Two seasons of pulpy, hilarious spy thrills in, Slow Horses is one of Apple TV+’s most appealing shows, a particular standout among their handful of British productions. On their third attempt, the series continues its interconnected case-per-season approach by following Mick Herron’s third Slough House novel, Real Tigers. These faithful adaptations by English writer/producer Will Smith ensure the wit and action of Herron’s story gets a proper depiction, and so far, Season 3 proves to be right in line with the last two.
‘Slow Horses’ Season 3 – ‘Real Tigers’
The cantankerous Slough House leader Jackson Lamb and his team have settled back into their typically unremarkable routines after their two recent involvements with national crises. But when one team member winds up kidnapped, the maligned spy division’s stake in rescuing their co-worker starts to spiral out of control into a web of conspiracies that involves the entire Security Service. Once again, all of Slough House is at the center of the action, and Lamb must think fast to save someone he cannot live without.
A Different Kind of Spy Show That Continually Delivers the Goods
For those still needing to start Slow Horses, one thing fundamentally distinguishes it from most other spy shows. While almost all depictions of espionage fiction are either wholly straight-faced or comedic, Apple TV+’s adaptation rides the line perfectly between the two genres. Genuine tension and character-based drama result from an advanced layering of spy twists and thrills, but the central design for the characters inherently brings humor to many situations.
At Slough House, these spies have all irreparably damaged their careers, not quite able to be fired but instead driven to quit through menial work and scapegoating for cover-ups. Smith embeds the humor expertly through witty quips and near-constant mistakes made on their missions, yet never treats it farcically like the well-known spy comedies.
‘Real Tigers’: Both More of the Same and Freshly Inspired
The third adaptation from Smith, helmed by a new director who nicely juggles dark and light visuals, starts with an instantly addictive return that will satisfy fans once more. While Cartwright began as the central focus of Slow Horses, the show delves into other characters with each passing episode, giving us more insight into Lamb, Standish, and Guy.
Kristin Scott Thomas in ‘Slow Horses’
The latter two get more focus in the season premiere, as does the villain, who quickly gets a humanized take that we have not yet seen from Slow Horses. Though plenty of mystery and twisty fun remains in Season 3, the bad guys here are already more morally complex, given key moments to shine in the two released episodes.
By the second episode, Cartwright is front-and-center again, making for one of the show’s most amusing blurs of full agents vs. Slough House. Though all the themes are familiar by now, and no major character detours have yet come about, Slow Horses‘ third season is that much easier to get back into because of it. Returning viewers might be the target for the adaptation of Real Tigers, but the length of only six episodes per season makes for a quick watch for newcomers. The first two episodes of 2023 prove that this is currently one of the most bingeable shows.
Slow Horses is streaming now on Apple TV+.
