I am unable to disagree with you now that I have seen it.

It is very clear that Gary Oldman is the primary attraction. The scope of Oldman’s brilliance is so extensive that, regardless of the medium in which you watch him perform, you get the impression that you are witnessing his most outstanding performance. This, however, appears to be the case in this instance. His Jackson Lamb, who is the leader of a division of spies who have all been sent to a grotty purgatory, is a fascinating character. He is a walking clutch of defence mechanisms that are designed to prevent anyone from ever getting near to him. He is both weary and nasty, and he has a flatulent temperament. To add insult to injury, he is hilarious with it. Towards the end of the first season, there is a significant set piece that involves him singing along to a song by the Proclaimers while being threatened with a pistol. I’ll be damned if it isn’t the most joyful thing I’ve seen on television in a very long time.

Incredible as it may seem, practically everyone else is on par with you. Through the use of exquisite comic timing, Jack Lowden, who is playing the character that is the closest thing to a protagonist, is able to undermine his heroics. Despite the fact that Rosalind Eleazar is the one who ultimately goes through the most of the show’s emotional beats, she is never brought down by them.

On the other hand, I am tempted to think that Saskia Reeves is the greatest of the bunch, and the reason for this is only due to the fact that she completely disappears into her part. The persona that Reeves portrays is one that is brittle, buried, and resigned, and she embodies it entirely. There has been a lot of talk about Slow Horses being a sleeper hit, and the fact that I’m only coming to it now seems to corroborate that. As a result, I’m hoping that Reeves will eventually receive the awards acclaim that she deserves for it after some time has passed.

It goes without saying that the show is not flawless, but that is not the case. The second season does not fit in with the rest of the series in a way that is entirely consistent; everything about it is a little bit odd. There is a strangely pleasant atmosphere, the Slough House crew is kept apart for the majority of it, the story threads come together too late, and even the lighting is a little bit too clean and bright. It is similar to a bizarre adaptation of Slow Horses, which was commissioned by ITV3 and broadcast on their channel. It is possible that I would have slept through this point if I had been following the show in the same manner as everyone else, viewing each episode in turn.

Nevertheless, I am relieved that this is not the case because the show is certainly moving forward at this point. The third and fourth seasons have discovered a certain swagger, as if all of the individuals involved are aware that what they are producing is truly remarkable. Mick Herron is able to produce Slough House novels and novellas at such a rapid pace that the program will not be in need of source material for a very long time. The fifth season was given the go-ahead in January, and there are more seasons that are on the way. The appropriate showrunner has been found in Will Smith, who has written comedic material for The Thick of It as well as a thriller in his novel Mainlander, which was published in 2015 and received a lot of positive reviews.

Naturally, there is a risk associated with living a long life. Writing Jackson Lamb by yourself must be like walking a tightrope: with each revelation that he is slightly nicer than you anticipated, there is a fear that his sharp edges may gradually erode and transform him into a farty Father Christmas. Nevertheless, that is a concern for a later time. This is without a doubt one of the most impressive things I’ve seen in a very long time. Make sure you don’t wait as long as I did to find out about it for yourself.