Spy thrillers are their own brand of drama. With mysterious protagonists, life-or-death scenarios, and a world where no one is laying all their cards on the table, these shows are tailor-made to keep you on the edge of your seat—the perfect recipe for a full-day binge.
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While he may be synonymous with the Western genre at this point, Taylor Sheridan (co-creator of the mega Paramount Network hit series Yellowstone) recently dipped his toes into the world of espionage with his new show Special Ops: Lionness. It follows an elite team of female undercover operatives for the CIA who risk their lives to fight an anti-terrorism mission.
The show is reportedly based on a real-life unit created by the U.S. Marines, although its purpose was a little different. Rather than just identifying women who may be involved in terrorist activity, Sheridan's Lioness operatives are tasked with actually befriending and infiltrating enemy groups.
The series' first two episodes—starring Zoe Saldana, Nicole Kidman, David Annable, Jill Wagner, and Laysla De Oliveria—dropped on Paramount+ on July 23. New episodes will be released every Sunday, leaving plenty of time for you to stream other espionage-themed shows.
Below are our eight favorites shows to binge.
The Night Agent (2023-)
DAN POWER/NETFLIX
Who's in it: Gabriel Basso, Luciane Buchanan, and Fola Evans-Akingbola
Where to stream: Netflix
Seasons: 1
This brand-new drama series follows a low-level FBI agent who operates the phones in the basement of the White House. His dull day-to-day work is suddenly disrupted when he receives a call that pulls him into a deep and deadly conspiracy involving a potential mole in the Oval Office. Between the thrilling missions to uncover the truth and the complex web of relationships between characters, this show is sure to keep you guessing.
Homeland (2011-2020)
SHOWTIME
Who's in it: Claire Danes, Mandy Patinkin, Damian Lewis, and Rupert Friend
Where to stream: Hulu, Paramount+, and SHOWTIME
Seasons: 8
What do you get when you mix a bipolar CIA agent, a POW-turned-terrorist, and the hunt for a political cover-up? Homeland. This long-running show follows Carrie Mathison (Danes), an agent whose instincts are often right but just as often clouded by her condition. She is assigned to investigate an American soldier who returns home after being presumed dead for eight years. When Mathison starts to suspect that he's not the hero everyone thinks he is, she sets out to uncover the truth.
Alias (2001-2006)
ABC
Who's in it: Jennifer Garner, Ron Rifkin, Carl Lumbly, Kevin Weisman, and Bradley Cooper
Where to stream: Disney Plus
Seasons: 5
Sydney Bristow may seem like your average college graduate, but she's anything but. She's a double agent—working for the CIA and a criminal organization called SD-6. Assigned to take down SD-6 from the inside, Bristow must juggle her trusty group of allies with her enemies, all while trying to stay one step ahead of the game. This show is packed with suspenseful twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the very end.
24 (2001-2010)
FOX
Who's in it: Kiefer Sutherland, Mary Lynn Rajskub, and Carlos Bernard
Where to stream: Hulu
Seasons: 9
Perhaps one of the most well-known espionage thrillers of all time, 24 follows the Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU) and its agents in their fight against international terrorism. Each episode takes place within a single 24-hour span, as agent Jack Bauer (Sutherland) must race against the clock to save the world from disastrous consequences. It's intense, action-packed, and definitely worth a watch.
Tehran (2020)
AppleTV+
Who's in it: Niv Sultan, Shaun Toub, and Shervin Alenabi
Where to stream: Apple TV+
Seasons: 2
Tehran follows a young computer hacker agent (Sultan) working for the Israeli secret service who infiltrates the Iranian capital—which also happens to be her hometown. When the mission to destroy a nuclear reactor fails, she finds herself trapped in her false identity and must find a way to escape the city alive. AppleTV recently renewed the series for a third season, so there's plenty of time to catch up before the next batch of episodes drops.
Jack Ryan (2018-2023)
Jonny Cournoyer/Prime Video
Who's in it: John Krasinski, Wendell Pierce, and Michael Kelly
Where to stream: Amazon Prime Video
Seasons: 4
Based on Tom Clancy's iconic character, Jack Ryan follows the titular CIA analyst as he's thrust out of his cozy desk job and into a field position against an international terrorist network. With intense action sequences, complex plot twists, and plenty of suspense, this show is perfect for viewers—especially those of us who have been missing seeing Krasinski on the small screen. The final season just dropped on Prime Video, so you can stream all four now.
The Little Drummer Girl (2018)
Jonathan Olley/AMC
Who's in it: Simona Brown, Gennady Fleyscher, Clare Holman, Florence Pugh, and Michael Shannon
Where to stream: AMC+
Seasons: 1
This miniseries—based on John le Carré's novel of the same name—follows a young actress as she becomes entangled with an Israeli spy and is tasked with infiltrating a Palestinian terrorist network. She must use all of her talent and training to keep up the act in order to find out who is responsible for a bombing in Germany before time runs out and more lives are put at risk, including her own.
The Americans (2013-2018)
FX
Who's in it: Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys, and Keidrich Sellati
Where to stream: Hulu
Seasons: 6
The Americans takes place in the 1980s and follows two Russian KGB spies posing as a married couple in suburban Washington, DC. The series focuses on their undercover missions and family life, as well as their feelings of loyalty to each other and their home country. Between protecting their two American-born children and befriending their neighbor, who just happens to be an FBI agent, the lines between family and duty become increasingly blurred.
How Many Seasons of Special Ops: Lioness Are Out?
The first season of Special Ops: Lioness will have eight episodes released every Sunday until September 3. It has not yet been renewed for a second season yet, but it's a Taylor Sheridan show, so we can only assume there will be more to come.
