Slow Horses Season 6, Episode 6, “Judgment Day,” ended with a brutal cliffhanger that left fans of Apple TV’s Emmy-winning spy drama asking one urgent question: Will River Cartwright (Jack Lowden) survive?
Viewers of Slow Horses are accustomed to the series receiving early renewals. Fortunately, when the Season 6 finale credits rolled, Apple TV offered an exciting preview of what’s coming in Season 7.
So, when will Slow Horses Season 7 premiere? Which Mick Herron novel will the new season adapt? Who will join the cast? Is Jack Lowden returning as River? How many books are in the Slough House series? And has Apple TV ordered a Slow Horses Season 8?
Here’s everything we know about the Slow Horses Season 7 release date, cast, Bad Actors storyline and the future of the Apple TV espionage thriller.
Is There A New Episode Of Slow Horses This Week? How Many Episodes Are In Slow Horses Season 6?
Unfortunately, there isn’t. Slow Horses Season 6 contains six episodes, making “Judgment Day” the official season finale.
Will There Be A Slow Horses Season 7 On Apple TV? Or Is This The Last Season Of Slow Horses?
Absolutely. On July 8, 2025, ahead of the Season 5 premiere, Apple TV renewed Slow Horses for a seventh season.
Slow Horses Season 7 Release Date: When Does Slow Horses Return With New Episodes On Apple TV?
Apple TV has not announced an official Slow Horses Season 7 premiere date yet, but the show’s annual release pattern suggests fans may not have to wait too long. Based on the timing of recent seasons, new episodes are likely to arrive in fall 2027. Here’s a look at the previous premiere schedules:
- Season 1: April 1, 2022 – April 29, 2022
- Season 2: December 2, 2022 – December 30, 2022
- Season 3: November 29, 2023 – December 27, 2023
- Season 4: September 4, 2024 – October 9, 2024
- Season 5: September 24, 2025 – October 29, 2025
- Season 6: September 16, 2026 – October 21, 2026
How Many Episodes Will Be In Slow Horses Season 7?
Season 7 is expected to follow the established format and feature six episodes.
What Will Slow Horses Season 7 Be About? And Which Mick Herron Book Will Slow Horses Season 7 Adapt?
According to Apple TV’s official press release, “In season seven, Lamb and his Slow Horses are on the hunt to find and neutralize a mole at the heart of the British Government before they can bring down the state. Season 7 is adapted from the Bad Actors novel in Mick Herron’s Slough House book series.”
The Season 6 finale preview also offers a few more clues about the next chapter. The teaser begins with Standish asking Lamb whether he has heard from River. “Yeah, funny enough, I got a postcard. ‘Weather’s lovely in the afterlife. Sunsets to die for. Love and hugs,’” Lamb replies.
Taverner then reveals that “the head of the GRU, Vassily Rasnikov, arrived on UK soil unannounced,” suggesting that the Season 6 storyline is far from resolved. Lamb makes that clear when he says, “That man sent a death squad to murder four of my joes.” Their score, it seems, remains unsettled.
Season 7 will also take Taverner into the field. “Takes some fucking balls going after you,” Lamb tells her, while Taverner vows, “I’m gonna chop that little fucker, Sparrow, off at the ankles.” She even gives a drone the finger—and sprints in heels. Meanwhile, Shirley appears to smash an iron into a bus windshield before Lamb tells her she’s headed to rehab to “get on top of impulse control issues.”
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Following shots of helicopters and boats, Lamb asks, “How long has Rasnikov been in the country, getting up to fuck knows what?” Another character warns, “Something’s going down. I can feel it in my balls,” while Louisa predicts that the death toll “could be into the thousands.”
As usual, Slow Horses Season 7 promises plenty of brawls, gunfire, car chases and profanity. Lamb shouts, “You’re a spy. You know it. I know it,” at someone offscreen. Roddy is held at gunpoint, a man is struck by a car, and one voice warns, “This will be an overture reckoning.” Naturally, Lamb also finds time to eat messily. Here’s what else to know about Bad Actors.
Bad Actors Plot: What Is Book 8 In Mick Herron’s Slough House Series About?
Looking for more insight into the story behind Slow Horses Season 7? Here is the synopsis for Bad Actors, the eighth book in Mick Herron’s series, as published on the author’s website:
“A governmental think-tank, whose remit is to curb the independence of the intelligence service, has lost one of its key members, and Claude Whelan — one-time head of MI5’s Regent’s Park — is tasked with tracking her down. But the trail leads straight back to the Park itself, with Diana Taverner as chief suspect. Has Diana overplayed her hand at last? What’s her counterpart, Moscow’s First Desk, doing in London? And does Jackson Lamb know more than he’s telling?
Over at Slough House, with Shirley Dander in rehab, Roddy Ho in dress rehearsal, and new recruit Ashley Khan turning up the heat, the slow horses are doing what they do best, and adding a little bit of chaos to an already unstable situation . . . “
Slow Horses Season 7 Cast: Here’s Who’s Joining The Apple TV Series
When Slow Horses returns, viewers can expect to see several new faces alongside the returning cast. Before the Season 6 finale, Apple TV announced the following additions to the Season 7 lineup:
Varada Sethu (“The Other Bennet Sister,” “Andor,” “Doctor Who”), Ethan Moorhouse (“The Moment,” “Ludwig,” “MobLand”), Tuppence Middleton (“Downton Abbey: A New Era,” “Mank,” “Death by Lightning”), Merab Ninidze (“Homeland,” “The Courier”) and BAFTA Award nominee Joshua McGuire (“The Gold,” “Anatomy of a Scandal”) will join the series, along with returning Actor Award nominee James Callis.
Is Jack Lowden In Season 7 Of Slow Horses? Will River Be In Season 7 Of Slow Horses?
For a spoiler-filled breakdown of River’s fate at the end of Slow Horses Season 6, Decider has you covered. Apple TV has not officially confirmed whether Jack Lowden will appear in Season 7, but the season is expected to address the aftermath of the finale’s final scene. That would presumably require Lowden to appear in some capacity. There has also been no report that the actor is leaving Slow Horses, and it is difficult to imagine the series without River.
Some viewers may wonder whether Lowden’s potential casting as James Bond could affect his availability. However, the Season 7 preview confirmed that filming has already wrapped. The series has also been renewed for Season 8, with production underway. Recent sightings of Lowden and Cooke have given fans further reason to remain hopeful about River and Sid’s post-Season 6 futures.
Will There Be A Slow Horses Season 8?
Yes. On September 15, shortly before the premiere of Slow Horses Season 6, Apple TV renewed the series for an eighth season. In its announcement, the streamer revealed: “Season 8 sees Jackson Lamb and Diana Taverner face off in their most explosive confrontation yet. When a botched attempt to blackmail the Park puts Taverner on the offensive, it is up to Lamb to unravel one of MI5’s darkest secrets and put an end to it once and for all.”
The series is now Apple TV’s longest-running show. Fans will have to hope it continues long enough to adapt the remaining Mick Herron novels—and perhaps even deliver the J.K. Coe prequel that Tom Brooke has dreamed about.
How Many Books Are in Mick Herron’s Slow Horses Book Series?
Mick Herron has published standalone novels, short-story collections and several novellas, but his Slough House series currently includes nine full-length novels. They are listed below in publication order:
- Book 1: Slow Horses (2010)
- Book 2: Dead Lions (2013)
- Book 3: Real Tigers (2016)
- Book 4: Spook Street (2017)
- Book 5: London Rules (2018)
- Book 6: Joe Country (2019)
- Book 7: Slough House (2021)
- Book 8: Bad Actors (2022)
- Book 9: Clown Town (2025)
Until Apple TV shares more news about Slow Horses Season 7, catch up on our Season 6 coverage, including cast interviews, episode analysis and the latest updates.