Slow Horses director teases that season 6 is "darker" and "heavier": "There’s a lot more death"

Each season of Slow Horses thus far has had a slightly different tone and emphasis, with season 5 proving to be the funniest of the lot, leaning the hardest on humour.

Now, it seems that season 6 is set to be the "darkest" run of the show, director Adam Randall reveals while speaking exclusively with Radio Times.

When asked how the show's sixth season differs from previous iterations, including season 4 which Randall also directed, he said: "It's still everything you hope for from Slow Horses. It’s still funny and full of character. I would say it's definitely a darker season. It's a heavier season. There's a lot more threats, and there's a lot more death – not to give anything away.

"But what was exciting was the idea that the horses are being hunted. So a lot of it is outside of the environments that we’re used to them being in, and we decided very early on, it'd be great to kick them out of Slough House. I always wanted to make a film in the kind of British urban wilderness of bowling alleys and service stations – kind of s**t England."

"I spent a lot of time there in my youth, and so I thought it would be great to do a chase thriller there," Randall explained. "There were many times I tried to write a film in that, but it didn't work out, and this felt like an opportunity to do that.

"So it's got a very different flavour in that way. It's a chase movie, I guess, then there's a complex spy story happening at the same time, and it's how those two things connect.

"For every character, they're all on the precipice of something dreadful. They're all dealing with their demons. Things have gone wrong for most of them. They've all got really interesting arcs and things to deal with in this season."

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Season 6 is the first run of the show to be based on two of Mick Herron's books rather than one, adapting both Joe Country and Slough House.

It will notably see Lenny Rush joining the cast in a new role, while Olivia Cooke will be reprising her role as Sid Baker, having previously played the character the show's very first season.

Slow Horses is available to stream on Apple TV. Season 6 will be released from 16 September. Start your seven day free Apple TV trial.

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Authors

James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.