Slow Horses [Apple] (*SPOILERS*)

The Black Oil

Looks a little bonkers.

Kicks off on April 1.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9ZJChzPn0U&ab_channel=AppleTV

Slydice

I dunno. My reaction was the cast looks like an endorsement but it feels like it would need a solid writer and director.

Director James Hawes seems to be taking on his first whole project but has worked on some decently directly shows:

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0369949/

Book writer Mick Herron having his first adaption of his books: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm11145649/

Writer for the show Will Smith (not the Fresh Prince) looks to lean in the comedy direction: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0810337/

GreeBo

From the looks of that clip they are keeping pretty close to the books which is a good thing and the cast fits in with the characters so I'm looking forward to this one!

Critics Consensus says : Winner

Mix of comedy and gravity works

https://www.metacritic.com/tv/slow-horses/season-1

yabadabado

I watched the first two episodes and enjoyed them.

Nothing we haven't before.

Paddy@CIRL

Fan of the books, and this has been consistent with them so far. Enjoying it.

I do have concerns that you would have to have read the books to really appreciate it, though. There's only six episodes in this first season, and I don't think that's enough time to really flesh out Lamb & Co.

Agent Coulson

I'm enjoying it however it is no Spooks.

gmisk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118920270#Comment_118920270

A second season is already filmed and plans for more seemingly

gmisk

I have finished first three very enjoyable so far.

gmisk

Getting better and better just finished episode 5 only one more to go.

Spoiler Warning

I will say though can't believe the kidnapped guy didn't do anything when he had the chance at petrol station!

Agent Coulson

Enjoyable season over all and the trailer for season 2 looks good enough to give it a go.

gmisk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118999878#Comment_118999878

Very much agree....solid.

Really good ending!

Will watch season 2 plenty of stories to explore.

MVP (bar Kristin Scott Thomas) Saskia Reeves...terrific!

markw7

Have to echo the sentiments on here, brilliant show. Bodes well that there's a few books written already for this series so ample material for subsequent seasons.

Hopefully they won't leave it too long to release the already filmed season 2.

mewso

Excellent stuff. TV show of the year so far for me.

archfi

Totally enjoyable.

Gary Oldman was brilliant, great storyline. Terrific cast.

JP Liz V1

Apple TV+ has renewed their widely acclaimed spy drama ‘Slow Horses‘, starring Academy Award winner Gary Oldman, for seasons three and four before season two has even launched.

pixelburp

Watched the first two episodes of this and really liked it. It's a nice twist to have the main cast basically the worst, most incompetent dolts of MI5. Gary Oldman's performance is a shade too try hard but still fun all the same.

pixelburp

Finished this up and loved every minute; a really inventive approach to the espionage drama and threaded the needle so the Horses remained a bit useless by the end. Lamb and Standish had a great antagonistic chemistry, the former a great performance from Gary Oldman, really nailing the comedy and pathos of the failed spy. Was delighted to have a season 2 trailer play after the last episode's end

GreeBo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119285802#Comment_119285802

I don't think you could reasonably call Lamb "a failed spy"!

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119285846#Comment_119285846

Well, thinking of stature and his general personal grooming. He is obviously very astute and capable - but Slough House is the pits and his team barely functional. Which has been half the fun.

Agent Coulson

Season 2 trailer

Season 2 starts December 2nd.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rOPA8VfVn8&ab_channel=AppleTV

The Black Oil

That's a pretty quick turn around, from the first having arrived in April.

Agent Coulson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119766356#Comment_119766356

Both season were filmed back to back season two was finished before season one even aired.

pixelburp

Looking forward to it. Will be interesting to see how such monumentally useless staff will get drawn into bigger mysteries and threats each time. Could be one of those things that if it keeps happening, credulity is stretched.

archfi

Really looking forward to this

Agent Coulson

Season 2 starts tomorrow.

pixelburp

Excellent, can't wait. A surprising Best Of across the year.

OmegaGene

Just in the middle of episode 3 of the second series and really enjoying it

Agent Coulson

I'm enjoying this more than season 1 just for Gary Oldman stealing every single scene he is in.

The ending this week you could see coming a mile away.

pixelburp

Caught the first two episodes of season 2; it's such an eminently watchable show, and you gotta love this cast of total fúck-ups. They're all so lovably useless.

Min Harper though, easily the most hapless of the lot. He's so obviously out of his depth here but can't seem to accept it.

Also, feeling hungry after episode 2s tasty looking bacon sandwich, lol.

OmegaGene

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120002979#Comment_120002979

The ending was a bit meh

The bloke is a twat in the way he handled it, he’s more MIA than MI5

pixelburp

Finished episodes 3 and 4, and loving the tension of this. The scripts do such a good job of giving its cast just enough competency to move forward while always having that propensity for a fúck up to ensure they're no James Bonds.

And Jackson Lamb's provision of a takeaway number has to be his finest / shíttiest moment yet.

OmegaGene

The phone call was funny

siblers

I really enjoyed season 1 but im finding season 2 far better in terms of actual plot. Superb stuff so far

OmegaGene

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120047453#Comment_120047453

I think that’s because we know the characters having seen the first series

Pentecost

It's a top class show. I must have a look at the books.

OmegaGene

Very good ending and the next series looks good too

tinytobe

Loved every bit of this series and seen them all.

Only the idea of Slough House seems unrealistic at times. They would have fired them instead of putting them there in today's world, but maybe not in the 70ies or 80ies.

pixelburp

It has been said the thinking is that Slough House is intentionally so miserable it forces the agents to just quit. I've met folks who had companies do that to avoid sacking them - but have the books shared a rationale why The Park can't just fire the people?

Obviously the real answer is : so the stories can happen about a set of total fúck-ups, but curious if they are least came up with some justification.

Jackiebt

Excellent show, just finished the second season. Gary Oldman is brilliant as usual.

RickBlaine

I didn't even know this show existed last week and it's become one of my favourite shows after binging the two seasons. Everything is top notch. I like the irony of Gary Oldman playing both Lamb here and Smiley in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - two British spies whose appearance, character and personalities could not be more different but are still excellent at what they do.

Murt10

Never binge watched a full series (6 episodes) of anything in one sitting before. I wasn't really expecting anything special when I watched the first episode, but absolutely loved every minute of it,

I was more disciplined with season 2. Limited myself to 2 episodes a night.

Thoroughly enjoyed every minute of both series's

siblers

My only criticism is that there's only 6 episodes a season. Finished season 2 with a huge smile on my face, such a great cast and you really end up pulling for Lamb's crew

yabadabado

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120071356#Comment_120071356

6 episodes is short but they tip along at a good pace and no real filler.

I like the format.Never read the books but could they make a lot of these ?

Multiple seasons?

OmegaGene

Too many episodes per series would spoil it, it doesn’t get boring with pointless love scenes etc it’s perfect imo

cheese sandwich

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120047453#Comment_120047453

Agreed, the first series was good but the ploy was ho-hum. But you can’t go wrong with KGB sleeper agents

StupidLikeAFox

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120078270#Comment_120078270

I think there are 4 seasons planned in total

McGrath5

Only finished this over the weekend, another gem of a show on Apple TV Plus.

loyatemu

just finished series 2, it's brilliant and greatly helped by only being six 45 minutes episodes per series; it really rattles along. Glad to see also that

Spoiler Warning

Jonathan Pryce's character survived S2, thought he was a goner when the Russian showed up at his cottage.

Looking forward to S3 now.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120054206#Comment_120054206

I read elsewhere that Jackson Lamb is the name of a minor character in one of the Smiley books, so a nod from the author there. I've just bought the first book on Kindle, only €2.50 at the moment.

tinytobe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120223676#Comment_120223676

And who would that be? Toby Esterhase?

Cartman78

How many series have they filmed?

I'm guessing Season 3 is good to go.

Just rewatched Series 1 and enjoyed it even more the second time round.

Gary Oldman singing along to the Proclaimers in the Land Rover is epic 😂

There was a few things I hadn't originally noticed or forgotten that give more context to some of the events and relationships in Series 2.