Slow Horses star teases plans for a prequel series ahead of Season 5 debut

Gary Oldman returns as foul-mouthed Jackson Lamb in the fifth season of Slow Horses, which recently debuted on Apple TV+. The spy thriller series, from British writer Will Smith, has been such a hit on the platform that the studio decided to bring it back for the sixth and seventh chapters even before the fifth season appeared online.

The following seasons will serve as sequels to the existing storyline, taking the story of Lamb and his disgraced MI5 agents ahead, while adapting stories from Mike Herron's books. However, Lamb's dry wit and sardonic humor have left such a mark that some fans are reportedly hoping the show explores his backstory with MI5 or otherwise.

In line with this, Collider asked Jonathan Pryce whether he would be interested in a similar requel. In the show, Pryce stars as David Cartwright, a retired MI5 spy, who is also River's (Jack Lowden) grandfather. So, a prequel can potentially explore David's backstory. When asked about it, Pryce first said in jest,

"As long as I get a royalty, [I'll work on a prequel].”

Then, the actor explained what a prequel can highlight if it gets greenlit by the studio. Here's what he said,

“I do think you're right. There is a prequel. There is a story to tell. It would be very much more like the Le Carré storytelling. Because Gary’s character couldn’t have been like that all his life, so it would be interesting to see him younger and to see that interplay between the two.”

Jonathan Pryce reveals what a Slow Horses prequel can reveal about David Cartwright and Jackson Lamb

During the Collider interview, Jonathan Pryce addressed how a Slow Horses prequel might offer fans a chance to see another side of David, whether prickly or cheerful. Speaking about David's colder side, the actor said,

“You saw it very briefly in a scene we had together. I don’t know which season it was, but when I’d driven him to the murder scene to drown somebody in the bath. You saw that cold side of Cartwright just briefly, but it was always good to think about when I was doing the older version. I think it would definitely be worth exploring. It’d be cool.”

Unlike Pryce, Slow Horses creator Will Smith believes the show doesn't need a prequel since it might kill the mystery about Jackson Lamb, which essentially makes him such a fascinating character.

In a recent interview, Smith told TheWrap,

"I don’t think people would want that. Early on, Mick and I used to joke about that, and he used to be quite vehemently against it. And for exactly the reasons you say: It’s the fascination with Lamb."

He added further,

"You don’t want to spoil the magic of what the hell happened to him. You just [wonder], 'What made you this way, Lamb?' That’s the question that is on everyone’s mind. And yeah, would it be the wrong thing to answer that? I don’tthink you could cast a different actor. You just can’t. Gary is Lamb, that’s it."

Slow Horses season 5 is currently streaming on Apple TV+.

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Also read: Slow Horses star reveals the one major moment from the book they cannot wait to adapt

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