It’s Bummer Season as Slow Horses returns for a funereal premiere
Old characters are dropping like flies, as Apple’s spy thriller wrestles with a new enemy: Long-form narrative callbacks.
The premiere of Slow Horses' sixth season is a somber affair, setting a melancholic tone for the upcoming episodes. The show's recurring characters, such as River Cartwright, Jack Lowden, Kristin Scott Thomas, Gary Oldman, and Jonathan Pryce, all make appearances, with each playing their expected roles. River gets injured or humiliated while Jack, Kristin, and Gary, as expected, showcase their cunning spy skills.
Gary, played by Oldman, suffers from a nasty case of flatulence as well as connecting the dots on a sinister plot. The season kicks off with the return of Paul Higgins' Struan Loy, who dies in a horrifying fashion, and Andor's and The Witcher's characters involved in the killing spree. The show's main antagonist, Kristin Scott Thomas' Diana Taverner, remains aloof and suspicious, leaving the audience wondering about her true intentions.
The death of David Cartwright, played by Jonathan Pryce, marks a significant moment in the season, with his funeral and eventual departure from the cast. The episode takes a humorous turn with River attempting to honor his grandfather's legacy at the funeral while referring to him only as the head of the U.K's Department Of Transport.
River's return of his father, Frank, adds a new layer to the show, bringing back callbacks and the ominous presence of Lore. While the show attempts to explore themes of stasis and decay, the intrusion of Frank's character might introduce more sentimentality to the series. Overall, "Circle Of Life" is a compelling episode that balances the show's distinctive blend of satire and espionage, despite the potential for more sentimentality in the upcoming episodes.
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