Have you met Gary Oldman’s Jackson Lamb in “Slow Horses”? Here’s someone who could give “Succession’s” Logan Roy a run for his money.
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The unkempt Jackson sports a trademark beige mac, rarely showers, shamelessly farts around other people and epitomizes rude and crass behavior. He’s also been sent to the equivalent of purgatory by his British spy agency bosses, Slough House. Maybe that’s why he’s a curmudgeon.
AppleTV+’s “Slow Horses,” based on the spy thriller books by Mick Herron, has nothing to do
with equestrian sports and doesn’t even feature horses. It’s a nickname given to Lamb and his fellow British intelligence agents who have also been banished to the bureau’s outer reaches.
A solid spy thriller, “Slow Horses” is a pleasure to watch, largely thanks to Oldman’s performance.
Each season, he gradually peels back the layers of this former MI5 agent sent out to pasture. Jack Lowden, Kristen Scott Thomas and Saskia Reeves round out the cast. Oldman’s Jackson doesn’t seem to give a shit, or maybe, underneath all of that, he does.
For instance, in the first episode of the third season, he tells his doctor, “If you put me on a treadmill, you’ll be done for manslaughter.” When his blood tests come back normal, he remarks, “There
you go, I’m a fucking titan.”
This season, one of the agency’s own, Catherine Standish (Saskia Reeves), is kidnapped. Heroics
ensue, and there is a mad dash to keep her alive as Jackson and his colleagues attempt to get to the bottom of the kidnapping. Oldman thinks Jackson does have warmth to him, telling Variety, “I think he cares more than most. The whole situation touches him more personally than in other seasons.”
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The series’ writing is sharp, well-laid out and executed with the right amount of tension for a top thriller. “This all comes from the imagination of Mick Herron; the books are wholesome and full of information,” says Oldman. He’s grateful those are there to serve as a North Star not just for Jackson, but for the series’ scribes. “We’re lucky to have the books, rather than a bunch of writers sitting in a room, scratching their heads and asking, ‘Oh, what are we going to do?’”
The details in Herron’s writing helps Oldman piece Jackson together: “It’s been done for me.”
This is Oldman’s first time getting to unpack a character for multiple seasons. The day-to-day process of shooting the show excites him. He has some of the best scene partners, and this season — as they work to get Catherine back — is one of the sharpest. “If you’ve got a good scene, I still get a thrill of running it through with the other actor or the other actors, especially when they’re that good,” Oldman says.
There are eight books in the series, and Season 5 is in production. “Slow Horses” is great either as a binge watch or digesting one or two episodes at a time, savoring Oldman’s crude and bullish ways with every episode. The seasons are short, leaving you wanting more.
Oldman is keen to give audiences more Jackson. At the time of the conversation, he was headed back to shoot another season, and it’s getting better as it continues: “It’s like wearing a tailored suit or a pair of shoes that are made for you. It gets easier.”
It’s hard to get Oldman’s performance out of your head, and it’s worthy of Emmy gold. So, Television
Academy, it’s your move.
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