Chris Connor reviews the season 5 finale of Slow Horses…
Slow Horses has steadily been building momentum across its fifth season, culminating in another explosive finale that sees the end of Will Smith’s tenure at the helm. The truth around Tara and her accomplices comes out, threatening to destablise the UK’s security services unless their £100 million ransom is paid. The opening sequences with Lamb and Standish trying to stop Tara without further casualties are expertly handled, Lamb again proving his expertise at defusing a situation as only he can.
This isn’t the end of the affair however with a place of worship threatened. Coe and Lamb deduce that the target could be the Abbotsfield memorial, being attended by The Mayor. This leads to a frantic race against the clock and thrilling denouement with River and Shirley proving their worth and the Slow Horses once again saving The Park’s bacon.
Many of the dangling plot threads are resolved neatly with a showdown for the ages between Claude and Lamb. Claude has throughout his time as First Desk made clear his intention clear to close Slough House for good. Of course this being Lamb, Claude doesn’t have the aces up his sleeve that he thinks and the ping pong exchanges between the pair and mental chess are a delight with James Callis and Gary Oldman on top form.
It is a thrilling, satisfying conclusion to another strong season for the show. Even with more changes to the source material than in previous seasons, the show has retained the wit and spark of Mick Herron’s work with Will Smith bowing out in style, ushering in a new era for the show.
Fans can rest assured however that Cartwright Jr., Lamb, Taverner and co aren’t going anywhere anytime soon with season 6 teased at the end here and a seventh season in development and Herron continuing to pen mainline and adjacent entries in the series, it has the potential to run for a good few years yet while there is a receptive audience.
Chris Connor
Originally published October 29, 2025. Updated October 31, 2025.
