If you ever needed proof that a show can lack an innovative premise, big moments, jaw-dropping visual splendors, & yet it still comes out the other end as a great television program….. look no further than Slow Horses. With a show like Slow Horses, which is a standard spy thriller in a medium where there’s an over-abundance of these types of shows, sometimes all it takes is a tight & smartly-written story, with a capable ensemble cast & seamless pacing in order to stand out from its peers. Despite having a big-name film star in Gary Oldman as its leading man, Oldman delivers a much more under-the-radar performance here, which is an irregularity compared to most other shows that have had established film actors in its leading roles. But it works out perfectly, giving some of the lesser known cast a chance to shine in the spotlight, especially Jack Lowden, Olivia Cooke, & Brian Vernel. But the MVP of this first season was Kristin Scott Thomas, who steals every scene she’s in as the ruthless & scheming second-in-command at MI5. It’s one of the more authentic & well-written spy thrillers I’ve seen across film & television in quite some time, paying homage to the classics of the spy thriller genre instead of embracing the modernized version with head-scratching storytelling and too many over-the-top action scenes. In an age of television where just about everything is maximalist & creators are constantly doing the most, it’s refreshing to get a show that sticks to the basics, with tunnel-vision storytelling & a succinct runtime preventing it from going off into too many unnecessary detours. Sometimes, less is more.