‘Slow Horses’ Season 5 – Release Date, Cast, Plot & More

TV’s favorite bunch of disgraced MI5 agents are back for a new season of Apple TV’s Slow Horses, promising to be full of even more adrenaline-fueled chases, twisting spy plots and shocking investigations.

Here’s everything you need to know to be ready for the high-octane season 5 premiere of Slow Horses on Apple TV.

Watch Apple TV on DIRECTV!

---

When Does ‘Slow Horses’ Season 5 Premiere?

The fifth season of Apple TV’s Slow Horses starring Gary Oldman premieres on Wednesday, September 24, 2025.

Where to Watch ‘Slow Horses’?

Fans of the series Slow Horses can stream the new season with an Apple TV subscription.

Did you know you can connect your Apple TV streaming service subscription to your DIRECTV account? That means no more switching inputs and scrambling to find various remotes, and more time watching the entertainment you love. Learn more here.

‘Slow Horses’ Season 5 Episode Release Schedule

New episodes of Slow Horses are expected to be released weekly, starting with the season five premiere on Sept. 24 for a total of six episodes. Here is the expected release schedule, along with episode information.

• S5, Episode 1: “Bad Dates” | Wednesday, Sept. 24
• S5, Episode 2: “Incommunicado” | Wednesday, Oct. 1
• S5, Episode 3: “Tall Tales” | Wednesday, Oct. 8
• S5, Episode 4: “Missiles” | Wednesday, Oct. 15
• S5, Episode 5: “Circus” | Wednesday, Oct. 22
• S5, Episode 6: “Scars” | Wednesday, Oct. 29

---

‘Slow Horses’ Cast List

Spoiler alert: Light spoilers for seasons 1-4 below!

• Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb, the brilliant, hot-tempered leader of the Slough House who, despite a rough exterior, cares deeply for his agents (his “Joes”). Until 1996, he was a senior intelligence officer stationed in East Berlin during the Cold War who was aware of the former Director-General’s espionage with the KGB and, with David Cartwright, took matters into their own hands.
• Jack Lowden as River Cartwright, a young MI5 agent with extreme potential sent to work at the Slough House after causing a public scene during a training exercise. River is the grandson of David Cartwright, Jackson Lamb’s former partner.
• Kristin Scott Thomas as Diana Taverner, the Deputy Director General of MI5 and Head of Operations a.k.a. the Second Desk. While she has worked with Lamb and his Joes previously, she has no problem throwing them under the bus when she’s in the hot seat.
• Christopher Chung as Roddy Ho, an annoying and abrasive but extremely useful computer whiz and former “hacktivist” who the Slough House agents must rely on. It appears Roddy will become a bigger focus in the show’s fifth season.
• Saskia Reeves as Catherine Standish, an office administrator who was previously the personal assistant to the former Director-General of MI5, now employed at the Slough House. Discovering her ex-boss’s dead body still traumatizes her, yet she remains unaware of his corrupt activities. She is a recovering alcoholic and is skilled with puzzles.
• Aimee-Ffion Edwards as Shirley Dander, another MI5 agent assigned to the Slough House after punching her superior officer. Her cocaine addiction didn’t help matters.
• Tom Brooke as JK Coe, another MI5 agent assigned to the Slough House before the start of season 4.
• Rosalind Eleazar as Louisa Guy, another MI5 agent assigned to the Slough House after a covert operation she was in charge of failed.
• Jonathan Pryce as David Cartwright, a retired British intelligence officer who once worked directly with former Director-Genera Charle Partner and alongside Jackson Lamb in MI5.
• Ruth Bradley as Emma Flyte, an MI5 agent who was assigned as Head of Security and leader of The Dogs, the internal security and tactical operations division before the events of season 4. She previously worked as a police officer.
• James Callis as Claude Whelan, the senior British intelligence officer who was appointed Director-General of MI5 at the beginning of season 4.
• Nick Mohammed as Zafar Jaffrey (new for season 5), the Mayor of London seeking reelection.
• Hiba Bennani as Tara (new for season 5), Roddy’s girlfriend
• Christopher Villiers as Dennis Gimbal (new for season 5), a populist, right-wing MP running for Mayor against Zafar Jaffrey.
• Victoria Hamilton as Dodie Gimbal (new for season 5), Dennis’ wife and campaign manager. She is also a newspaper columnist.

---

What Is ‘Slow Horses’ About?

At its core, Slow Horses is a spy thriller that follows those disgraced MI5 agents that have been sent to the Slough House run by British spymaster and Cold War legend Jackson Lamb. Among them is River Cartwright, a competent yet reckless agent sent to pasture before he got the chance to prove himself.

Over the course of the first four seasons, we watched these “slow horses” prove to the MI5 that while they might have royally botched operations in the past, it doesn’t mean they can’t learn new tricks (isn’t that how the saying goes?).

Often, the agents are put up against the MI5 agents at ‘The Park’ led by career spy Diana Taverner (Kristin Scott Thomas), Lamb’s rival. Time after time, whether its dealing with terrorist plots, Russian sleeper agents or ex spies filled with revenge on their minds, Lamb and his Joes that save the organization — and country — when Taverner, the so-called ‘golden child’ of MI5, drops the ball.

What to Expect of ‘Slow Horses’ Season 5?

Spoiler Alert: Season five details below!

It has been confirmed that the fifth season of Slow Horses will be an adaptation of “London Rules,” the 2018 spy novel by Mick Herron. Knowing that, fans can expect Lamb and his Joes — especially Roddy Ho — will be in hot water this season, finding themselves dragged into the fallout of a series of terror attacks that send shockwaves through the country. As the chaos unfolds, the Joes must navigate treacherous missions and dangerous enemies, all while trying to keep track of the growing power struggles within MI5 itself.

Besides all the explosive action, this season will continue to satirize British politics, showing just how dangerous bureaucracy, ambition and incompetence can be. Mixing sharp humor with political commentary and heart-pumping action, season 5 is shaping up to be one of the funniest and most intense seasons yet.

---

‘Slow Horses’ Trailer

Get a glimpse of the new season here:

---

Connect Your Apple TV to Your DIRECTV Account

Whether you’re looking for the espionage action of Slow Horses, the humor of Shrinking or the ever-evolving mysteries of Severance, there’s something for everyone on Apple TV. And now, it’s easy to connect your account to DIRECTV for a seamless entertainment experience. Get started today.

What Else Should I Watch if I Like ‘Slow Horses’?

Love Slow Horses? For more action-packed spy thrillers, consider adding these top series to your watch list:

• Killing Eve (Netflix, Paramount+, etc.)
• Dept. Q (Netflix)
• Special Ops: Lioness (Paramount+)
• Mr. & Mrs. Smith (Prime Video)
• The Terminal List (Prime Video)
• The Terminal List: Dark Wolf (Prime Video)

DIRECTV Insider brings you our views on what’s happening in streaming, t.v., movies and sports. Companies and persons mentioned are not necessarily associated with and do not necessarily endorse DIRECTV. We will disclose sponsored content on our site when we show it to you, and some of the links on the site may be ads or affiliate links which means DIRECTV may earn compensation from your purchases.