Episode Guide
Last Stop from Upshott is a small town in the middle of nowhere. It’s a place where love and drinking games are the main activities. Cicada Boardroom Politics is the main form of government. Old Scores are always being settled. ..
AppleTV users can now watch Slow Horses on their devices through the app, as well as on the website. The streaming service offers a variety of content, including original programming, live events, and documentaries.
Slow Horses is a solid show that has some narrative wobbles but it’s overall a strong offering. This second time around, the show feels much more assured in its storytelling and presentation.
Season 2 of the Slow Horses series adapts the second novel in the series, Dead Lions, and centers on sleeper Russian agents called Cicadas who are embedded in British society. When a former agent called Richard Bough is found dead on a bus after suffering a heart attack, the word “Cicada” written on his phone, Jackson Lamb brings his team together to find out exactly what’s going on. ..
As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that several different players are involved in various subplots that are woven into the main narrative. Min and Louisa are working security detail for an upcoming meeting between several Russians, while River is tasked with an undercover operation to try and sift out a sleeper agent in wait, heading to the sleepy village of Upshott. Back in London however, Catherine and Lamb have issues of their own to contend with.
The plot of this game is pretty basic, but it’s tense and exciting. However, there are some contrivances that can be found, and the ending is a bit abrupt. The characters in the game are interesting, but they are not used as much as they could be.
The showrunners have definitely taken the time to make this a more suspenseful and dark comedy-driven season. There are some genuinely funny moments on occasion, with one scene switching on a dime from sombre and heartfelt to outright funny from a single line of dialogue. There’s also an amusing recurring joke involving Jackson Lamb eating different food in each scene he’s in after it’s outright referenced in episode 1 how sloppily he eats noodles. This has definitely paid off as the show has been much more engaging and entertaining overall.
Slow Horses is an enjoyable and solid follow-up to season 1. The better balance between humor and drama makes this a step up, although a couple of narrative issues hold it back from being a better offering. You cannot fault the effort here, as Slow Horses continues to prove why it is one of Apple’s most solid offerings. ..
The eagerly anticipated second season of Slow Horses will be released on Friday 2nd December exclusively on AppleTV+, dropping weekly through to the end of the year. The series follows a group of horses as they journey across America, encountering new challenges and experiences along the way. ..
