Slow Horses star explains River and Shirley’s relationship in new episodes
Aimee-Ffion Edwards spoke exclusively with Radio Times about the new season.
One of the joys of each new season of Slow Horses is seeing the different dynamics between the Slough House team members as they are paired up in new and interesting ways.
In the upcoming fifth season, while we will see River paired up a lot with JK Coe, and Shirley paired up with Catherine, the episodes also develop and explore River and Shirley's relationship.
Speaking exclusively with Radio Times, Shirley star Aimee-Ffion Edwards was asked about the details of Shirley's character development in Mick Herron's fifth book, London Rules, which inspired the series.
These include how many days she's been clean of drugs and how many anger-management sessions she’s attended.
When asked whether these were like stage directions for her, Edwards said: "Yes. I remember reading all that in the book and thinking, 'How do you show that?' You can’t have a camera in her pocket."
She continued: "But there’s a scene with River that lets us know it’s there and then you know why she often keeps a hand in that pocket. Her relationship with River becomes very important in this series."
It was then noted that their relationship is platonic, as are others between men and women in the show, and how rare this still is.
"Yes, it’s really refreshing," Edwards responded. "You don’t see many platonic male-female relationships on TV. There’s an expectation of sex and romance. But chemistry and sparks can be all sorts of things."
As well as developing the stories of Shirley and River, Slow Horses season 5 shines a spotlight on Roddy Ho, as the team find themselves confounded when he is revealed to have a glamorous new girlfriend.
It's the last season to have come from showrunner Will Smith, but never fear – the show will certainly be continuing, with seasons 6 and 7 already confirmed to adapt more of Herron's novels.
The latest issue of Radio Times magazine is out now.
Slow Horses season 5 releases on 25th September 2025 on Apple TV+ – sign up to Apple TV+ now.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
