★★★★★ (5/5) Best for: Fans of 24 , The Americans , Bodies , or Slow Horses . Skip if: You dislike slow-burn tension or ambiguous endings.

Overview Homeland (Season 1) originally aired on Showtime from October 2 to December 18, 2011. It remains one of the most critically acclaimed debut seasons in television history, winning Golden Globes for Best Drama Series and Best Actress (Claire Danes), as well as two Primetime Emmy Awards (Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Lead Actor for Damian Lewis).

The season consists of , running approximately 55–60 minutes each. Core Plot Summary The Premise: US Marine Sergeant Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis) is rescued from an Al-Qaeda compound in Afghanistan after being held as a POW for eight years. He returns home as a national hero. Meanwhile, CIA officer Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) — brilliant but secretly battling bipolar disorder — receives a tip from a source that an American POW has been "turned" by the enemy. She suspects Brody is that man.