best episodes of Slow Horses poster

Follow a dysfunctional team of MI5 agents—and their obnoxious boss, the notorious Jackson Lamb—as they navigate the espionage world's smoke and mirrors to defend England from sinister forces.

4 Seasons
24 Episodes
Returning Series
Crime Drama Comedy
Cast & Characters
episode image Hello Goodbye
8.8/10 (2119 votes)

#1 Hello Goodbye

S4:E6

Impossible decisions are faced and sacrifices are made.

episode image Cleaning Up
8.7/10 (2120 votes)

#2 Cleaning Up

S3:E5

Taverner and Tearney face off for control of MI5. River and Louisa find themselves caught in the crossfire.

episode image Boardroom Politics
8.6/10 (2187 votes)

#3 Boardroom Politics

S2:E5

Lamb orders his Slow Horses to walk into traps. River believes something alarming is heading toward London.

episode image Old Scores
8.6/10 (2343 votes)

#4 Old Scores

S2:E6

Lamb and Katinsky go head-to-head. Ho finds himself trapped on a train with a Russian assassin.

episode image Negotiating with Tigers
8.6/10 (2188 votes)

#5 Negotiating with Tigers

S3:E3

Marcus and Shirley face Lamb's wrath. River discovers revenge is a dish best served cold.

episode image Footprints
8.6/10 (2352 votes)

#6 Footprints

S3:E6

The Slow Horses fight for their lives. Lamb shares some devastating truths with Catherine.

episode image Grave Danger
8.6/10 (1786 votes)

#7 Grave Danger

S4:E5

Lamb questions David about France as River comes face to face with the enemy.

episode image Identity Theft
8.4/10 (2064 votes)

#8 Identity Theft

S4:E1

A London bombing puts Taverner under pressure. When River grows concerned for his grandfather, Louisa encourages him to go for a visit.

episode image Hard Lessons
8.3/10 (2044 votes)

#9 Hard Lessons

S3:E2

River has to steal something out of the Park to save a life. Lamb realizes a stranger game is afoot.

episode image Uninvited Guests
8.3/10 (1930 votes)

#10 Uninvited Guests

S3:E4

Tearney makes a bold move. The Slow Horses assist the Tiger Team, unaware of their hidden agenda. Lamb and Ho take a road trip.

episode image Fiasco
8.2/10 (2573 votes)

#11 Fiasco

S1:E5

The Slow Horses must disappear to avoid capture by MI5. Lamb and River head to The Park to outwit Taverner.

episode image Follies
8.2/10 (2665 votes)

#12 Follies

S1:E6

Taverner and the Slow Horses attempt different approaches to locate the kidnappers and Hassan. Ho makes a shocking discovery about Sid.

episode image Drinking Games
8.2/10 (2128 votes)

#13 Drinking Games

S2:E3

River gets cozy in the Cotswolds while searching for a sleeper agent. Min discovers Russian drinking games are the most brutal of all.

episode image Cicada
8.2/10 (2091 votes)

#14 Cicada

S2:E4

Louisa makes her move on Pashkin. Catherine makes moves of a different kind when she plays high-stakes chess with a sinister stranger.

episode image Strange Games
8.2/10 (2248 votes)

#15 Strange Games

S3:E1

A romantic relationship in Istanbul ends badly. Lamb hits the panic button when one of his Slow Horses fails to show up for work.

episode image Bad Tradecraft
8.1/10 (2802 votes)

#16 Bad Tradecraft

S1:E3

Slough House is the unlikely venue for a secret romance, but events take a dark turn when a dangerous encounter becomes deadly.

episode image A Stranger Comes to Town
8.1/10 (1663 votes)

#17 A Stranger Comes to Town

S4:E2

A naive agent makes a discovery about the Westacres bomber. Lamb suspects that David knows more than he's letting on.

episode image Penny for Your Thoughts
8.1/10 (1610 votes)

#18 Penny for Your Thoughts

S4:E3

River is trapped in France. Back at Slough House, the Dogs have come for Lamb.

episode image Returns
8.1/10 (1562 votes)

#19 Returns

S4:E4

Taverner is desperate to hide dangerous secrets. River seeks answers at his grandfather's house.

episode image Visiting Hours
8.0/10 (2606 votes)

#20 Visiting Hours

S1:E4

Taverner sends the Dogs to hunt down Lamb and the Slow Horses. River holds the secret to saving the gang.

episode image Last Stop
8.0/10 (2337 votes)

#21 Last Stop

S2:E1

Jackson Lamb is on high alert after a former spy is found dead. Min and Louisa are tempted by an offer from outside Slough House.

episode image From Upshott with Love
7.9/10 (2131 votes)

#22 From Upshott with Love

S2:E2

Lamb liaises with a Russian defector who may hold a clue to sleeper agents. River is on the trail of a ruthless assassin.

episode image Work Drinks
7.7/10 (2942 votes)

#23 Work Drinks

S1:E2

River and Sid join forces. A misfired gun has dire consequences.

episode image Failure’s Contagious
7.5/10 (3388 votes)

#24 Failure’s Contagious

S1:E1

River Cartwright is ousted from MI5 and finds himself in a place worse than purgatory: Slough House, dumping ground for failed spies.

Cast & Chracters

character image Jackson Lamb

Jackson Lamb

Actor: Gary Oldman
character image River Cartwright

River Cartwright

Actor: Jack Lowden
character image Diana Taverner

Diana Taverner

Actor: Kristin Scott Thomas
character image Frank Harkness

Frank Harkness

Actor: Hugo Weaving
character image David Cartwright

David Cartwright

Actor: Jonathan Pryce
character image Catherine Standish

Catherine Standish

Actor: Saskia Reeves

The highest rated episode of Slow Horses is "Hello Goodbye" (S4E6) with a rating of 8.80.

This episode received 2,119 votes.


The lowest rated episode is "Failure’s Contagious" (S1E1) with a rating of 7.50.

This episode received 3,388 votes.

The highest rated episode is "Fiasco" (S1E5) with a rating of 8.20.

This episode received 2,573 votes.


The lowest rated episode is "Failure’s Contagious" (S1E1) with a rating of 7.50.

This episode received 3,388 votes.

The highest rated episode is "Boardroom Politics" (S2E5) with a rating of 8.60.

This episode received 2,187 votes.


The lowest rated episode is "From Upshott with Love" (S2E2) with a rating of 7.90.

This episode received 2,131 votes.

The highest rated episode is "Cleaning Up" (S3E5) with a rating of 8.70.

This episode received 2,120 votes.


The lowest rated episode is "Strange Games" (S3E1) with a rating of 8.20.

This episode received 2,248 votes.

The highest rated episode is "Hello Goodbye" (S4E6) with a rating of 8.80.

This episode received 2,119 votes.


The lowest rated episode is "A Stranger Comes to Town" (S4E2) with a rating of 8.10.

This episode received 1,663 votes.

Name Department Job
Choi Ho Man Art Production Design
Oskars Vilnitis-Pantelejevs Art Supervising Art Director
Guy Speranza Costume & Make-Up Costume Design
Lucy Sibbick Costume & Make-Up Makeup & Hair
Serwa Cort Editing Assistant Editor
Douglas Urbanski Production Executive Producer
Emile Sherman Production Executive Producer
Gail Mutrux Production Executive Producer
Graham Yost Production Executive Producer
Hakan Kousetta Production Executive Producer
Iain Canning Production Executive Producer
Jamie Laurenson Production Executive Producer
Jane Robertson Production Executive Producer
Julian Stevens Production Executive Producer
Nina Gold Production Casting
Simon Gillis Production Co-Executive Producer
Will Smith Production Executive Producer
Daniel Pemberton Sound Original Music Composer
James Griffith Sound Original Music Composer
Mick Jagger Sound Theme Song Performance
Pablo Clements Sound Original Music Composer
Mick Herron Writing Book

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