An acclaimed Apple TV+ drama has earned a flawless 100 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes on the day its fifth season premiered.

The latest instalment of this hit spy series, which features Gary Oldman, dropped its first two episodes on Wednesday, immediately delighting critics and viewers alike.

The fifth season of Slow Horses, based on Mick Herron’s bestselling Slough House novels, once again follows Oldman’s brilliantly shambolic Jackson Lamb as he leads his team of disgraced MI5 agents.

Alongside Oldman, familiar faces are back in action, including Jack Lowden as River Cartwright and Kristin Scott Thomas as steely MI5 chief Diana Taverner.

Hugo Weaving also returns to the fold, reprising his menacing role as villain Frank Harkness after debuting in season four.

The latest addition to the cast is Nick Mohammed, best known for Taskmaster and Ted Lasso, who joins as Zahar Jaffrey, the mayor of London.

Slow Horses has returned with a bang, as the acclaimed Apple TV+ drama earned a flawless 100 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes on the very day its fifth season premiered

The latest instalment of the hit spy series dropped its first two episodes on Wednesday, immediately delighting critics and viewers alike

Based on Mick Herron’s bestselling Slough House novels, season five adapts London Rules and once again follows Gary Oldman’s brilliantly shambolic Jackson Lamb

Speaking ahead of the release, Mohammed promised fans an ‘explosive’ ride. ‘I think everyone will appreciate that Slow Horses ends in quite an explosive way and there are lots of twists and turns,’ he revealed to RadioTimes.

‘And this season definitely does do that as well. There’s a pretty intense action sequence at the end.’

The glowing early reviews suggest audiences are in for another treat with the fifth season, which is based on Heron’s 2018 book London Rules.

CBR praised the show for continuing to push boundaries, writing that the new series ‘continues to test the limits of audience expectations, and comes one step closer to becoming truly iconic.’

The Daily Telegraph highlighted the consistency of the series, saying: ‘Slow Horses is unusual: a long-running show that hasn’t had a drop-off in quality. There is a supreme sense of confidence about the way it is put together.’

Meanwhile, Metro was full of enthusiasm, declaring: ‘I can’t think of a thing I didn’t like about it. The cast is brilliant, the story’s engaging, and the dialogue sharper than ever.’

Collider added that even in its most pared-back form, the show remains unmissable: ‘If Slow Horses Season 5 proves anything, it’s that even an installment of this show that favors a back-to-basics approach is still definitely worth tuning in for.’

Since it first premiered in 2022, Slow Horses has carved out a reputation as one of television’s most stylish thrillers, blending razor-sharp dialogue with high-stakes espionage and a darkly comic edge.

Alongside Oldman, familiar faces are back in action, including Jack Lowden as River Cartwright

Kristin Scott Thomas, left, returns to play steely MI5 chief Diana Taverner

The Daily Mail’s Roland White gave the series an impressive four-star rating, writing: ‘They don’t waste time on Slow Horses’

The Daily Mail’s Roland White gave the series an impressive four-star rating.

He wrote: ‘They don’t waste time on Slow Horses, which is back for a much-anticipated fifth series.

‘Within moments of the opening titles, a young man with blank eyes was gunning people down in a suburban shopping centre. His first victim was a charming campaigner for the London mayor.’

Elsewhere, he said: ‘Slow Horses has been described as dark comedy. It’s certainly dark, but is it comedy? It doesn’t really do jokes. 

‘The light moments are mostly black humour drawn from the ludicrous nature of intelligence work, with added office banter.

‘All in all, normal service at Slough House is resumed.’ 

Slow Horses season five is available to stream on Apple TV+ now.