Apple TV+ just dropped the official premiere date for Slow Horses Season 5—and it’s coming sooner than fans expected. The Emmy-winning British spy thriller returns on September 24, 2025, with the first two episodes dropping at once, followed by weekly installments through October. The announcement, made on June 3, 2025, came with a surprise: Nick Mohammed, beloved for his role as Nate Shelley in Ted Lasso, is stepping into the shadowy world of MI5 as a key guest star. It’s a smart crossover move by Apple TV+, tapping into the emotional loyalty of fans who adored his awkward, endearing performance—and now, they’ll see him in a far more sinister light.
Why This Premiere Feels Different
Most prestige dramas take a year or two between seasons. Slow Horses? It’s back in under 11 months after Season 4 wrapped in October 2024. That’s not just momentum—it’s a statement. Apple TV+ is betting big on this series as its crown jewel in the crowded streaming wars. The show’s 98% Rotten Tomatoes score isn’t a fluke; it’s a pattern. Critics love its brittle wit, its gray morality, and its refusal to glamorize espionage. And audiences? They’re hooked on the dysfunction of Slough House, where failed agents are exiled to boredom, paperwork, and the constant verbal abuse of their boss, Jackson Lamb.
The series, based on Mick Herron’s novels, has always thrived on the tension between incompetence and heroism. These aren’t James Bonds. They’re the ones who botched surveillance, leaked files, or slept with the wrong person—and got dumped into a grimy London basement instead of prison. Yet somehow, they keep stumbling into real threats. Season 5’s trailer, released on September 3, 2025, teased a plot involving “a compromised agent, a destabilized London, and a can of paint.” Yes, a can of paint. That’s the kind of absurd, chilling detail that makes this show unforgettable.
Who’s Still Standing at Slough House
Gary Oldman remains the magnetic center of it all as Jackson Lamb, a man who smells of stale cigarettes and resentment but sees through lies better than anyone. His performance is less acting and more a masterclass in controlled contempt. Joining him are returning heavyweights: Jack Lowden as the idealistic but weary River Cartwright, Kristin Scott Thomas as the chillingly efficient Diana Taverner, and Sophie Okonedo as the quietly lethal Louisa Guy. The supporting cast—Jonathan Pryce, Saskia Reeves, Rosalind Eleazar, and others—keep the ensemble feeling like a dysfunctional family you can’t quit.
Nick Mohammed’s arrival adds a new layer. In Ted Lasso, he played a man slowly finding his voice after years of being stepped on. In Slow Horses, he’s likely playing someone who’s already broken—or worse, someone who broke others. The contrast is delicious. And Apple TV+ knows it. They’ve been promoting this season hard across Instagram, TikTok, and X, with teaser clips set to The Kooks’ “It Was London”—a song that somehow captures the show’s melancholy, urban grit.
The Bigger Picture: A Franchise in Motion
Here’s the twist: Season 5 isn’t the end. It’s the middle. Apple TV+ renewed the show for Season 6 in October 2024, and already greenlit Season 7. Season 6 will adapt Joe Country, while Season 7 will tackle Bad Actors—the latter rumored to involve a high-level mole hunt inside MI5. That’s at least three more years of this world. And with each season, the stakes get higher. The show has evolved from a quirky spy comedy-drama into a layered political thriller about institutional rot, personal redemption, and the cost of loyalty.
It’s rare for a series to feel this consistent. No major cast shakeups. No tonal whiplash. Just a slow burn that keeps getting hotter. The production values have improved each season, but the heart remains the same: a group of misfits doing the work no one else wants, while the people in charge pretend they don’t exist.
What’s Next? The Release Schedule
Here’s the full rollout:
- Episode 1: September 24, 2025
- Episode 2: September 24, 2025
- Episode 3: October 1, 2025
- Episode 4: October 8, 2025
- Episode 5: October 15, 2025
- Episode 6: October 22, 2025
- Episode 7: October 29, 2025
The two-episode premiere is a streaming industry staple now—Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon all use it. But for Slow Horses, it works. You get hooked fast, then the weekly drip keeps you checking your calendar. It’s a rhythm the show has mastered.
Why It Matters
At a time when so many shows feel like they’re chasing trends—glamorous spies, AI villains, time loops—Slow Horses is refreshingly old-school. It’s about bureaucracy. About boredom. About the quiet desperation of people who were once good at their jobs, and now just want to be left alone. And yet, they never are.
This isn’t just another spy show. It’s a mirror. And for viewers tired of heroes in tailored suits, it’s a relief.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nick Mohammed playing a villain in Slow Horses Season 5?
Apple TV+ hasn’t confirmed his character’s role, but given the show’s tone and Mohammed’s casting against type, he’s likely playing a compromised agent or a former MI5 operative with a hidden agenda. His presence suggests a personal connection to Slough House’s inner circle—possibly tied to a past operation gone wrong. Fans speculate he may be the "can of paint" referenced in the trailer—a metaphor for something seemingly small that triggers chaos.
How many seasons of Slow Horses are planned?
Apple TV+ has officially renewed Slow Horses for Seasons 6 and 7, meaning at least seven seasons are locked in. Season 6 will adapt Mick Herron’s novel Joe Country, while Season 7 will cover Bad Actors, which involves a mole hunt within MI5’s upper ranks. The series is expected to continue beyond that, as Herron’s novel series extends to nine books.
Why does Slow Horses have such a high Rotten Tomatoes score?
Critics praise its sharp writing, nuanced performances, and refusal to romanticize espionage. Unlike flashy spy shows, it focuses on bureaucratic failure, moral ambiguity, and the psychological toll of intelligence work. Gary Oldman’s Jackson Lamb alone has been called "one of the most compelling anti-heroes in modern TV." The show’s consistency across seasons—no drop-offs in quality—has earned it rare sustained acclaim.
Where is Slough House supposed to be located?
Slough House is a fictional MI5 office located in a run-down building in London’s East End, near the River Thames. The show films in real locations across London, including disused government buildings and industrial zones, giving it an authentic, slightly decaying feel. The setting is crucial—it’s not just a workplace, but a symbol of how the system discards its failures.
Can I watch Slow Horses without seeing Ted Lasso?
Absolutely. Slow Horses stands entirely on its own. Nick Mohammed’s appearance is a fun bonus for Ted Lasso fans, but his character in Season 5 has no narrative ties to Nate Shelley. The show’s plot, tone, and themes are completely different—dark, cynical, and grounded in real-world intelligence failures rather than emotional healing.
What’s the significance of the "can of paint" in the Season 5 trailer?
While unconfirmed, the "can of paint" likely symbolizes a subtle act of sabotage or a cover-up—perhaps a message left at a crime scene, or a tool used to erase evidence. In espionage, small, mundane objects often carry massive consequences. The phrase echoes the show’s theme: what looks trivial can unravel entire operations. It’s a callback to Season 2’s "dead lion," where a dead animal triggered a national crisis.