Jackson Lamb may seem like one of the most unlikable spies in Slow Horses, but Lamb is a lot more complex than he lets on. Apple TV+’s gritty British spy drama is now in its fifth season, and the team at Slough House have ended up in the middle of yet another major crisis.
Slough House is shown to be the place where problematic agents at MI5 are sent in order to keep them out of the way, but as the last four seasons have revealed, it also often ends up being targeted by the agency when they have problems they want to sweep under the rug.
But despite being exiled, the team at Slough House have proven themselves to be surprisingly capable. And leading the charge for this team of underdogs is Jackson Lamb. However, while Lamb appears to be a thoroughly unlikable individual, the truth about this character is more than meets the eye.
Jackson Lamb Seems Like A Nightmare Boss
Slow Horses immediately established that Lamb is foul-mouthed, unhygienic, frequently cruel, dismissive, and just generally a bully. He belittles his team, often pointing out their flaws and stating his distrust and disappointment in them.
On top of that, Lamb often chooses to hold onto important information and never inform his team, which once again reflects how little he trusts them. And the dislike is largely mutual. While Lamb was once a legend in the service, the agents at Slough House see him as an unpleasant and discompassionate person.
Lamb’s Actions Paint Him As Someone Very Different
But the truth about Lamb is more complex. While Lamb is vocally negative towards his team, and he doesn’t hesitate to tell them where they fall short, behind closed doors in meetings with Diana Taverner or other higher ups, Lamb expresses praise and positivity towards his team.
Lamb’s style of leadership appears to be one where he chooses to build up his team in private, while avoiding inflating their egos to their faces. However, when something goes wrong, Lamb is often the first person on the scene to support and protect his team.
Over the last several seasons of Slow Horses, several members of the team have come under fire, from the oft praised River Cartwright to the tech whiz Roddy Ho. And when this happens, Lamb comes to the defense of his team in record time.
Clearly, Lamb has an innate desire to protect his team, but more than this, he recognizes that they have been failed by an agency that they earned their place in. While MI5 thinks they can eject these agents to Slough House, Lamb proves that they are more than capable of being the best agents in MI5 with the right leadership.
Lamb Chose To Lead Slough House
So, it makes perfect sense that Lamb chose to be assigned to lead the team in Slough House. Having earned his status as a legend in MI5, he was given his choice of what assignment he would take on. And to the surprise of his superiors, Lamb chose to take over Slough House.
While Lamb publicly stated that he wanted a cushy retirement with an easy assignment to wind down his time in the service, his actions clearly show that this was never his intention. Lamb could easily allow Taverner and MI5 to use Slough House for menial tasks and to cover their backs while protecting himself, but he doesn’t.
Lamb works extremely hard to protect his team from being falsely accused in cases where they had no involvement. He uses his agents to highlight flaws in the organization, and he imparts his wisdom and tricks when he leads them through catastrophes from the front lines.
Lamb repeatedly chooses to put in the work, the time, and his own blood and sweat when it comes to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of his team. And with his status in MI5 having resulted in a lot of time around high-ranking leadership where Lamb witnessed corruption, he clearly has an agenda to change things from within.
Lamb chose to work in Slough House not because it was an easy assignment, but he chose to be somewhere that he could make a difference. With minimal oversight from MI5, Lamb is turning his team of misfits into an elite team of underdogs who can challenge the status quo and make a real difference.
But unlike his superiors, Lamb is not willing to throw his team under the bus to serve his own agenda. Lamb repeatedly steps up to help his agents, and teach them how to be more effective. All while ensuring they do not let criminals and crooks slip through the system without having justice served.
MI5 appears to care more about defending their own image, and for characters like Taverner, that means taking control and landing the top job. But Lamb is far from a discompassionate and lazy spy on the edge of retirement. Slow Horses season 5 has continued to show Jackson Lamb to be incredibly intelligent, dedicated, and a caring leader.
