Slow Horses Season 5 cast and character guide: Meet the new and returning actors in the Apple TV+ series

Slow Horses Season 5 (Image via Apple)
Slow Horses Season 5 (Image via Apple)

Slow Horses Season 5 will debut on September 24, 2025, on Apple TV+, featuring the misfit MI5 Slough House agents. This season shifts to a lighter, more humorous tone, focusing on the romantic and unexpected side of Roddy Ho, an eccentric character.

It has a six-episode run released weekly, with new episodes dropping every Wednesday at midnight PT. The final episode is scheduled for October 29, 2025.


Returning Cast and Characters of Slow Horses Season 5

Slow Horses Season 5 (Image via Prime Video)
Slow Horses Season 5 (Image via Prime Video)
  • Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb
  • Oldman reappears as Jackson Lamb, the dishevelled and astute head of Slough House. His personality still struggles to deal with the intricacies of leading a team of disgraced MI5 agents.
  • Jack Lowden as River Cartwright
  • Lowden returns to his part as River Cartwright, a former MI5 agent with a promising future, but who has been demoted to Slough House. The redemption and struggle that he undergoes in the agency also keep the plot at the heart of the story.
  • Kristin Scott Thomas as Diana Taverner
  • Thomas reintroduces Diana Taverner, a senior MI5 officer whose political intrigues and complicated association with Lamb introduce further intrigue to Season 5.
  • Saskia Reeves playing Catherine Standish
  • Reeves also comes back as Catherine Standish, who offers some stabilizing force at Slough House. The depth of her character and moral compass still has an impact on the team's dynamics.
  • Louisa Guy is played by Rosalind Eleazar
  • Her performance in Slow Horses Season 5 is recurring as Eleazar plays the role of Louisa Guy, whose pragmatic attitude and keen instincts play a significant part in the team activities.
  • Roddy Ho is played by Christopher Chung
  • Chung reappears as the odd agent, Roddy Ho, who is also a tech enthusiast and has personal adventures that often interfere with the team's operations. The surprise romanticism development in Roddy features in this season and becomes one of the main plots.
  • Shirley Dander is played by Aimee-Ffion Edwards
  • Edwards revives Shirley Dander, the hard and erratic character of Slough House, whose deeds tend to upset the status quo.
  • Tom Brooke as J.K. Coe
  • Brooke returns under the name J.K. Coe, the silent and mysterious operative whose traumatic experiences impact his relationship with other team members.
  • Claude Whelan, played by James Callis
  • Callis returns in Slow Horses Season 5 as Claude Whelan, First Desk of MI5, whose actions and decisions affect the activities of Slough House.
  • Ruth Bradley as Emma Flyte
  • Bradley comes back as Emma Flyte, the Head Dog of Slough House, whose decisions and strategies keep on influencing the direction the team takes.
  • Jonathan Pryce in the role of David Cartwright
  • Pryce revives David Cartwright, the grandfather of River and an ex-MI5 agent whose life and medical problems bring personal points into the story.

New Additions in Slow Horses Season 5

Slow Horses Season 5 (Image via Prime Video)
Slow Horses Season 5 (Image via Prime Video)
  • Nick Mohammed as Zafar Jaffrey
  • Mohammed joins the cast as Zafar Jaffrey, a fictional London Mayor whose political ambitions and actions intersect with MI5's interests.
  • Cherrelle Skeete as Devon Welles
  • Skeete portrays Devon Welles, MI5's new deputy Dog, bringing a fresh perspective and approach to the agency's operations.
  • Hiba Bennani as Tara
  • Bennani plays Tara, Roddy Ho's new girlfriend, whose presence introduces new dynamics and challenges to Roddy's character arc.
  • Christopher Villiers as Dennis Gimball
  • Villiers portrays Dennis Gimball, a right-wing populist running for Mayor of London, whose campaign brings political tension to the storyline of Slow Horses Season 5.
  • Victoria Hamilton as Dodie Gimball
  • Hamilton plays Dodie Gimball, Dennis's wife and a powerful journalist, whose influence and actions affect the political landscape.

Slow Horses Season 5 continues to explore themes of espionage, redemption, and politics. The mix of familiar and new characters keeps the story engaging. As the season progresses, viewers can expect character development and more complex storylines that push the limits of loyalty and betrayal.

Edited by Yesha Srivastava