Apple TV’s Slow Horses features the United Kingdom’s counterintelligence and domestic agency, MI5. Based on the Slough House series of novels by Mick Herron, the TV show features the Slough House as an administrative purgatory for MI5 agents who have bungled high-profile missions. However, the ‘slow horses’ still get involved in several high-stakes missions under their despicable boss, Jackson Lamb.
Slow Horses has just been renewed for season 5, and the show has aired 3 seasons as of writing. Therefore, viewers can expect many more misadventures from Lamb and his team of Slough House agents, especially newcomer River Cartwright.
For most of the show, the makers have stayed faithful to the original book while making minor changes to the plot to suit the visual medium better. However, some glaring MI5-based inaccuracies are becoming even more apparent as the show continues.
1. Is Slow Horses based on a true story?
Slow Horses is not based on a true story. The series is based on Mick Herron’s novel of the same name, which is part of the Slough House series. The events, characters, and storyline are fictional, although they could be inspired by real-life spies and agencies.
2. Slough House is Not A Real MI-5 Branch
Slough House isn’t an actual MI5 branch at all. Although there are many ways to demote agents to do dull paperwork if they are inefficient, an entire branch dedicated to reprimanding agents is non-existent. The reasons for which some of the agents were demoted to the Slough House are grounds enough for them to be fired from the real MI5.
However, there are surely other elements of the Secret Service agency that the show gets right. Although the offices at Aldersgate Street are fictitious, it is true that the Cold War greatly impacted the operation of MI5. In Slow Horses, the ramifications of the Cold War can be deeply felt throughout the series.
3. Cases Take A Longer Time to Solve in Real Life
As with most thriller shows, things are much more dramatized than what is usually the case in reality. Every season of Slow Horses consists of only six episodes; it is difficult to include too much detail.
Therefore, cases in the series get solved much quicker than in real life. Although MI5 has several knowledge and technology organizations at its disposal, it is impossible to solve such high-profile cases within such a short period.
4. MI5 Does Not Have Grey Books
Slow Horses season 3 sees Donovan’s intention of exposing MI5’s secrets, leading to the discovery of Grey Books. In the series, the Grey Books refer to documents that contain detailed records and information about every conspiracy theory of the last century.
However, there is no concept like Grey Books in real life. Important information isn’t stored in documents anymore, and even if they are, they aren’t stored or kept in one place. There are multiple backups available, and MI5 does not work with conspiracy theories either way.
5. MI5 Agents Do Not Handle Their Weapons in the Right Way
Slow Horses features several scenes where the MI5 officers work on-field instead of administrative work. Therefore, viewers see a lot of scenes where the agents are using firearms and other weapons.
However, Slow Horses does not get the details right, like many other spy thrillers. The characters often do not hold or use their weapons correctly. Moreover, the agents use them without any consequences and way too many times than is allowed in real life.
6. About Slow Horses
Slow Horses is a spy thriller television series based on the Slough House series of novels by Mick Herron. The series premiered on Apple TV+ on April 1, 2022.
Slough House is an administrative purgatory for MI5 service rejects who weren’t outright fired, and those consigned there are known as “Slow Horses.” They’re expected to endure dull tasks and occasional mental abuse from their miserable boss, Jackson Lamb, who expects them to quit out of boredom or frustration. And yet the Slow Horses somehow get involved in investigating schemes endangering Britain.
The series has aired 3 seasons so far and has been renewed for season 5.
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