CBS’s 12-Episode Crime Show Is The Most Rewarding Spy Thriller On TV

Published Sep 24, 2026, 3:00 PM EDT Misty Layne started as an actor and sketch comedy writer before deciding to concentrate mainly on writing. Utilizing both her love of television and film and her behind-the-scenes knowledge, she began a website reviewing films in 2013, with a focus on horror and indie media. Eventually, she began writing about all things television and film for other sites as well. Misty shares a home with five cats, a ton of books, and a fairly impressive vinyl collection. Spy thrillers are a dime a dozen these days, so finding one that truly stands out can be challenging. CBS, however, has a severely underrated crime drama/spy thriller premiering its second season on Monday, October 5, 2026, that should be added to the list of best spy thriller series released in 2026. CIA, starring Tom Ellis and Nick Gehlfuss, offers a unique concept that blends the spy thriller’s typical long-running mystery with the procedural’s weekly case format for a far more rewarding viewing experience. The series also wins with its main duo, who are a complete mismatch forced to work together. Season 1 of the show involved tons of action, secrets, betrayals, and more, and so far, it seems as if CIA season 2 is shaping up to be the same, making it must-watch TV this fall season. CIA's Unique Premise Explained While CIA is technically a spin-off of FBI, its premise is a bit more unique than the other. Instead of focusing on a team of CIA agents, this spy thriller pairs a CIA agent with an FBI agent on a specialized task force. While they work primarily out of CIA offices, this setup allows the agencies to interact more, which can create conflict and add tension (and humor) to the show. The unusual team-up means that each of the agencies offers up its own ideas or resources when needed, which can be beneficial or a hindrance, depending on the situation. CIA uses the “odd couple” trope by pairing up CIA agent Colin Glass (Tom Ellis), who’s a loose cannon and prone to doing whatever is necessary to get the job done, with FBI agent Bill Goodman (Nick Gehlfuss), who is by the book and spends half of the first season aghast at his partner’s shenanigans. However, despite their differences, the two learn to work together and gain trust in one another fairly quickly. This acceptance, rather than the dragging out of the trope, makes a difference in how they approach each other and cases. Along for the ride with Colin and Bill is the rest of the CIA team, who mostly spend their time at the office, though they are occasionally released for fieldwork. Season 1 focused much more on the buddy aspect of the series, but it seems that season 2 will more fully embrace the entire ensemble cast, which should help create even more intriguing plot lines. CIA's Procedural Aspect Makes It More Satisfying Than Other Spy Shows Mark Schafer / ©CBS / Courtesy Everett Collection One of the more interesting aspects of CIA is that it’s as much a procedural as it is a spy thriller. While season 1 has an overarching mystery, like other shows in this genre, it also has weekly cases to be solved. These weekly cases that are over and done with by the end of the episode make this series more satisfying to watch than waiting through multiple episodes to reach the conclusion of a single mystery. That said, the mystery running throughout season 1 is still fun, as it involves a mole in one of the agencies and a search for who that might be. That scenario creates strain between the two main agents, who must work together while neither is sure whether the other is trustworthy. Plus, the ending resolution to this mystery, which comes in the CIA season 1 finale, is a complete shock to Colin and completely turns his life upside down. The conclusion of season 1’s mystery will bleed into season 2, at least somewhat, but it seems the showrunners plan to turn Bill’s life all topsy-turvy next. In an interview with Yahoo, showrunner Mike Weiss explained: "Our goal for Season 2 is to shake up Bill. In Season 1, we shook Colin to the core, and in Season 2, we're going to take Bill's perfectly ordered, buttoned up life where he wears a little American flag lapel pin every day and shake it up and see what he's made of when that happens." However, it seems CIA will be sticking to its case-of-the-week style, as well, which means more action and more undercover work for Colin, Bill, and the rest of the task force. Enjoy ScreenRant's primetime coverage? Click below to sign up for my weekly Network TV newsletter (make sure to check "Network TV" in your preferences) and get the inside scoop from actors and showrunners on your favorite series. SIGN UP NOW! Release Date February 23, 2026 Network CBS Showrunner Mike Weiss, Warren Leight, David Hudgins Cast Nick Gehlfuss Bill Goodman Directors Eriq La Salle Writers David Hudgins, Dick Wolf Creator(s) Dick Wolf