This Spy Thriller Show Is The Perfect Replacement For James Bond While Waiting For 007’s Next Movie

As fans eagerly await the next James Bond film, there’s one spy thriller series that can fill the gap in the meantime. The allure of Bond’s suave demeanor stemmed from author Ian Fleming’s numerous novels and short stories, which first started being published in 1953. This made the character recognizable by the time EON Productions released the first James Bond film adaptation, Dr. No, in 1961. Since Sean Connery portrayed the initial on-screen version of Bond, each subsequent actor brought a unique nuance to the character, such as Timothy Dalton’s grit and Daniel Craig’s sophistication as the longest-serving Bond.

Craig’s time as Bond ended in 2021 with No Time To Die, raising curiosity about who’ll play 007 next. However, Bond 26 news is limited to confirmation that it will happen. Predominantly because it’s still in development, the long-awaited continuation of Bond’s story won’t appear on screens until at least 2026. To add to this, there’s also been no confirmation as to who will be cast in the iconic role. Luckily, one specific British series can give fans a taste of the spy thriller genre until further Bond 26 news arises.

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Apple’s Slow Horses Is The Perfect Show For James Bond Fans

Much like James Bond, Apple TV+’s Slow Horses is also based on a book series – Slough House by Mick Herron, comprised of eight books and four novellas so far. While Slow Horses doesn’t exude the same prestige as James Bond, it adds a fresh twist to the spy genre. Following a group of MI5 rejects headed by Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman), Slow Horses trades the dreary paperwork of these demoted operatives for dangerous covert missions to protect Britain from various threats.

The Slow Horses main characters balance the line between humor and seriousness. For example, River Cartwright is sarcastic and unapologetically gets himself involved in rogue missions. Much of its charm comes from the characters’ varying degrees of professionalism and tendencies to make mistakes, such as River mistakenly calling in a terrorist attack in season 2. Humanizing the characters while still having them save the day ties into the early appeal of James Bond, namely audiences’ espionage fantasies.

Why Slow Horses Reviews Are So Good

First premiering in 2022, Slow Horses has received critical success, despite not being spoken about as widely online. Its Rotten Tomatoes‘ scores are 95%, 100%, and 97% for the first three seasons, respectively, even before all episodes for season three are released. This speaks to each season’s brilliant twists and intricate links between characters. For instance, over the first two seasons, River’s grandfather, David, is revealed to have worked with Lamb to take down an MI5 mole who was close to Slough House’s receptionist, Catherine Standish.

Additionally, the well-orchestrated action sequences and spy practices, like agent Min Harper secretly pursuing suspects by bicycle or River going undercover to retrieve intel, keep audiences intrigued. While many classic Bond villains have unique quirks like eyepatches, Slow Horses roots its espionage activities with less gimmicky threats, like terrorist groups or Russian sleeper agents, making it entertaining to see how the hapless slow horses defeat them. With a fourth season confirmed, Slow Horses‘ action-packed sequences, flawed but likable characters, and gripping storytelling can make James Bond fans’ wait for the next movie more enjoyable.