After a well-received first season (read our review here), Slow Horses is back for its second six-episode run of 2022. Despite some clunkiness in its storytelling, season one did a stellar job establishing its three main characters, as well as building up a world of betrayal and espionage. Therefore, it was never going to be easy to follow it up with something just as fresh and intriguing, even with Mick Herron’s novels there as inspiration. Nonetheless, that’s exactly what the cast and crew pulled off with season two, which is often more exciting than the six episodes that preceded it.

Based on the novel Dead Lions, season two’s story picks up a bit after where season one’s left off. Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman) remains as grimy and irascible as ever, River Cartwright (Jack Lowden) is still angling for a way out of Slough House, and Diana Taverner (Kristin Scott Thomas) continues to lord over MI5. Their lives are interrupted, though, when a former “Joe” (MI5 agent) is found dead on a bus. Although his death appears unremarkable, Lamb suspects foul play and puts his horses on the case. Before long, Lamb and River are drawn into a conspiracy involving Russian sleeper agents left over from the Cold War. Meanwhile, fellow horses Louisa (Rosalind Eleazar) and Min (Dustin Demri-Burns) are recruited by Taverner’s lackey, Webb (Freddie Fox), to run security for a secret meeting with a Russian oligarch.

The fact remains, if there’s one main reason to watch Slow Horses, it’s Gary Oldman. Jackson Lamb is fast becoming one of my favorite TV characters ever, and one of the primary reasons season two is so fun is that he’s front-and-center even more this time around. I’m not saying that I didn’t enjoy spending all that time with River earlier this year, but Lamb is more interesting and mysterious, and the writers really lean into that in season two. It makes sense to do so too, given that the season’s arc focuses on Cold War era spycraft, something a 60-year-old would know much more about than a guy half their age. Gary Oldman really gives it his all this season, bringing to mind his fantastic interpretation of George Smiley, albeit if Smiley were uncouth and unshowered. If Oldman is sincere about Slow Horses being his final project as an actor, then at least he’s going out on a thoroughly memorable bang.

Oldman doesn’t elevate season two of Slow Horses on his own, though, as the filmmaking/writing continues to be sharp and witty. Early on, there are some amusing scenes involving Lamb and River that made me smile from ear to ear. It’s simply a pleasure to watch their mentor-mentee relationship play out in the most unorthodox of ways. Later on, the season transforms when River heads off to the Cotswolds, removing him from Lamb’s oversight. At this point, the action picks up and the show reaches new levels of breathless entertainment. You see, we as the audience don’t quite know what the Russians are up to throughout most of the season. Because of this, when River goes off to the countryside and Lamb starts delving into the past, we know why they’re doing so but not what they’re going to find. We’re as in the dark as they are, and I was constantly riveted by it.

Concurrently, Louisa and Min are working their security assignment for Webb, assessing and surveilling the site of an upcoming, top-secret meeting with an oligarch who may become the next president of Russia. They eventually link up with the oligarch’s security detail, who immediately come off as suspicious, prompting Min to follow them. At first, I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy this subplot, but as it continued, I grew to admire how seamlessly it combined with the main storyline. Without giving anything away, Louisa and Min deal with the younger Russians, while in the meantime, Lamb and River investigate the old guard. But, are the young Russians somehow connected to the KGB sleepers? That’s the big question, and the writers let its answer, along with other reveals, arrive with near perfect pacing.

To put it simply, season two is a lot more espionage-ish than season one, benefiting from a le Carré-esque narrative. That said, this show, and the books upon which it’s based, are noticeably less cynical and clinical than le Carré’s work, meaning that its stories can be a bit more energetic and straightforward in their composition. While that’s often a very entertaining advantage, it also can work against Slow Horses. This became especially apparent to me when I reflected upon season two and realized that everything had to play out flawlessly in order for its events to occur as they did. Something as small as a character not being able to get their hands on a phone could’ve been the difference between a major plan succeeding or failing. It was almost as if certain characters had a god-like ability to predict precisely how other characters would maneuver. Again, stuff like this is very entertaining, but it’s simultaneously quite artificial. For a show that’s about an unwashed spymaster, this season’s story was surprisingly clean.

Another problem that plagues this season is an overall lack of Diana Taverner, who’s mostly absent from the first few episodes. She does become a player in the latter half, but even then, she’s not crucial to the proceedings like she was in the first season. This is a real shame, since Kristin Scott Thomas is an absolute force of an actress, and her chemistry with Oldman is off the charts. In season two’s weaker moments, I couldn’t help but notice that more of her would’ve lifted the story. The only good thing about her general absence is that it allows other actors, like new addition Rade Serbedzija, to feature more prominently. 

On the whole, Slow Horses neither improved nor worsened in its second season. It did, however, get a good deal more exciting, which is attributable to its espionage-focused storyline. If you’re a big fan of spycraft, especially involving Soviet subterfuge, then I cannot recommend this season enough. Also, Gary Oldman is still Gary frickin’ Oldman, so there’s that too. If the writers can find a way to cut down on the coincidences and contrivances in the future, then Slow Horses could become the best show on streaming. As it is now, though, it’s already the best show on Apple TV+.*

If I had to score it, I’d give season two of Slow Horses a 7/10.

Notes:

* Please don’t kill me, Ted Lasso fans.