The BAFTA and Emmy Award-winning show Slow Horses has finally returned for its fifth series and to say that we’re excited is an understatement. Honestly, we’ve been counting down the days since that dramatic series four revelation (more on that later) and wondering what its consequences will be for Jackson Lamb, River Cartwright and the rest of the gang at Slough House.
In a smart (but frustrating) move, Apple TV have decided to release episodes weekly to build suspense and boy is it working. That does however leave the question of what to do in our free time between episodes.
If, like us, you’re keen to fill it with as much Slow Horses content as possible, stick around.
We’ve got the lowdown on the cast of Slow Horses as well as reminders about what happened in the four previous instalments of the hit action-comedy series.
Here’s everything you need to know about Slow Horses series five.
What is Slow Horses about?
Based on the novels by Mick Herron, Slow Horses is a TV series technically classed as a ‘spy thriller’ but that doesn’t even begin to cover the versatility of this show. In what other spy thriller would you have farting and poor hygiene as one of the main characters traits?
Slow Horses is a funny, gripping rollercoaster of a series that follows a disgraced MI5 unit, nicknamed Slough House, that works under the supervision of Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman) - an MI5 legend who, for what of a better phrase, can’t really be arsed anymore. But don’t underestimate his lack of enthusiasm for a lack of ability.
Who stars in Slow Horses series five?
Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb
The name Gary Oldman will likely ring a bell for many of you - after all, the man is an Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA and Emmy Award winner. However Gary is known for taking on transformative roles, so chances are you won’t have recognised him.
An actor of great range, Gary has done everything from franchise films (the Harry Potter series as Sirius Black and The Dark Knight trilogy as James Gordon), historical epics (he won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Sir Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour) and comedy (any Friends fans? He played the drunk soldier that delays Joey in getting to Monica and Chandler’s wedding).
Gary’s personal life is no less interesting than his acting career, having been married five times. His first marriage was to actress Lesley Manville (Mrs Harris Goes To Paris) with whom he shares son Alfie, then Gary was married to American actress Uma Thurman (Kill Bill) for two years. Following an engagement to Isabella Rossellini (Conclave), Gary tied the knot model Donya Fiorentino, with whom he had two sons Gulliver and Charlie. Next came the singer Alexandra Edenborough and now finally writer Gisele Schmidt – with whom he lives in Palm Springs, California.
Jack Lowden as River Cartwright
Another versatile actor, Jack Lowden is known for both his film and TV work.
Jack’s role in the 2016 War & Peace miniseries saw him lauded for his role as Nikolai Rostov. He’s also appeared in Wolf Hall as Thomas Wyatt and The Gold as Kenneth Noye. Looking to the future, he’s set to star in the upcoming Pride and Prejudice series as Mr Darcy alongside Emma Corrin as Elizabeth Bennet.
When it comes to films, Jack is known for playing Lord Darnley in Mary Queen of Scots (2018) and it was whilst filming the historical drama, that he met his now-wife Irish actress Saoirse Ronan - with whom he welcomed a baby earlier this year. Other films of Jack’s include Dunkirk, Benediction and Fighting with My Family.
Rosalind Eleazar as Louisa Guy
2025 marked Rosalind’s first lead role playing Detective Inspector Kat Donovan in the TV adaptation of Harlan Coben’s Missing You. Prior to that you may have seen Rosalind in shows like The Class of ’09 as Dr. Vivienne McCann and Harlots as Violet Cross.
Rosalind made her film debut in the 2019 adaptation of Charles Dickens’ The Personal History of David Copperfield. She played Agnes alongside some major British stars like Dev Patel, Ben Whishaw and Peter Capaldi among others.
Saskia Reeves as Catherine Standish
Saskia made her film debut in 1990 as Antonia McGill in Antonia and Jane alongside Imelda Staunton as Jane, and has since starred in a plethora of films including The Outrun in 2024 – which was produced by her Slow Horses co-star Jack Lowden with his wife Saoirse Ronan in the lead role.
Whilst playing Catherine Standish in Slow Horses is undoubtedly her most famous role, you may have also seen Saskia in series three of Shetland or the 2020 underrated comedy-drama series Us alongside Tom Hollander.
Christopher Chung as Roddy Ho
Having first come to attention when he starred as Archie Wong in Waterloo Road, Christopher has more recently starred in an episode of Doctor Who and the 2024 Steve McQueen hit Blitz. The lead of Blitz? It was of course Saoirse Ronan in yet another Slow Horses connection!
Aimee-Ffion Edwards as Shirley Dander
Welsh actress Aimee-Ffion Edwards came to public attention when she starred in Skins as Sketch. Since then, you may have spotted her in TV series like Luther as Jenny Jones, Peaky Blinders as Esme Shelby aka the wife of John Shelby (Finn Cole) and Detectorists as Sophie.
Also, if you’re still convinced that you’ve seen Aimee in something else but you can’t quite work out what, Aimee does have a celebrity doppelgänger (at least to us) in the form of Jessie Buckley. Jessie has starred in multiple films over the years including two with Olivia Coleman - Wicked Little Letters and The Lost Daughter.
Tom Brooke as J.K. Coe
No stranger to a series about detectives, you may have recognised Tom Brooke from his role as Bill Wiggins in Sherlock or as Andy Apstead in Bodyguard. Tom has also appeared in the series Preacher as Fiore.
Jonathan Pryce as David Cartwright
An absolute acting legend, Jonathan Pryce boast two Tony awards, two Laurence Olivier Awards as well as nominations for an Academy Award, three BAFTAs and five Emmys. Oh, and he has a knighthood for services to drama which he was awarded in 2021.
It was for his portrayal of Pope Francis in The Two Popes that Jonathan received his first Oscar nomination, having previously starred in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise films as Elizabeth Swann’s (Kiera Knightley) father Governor Weatherby Swann. He also played the villain in Tomorrow Never Dies – Peirce Brosnan’s second outing as James Bond. The pair recently teamed up for the Netflix film adaptation of Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club.
When it comes to TV, Jonathan’s most critically acclaimed roles have been his portrayal of Prince Phillip in The Crown, Thomas Wolsey in Wolf Hall and the High Sparrow in Game of Thrones.
Kristen Scott Thomas as Diana Taverner
Although she may have recently admitted in an interview that people have become terrified of her thanks to her icy portrayal of Diana Taverner, the MI5 Deputy Director-General and Head of Operations, Kristen Scott Thomas has played plenty of likeable characters throughout her career.
She won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Four Weddings and a Funeral and was nominated for Best Actress for her role in The English Patient – an epic romantic war drama film which she starred in alongside Ralph Fiennes. Prior to Slow Horses, Kristen actually worked with Gary Oldman in Darkest Hour playing Clementine Churchill to his Winston.
Kristen’s TV career is less extensive, but who can forget her incredible cameo as Belinda Friers in an episode of Fleabag? In fact, that iconic moment saw her nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.
Ruth Bradley as Emma Flyte
Irish actress Ruth Bradley has starred in plenty of well-known TV series over the years as well as Slow Horses. We’re talking the Gemma Chan-led show Humans as DI Karen Voss, the Gillian Anderson-led The Fall as Wallace, the Mark Bonnar-led Guilt as Angie Curtis and the Jason Sudekis-led Ted Lasso as Ms Bowen.
James Callis as Claude Whelan
James Callis is probably best known for playing Bridget Jones’ best friend Tom in the Bridget Jones film franchise – the most recent of which, Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy, was released last year.
You may also recognise James from his role as Dr. Gaius Baltar in the hit series Battlestar Galactica and its many spin-offs. Then there’s the BBC The Musketeers adaption in which he played Emile Bonnaire and Blood & Treasure in which he played Simon Harwick.
Who is joining the cast of Slow Horses for series five?
Nick Mohammed as Zafar Jaffrey
This isn’t the only TV series that Nick Mohammed is currently starring in as he’ll be on our screens imminently in the first UK series of The Celebrity Traitors. His celebrity credentials come from his role as Nathan Shelley in _Ted Lasso_and the Sky One comedy series Intelligence which he created and subsequently starred in alongside Friends’ David Schwimmer.
If the name Nick Mohammed isn’t ringing a bell though, maybe his comedy alter-ego Mr Swallow will. Nick has done plenty of stand-up tours and TV appearances as Mr Swallow.
Christopher Villiers as Dennis Gimball
Leaving his soap start behind him having played Grayson Sinclair on Emmerdale from 2006-2008, Christopher Villiers has played a huge variety of characters throughout his career including Steve in the Gwyneth Paltrow-led film Sliding Doors and Sir Carmichael Clarke in The ABC Murders.
What happens in Slow Horses series five?
When a gunman open fires, killing - among others - a campaigner for London mayor Zafar Jaffrey (Nick Mohammed) who is running for re-election against Conservative MP Dennis Gimball (Christopher Villiers), MI5 believe there could be a political motive for the shooting and decide to investigate.
Meanwhile at Slough House, everything seems to be plodding along as usual. Except for the fact that Roddy Ho (Christopher Chung) has managed to find himself a girlfriend. Naturally the rest of the team become suspicious by this development and, led by Shirely (Aimee-Ffion Edwards) do some investigating of their own.
What book is Slow Horses series five based on?
The five series is based on Mick Herron’s fifth book in the Slough House saga called London Rules.
What happened in Slow Horses series four?
Let’s recap the fourth series of Slow Horses. Beginning with a bomb going off in a busy shopping centre, the Slow Horses eventually discover the a man named Frank Harkness (Hugo Weaving) is the mastermind behind the event. Oh, and he’s also River Cartwright’s (Jack Lowden) biological father.
What happened in Slow Horses series three?
Let’s recap the third series of Slow Horses. When Catherine Standish (Saskia Reeves) is kidnapped by a rogue MI5 tiger team hired to test security, it soon becomes clear that the tiger team have gone even more rogue than expected. In reality, they’re using the kidnapping to try and get into the ‘Footprint’ file which contains evidence of an unbelievable MI5 cover-up.
What happened in Slow Horses series two?
Let’s recap the second series of Slow Horses. When former MI5 agent Dickie Bow (Phil Davis) is found dead on a bus, the initial diagnosis of heart attack is dismissed by Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman) who is convinced that a Russian sleeper agent network codenamed Cicada is active again.
What happened in Slow Horses series one?
Our first introduction to Slough House came in series one when River Cartwright (Jack Lowden) botched a test exercise and was demoted to the MI5 offshoot. Eager to prove himself to Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman), he begins to investigate a kidnapping by the far-right group known as Sons of Albion.
Is Slow Horses worth watching?
Of course! Are the multiple BAFTA and Emmy Award nominations not evidence of that? What about the many glowing reviews of the show?
Will there be a sixth series of Slow Horses?
Slow Horses has already been recommissioned for a sixth and seventh series, the sixth of which has already been filmed. In fact, once you get to the final episode of series five, you’ll be able to watch a trailer for series six which is based on the book Joe Country by Mick Herron.
And we can expect plenty more where that came from because there are in fact already nine novels in the Slough House franchise. The ninth novel, titled Clown Town, was released early this year.
When does Slow Horses series five air?
The first episode of Slow Horses series five called Bad Dates aired on Wednesday 24 September and the rest of the episodes (there are six in total) will air weekly.
Episode two, Incommunicado, will air on 1 Oct; episode three, Tall Tales, on 8 Oct, episode four, Missiles, on 15 Oct; episode five, Circus, on 22 Oct and episode six, Scars, on 29 Oct.
Where can I watch Slow Horses series five?
Series one to five of Slow Horses is available exclusively on Apple TV+.
Daisy Hall became a writer for TVChoice after realising that she could make a career out of her incredible ability to extensively name an actor's credits when they randomly pop up in whatever she's watching. Her friends find it infuriating, but hopefully you find it useful!