Gary Oldman and Saskia Reeves Talk Apple TV+'s 'Slow Horses' Season 2

Premiering on Apple TV+ beginning December 2nd is the second season of the popular spy series ‘Slow Horses.’

The first season followed British MI5 agent River Cartwright (Jack Lowden), who after a botched mission is exiled to Slough House, which is nicknamed “Slow Horses” and is an administrative purgatory for service agents.

Cartwright and his fellow former agents now perform boring administrative tasks and work for the miserable Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman), who expects everyone to quit out of frustration, but the team soon becomes entangled in a dangerous mission at London’s Regent’s Park.

The second season will revolve around the investigation of a retired Cold War era spy, who is found dead on a bus miles away from where he works or lives.

In addition to Lowden and Oldman, the cast also includes Kristin Scott Thomas, Saskia Reeves, Olivia Cooke, and Jonathan Pryce.

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Gary Oldman and Saskia Reeves about their work on ‘Slow Horses’ season 2, the new plot, how Reeves prepares for her role, and how Catherine and Jackson’s relationship has changed since season one.

(L to R) Saskia Reeves and Gary Oldman star in Apple TV+'s 'Slow Horses' season 2.

You can read our full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Oldman, Reeves, and Jack Lowden about ‘Slow Horses’ Season 2.

Moviefone: To begin with, can you both talk about what fans can expect from season 2 of ‘Slow Horses?’

Gary Oldman: Well, season two begins with a suspicious death, a Cold War era spy, retired ex-spy Dickie Bow is found on a bus miles away from where he works or lives. We are told that he has died from a heart attack.

Jackson had a relationship with Dickie back in the old days and is suspicious that he died, that it was natural causes and thinks that there's something a little more mysterious to this death that meets the eye. He gathers his dysfunctional team to really start to investigate.

Saskia Reeves: He's known to Catherine as well because they're part of the same crew as it were years ago. Dickie has a reputation, a very bad reputation. So, there's all sorts of little clues that bring these two characters together.
It's almost like they can't not get involved, isn't it? Sometimes when I'm working on this story, I often imagine that we're not spies, we're actors. So, it'd be like an actor you worked with in Liverpool 30 years ago or something.

Saskia Reeves in 'Slow Horses' season 2, premiering December 2, 2022 on Apple TV+.

GA: When he mysteriously dies you think, “Oh no, there's something up,” and you want to find out.

SR: And he got really bad reviews when in fact he was actually quite a good actor. So, I do synonyms. I think, oh, how can I get closer to this material? So, it's like Jackson and Catherine share a knowledge of him and the history and everything. Then even more history comes up.

GA: Mind you though, there's probably a few actors that would come up from the old days and you would say, “Well, okay.”

MF: Finally, Saskia can you talk about how Catherine and Jackson’s relationship has changed since the first season?

SR: I mean there's a definite undertone in the backstory and it actually exists through quite a few of the books written by Mick Herron, and is rumbling in the background in the series, which is great to have as you build the story and the characters. She takes the opportunity to be helpful and get involved, which is great fun to do.

Gary Oldman in 'Slow Horses' season 2, premiering December 2, 2022 on Apple TV+.