[Crimson Dynamo]

Watching the opening of series five of the Apple TV show Slow Horses, it occurred to me that British television long ago decided on its own amendments to Knox’s rules. The baddies must always be white British types from the upper or lower classes. Preferably both, acting in collusion. Thus an actor doing a preposterous impression of a 1950s Tory MP may be allowed to busily collaborate with someone from Essex.

At the same time, all ethnic minority characters must be very close to angels – especially if they are Muslim. Indeed any Muslim character who works for MI5 or the police can be relied upon by the viewer, from early in the drama, not to be involved in any terrorism plot. In fact they will probably be key to solving the terrorism plot carried out by the sinister white natives.

Slow Horses (based on the Mick Herron books) has an outstanding cast, including Gary Oldman and Kristin Scott-Thomas. But its plotlines and characters have tended to follow all the modern commandments. Series one featured a gang of working-class white nationalists who abduct and threaten to behead a lovely young Muslim man on camera. Which is something that happens a lot, obviously. The latest series opens with another misogynistic, white working-class racist gunning down a lovely South Asian man who is campaigning for an equally lovely-seeming Muslim candidate for mayor of London. This candidate is standing against a bluff, sub-Faragist white demagogue. It is clear whose side we are meant to be on.

A gang of working-*class white nationalists threaten to behead a lovely young Muslim man on camera

Perhaps the series will go on to surprise me. I hope so. But the auguries are not good, based on the past 25 years of British spy and crime thrillers.

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/...-for-tv-drama/