Slow Horses is back! What “exciting” cast update means for the show’s “beyond brilliant” series 6

Our favourite MI5 exiles, the Slow Horses, are galloping back on to our screens very soon, and Apple TV has whetted our appetite with a surprising glimpse at what promises to be a beyond brilliant series 6 – with new cast members and their most thrilling mission yet. But the stakes have never been higher for Slough House, the ruthless Diana Taverner (Kristin Scott Thomas) is finally the top dog of MI5 – and Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman) and his band of misfit spies are all on the run.

The biggest revelation arrives in the closing seconds of the new trailer with the surprise return of Sidonie ‘Sid’ Baker (Olivia Cooke). But she’s not the only familiar face returning either, as some new arrivals seem to be further jeopardising Lamb’s team. With new and old faces joining the Slow Horses, here’s everything you need to know about the exciting sixth series cast update ahead of its release this September.

What is Slow Horses about?

Based on Mick Herron’s award-winning Slough House book series, the series centres around the divide between Slough House, the home of exiled spies who have committed career-ending mistakes, and The Park, otherwise known as MI5 HQ. However, we quickly discover the banished intelligence hold the key to taking down international terrorists and inside traitors. If you haven’t seen the show, beware spoilers!

With the cantankerous Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman) at the helm, series 1 sees River Cartwright (Jack Lowden) join Slough House after a monumental failure during a training exercise. Together, Lamb and River help uncover MI5 boss Diana Taverner’s (Kristin Scott Thomas) secret gambit – team member Sid Baker (Olivia Cooke) is shot while tracking a right-wing journalist. Across the series, the team find themselves tackling a Russian operation, internal conspiracies and terrorist plots – all while clashing with the better resourced agents at Regent’s Park.

The last series saw Libyan terrorist attacks send London into chaos and the resident tech nerd, Roddy Ho (Christopher Chung), falls victim to a ‘honey trap’ operation. In a tense race, River saves the life of Claude Whelan (the then head of MI5) from a gunman. Despite his service, Lamb refuses to let him go from Slough House. Meanwhile, Lamb outmanoeuvres the arrogant Whelan with a career-ending recording forcing him out of MI5 – and Diana finally claims the First-Desk job she’s so desperately pursued.

What will happen in Slow Horses series 6?

For the first time, this series is the adaptation of two novels at once the 6th and 7th in the series called Joe Country and Slough House, and Apple TV’s explosive trailer made one thing crystal clear – all of the Slow Horses are in danger.

Jackson confronts Diana about why all his spies keep dropping dead, and he orders all of Slough House into hiding. Explosive scenes of car races, fights and gunfire follow, setting up for an action-packed series.

What does the cast update mean for Slow Horses series 6?

The most exciting revelation comes in the final seconds, when Sid Baker (Olivia Cooke), who was presumed dead, greets River from the top of a staircase… ‘Hello, River,’ she says. It’s assumed we’ll get answers about why she was away, and perhaps a romance will finally blossom with River.

The Slow Horses writers have teased Sid’s fate throughout the series after she was shot in the head in series 1. After she was presumed dead, Roddy Ho later told River he uncovered evidence that suggested she was still alive, and now it has been confirmed – years later.

Two seemingly deadly characters are joining the drama as the teaser shows Kyle Soller and MyAnna Buring hunting down the Slow Horses. The return of Struan Loy (Paul Higgins), who betrayed the Horses in series 1 after a fiery interrogation, has also been teased and Harry Lloyd, Lucian Msamati and Lenny Rush are also joining the cast.

Who’s in the cast of Slow Horses series 6?

The cast of Slow Horses series 6 includes:

• Kristin Scott Thomas (Four Weddings And A Funeral) as Diana Taverner
• Jack Lowden (Pride And Prejudice) as River Cartwright
• Saskia Reeves (Close My Eyes) as Catherine Standish
• Christopher Chung (Blitz) as Roddy Ho
• Aimee-Ffion Edwards (The Revenge Club) as Shirley Dander
• Rosalind Eleazar (Missing You) as Louisa Guy
• Joanna Scanlan (Riot Women) as Moira Tregorian
• Samuel West (All Creatures Great & Small) as Peter Judd
• Ruth Bradley (In Her Skin) as Emma Flyte
• Tom Brooke (Empire Of Light) as JK Coe
• Jonathan Pryce (The Two Popes) as David Cartwright
• Hugo Weaving (The Matrix) as Frank Harkness
• Lenny Rush (Am I Being Unreasonable?) as Reece Nesmith

New cast announcements after the Slow Horses series 6 trailer release:

• Olivia Cooke (The Girlfriend, House Of The Dragon) as Sid Baker
• Harry Lloyd (I, Jack Wright)
• Lucian Msamati (Gangs Of London)
• Kyle Soller (Bodies, Poldark)
• MyAnna Buring (In the Dark)
• Paul Higgins (Betrayal) as Struan Loy

Is Slow Horses any good?

Yes – it’s a brilliant British spy series, with twists, thrills and belly-clutching humour. The premise of the spies all being outcast to Slough House and simultaneously working with, and against, the Park adds an extra layer of intrigue – and the relationships between this dysfunctional family are every bit as compelling as the action-packed storylines!

Is there a trailer for Slow Horses series 6?

Yes – you can watch the trailer for Slow Horses series 6 below.

View full post on YouTube

How can I watch Slow Horses?

Slow Horses series 6 will premiere globally on Apple TV on Wednesday 16 September with the first episode. The remaining episodes will air weekly until 21st October. If you can’t wait for all the gripping drama, you can catch up on all the first five series now on Apple TV.

What other spy dramas can I watch now?

If you’re after another brilliant spy thriller, we’d recommend Secret Service, which stars Gemma Arterton as Kate Henderson, a senior MI6 agent masquerading as an ordinary member of the civil service who soon finds herself tangled up in a web of destruction. All episodes of Secret Service are available to stream now on ITV. For an equally suspenseful watch, we’d suggest Unfamiliar, which follows former Federal Intelligence Service (BND) agent and her family, who are forced to go on the run when their secret Berlin hideaway known as ‘The Nest’ is exposed. You can watch all episodes of Unfamiliar now on Netflix.