Slow Horses
When I first heard of Slow Horses I was totally indifferent to it. A spy show starring Gary Oldman? No thanks. I didn't care that everyone was talking about it and lauding it, I was totally uninterested. And then three things happened in close succession to make me change my mind. First, one of my best friends asked me if I watched it, describing the show as Gary Oldman farting. A lot. That intrigued me. And yes, I have the comedic taste of a preschooler. Second, I saw Kristin Scott Thomas on The Graham Norton Show, admittedly an episode from at least two seasons ago because I hoard them to watch when I decorate for Christmas, and the way she described the show piqued by interest. Personally I don't like tales of espionage, I'm not my Dad, I couldn't watch The Bourne Identity on a loop and be entertained, but hearing that this was about disgraced and dysfunctional spies I was far more interested. Third, and finally, over the years I've kind of developed a dislike of Gary Oldman. I think it's because this man who was the darling of independent cinema was viewed as "selling out" when he campaigned so hard for the Oscar that he won. Personally, in my mind, he sold out earlier when he starred in the Harry Potter films, a role for which I particularly felt he was miscast. For the new season he was opening up about his other roles and mentioned that he only took Harry Potter to support his kids and he thinks his acting is shit in it. That was such a refreshing answer that I thought, you know what, it's finally time to give Slow Horses a shot. And I'm very lucky I waited so long because I binged all three seasons available so quickly I'm still suffering from withdrawal. But hopefully by the time this posts I'll be in the midst of season four. Because thankfully there's a season four. This show is addictive and propulsive. The agents of Slough House are used again and again as pawns by their higher ups and yet because they are basically all basket cases they don't approach anything normally and therefore are able to thwart expectations and come out ahead. I mean, still in a shitty building at the ass end of the service, but they have skills that others don't and that ironically makes them a valuable asset. None more so than Gary Oldman's Jackson Lamb. Lamb is a slob. But it's my opinion that he uses this offensive behavior to make people underestimate him. People are so repulsed they don't pay attention to him. He was once a top agent, he could have been First Desk, but having to kill one of their own broke him. He decided he just wanted a boring job and to keep those around him safe. To create a haven for all the misfits. He might badmouth them all, but the truth is, he cares, probably too deeply, and therefore shrouds himself in a miasma that only the brave dare approach. And while each season is wonderful on its own, this season, based on Real Tigers, is so batshit off the wall you might need to watch it in one sitting. There's plots within plots, but most importantly, we see how Jackson Lamb would have fared in Kevin McCallister's shoes. The answer is very well, and Harry and Marv would have been very very dead. I particularly liked the knife IN the bannister.
I'll be honest, The Stranger almost slipped right under my radar. I saw it on the front page of Netflix and was like, is that Dutch from Killjoys? And once I figured out that yes, it was Hannah John-Kamen, my interest disappeared until an episode of The Graham Norton Show. I literally watch every episode of Graham's show even if I hate the guests because he somehow makes everyone come alive, though the one big exception was Laura Linney's recent appearance. Laura was working her ass off and the other guests, Saoirse Ronan, Timothée Chalamet, and Stephen Mangan, fell painfully flat. Shame on you three! Yet it gave me a new respect for Laura, so good on her. Anyway, Jennifer Saunders was on with Patrick Stewart, Jamie Foxx, and Michael B. Jordan, so a typical Graham couch, tons of A-listers and a comedian at the end of the couch. Only Jennifer was there to promote her first dramatic outing, The Stranger. I was all, what!?! Huh!?! Tell me more about walking across this car park!?! So I looked into the show more and saw it stared Richard Armitage!?! Be still my heart! So yes, thanks to Graham I didn't miss this show about a stranger played by Hannah John-Kamen arriving in a small yet tony British town and upsetting everyone's lives with a little helping of the truth and a whole lot of blackmail. There's a LOT of Broadchurch thrown in when they decided to move Harlan Coben's story from America to the British Isles, but that's part of the charm. It's nothing too original and many of the plot twists I saw coming from a long way off, but the acting and the cast made it enjoyable. Could I always have Antony Stewart Head play Richard Armitage's father? Because that would be a joy I would love to repeat. Seriously, when Rupert Giles appeared in the credits I squeed. This is very much a mystery I would have been sad to have missed.
