Slow Horses, Season 6 Feature Scores
Explore all 54 feature scores for Slow Horses, Season 6, organized into pros and cons.
Scores by Feature
Summary
54 reviewed features-
Very positive 4.5-5.042 (78%)
-
Positive 3.5-4.47 (13%)
-
Neutral 2.5-3.43 (6%)
-
Negative 1.5-2.41 (2%)
-
Very negative below 1.51 (2%)
Pros
Sort
-
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.
-
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 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.
-
Despite the showrunner transition, the writing was broadly praised as sharp, polished, witty, and structurally confident. The strongest reviews felt the two-book adaptation was seamless, while a few critics missed some of the old comic bite.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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 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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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 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.
-
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’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 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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Enthusiasm for more Slow Horses remains extremely high among positive reviewers, with some openly hoping the series continues for many more seasons.
-
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.
-
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 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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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 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.
-
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.
Cons
Sort
-
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.
-
One reviewer found the recurring Sony game placement noticeable enough to become distracting rather than invisible background detail.
-
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 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.
-
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.
Cast & Creators
-
Oldman remains the show’s comic and dramatic anchor, with critics praising how effortlessly he mixes grotesque humor, intelligence, and flashes of buried loyalty. Several reviews rank this work among his strongest as Jackson Lamb.
-
Lowden earns some of the season’s strongest notices, especially for River’s grief, physical strain, comic timing, and vulnerability. Multiple critics describe the work as among his best on the series.
-
Cooke’s return is one of the season’s most celebrated performances. Critics praise the emotional weight she brings back to Sid, her dry charm, and the easy chemistry she reestablishes with Jack Lowden.
-
Scott Thomas is praised for making Diana Taverner controlled, intimidating, and visibly pressured without losing the character’s icy precision. Several critics single out her damage-control scenes and subtle reactions.
-
Soller is repeatedly praised as part of a cold, efficient assassin duo that gives the season real menace. Critics describe the pair as chilling, superb, and among the show’s most effective threats.
-
Buring is repeatedly praised alongside Kyle Soller for creating a chilling, calculating threat. Their calm brutality makes the assassins one of the season’s most memorable new elements.
-
Rush makes an immediate impression as Reece, with reviewers praising his comic timing, sass, and ability to hold his own opposite the established cast. He is frequently singled out as a standout newcomer.
-
Randall’s direction is praised for pushing the season toward a darker, more cinematic look while keeping the action clear and forceful. Reviewers credit his return with helping Season 6 feel visually confident.
-
Chiappe’s transition into the lead-writing role is viewed as a success. Reviewers say the series remains in good hands and preserves its established voice despite the showrunner change.
-
West’s Peter Judd is praised as darkly funny and unsettlingly convincing. Reviewers enjoy how much comic bite he brings to a smug, manipulative political figure.
-
Brooke’s Coe gets more attention this season, and reviewers respond well to his deadpan, unsettling comic presence. His small reactions and dry delivery are singled out as unusually funny.
-
Lloyd generally lands as a sharp new addition, bringing polished menace to Damien Cantor. One critic felt the role never gives him enough room to make the impact his casting suggests.
-
Bradley benefits from more time alongside the Slough House crew, and reviewers enjoy the sharper ensemble dynamic that creates. Her principled, snarky presence is treated as a welcome strength.
-
Reeves receives especially strong praise for Standish’s fragile, angry material, with one critic calling her first-rate. Her quieter emotional thread adds tension beneath the season’s louder action.
-
Weaving’s Frank Harkness divides opinion more than most performances: some critics find him formidable and chilling, while one strongly criticizes his American accent and lack of charisma.