Season 1 of Slow Horses was delightful (my review), Season 2 triumphed (my review), what then of Season 3? This season is based on Mick Herron’s third book in the series, Real Tigers, a twisty thriller that has now, in the capable hands of a varied set of screenwriters and directors, come to life in six fast-paced episodes of fun. This time around, someone has kidnapped Catherine Standish, ex-drunk and current secretary of the brilliant, seemingly oafish Jackson Lamb, el supremo at Slough House, home to MI5/Regents Park rejects. From a Bond-esque opening flashback scene in Istanbul plus the present-time kidnapping, the action never ceases. Gary Oldman remains priceless as Lamb, Kristin Scott Thomas has never been as witty and icy as her Lady Diana here, and the actors playing the seven other “slow horses” are perfectly cast and top notch in execution. The wit, mostly taken from the novel, is worth watching the show for, and the episode-by-episode direction is stylish without being slick. All in all, my only very minor comment concerning another sheer pleasure of a season, is that the underlying book felt gritty and realistic, whereas this season seemed over-frenetic (without losing control or picking up plot holes) and even sometimes a tad implausible. Might they have benefitted from drawing Season 3 out to ten episodes?
Book, movie/show, and album reviews
