So, there I was on a Saturday morning, tissues in one hand, laptop in the other, working while sneezing up a storm. My allergies have decided to make my life their personal playground—thanks to this unpredictable weather. One day it’s sweater weather, the next it’s 70 degrees, and my sinuses have no idea what to do. But I digress. 

Amidst all this nasal drama, I stumbled upon the television  show Slow Horses—and I’m asking myself, how on earth did I miss this show for so long? Seriously, I’m hooked. The plot is gold: it’s all about the cast-offs of British intelligence—agents who made big mistakes. But instead of being tossed to the curb, they’re sent to Slough House, where redemption (or something like it) awaits. Gary Oldman, who is in his absolute element as Jackson Lamb, is unbelievably good. He somehow manages to be both a disheveled mess and razor-sharp in his wit and observations.

What really grabs me is the show’s deep question: What happens to people after they mess up in life? How do they go on? In Slow Horses, these “failed” agents get a second chance, but it’s not wrapped up with a neat little bow. They stumble, they scheme, and sometimes they flat-out fail, but they keep moving forward. It’s an interesting parallel to life in general. We all make mistakes—some bigger than others—and it’s how we navigate the aftermath that defines us.

So, while I’m sitting here in a fog of allergy meds, I can’t help but reflect on redemption and second chances. In the world of Slow Horses, it’s messy, frustrating, and often hilarious—and maybe that’s exactly what we need to remind ourselves that there’s no such thing as a clean comeback.