Slow Horses Is About To Run Into Game Of Thrones' Biggest Problem – Here's Why It'll Be Fine

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Remember that famous "Wallace & Gromit" short "The Wrong Trousers," when our dogged hero Gromit outwits the menacing penguin Feathers McGraw atop a model train set by literally laying down track as he goes along? While this makes for a thrilling action sequence and even represents how certain movie franchises like Marvel tend to operate (as the unfinished script for "Avengers: Doomsday" most recently proves), this method isn't generally considered to be a recipe for success in television. For every example like "Breaking Bad" that's an exception to the rule, there are countless more shows like "Lost" that suggest the best-laid plans are the ones that are, you know, actually laid ahead of time.

Is our favorite espionage show "Slow Horses" about to succumb to a similar fate? That might seem more than a tad premature, especially when you consider that the hit Apple TV series was just recently renewed for an eighth upcoming season (via Apple) — even as it's only currently on its sixth. But that news is precisely what makes this such a relevant question to ask. As fans of author Mick Herron's book series know well, there is only a finite amount of source material from which the series can adapt. Once "Slow Horses" outpaces the nine total novels (along with five novellas), where does the creative team go from there? Are we really about to relive the very same worst-case scenario that "Game of Thrones" showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss experienced?

Perhaps not! There's reason to believe that "Slow Horses" will avoid such a nightmare ... and quite easily, too. It all has to do with the show's oftentimes loose relationship with Herron's novels, along with his consistent ability to churn out new books. Either way, fans are in safe hands.

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Overly reverential and 1:1 remakes of original works are out, folks, while bold and inspired and risk-taking adaptations are in. That's according to the new rule I personally just came up with and am now putting into full effect, at least. There's something to be said for the latter approach to writing movies and shows based on preexisting material. Shows like HBO's "Lanterns" and even movies like "Resident Evil" help underline the point — that telling new and creative stories set within recognizable worlds might be the best way forward.

"Slow Horses" may not go quite that far, but it certainly hasn't been afraid to change and adjust aspects from the books as the writers see fit. Sure, the basic premise of each season remains faithful to the respective novel it's adapting. (Season 6 is currently remixing two separate Mick Herron novels.) But there are many different ways in which each episode colors within those lines. The personalities and motivations of entire characters in the books hardly resemble their live-action counterparts, with the show opting for a more palatable and likeable group of oddball heroes. Meanwhile, "Slow Horses" has repeatedly changed up locations, timing of events, and several other key factors to prioritize the medium-based needs of a television series over what may have only worked on the written page.

That goes a long way towards explaining why "Slow Horses" can overcome an obstacle like the one it will soon face. After Season 7 takes on Herron's book "Bad Actors" and Season 8 adapts "Clown Town," the writing team will have some tough decisions to make. Luckily, they've proven to be plenty adept at coming up with original material of their own.

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Oh, the unending irony of "Slow Horses" recruiting so many "Game of Thrones" franchise alums. The comparisons between franchises practically write themselves, and that's before even considering "House of the Dragon" star Olivia Cooke's welcome return as Sid Baker in Season 6. But it's not only about what links both properties together. In fact, the biggest difference between them reveals why the Apple TV series is ideally positioned for success in the years ahead compared to what befell "Game of Thrones."

It all has to do with the context and relationship each one has to their respective original authors, along with the divergent track record they've both displayed so far. Look no further than when "Game of Thrones" jettisoned all of its goodwill by cobbling together a shortened final season that tread far off the beaten path of George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" books. The prequel series "House of the Dragon" somehow went further in this regard, forever earning Martin's wrath (while putting his approval of "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" in sharper relief).

For Mick Herron's part, however, the dynamic he shares with "Slow Horses" involves far less controversy. The "Slough House" author has already commented on what might happen once the adaptation runs out of books and his willingness to entertain changes to his novels — with the caveat of, "Provided they continue to get the characters right, and to get the mood right, and don't do anything which is obviously antithetical to my vision of how it should be."

In short, expect "Slow Horses" to continue for years to come ... and without any real chance of a "Game of Thrones" redux.