Fresh off another Emmy win and an early Season 8 renewal announcement, Apple TV‘s relentlessly riveting espionage series Slow Horses is back for Season 6. And the stakes have never been higher for Jackson Lamb (Sir Gary Oldman), River Cartwright (Jack Lowden), and the rest of Slough House’s finest MI5 misfits, who have mysterious targets on their backs. With a new showrunner, a two-book adaptation, shocking twists, and heartbreaking core character deaths, Season 6 promises to change the strange, strange game.

SLOW HORSES SEASON 6: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: Slow Horses Season 6 opens on a busy highway, where a dead animal is being run over by speeding cars. The camera pans to the nearby Forest Community Centre as we hear woof-like grunts from a man practicing karate.

The Gist: In a break from tradition, Slow Horses Season 6 adapts two novels from Mick Herron’s series — Joe Country and Slough House — to tell the story of Jackson Lamb and misfit MI5 agents past and present on the run from two mysterious assassins (Kyle Soller and MyAnna Buring) and River’s dad Frank Harkness (Hugo Weaving). As First Desk Diana Taverner (Kristin Scott Thomas) goes up against the slimy Peter Judd (Samuel West) and British news channel owner Damien Cantor (Harry Lloyd), the Joes get caught up in her elaborate retaliation scheme.

On top of death threats, River (Jack Lowden) is navigating unprecedented personal pain and the unexpected return of Season 1’s Sidonie “Sid” Baker (Olivia Cooke). Meanwhile, a newly corporate Louisa (Rosalind Eleazar) reunites with Shirley (Aimee-Ffion Edwards), Coe (Tom Brooke), Roddy (Christopher Chung), Moira (Joanna Scanlan), and Standish (Saskia Reeves) out in the field, where they’re joined by standout Season 2 newbie Lenny Rush, who plays Reece Nesmith, a young witness to a murder.

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? Slow Horses is a singular series to me — one so effortlessly cool and tonally unique that it genuinely doesn’t evoke comparisons as I’m watching. So I’ll take this opportunity to share some adjacent genre faves if you’re hungry for more espionage drama or humor. Obviously, check out The Americans if you somehow missed Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell’s prestige period spy drama. The new Mr. & Mrs. Smith is a winner. Netflix’s Dept. Q is also based on a series of crime novels. And Killing Eve is another star-studded British spy thriller that tackles drama and comedy. If you’re looking for more lighthearted laughs, check out The Outlaws.

Our Take: In my official review, I noted that heading into Season 6, “the ambitious two-book adaptation wasn’t the show’s only major change. After five critically acclaimed seasons (two of which earned perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes ratings), Emmy-winning creator, showrunner, and lead writer Will Smith stepped down due to the rigorous production schedule and a desire to pursue other projects. Longtime fans who feared for the show’s fate in the hands of Season 6 showrunner Gaby Chiappe can breathe a heavy sigh of relief. Smith’s integral work in crafting the world and characters of Slow Horses is forever ingrained in the show’s DNA. And in wisely writing to those established strengths, Chiappe does Slow Horses justice, maintaining its quintessential pacing, tone, and heart while simultaneously upping the ante.”

“Season 4 director Adam Randall returns to help keep continuity, while elevating everything from action sequences to visual aesthetics. Season 6 has an abundance of breathtaking, badass chase and fight scenes that play out through innovative locations — from a bowling alley and a public restroom to a car park and a swanky glass “fishbowl” of a safe house. And a fair share of brilliant twists and shocking cliffhangers will keep viewers on the edge of their seats throughout, up until the final minutes, which perfectly tee up Season 7.”

For more information, check out Decider’s official Slow Horses review, which tackles the full sixth season of the Apple TV series.

Performances Worth Watching: Once Olivia Cooke returns to screens, fans will struggle to recall how we went so long without her. Aside from core characters, Weaving continues to play a delightfully chilling, scene-stealing villain. We didn’t know how badly we needed to see Brooke out in the field as the lovably awkward Coe. And Rush sslays with unexpected sass and expert comedic timing.

Parting Shot: A suited-up River Cartwright lies in the middle of a road looking defeated as “Love & Death” by Ebo Taylor plays.

Our Call: STREAM IT. Six seasons deep, Slow Horses is as jam-packed with sharp storytelling and top-notch performances as ever. The masterful spy series continues to level up, brilliantly balancing suspense and dark humor. Simply put, no show on TV is doing it like Slow Horses.