When Espionage Meets Ennui
IMDb rating: 7/10
Rather like being served a perfectly adequate claret that promises to be a vintage Bordeaux, the opening salvo of Slow Horses presents a curious dichotomy between expectation and execution.
The pre-credits sequence delivers genuine frisson: a terrorist training exercise gone spectacularly awry that whets one’s appetite for the promised thrills ahead.
Alas, what follows is decidedly more pedestrian fare.
Gary Oldman’s Jackson Lamb, slovenly spymaster extraordinaire, commands the screen with deliciously vulgar aplomb, transforming what could have been tedious exposition into genuinely amusing character assassination. His collection of departmental misfits – each bearing their particular professional disgrace like a scarlet letter – suggests intriguing possibilities for psychological complexity.
Yet the pacing proves rather glacial for those expecting sustained momentum. The series appears determined to prioritise character archaeology over propulsive plotting, which proves either utterly captivating or mind-numbingly tedious depending upon one’s temperament.
The production values remain impeccable, the dialogue suitably mordant, and the premise sufficiently intriguing to warrant continued attention. Whether this measured approach yields dividends or merely prolongs the inevitable disappointment remains tantalizingly unclear after this opening gambit.
6.5/10 – I am cautiously optimistic about Ep 2, with this beginning that demands patience from its audience.
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