7 Spy Shows To Watch While You Wait for 'Lioness' Season 4

Image via Paramount+ Published Oct 4, 2026, 2:33 PM EDT Dyah (pronounced Dee-yah) is a Senior Author at Collider, responsible for both writing and transcription duties. She joined the website in 2022 as a Resource Writer before stepping into her current role in April 2023. As a Senior Author, she writes Features and Lists covering TV, music, and movies, making her a true Jill of all trades. In addition to her writing, Dyah also serves as an interview transcriber, primarily for events such as San Diego Comic-Con, the Toronto International Film Festival, and the Sundance Film Festival. Dyah graduated from Satya Wacana Christian University in October 2019 with a Bachelor's degree in English Literature, concentrating on Creative Writing. On March 2026, Dyah graduated with Master's degree in English Literature Studies, with a thesis on intersectionality in postcolonial-feminist studies in Asian literary works. Born and raised between Indonesia and Singapore, Dyah is no stranger to different cultures. She now resides in the small town of Kendal with her husband and four cats, where she spends her free time cooking or cycling. Sign in to your Collider account Protecting the nation always comes with a devastating human cost. Season 3 of Lioness has officially ended, and the finale couldn't emphasize that point more clearly. Spy thrillers give audiences a gritty look at what it means to go undercover for a cause, whether it’s a person, an organization, or an entire country. Throughout Lioness, Joe McNamara (Zoe Saldaña) believes her work serves a noble purpose. But when that cause starts harming the very people fighting for it, the line between sacrifice and exploitation becomes increasingly blurred. Other spy thrillers like Lioness have explored the moral gray areas of espionage. To some, spies are heroes, but they're often martyrs who might never make it home. From infiltrating an illegal arms dealer's inner circle to confronting a former American soldier after his imprisonment, here are spy shows to watch while you wait for Lioness Season 4. 'The Night Agent' (2023–Present) Image via Netflix The Night Agent begins with FBI agent Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso) narrowly escaping a train bombing, only to be accused by the press of being conveniently involved. To avoid further scrutiny, Peter is relegated to the White House basement, where his job is to answer an emergency phone line that never rings. That changes when he receives a mysterious call from cybersecurity expert Rose Larkin (Luciane Buchanan). What begins as a rescue mission soon turns into a nation-threatening conspiracy. It's an old-school spy thriller, pulling Peter from one high-velocity scene to the next. Whether he's falling onto broken glass or getting caught in a car chase, there's plenty of action to keep the momentum going. At the same time, The Night Agent keeps audiences guessing about who can actually be trusted. Everyone seems to have a secret agenda, making it difficult to tell friend from foe. It's a solid choice for viewers who want an action-driven spy thriller without the darker, heavier tone of more intense espionage dramas. 'Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan' (2018–2023) Image via Prime Video John Krasinski is out of the office, literally. In this modern rendition of the Jack Ryan novels, Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan follows the titular character as a CIA analyst in the Terror, Finance, and Arms Division. When he notices discrepancies in a series of suspicious bank transfers, Ryan is pulled from his desk job and sent into the field. Across the seasons, Ryan travels everywhere from Europe to the Middle East, constantly putting his life and the mission at risk. Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan doesn't rely on a tough-as-nails traditional spy hero. Krasinski's interpretation shows Ryan at his most scared and insecure, two qualities that don't bode well when facing terrorists. But Ryan is incredibly smart and self-aware, to the point that he recognizes the real problem might be closer to home. These heroes can be the most dangerous because they don't blindly devote themselves to a cause. Instead, they're willing to question who's truly responsible. 'Covert Affairs' (2010–2014) Image via USA Network Covert Affairs follows Annie Walker (Piper Perabo), a talented CIA trainee who is promoted to field agent straight out of training because of her fluency in six languages. Working for the Domestic Protection Division while posing as a Smithsonian employee, Annie must overcome the dangers of espionage while keeping her true career secret from her family. Assisted by her handler, Auggie Anderson (Christopher Gorham), Annie soon discovers that her new role is more complicated than expected. Of all the spy thrillers on this list, Covert Affairs is arguably the most breezy and lighthearted. But don't underestimate its action sequences. With the Bourne team involved in its production, the fight scenes are sharp and crisp. That said, the series puts just as much emphasis on Annie’s romantic relationships, often with fellow CIA colleagues. For viewers who want a spy thriller that embraces the genre without becoming too heavy, Covert Affairs checks all the boxes. 'Slow Horses' (2022–Present) Across the Atlantic Ocean, the Brits have MI5 to protect the United Kingdom. Unfortunately, not everyone working for MI5 gets to become a coveted, top-ranking spy. Slow Horses shows where the disgraced, fallen, and "rejected" spies end up after making a fool of themselves at MI5: Slough House. Led by the disillusioned Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman), new Slough House inductee River Cartwright (Jack Lowden) isn't pleased about being relegated there following a disastrous airport training exercise. Slow Horses has a solid underdog story, and considering it's MI5, the social hierarchy within the institution can be brutal. Ironically, however, Slough House is where the strongest sense of integrity can be found. Spies are often portrayed as lone wolves, but Slow Horses shows that the biggest breakthroughs can come from teamwork, even when that team is made up of misfits. It's the perfect show for anyone who wants to see a bunch of rejects outsmart their superiors and get the satisfaction of watching the underdogs win. Collider Exclusive · Action Hero Quiz Which Action Hero Would BeYour Perfect Partner? Rambo · James Bond · Indiana Jones · John McClane · Ethan Hunt Five legends. Five completely different ways of getting out alive — with style, with muscle, with charm, with luck, or with a plan so intricate it probably shouldn't work. Ten questions will reveal which action hero was built to have your back. 🎖️Rambo 🍸James Bond 🏺Indiana Jones 🔧John McClane 🎭Ethan Hunt FIND YOUR PARTNER → 01 You're dropped into a dangerous situation with no warning. What do you need most from a partner? The first few seconds tell you everything about who belongs beside you. ASomeone who already has three contingency plans running and is calmly working through all of them. BSomeone who reads the terrain instinctively and knows exactly how to use it against the enemy. CSomeone who keeps their nerve and their sense of humour when everything is falling apart. DSomeone who knows the history of wherever we are and what we're walking into. ESomeone with the right contact, the right cover identity, and the right exit already arranged. NEXT QUESTION → 02 You have to get somewhere dangerous, fast. How do you travel? How you get there is half the mission. AOn foot through terrain no one else would attempt — I move where vehicles can't follow. BOn a motorcycle, a cargo plane, or anything else that gets me there before I think too hard about it. CIn something that belongs to someone else — borrowed, stolen, or improvised under fire. DFirst class, with a cover identity and a gadget that does something I won't explain until it's needed. EBy whatever means are available — I've driven, flown, and once arrived by camel. The destination matters, not the method. NEXT QUESTION → 03 You're pinned down and outnumbered. What does your ideal partner do? This is when you find out what someone is really made of. ADisappears into the environment, flanks them silently, and ends it before I've reloaded. BCracks a one-liner, grabs a fire extinguisher or a chair, and improvises something that somehow works. CProduces a gadget specifically designed for this exact scenario and uses it with infuriating precision. DPulls out a whip, a pistol, and an archaeological insight that somehow gets us out alive. ENeutralises the threat with maximum efficiency and minimum words — they were already three moves ahead. NEXT QUESTION → 04 The mission is paused. You have one evening to decompress. What does your partner suggest? Who someone is when the pressure drops is who they actually are. AA bar with terrible lighting, cold beer, and absolutely no questions about feelings. BThe finest restaurant in the city, a bottle of something expensive, and a conversation that is equal parts brilliant and exhausting. CA local dig site, a museum after hours, or a long story about why that particular artefact matters to human civilisation. DPizza. Bad TV. Falling asleep halfway through a movie neither of you were watching anyway. EA debrief that turns into three hours of contingency planning that somehow becomes the most fun you've had all week. NEXT QUESTION → 05 How do you prefer your partner to communicate mid-mission? Good communication is the difference between partners and a liability. APrecise and minimal — tell me what I need to know and nothing else. Every word has a cost. BDeadpan and dry — keeping it light keeps me sharp, even when everything is on fire. CEnthusiastic and slightly chaotic — but always with useful information buried somewhere in the noise. DCalm and controlled through an earpiece, with a plan that covers every variable I haven't thought of yet. EBarely at all — silence is a language and they speak it fluently. NEXT QUESTION → 06 Your enemy is powerful, well-resourced, and has the upper hand. How should your partner approach them? The approach to the enemy defines the partnership. AInfiltrate their inner circle, learn everything, and dismantle them from inside out before they know we're there. BStudy the historical pattern — every villain of this type has a weakness written somewhere in the past. CGet them talking. The more they monologue, the more time I have to figure out how to beat them. DGo through them. Directly. With as much force as the terrain allows. EFind the one thing they haven't accounted for — there's always one thing — and make sure we're holding it. NEXT QUESTION → 07 Things go badly wrong and you're captured. What do you trust your partner to do? Who someone is when you need them most is the only thing that matters. ACome in alone, quietly, and get me out before anyone knows they were there. BHave already been working on the extraction since the moment I disappeared — the plan is already running. CCome in loud, come in fast, and worry about the collateral damage later — I'd do the same for them. DUse every resource, every contact, and bend every rule until I'm out — they don't leave people behind. ECharm their way in somehow, bluff through the hard part, and still manage to look good doing it. NEXT QUESTION → 08 What does your ideal partner bring to the table that you couldn't replace? A great partner fills the gap you didn't know you had. ATechnology that shouldn't exist yet and the training to use it under any conditions. BSurvival instinct so refined it borders on supernatural — and the scars to prove it's been tested. CKnowledge of history, language, and culture that makes them invaluable in places where force is useless. DThe ability to walk into any room in the world and immediately become the most trusted person in it. EStubbornness that refuses to accept a situation is hopeless — and the improvisational skill to back it up. NEXT QUESTION → 09 Every partnership has a cost. Which of these can you live with? No one comes without baggage. The question is whether you can carry it together. AA partner who never fully switches off — always watching exits, always calculating threats, even at dinner. BA partner who gets the job done brilliantly but has the emotional availability of a locked filing cabinet. CA partner who makes everything ten times more complicated than it needs to be — but who always comes through. DA partner who gets personally attached to every relic, ruin, and artefact we encounter, which slows everything down. EA partner who was not built for this and knows it — but shows up anyway, every time, without being asked. NEXT QUESTION → 10 It's the final moment. Everything is on the line. What do you need from your partner right now? The last question is the most honest one. AOne line. Absolutely dry. Delivered like the world isn't ending. Then we move. BNothing said at all — just a look that means we both already know what has to happen. CA plan I don't fully understand that somehow accounts for everything, delivered in thirty seconds flat. DA piece of historical context that reframes the entire situation and tells us exactly what to do next. ESomeone who steps forward instead of back — because that's who they've always been. REVEAL MY PARTNER → Your Partner Has Been Assigned Your Perfect Partner Is…Your answers have pointed to one action hero above all others. This is the person built to have your back — for better or considerably, spectacularly worse. RamboYour partner doesn't talk much, doesn't need to, and will have assessed every threat in your immediate environment before you've finished your first sentence. John Rambo is not a man of plans or politics — he is a force of nature shaped by survival, loyalty, and a capacity for endurance that goes beyond anything training can produce. He will not leave you behind. He has never left anyone behind who deserved to come home. What you get with Rambo is the most capable, most quietly ferocious partner imaginable — one who has been through things that would have broken anyone else, and who chose to keep going anyway. You'll never need to ask if he has your back. You'll just know. James BondYour partner will arrive perfectly dressed, perfectly briefed, and with a cover story so convincing it'll take you a moment to remember what's actually true. James Bond is the most professionally dangerous person in any room he enters — and the most disarmingly charming, which is the point. He operates in a world of layers, where nothing is what it appears and every advantage is used without apology. You'll never be bored. You'll occasionally be furious. But when it matters — when the mission is genuinely on the line and the margin for error has collapsed to nothing — Bond is exactly the partner you want. He has survived things that have no business being survivable. He does it with style. That is not nothing. Indiana JonesYour partner will know the history, the language, the cultural context, and exactly why the thing everyone else is ignoring is actually the most important thing in the room. Indiana Jones is brilliant, reckless, and occasionally impossible — but he is also one of the most resourceful, most genuinely knowledgeable partners you could find yourself beside. He approaches every situation with a scholar's eye and a brawler's instinct, which is an unusual combination and a remarkably effective one. He hates snakes and gets personally attached to objects of historical significance, both of which will slow you down at least once. It doesn't matter. What Indy brings is irreplaceable — and the adventures you'll have together will be the kind people write books about. Assuming you survive them. John McClaneYour partner was not supposed to be here. He does not have the right equipment, the right information, or anything approaching the right odds. He has a sarcastic remark and an absolute refusal to accept that the situation is as bad as it looks. John McClane is the greatest accidental hero in the history of action cinema — a man whose superpower is stubbornness, whose contingency plan is improvisation, and whose capacity to absorb punishment and keep moving would be alarming if it weren't so useful. He will complain the entire time. He will make it significantly more chaotic than it needed to be. And he will absolutely, unconditionally, without question come through when it counts. Yippee-ki-yay. Ethan HuntYour partner has already run seventeen scenarios by the time you've finished reading the briefing, and the plan he's settled on involves at least two things that should be physically impossible. Ethan Hunt operates at the absolute edge of human capability — technically, physically, and intellectually — and he brings the same relentless precision to protecting his partners that he brings to dismantling organisations that shouldn't exist. He is not easy to know and he will never fully tell you everything. But he will carry the weight of the mission so completely, so absolutely, that your job is simply to trust him — and the remarkable thing is that trusting him always turns out to be the right call. The mission will be impossible. He will complete it anyway. ↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ 'Homeland' (2011–2020) Image via Showtime The security of the United States rests on one woman. Homeland follows CIA operations officer Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes), who is reassigned to the Counterterrorism Center after an unauthorized operation in Iraq. When U.S. Marine Sergeant Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis) returns home after years as an al-Qaeda hostage, Carrie suspects he has been turned and is now working for the enemy. Despite Brody being welcomed as a war hero, Carrie becomes determined to uncover the truth. Homeland is essentially a predecessor to Lioness, with both shows centering on strong yet flawed female leads working in environments that constantly put them in vulnerable situations. Much of Homeland plays with psychological tension as Carrie becomes entangled in a complicated relationship with Brody, where trust and betrayal constantly collide. With threats involving the Middle East, Russia, and seemingly endless wars, Homeland offers many of the same anxieties as Lioness, albeit with less Sicario-esque action and more psychological intensity. 'Alias' (2001–2006) Image via ABC Alias follows Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner), a young CIA recruit who spends years believing she works for a secret division called SD-6. After her fiancé is murdered for discovering her secret, Sydney learns that SD-6 is actually a rogue organization seeking global power. Determined to bring it down, she becomes a double agent for the real CIA, working alongside her handler Michael Vaughn (Michael Vartan) and her estranged father, Jack (Victor Garber). Expect the unexpected in Alias. One week, Sydney is infiltrating an enemy compound in a wig and fake accent; the next, she's caught in a conspiracy that changes everything she thought she knew. The missions are flashy, but the real hook is what they do to Sydney. As a double agent, every assignment forces her to question who she can trust, including her own family. It's a femme fatale series that might not be the most realistic, but it's fresh and exciting. 'The Night Manager' (2016–Present) Image via BBC One The Night Manager puts a former soldier in a very different kind of battlefield. Jonathan Pine (Tom Hiddleston) works as a night manager at a luxury hotel until a guest's murder draws him into a dangerous operation. Recruited to infiltrate the organization of notorious arms dealer Richard Roper (Hugh Laurie), Pine must earn the criminal's trust while secretly working to bring down his empire from within—that is if he could stay an arm's length from Roper. The Night Manager delivers some of the most tense moments in espionage, largely because Pine's mission forces him to get dangerously close to the enemy. It's one thing to befriend someone you're supposed to take down, but empathizing with them makes the job even more complicated. The series also gives its heroes and villains unexpected layers. Pine must fully embrace his role as the bad guy to protect his cover, while Roper is nothing like a typical villain. He's calm, mild-mannered, and eloquent, making the eventual twists and betrayals all the more heartbreaking. The Night Manager Release Date 2016 - 2025-00-00 Network BBC One Directors Susanne Bier, Georgi Banks-Davies Writers David Farr Franchise(s) Based on a novel by John le Carré Main Genre Thriller Seasons 2 Producers Rob Bullock, Matthew Patnick Creator(s) David Farr Streaming Service(s) A Executive Producer(s) Arthur Wang, Chris Rice, William D. Johnson, Susanne Bier, Tessa Inkelaar, Tom Hiddleston, Stephen Cornwell, Stephen Garrett, Adrián Guerra, Gaynor Holmes, Georgi Banks-Davies, Hugh Laurie, Joe Tsai, Michele Wolkoff, Nicholas Cornwell, Polly Hill, Simon Cornwell