Compare Slow Horses, Season 6 vs Dark Matter, Season 2

Reviewers repeatedly celebrated the show’s unusually reliable yearly cadence. The fast turnaround is seen as a major advantage because the story and characters stay fresh in viewers’ minds.

A long two-year break is criticized as especially harmful for a dense story that asks viewers to remember complicated rules and identities.

The quick, acerbic dialogue remains a standout, with razor-sharp exchanges and dry wit surviving the season’s darker turn. Reviewers especially praised how the banter keeps tension from becoming monotonous.

One negative review found some dialogue interchangeable, especially when the scientist characters gather to explain ideas.

Six episodes continue to feel like a sweet spot for this series. Critics praised the format for avoiding filler, preserving urgency, and still leaving room for plot and character beats.

The ten-episode season can feel overextended to critics who think too much time is spent on emotional material at the expense of thrills.

Most critics thought the show still balances brutality, grief, sarcasm, and absurd comedy remarkably well under the new showrunner. A few dissenters felt the humor had dulled, but the broader tonal identity remains intact.

The mix of family melodrama, sci-fi, and action does not always cohere; one critic says the tone frequently dissolves.

The roughly 45-minute episodes were praised for feeling lean and fast without seeming starved of story. The runtime helps the season keep pressure on the plot while avoiding obvious filler.

Longer runtimes sometimes make already busy storylines feel unwieldy rather than more substantial.

Opinions split sharply on freshness. Many critics loved the unpredictability and personal stakes, while dissenters thought the show was recycling familiar faces, chase mechanics, and a formula that has become predictable.

The multiverse and Box concept continue to feel distinctive, with one reviewer calling the core idea extremely unique even while wanting more exploration.

Most full-season reviews found Season 6 exceptionally propulsive, particularly from the second episode onward. The biggest tradeoff is that the speed can crowd out quieter emotional scenes or make the middle harder to follow.

The season’s deliberate pace divides reviewers. Some appreciate its meditative character focus, while others call it slow, inconsistent, or overloaded with setup.

The closing stretch drew some of the strongest praise of the season, with multiple critics calling the penultimate episode and finale gripping, brutal, and among the show’s best set pieces.

The final episode improves its pace and delivers gripping scenes, but some reviewers still see the overall ending as too little, too late.

Several critics liked how Season 6 spreads plot and development around the ensemble, but others felt the large cast and returning favorites sometimes squeeze regular characters out of focus.

Several reviewers liked that Jason no longer dominates every storyline, giving Amanda, Ryan, Leighton, Blair, Daniela, and others more meaningful space.

Enthusiasm for more Slow Horses remains extremely high among positive reviewers, with some openly hoping the series continues for many more seasons.

Renewal sentiment is split: some critics strongly want a third season, while others feel the story should have stopped earlier.

The caustic workplace comedy and Lamb’s insults still land for most critics, even against a much bleaker story. A few reviewers felt the one-liners were less sharp than in earlier seasons, so the comedy is not universally seen as peak form.

A few episodes find welcome comedy and farcical energy, but at least one critic strongly dislikes the show’s generally glum lack of levity.

The central hunt is easy enough to follow, but combining two novels creates moments where several storylines compete for attention. Some reviewers found the middle stretch harder to track even though the season ultimately pulls the strands together.

Variant-heavy plotting is the most repeated concern. Multiple Jasons, Ryans, Amandas, Leightons, and worlds can make identity and location difficult to track.

The chase scenes, fights, and later set pieces were repeatedly described as inventive, breathless, and unusually cinematic. Several reviewers felt Season 6 pushed the action to a new high without losing the show’s grubby identity.

Action is used selectively but can land very well, especially in tense chase sequences; one finale set piece, however, was criticized as poorly staged and narratively empty.

The season often earns praise for making violence feel painful, messy, and grounded, but one critic objected to assassins becoming implausibly ineffective when the plot needed the heroes to survive.

The scientific premise borrows from real quantum theory, but experts cited in the source also make clear that a human-scale Box remains far beyond real-world feasibility.

The premiere earns praise for efficiently setting up several threats and emotional threads at once. Reviewers also noted that the show can juggle disparate material with surprising smoothness.

Standalone or capsule-style episodes are among the most praised parts of the season, while multi-thread episodes can feel crowded and scattered.

Most critics found the twists and cliffhangers extremely effective at keeping momentum high and setting up Season 7. A minority disliked the final cliffhanger as a send-off even while acknowledging its impact.

The cliffhanger is memorable and often described as unsettling or jaw-dropping, though some reviewers dislike how heavily it depends on another season.

The scripts retain the series’ signature sarcasm, wit, and efficient plotting even after the lead-writer change. Reviewers who focused on the writing found the handover impressively smooth.

Individual storylines can be sharply written, with Amanda and Ryan’s material specifically praised as excellent.

Grief, loss, and old relationships give Season 6 more emotional weight than a typical chase-driven thriller. Several reviewers found the deaths and River’s vulnerability genuinely affecting, though one felt the relentless pace left too little room for intimacy.

Many reviewers found the grief, paranoia, lost-family scenarios, and relationship material deeply affecting, although some thought the show occasionally strains too hard for tears.

Returning characters are pushed into new emotional and professional territory, with River’s grief and old relationships receiving particular attention. Reviewers generally welcomed the way the season develops familiar people without rewriting who they are.

The season’s strongest praise centers on deeper character work, grief, marriage strain, regret, and the way alternate lives reshape familiar people.

The established personalities still feel sharply defined, from River’s impulsiveness to Lamb’s abrasive competence and Roddy’s ego. Reviewers praised how well the cast understands those ingrained flaws and rhythms.

Reviewers generally found the characters’ motivations consistent with prior choices, while also noticing deliberate parallels between different versions of Jason.

Adam Randall’s direction was repeatedly credited with making the season feel more cinematic, darker, and more intense. His handling of action and visual atmosphere drew especially strong praise.

Episode-level direction earns praise for energetic cross-cutting and strong immersion in the low-tech alternate world.

Although Season 6 combines and alters material from two Mick Herron novels, critics generally felt it preserves what makes the books and series distinctive. The adaptation changes were usually seen as thoughtful rather than damaging.

Although Season 2 moves beyond the novel, one reviewer praised the new material for expanding the story in an authentic way.

Returning pairings—especially Jack Lowden with Olivia Cooke—were a major highlight, while new character combinations also brought fresh energy. The ensemble’s ability to bounce between bickering, affection, and danger remains a core strength.

The expanded ensemble benefits from effective pairings, with Ryan and Amanda specifically praised for solid chemistry.

Most reviewers thought individual episodes moved briskly and efficiently, especially once the season gets going. One premiere review found the opening chapter slower and more cumbersome than usual.

Individual episodes can be gripping and well-paced, especially around major chases and reveals, though some reviewers find the slower stretches overextended.

The season uses grief, disposability, loyalty, and institutional neglect to deepen its spy-story mechanics. River’s mourning and the fate of discarded agents give the thriller more emotional and thematic weight.

This is the strongest area of consensus: reviewers repeatedly value the season’s focus on identity, regret, technological responsibility, grief, belonging, and the consequences of choice.

Twists, returns, deaths, and reversals are among the season’s most consistently praised pleasures. Several critics described the run as unusually unpredictable and packed with major turns.

Major reveals around Daniela’s violence, the Box reappearing, and new navigation rules are repeatedly treated as effective surprises.

Season 6 leans heavily on the show’s history, bringing back old characters and unresolved consequences while preserving the established tone through a leadership change. Reviewers often saw that continuity as a strength.

The season is often praised for taking Season 1 consequences seriously, especially the duplicate Jasons and the expanded roles of supporting characters.

The season’s drama was widely praised for feeling tense, consequential, and emotionally charged. River’s grief and the threat against Slough House give the espionage plot a more personal edge.

The quieter family and marriage scenes are frequently described as the season’s best material, even by reviewers less interested in the multiverse mechanics.

The final cliffhanger is divisive: some reviewers found it breathless and brilliantly effective, while another called it a cheap send-off. Its ability to create urgency for Season 7 is not in doubt.

The finale is a common weakness: even reviewers who like the season often see the unresolved ending or final image as underwhelming.

The assassins, constant pursuit, and uncertainty over who will survive create sustained tension across the season. Reviewers frequently described the run as gripping, anxiety-inducing, and hard to look away from.

Chase scenes, unsettling variant encounters, and darker thriller beats still provide strong tension even in a more character-driven season.

The broad consensus is that Season 6 tells a strong, often excellent story with personal stakes and relentless danger. More skeptical critics found the core chase repetitive or the underlying mystery merely solid rather than exceptional.

Overall story reactions range from outstanding and more satisfying than Season 1 to messy and unnecessary, reflecting a genuine split over the off-book continuation.

The season continues to stand out as a distinctive spy thriller by mixing bureaucratic drudgery, messy fieldwork, dark comedy, and grounded danger. Reviewers repeatedly framed that blend as something rival shows do not quite match.

The shift from pure reality-hopping toward espionage and character drama works very well for some critics and less well for viewers wanting a tighter sci-fi thriller.

The Slow Horses remain a collection of abrasive, damaged misfits that viewers have nevertheless grown deeply attached to. That affection makes the season’s danger and deaths hit harder.

Character reactions vary by storyline; one reviewer specifically finds Blair somewhat annoying even while remaining interested in her arc.

Longtime devotees are still well served by the familiar rhythms, callbacks, and returning faces, though one critic warned that viewers less invested in the formula may crave something fresher.

Early audience response remained highly enthusiastic despite the two-year break between seasons.

Early critical reaction was overwhelmingly positive, with roundup coverage describing Season 6 as one of the series’ strongest outings and highlighting its pace, writing, and performances.

The season launched to very strong reported critical reception, with sources describing near-universal early praise.

The season continues to expand the grimy MI5 ecosystem while keeping its institutional rules, rivalries, and history central to the plot. One review specifically praised the sharp world-building behind the character arcs.

Reviewers generally like the season’s expanded multiverse rules and low-tech world details, although some wish the alternate worlds were stranger and more visually distinct.

The shabby, ordinary environments remain part of the show’s charm, and the premiere’s shipping-container setting received specific praise for its sad, lived-in detail.

The production design is praised for supporting the show’s varied worlds, especially the restrained low-tech Chicago setting.

Rain, muted gray-blue tones, wide surveillance-like compositions, and everyday locations give the season a colder, more cinematic look. Reviewers generally felt the visual shift suited the darker story.

The alternate realities are praised most when small environmental differences create unease rather than relying only on spectacle.

Even reviews focused only on the premiere generally found it a strong, enjoyable return. Full-season critics repeatedly described the run as compelling, riveting, and easy to stay engaged with.

Overall enjoyment varies sharply: enthusiastic reviewers call the season captivating and improved, while harsher critics find it overcomplicated and short on fun.

Most critics thought the ensemble was operating at a very high level, with several calling the cast’s work among the strongest the series has delivered. Even more mixed season reviews still tended to praise the performances.

Performances are one of the clearest strengths, with multiple critics saying the cast keeps the dense multiverse story emotionally grounded even when the plotting becomes hard to follow.

Gary Oldman and Jack Lowden remain major anchors, with reviewers praising Oldman’s lived-in comic menace and Lowden’s more vulnerable, physically demanding work. Both are repeatedly described as delivering some of their strongest material.

The central cast earns some of the season’s strongest praise, including awards-level enthusiasm for key lead performances.

New and returning supporting players were widely praised, with several reviewers saying the additions strengthen the ensemble. Harry Lloyd, Lenny Rush, Kyle Soller, MyAnna Buring, and others drew especially positive notices.

The broader ensemble is a major asset, with reviewers praising the cast as award-worthy and crediting supporting players with sustaining interest.

Hugo Weaving’s American accent drew one of the sharpest individual complaints, with one reviewer calling it the worst they had heard from an Australian actor.

The season’s recurring focus on who accepts blame, who ducks it, and how institutions pass responsibility upward remains a satisfying part of the show’s cynical workplace machinery.

At least one reviewer watched all six episodes in a single sitting, matching the broader sense that the compact, propulsive season is easy to tear through quickly.

Visual-effects work is considered competent, though one reviewer notes the season uses expansive VFX more sparingly than before.

The season’s imagery drew strong praise, from its rain-soaked London atmosphere to more cinematic framing and a cold blue-green palette. Reviewers saw the visuals as a meaningful part of the darker mood.

A nearly sign-language-centered episode and an older deaf character were welcomed, though one critic disliked shots that obscured the signing.

Editing is singled out as a major improvement, especially for finding expressive beats in body language, faces, and silent interactions.

Season 6 pays off long-running threads, revives earlier characters, and pushes the larger series story forward. That stronger reliance on prior seasons rewards established viewers more than newcomers.

Season 2 substantially expands the Box mythology, including its internal mechanics, navigation rules, and ability to reconnect realities, which many reviewers find fascinating.

The pressure created by a hostile media figure and Taverner’s public exposure fits naturally into the season’s political machinery. One reviewer specifically praised that political-media dimension for feeling tangible.

Defense spending, institutional compromise, media influence, and financial irregularities give the spy plot a recognizable contemporary edge. Critics who highlighted this material found it persuasive rather than decorative.

One reviewer found the recurring Sony game placement noticeable enough to become distracting rather than invisible background detail.

The marriage between Jason and Daniela becomes a central dramatic engine, and several reviewers consider that domestic tension more compelling than the technology itself.

The show continues to deliver striking alternate-world imagery and storm sequences, with multiple reviewers praising its visual spectacle.

Kyle Soller and MyAnna Buring’s assassins were widely praised as cold, menacing threats, and Hugo Weaving’s Frank remains formidable. One negative review argued that the killers are underwritten and occasionally made implausibly incompetent.

Season 6 is repeatedly described as the show’s bloodiest and most brutal run, yet positive reviewers felt the violence serves suspense and consequence rather than empty shock value.

The season’s scientific explanations are credited with helping general viewers understand some of the quantum ideas behind the Box.

The dense plotting and brisk pace encouraged repeat viewing for some critics, including one who immediately watched the whole season again. Another called it the easiest season to rewatch so far.

Music choices are repeatedly praised, with reviewers highlighting strong needle drops and an upgraded soundtrack.