Slow Horses Showrunner On Season 5’s Tonal Shift And Making The Most Of Its Most Annoying Character [Exclusive Interview]

This past summer, word came out that this would be your final season with “Slow Horses.” How did that decision come about?

Will Smith: Well, sadly, it was a practical decision just based on the looming need for scripts for series six. And I was doing so much work on series five that there was no way I was going to be able to do that. I don’t want to leave, but it was also like, I couldn’t get the scripts ready, they couldn’t meet the schedule, so it was with great sadness on both sides. But I also feel I’ve taken the show to — it doesn’t conclude anything by any means, and the show is going to go on to even bigger and better things and Mick has just released the ninth book, and I’m sure there’ll be a 10th, 11th, 12th. So it’s going to go on and on. But in terms of my contribution, I feel it does conclude certain arcs that were started in series one. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but it feels like a nice place to exit. The show is in a good position, I hope, creatively.

My understanding is that when you were writing season 5, you were simultaneously shooting the fourth season and editing the third season. So did you know that season 5 would be your last when you were writing it? Did you have that sense of, as a writer, being like, “Ah, I’m putting the final touches on the last script that I’m going to touch”?

There were a few moments where it was like, “Oh, this is the last day I’m filming with these actors,” and things like that, and that was very emotional. But it also keeps going. You finish the shoot, and then you’ve got the ADR and then there were some pickups and then we had the cast and crew screening on Sunday. It was fantastic to see everyone again. And then, I’m helping with the — Roddy Ho is doing an AMA on Reddit shortly after this, and I’m part of that. So it’s like, “Oh, I haven’t left yet.” That hasn’t hit me, but I’m sure when it does, it’ll be like, “Ugh.” But as regards to when I was actually writing that series, all you’re thinking about is making it be the best it can be and just like, “Where are the characters at? Is this what they would be doing and saying at this point?” Thinking of them. And that’s the focus, really, is the show.

Do you remember on your last day on the set if there were any particular moments that stood out to you that you’re going to remember for a long time?

Yeah. There were two really, really lovely moments where the props guys, Nick Atkinson and Harry Larkin, they gave me a box of certain props from the show, which was completely out of nowhere. And then production, they gave me a book, I’ve got it down there [gestures behind him] and there’s a picture of — everybody from the crew and everybody from the cast all had a page, all the departments, and they all wrote the most unbelievable messages. I really didn’t expect that. I didn’t know people felt the way that they seem to say they did with the things that they wrote. And that’s something I will treasure forever, because I’m absolutely blown away by that.

That’s wonderful. Can you give me a sneak peek at any of the props that you mentioned there?

Yeah, where are they? I can get them out. [rustles around and holds up items in front of the camera] I’ve got … I don’t know if I should have this. My god, I’m probably going to get a call from Apple. I’ve got identity cards of the Slow Horses. I got Jonathan Pryce’s fake passport, some fake money, the tin that River’s grandfather buried his flight fund in. Am I confessing to theft here? And then, I got Min’s plaque from the church as well.

Amazing.