I really loved that first season of "Slow Horses" and powered through it pretty quickly, despite coming to it well after everyone else had discovered it's brilliance. This second season was, to my mind just as good.
Richard Bough (Phil Davis) a long since retired MI5 officer dies on a bus having tailed a man from central London. Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman) recovers his phone and see the word "Cicada" in the notes. Cicada is a term for long term Russian sleeper agents, placed in British society - and idea that was debunked years ago. Having spoken to his grandfather, River Cartwright (Jack Lowden) takes point on investigating the death.
It's a bigger story this time, as the initial murder gives way to an international terrorist plot that it falls to the Slow Horses to deal with. Most of the excellent cast return for this second run, with additions of Aimee Ffion-Edwards and Kadiff Kirwan as new agents with particular field expertise. Unfortunately, the series does see the writing out of Min, played by Dustin Demri-Burns, who was one of my favourite characters in it.
It's mostly just more espionage and counterespionage, punctuated by a withering put down from Jackson and some jokes about how much he smells, or drinks, or eats badly. But it's cleverly written, even if perhaps there's a twist or two towards the end that are pretty obvious. Slowly the various facets of the team are inspired to get involved, particularly as the two main plots coalesce towards the end.
Again, really really good stuff. Looking forward to cracking on with season three.
