While waiting for season 5 of Apple TV+'s acclaimed crime series Slow Horses was quickly renewed for seasons 5 and 6 by Apple TV+, with season 5 now slated to premiere in September 2025.

The series has followed Slough House's group of rejected MI5 agents, led by Gary Oldman's Jackson Lamb, as they become increasingly involved in various criminal cases, including those that are shockingly connected to their own . Slow Horses season 4 saw this play out on an even more extreme scale with River meeting his father, Frank Harkness, for the first time. Slow Horses season 4's ending ultimately saw Slough House's agents make it through another case, setting up season 5, but, in the meantime, audiences should check out Netflix's alternative.

Netflix's Dept. Q Is Another Great Crime Thriller Show Like Slow Horses

The Two Shows Have A Lot In Common

Audiences who can't get enough of Slow Horses' complicated, imperfect characters and gripping cases will love Netflix's newest addition to the genre, Dept. Q. Venturing north from Slow Horses' London setting, Dept Q. takes place in Edinburgh, Scotland. The series opens with two detectives arriving at the scene of a crime, where a man has been found dead by the responding officer. Shortly after entering the home, a masked figure appears and shoots the officer and detectives, creating an intriguing set-up.

In the aftermath of the scarring shooting, the lead detective, Carl Morck, is relegated to the sidelines, much like the agents in Slough House.

In the aftermath of the scarring shooting, the lead detective, Carl Morck, is relegated to the sidelines, much like the agents in Slough House. Morck's superior moves him into the basement, giving him his own unimportant department that will reopen old cold cases. While Morck, who shares some clear personality traits with Jackson Lamb, is not thrilled about the new assignment, he quickly becomes invested in a four-year-old missing persons case and uncovers important new clues.

Much like Slow Horses, Dept. Q focuses primarily on one particular case throughout its nine episodes, but the case comes close to several of its investigators' own past traumas. The series does a great job of slowly unraveling the secrets of its characters, allowing viewers to see the grieving man behind Morck's angry facade or the sadness behind Rose's happy one. At the same time, the series keeps audiences on the edge of their seats, trying to uncover why Merritt Lingard was really kidnapped, leading to the startling truth.

Dept. Q & Slow Horses Are Both Based On Hit Novel Series

Both Shows Have A Strong Fanbase From Their Source Material

Both Slow Horses and Dept. Q have had great reception from critics and audiences, and it likely helps that both are based on great book series. Slow Horses comes from Mick Herron's Slough House series, with each season so far focusing on a different novel. The book series begins with the 2010 novel Slow Horses, which follows the same plot as the first season of the show. Seasons 2, 3, and 4 use Dead Lions, Real Tigers, and Spook Street, respectively, as their inspiration, and season 5 seems set to follow the book London Rules.

Gary Oldman looking serious as Jackson Lamb in Slow Horses sesaon 5

Slow Horses Season 6 Filming Gets Update From Gary Oldman Ahead Of Season 5 Premiere

Gary Oldman shares a surprising filming update on Slow Horses season 6 before season 5 of the Apple TV+ show even has a release date set.

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Likewise, Dept. Q mirrors the first installment of Danish author Jussi Adler-Olsen's series Department Q. The series currently has 10 books and was originally set in Copenhagen, but follows largely the same or similar characters and plotlines, including that of Carl Morck and his search for Merritt Lingard. The novels have also been previously adapted into Danish films, highlighting their popularity. While it remains to be seen whether the new series will find the same long-term success, it is certainly a good replacement for Slow Horses right now.