Suggesting a traditional BBC police procedural or John le Carre adaptation by way of “The Blacklist” or “Killing Eve,” “Slow Horses” subverts the tried-and-true TV spy drama while expanding the reach of this limited appeal sub-genre.
If you haven’t yet seen the first three seasons, you don’t have to start from the beginning to get your bearings, although that certainly wouldn’t hurt. All four seasons are based on separate books, a fact taken to heart by British show-runner Will Smith. “Spook Street” provides this season’s source material.
It’s because of the revolving door cast, that Smith, his co-writers, and the directors can make each season a standalone production. Of the hundreds of performers with speaking roles since the series’ start, only four (Gary Oldman, Kristen Scott Thomas, Jack Lowden, and Rosalind Eleazar) have appeared in all 24 completed episodes.
Lamb the Slob
The title characters are MI5 agents who have faltered or failed in the field to various degrees, but not severely enough to warrant outright dismissal. They’re assigned to the Slough House, a rundown, off-the-grid hovel far away from MI5 headquarters in London. Upon arrival they’re assigned the most menial, second-rung chores by the slovenly and unkempt department head, Jackson Lamb (Oldman).
Under the orders of MI5 second-in-charge Diana Taverner (Scott Thomas), Lamb is told to treat those working under him with such disdain, discourtesy, and disrespect they’ll grow so frustrated and belittled they’ll simply resign. Sometimes this works but, most of the time, it doesn’t.
Off the Grid
The two title characters best fitting this description are River Cartwright (Lowden) and Louisa Guy (Eleazar). While both grudgingly perform grunt duties, they occasionally and unofficially go “off the grid”; they think this take-charge attitude will impress Lamb and Taverner, but it usually has the exact opposite effect.In keeping with the blueprint of previous seasons, “Spook Street” opens with a terror attack carried out by a mysterious entity coupled with a catastrophic event involving one of the Horses. Before the end of the opening episode, evidence surfaces that the Russians, the French, and freelance mercenary Frank Harkness (Hugo Weaving) could all be involved in both crimes.
A new addition to the primary regulars is James Callis as Claude Whelan, the recently installed, easily rattled MI5 director who is way out of his depth, something Taverner takes full advantage of at every opportunity.
Don’t Mess With Success
Randall’s biggest achievement here is in not messing about with what came before. As with the directors of the previous seasons (James Hawes, Jeremy Lovering, and Saul Metzstein, respectively), Randall strictly adheres to Smith’s vision of what the latter has described as the “anti-Bond.”This label is spot-on. Yes, there are some shared elements (espionage, international villains, double agents), but the franchises couldn’t be more different in approach and content.
Bond flicks are all about the title character; a model-handsome agent and full-time Lothario. Bond has access to state-of-the-art weapons and gadgets. He regularly escapes death in the most ludicrous and impossible-to-believe ways.
The Horses are scruffy and hard-bitten working-class agents. They’re distinctly unglamorous, eminently flawed, instantly relatable, and aware death could arrive at any time. In other words, they’re human.
If you have the time, start at the beginning, watch the three YouTube season summaries, or go in cold. But be warned: Once you start watching, you won’t be able to stop.
