The disgraced spies of Slough House are facing one of their messiest cleanups yet. Slow Horses Season 5 Episode 5, titled “Circus,” is scheduled for release on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, exclusively on Apple TV+. This penultimate episode of the season deals with the shocking consequences of the previous mission, where a politician’s death has left the team in a precarious position. The agents must navigate the fallout while a larger destabilization plot threatens London.
How to Watch the New Episode
Viewers can watch the new episode on Apple TV+ at 12 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) on its release date. For audiences in other time zones, the episode will be available at the same moment globally, which translates to 9 p.m. Pacific Time on Tuesday, October 21, and 4 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time on Wednesday, October 22. The series is streamed in 4K quality with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos support, and offers audio and subtitles in multiple languages including English, Spanish, French, and German.
Season 5 follows a weekly release pattern, with the sixth and final episode, “Scars,” arriving on October 29, 2025. The season began on September 24 with two episodes, “Bad Dates” and “Incommunicado.”
Unpacking the Chaos in “Circus”
The episode “Circus” focuses on the immediate aftermath of the events in “Missiles.” The Slow Horses successfully prevented an assassination attempt at a mayoral debate, but the mission ended in disaster with the death of firebrand MP Dennis Gimball. The politician was accidentally killed when a bucket of pink paint fell on his head after an altercation involving agent J.K. Coe.
This incident leaves Jackson Lamb and his team with a major problem. A Dictaphone recording that captures River Cartwright and Coe discussing Gimball’s death is now in Coe’s possession, creating hard evidence that could implicate the agents. The team’s number one priority becomes containing this situation and managing the evidence.
Simultaneously, the larger conspiracy unfolds. The resident tech expert, Roddy Ho, is pulled back into action to help decipher a complex piece of code related to the destabilization strategy targeting the city. Meanwhile, MI5 has arrested Tara, Roddy’s mysterious girlfriend who has been under suspicion. Her interrogation could reveal critical information about the extremist group she is connected to and her true motives for dating Roddy.
The Season’s Story and Cast
The fifth season of this British spy thriller is based on Mick Herron’s novel “London Rules.” The core plot involves a series of bizarre and violent events across London, which the Slough House agents must connect. Suspicion falls heavily when Roddy Ho starts a relationship with a glamorous new girlfriend, Tara. The season explores whether this is a coincidence or part of a larger scheme.
The series stars Gary Oldman as the brilliant but unkempt Jackson Lamb, Jack Lowden as River Cartwright, and Kristin Scott Thomas as Diana Taverner. The cast for this season also includes Christopher Chung as Roddy Ho, Tom Brooke as J.K. Coe, and features guest star Nick Mohammed as Mayor Zafar Jaffrey. New characters involved in the destabilization campaign, such as Farouk and his cell, are played by Monty Ben and Fady Elsayed.
Fan and Critical Response to the New Season
The new season has been met with strong approval from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, Slow Horses Season 5 holds a 94% “fresh” rating. Critics have noted that the show remains confident and entertaining five seasons in.
Anita Singh of the Daily Telegraph wrote, “Slow Horses is unusual: a long-running show that hasn’t had a drop-off in quality. There is a supreme sense of confidence about the way it is put together.”
Tim Lowery of AV Club noted, “This many seasons in, the show needs to do some of this maneuvering so as not to drive home the same central characters’ issues and burn out… But that doesn’t make any of this less delightful to watch.”
While most reviews are positive, some critics felt the season had minor flaws. Nick Schager of The Daily Beast described the season as a “wobbly return engagement,” suggesting that the comedy sometimes veered into cartoonishness. However, the general consensus praises the series for maintaining its high standards of complex plotting, dark humor, and standout performances, particularly from Gary Oldman.
The show has been officially renewed for a sixth and seventh season, ensuring more missions for the dysfunctional team at Slough House.
Also Read: Slow Horses Season 5 Episode 4 Recap: A Political Rally Ends in a Shockingly Absurd Death
