Warning! This list contains SPOILERS for season 1 of Slow Horses.
One of the most exciting shows on AppleTV+, Slow Horses brought spies back to TV, and they are as cool as they are hilarious. Based on Mick Herron's books, the series is a refreshing take on the spy world.
Given that one thrilling first season is available and the streaming service already has a season 2 completed, it's time to break down those who make the show lovable. Whether the Slow Horses characters are chasing nationalists or cleaning garbage, they can be charming or intolerable. After one season, who's the most likable slow horse?
Struan Loy
The other slow horses don't seem to tolerate Struan Loy. The show presents him almost as a British version of Michael Scott from The Office, since his coworkers make up excuses to avoid hanging out with him, just like in the American comedy.
However, Loy isn't the least likable character due to his annoying nature, but rather for betraying the Slough House team for his personal gain. By the time the betrayal happens, audiences are rooting for Lamb and the team no matter their flaws, making Loy's move hard to forgive. Of course, Paul Higgins' talent has nothing to do with the character's personality, and Loy is a crucial piece in the season 1 arc.
Diana Taverner
It's easy to tell that Kristin Scott Thomas is nailing her role given that Diana Taverner is difficult to like. As the season progressed, her intentions regarding Hassan's kidnapping became clearer, and made her less appealing.
Taverner is indirectly responsible for the kidnapping, which is why she's an incredibly entertaining character, though not the kind most in the audience want to be friends with. When she tries to blame the Slough House team for her own mistakes, viewers rooting for Lamb don't see her in the best light. Because of that, Scott Thomas' performance makes audiences excited for more feuds between her and Lamb in season 2.
Roddy Ho
Roddy Ho might have started the first season as the most unlikable character, but those odds changed by the finale.
Self-absorbed, vain, and looking down at his peers, he's a slow horse precisely because Park couldn't tolerate his personality. As viewers get to know him more, they get used to his (lack of) manners, and Ho becomes a comedy relief instead of a purely intolerable character.
Sid Baker
Despite being only in two episodes, Sid was as likable as she was intelligent. While audiences didn't get to see much of the character due to the plot twist in "Work Drinks", she was Lamb's favorite spy, which says a lot given that he despises many people.
If viewers are sad about this likable character being gone, the future might bring an unexpected turn. As Ho implies in the season finale, there is a chance audiences haven't seen the last of Sid Baker.
Min Harper
Min Harper is the kind of side character that gets more appealing as time goes on and the story develops further. As his relationship with Louisa progresses organically, audiences see that he has made mistakes, but his heart is in the right place. This characteristic brings an aspect that is essential to the fantastic AppleTV+ series.
In "Follies", Min surprised viewers by giving the MI5 the middle finger in order to stop them from killing an unarmed man. In a hilarious scene, he turned into one of the most likable slow horses, and Louisa seems to agree.
Louisa Guy
Louisa Guy is one of the cleverest and most likable spies in the show. In "Work Drinks", it's made clear that she cares about Hassan's safety and feels angry for not being able to help him, which is a feeling viewers can relate to.
As a slow horse, she's unable to do the work she wants to, but, just like Min, she tries her best regardless. Between her being kind to Standish and not loathing Min, Louisa is a character audiences enjoy seeing more and more on the screen.
River Cartwright
As a determined and, at the same time, a funny protagonist that evokes Simon Pegg's character in Hot Fuzz, River Cartwright introduces viewers to the Slow Horses universe, so they naturally sympathize with him after he fails his training.
Throughout season 1, River continues to try to prove himself to Lamb and the Park and often chooses the hard path to do what's right instead of what's easy. This element puts the character in the likable category, as viewers root for him naturally. In season 2, this will likely continue, as he may come to discover dark secrets regarding his grandfather.
Jackson Lamb
Lamb is the best character in the series, and everything about him points to him being unlikable. Ironically, despite his flaws, he's still one of the most appealing characters in the show. His charm comes from the fact that, although he has dark secrets and laughs at his "joes", Lamb cares about their safety.
As he puts it, the spies are "losers", but they are "his losers", and throughout the story, he's motivated to help them when he could have easily left the country. Flatulent and arrogant as he may be, Lamb is an impossible-not-to-like character, played brilliantly by Gary Oldman.
Catherine Standish
Often unappreciated and underrated, Catherine Standish is the most likable character in the series. While she is the quiet type, her work cannot be taken for granted. If it weren't for her help, the kidnappers' van couldn't have been tracked by Ho, and Hassan wouldn't have been saved.
Standish usually shows concern for the other spies, but her kindness doesn't mean she's a pushover. The character strives to find out the truth about a past event, and viewers comprehend her point of view instantly. In season 2 of Slow Horses, viewers will likely continue to enjoy her.