You know that feeling when the credits roll on a Carrie Mathison breakdown and your heart is basically thumping against your ribs? It’s a specific kind of high. Homeland wasn't just about explosions or guys in suits sitting in dark rooms. It was about the crushing weight of paranoia. It was about how being "right" can feel exactly like losing your mind. Finding tv series like homeland is actually pretty hard because most spy shows lean way too hard into the James Bond gadgets or the 24 style "tick-tock" gimmick.
But they exist. Real ones. Shows that understand the CIA isn't just a place where heroes work, but a massive, grinding bureaucracy that sometimes eats its own. If you’re looking for that cocktail of bipolar tension, geopolitical chess, and the soul-eroding cost of "serving your country," you have to look past the generic action section of your streaming app.
The Americans is the Only Real Rival
Honestly, if you haven't seen The Americans, stop reading this and go find it. It’s the closest you will ever get to the emotional intensity of Homeland, but in some ways, it’s even more brutal. Instead of a lone wolf like Carrie, you have Elizabeth and Philip Jennings. They look like a boring married couple in the 1980s suburbs. In reality? They are deep-cover KGB officers.
The show mirrors Homeland because it’s obsessed with the domestic cost of espionage. Carrie had her family issues and her illness; the Jennings have children who don't know their parents are murderers. It’s a slow burn. The tension doesn't come from a bomb timer, usually. It comes from the fear of a neighbor—who happens to be an FBI agent—knocking on the door to borrow some sugar.
Critics like Emily Nussbaum have famously pointed out how the show uses international relations as a metaphor for marriage. It’s brilliant. If you want the psychological depth of Saul Berenson’s mentorship mixed with high-stakes asset handling, this is the gold standard.
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Why Le Bureau des Légendes is the Best Show You Haven't Seen
Most people stick to English-language TV. That is a massive mistake. If you want a tv series like homeland that feels 100% authentic, you need to watch Le Bureau des Légendes (The Bureau). It follows the DGSE, which is basically the French version of the CIA.
The protagonist, Malotru, returns to Paris after six years undercover in Syria. He’s supposed to ditch his fake identity. He doesn't.
This show is terrifyingly grounded. There are no Hollywood shootouts. Instead, it’s about the "legends"—the fake lives agents craft—and how those lies eventually bleed into reality. It’s deeply intellectual. It treats the viewer like an adult. You see the tedious, terrifying process of recruiting an asset. You see the digital footprints. You see the way one tiny mistake in a Damascus cafe can lead to a diplomatic nightmare weeks later. It captures that "Carrie Mathison" obsession better than almost any American show ever has.
The Night Manager and the Aesthetic of Risk
Sometimes you don't want the grimy, depressing realism of a safe house in Berlin. Sometimes you want the high-gloss tension of Homeland’s middle seasons. That’s where The Night Manager comes in. Based on the John le Carré novel, it features Tom Hiddleston as an accidental spy infiltrating the inner circle of an arms dealer played by Hugh Laurie.
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It’s shorter. It’s a limited series. But the DNA is identical. It’s about the seduction of the "other side." Just like Carrie’s complicated, borderline-toxic relationship with Brody, Jonathan Pine gets too close to the monster he’s supposed to destroy.
Other Honorable Mentions for Your Watchlist
- Sleeper Cell: This one is a bit older, but it deals with the undercover infiltration of a radicalized group in the U.S. It’s gritty. It’s uncomfortable.
- The Spy: Sacha Baron Cohen (yes, Borat) plays Eli Cohen in this true story. It’s about a real Israeli spy in Syria. The ending is haunting.
- Fauda: If the Middle Eastern geopolitical focus of Homeland was what hooked you, Fauda is essential. It’s loud, it’s fast, and it’s incredibly polarized, showing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the eyes of an undercover unit.
The "Political Chess" Factor: Berlin Station and Rubicon
There is a segment of Homeland fans who just love the tradecraft. The dead drops. The surveillance. The "Station Chief" politics.
Berlin Station is great for this. It feels like a love letter to the Cold War, even though it’s set in the modern day. It captures the vibe of the CIA’s Berlin office—a place where everyone is spying on their own colleagues. It’s cynical. It’s grey. It’s perfect for a rainy Sunday binge.
Then there’s Rubicon. It only lasted one season on AMC and people are still mad about it. It’s not about field agents. It’s about the analysts. The people who sit at desks and look at patterns. If your favorite parts of Homeland were when Carrie was staring at a wall of photos and color-coded post-it notes, Rubicon is your holy grail. It treats intelligence work like a crossword puzzle where the stakes are life and death.
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Dealing With the "Post-Homeland" Void
The truth is, Homeland was a lightning-strike moment in television. It arrived right as the "War on Terror" narrative was shifting into something more complex and self-critical. It gave us a female lead who was allowed to be "unlikable" and "unstable" while being the smartest person in the room.
To find something that fills that void, you have to decide which part of the show you miss most. Is it the "who can I trust?" mystery? Go with The Americans. Is it the international intrigue and high-stakes meetings? Go with The Diplomat on Netflix—it’s punchier and faster, but the dialogue is razor-sharp.
Is it the sheer madness of the job? Tehran on Apple TV+ is a solid contender. It’s about a Mossad hacker-agent stuck in Iran. It’s sweaty-palms television.
Practical Steps for Your Next Binge
Don't just jump into the first thing you see on a "Recommended" rail. The algorithm is usually wrong because it matches genres, not feelings.
- Check the creator pedigree. If you liked the writing in Homeland, look for Howard Gordon’s other work, but also look for Alex Gansa’s influences.
- Look for "Tradecraft" accuracy. Shows like The Bureau or The Americans use real former intelligence officers as consultants. This makes the "boring" parts of the show more tense because you know that’s how it actually happens.
- Vary the pace. If you just finished a high-octane season, don't jump into Rubicon. You’ll find it too slow. Move from Homeland to something like Slow Horses—it’s got the spy element but adds a layer of dark, British humor that keeps it from being too heavy.
- Use a VPN. Honestly, some of the best spy shows like Le Bureau or certain BBC thrillers are locked behind regional walls. Getting access to international catalogs is the only way to see the stuff that isn't sanitized for a US audience.
The spy genre is currently in a weird spot. We are moving away from the "lone hero" trope and toward "systemic failure" stories. That’s why Homeland still feels so fresh even years later. It knew the system was broken from the very first episode.
Start with The Bureau if you want realism. Start with The Americans if you want the emotional gut-punch. Either way, you'll stop missing Carrie Mathison pretty quickly once you realize how deep the rabbit hole goes in these other series.