An unexpected victory in the middle east sets off a chain reaction of suspicion and espionage in Washington, D.C.. A missing marine corps sniper, held captive for years, is liberated from al-Qaeda. But is he still a patriot or has he been turned? This is Homeland.

After years of captivity, Nicholas Brody (Damien Lewis), returns to American soil but not everyone welcomes him home as the conquering hero. The media are ecstatic to have the celebrity soldier to feed the propaganda machine and the CIA is grateful to have the fresh intelligence to further their cause. But one lone CIA agent, Carrie Mathison (Clare Danes) is filled with skepticism. She had heard chatter about a soldier, an al-Qaeda captive, who had turned informant for the enemy. Could Brody be the soldier?

Homeland tracks the story of CIA agent Carrie Mathison, her struggles with mental illness and her dedication to protecting the nation. The initial seasons focus on her relationship with Nicholas Brody and his divided loyalties fueled by a deep sense of morality. As the series progresses, Carrie finds herself working for the government and in the private sector. No matter where she is employed her focus remains the same; protect the nation.

Homeland debuted to rave reviews. In the premier seasons it was nominated for a slew of awards and won fistfuls of them, including Outstanding Drama Series and Best Lead Actor and Actress at the PrimeTime Emmy Awards. It has also received nods at the Golden Globes and Peabody Awards.

The show has also had more than its fair share of controversy as well. In 2012, the Lebanese government threatened to take legal actions against the show runners for their depiction of Beirut. They claimed that the show was damaging the image of the city by portraying it as war-torn, terrorist haven. There was also backlash, over the years, for how the show dealt with topics of torture, the portrayal of Muslims in the western world and the conduct of CIA agents in the field.

Despite the criticism, Homeland developed a loyal following of fans who were in it with the series for eight seasons. rarely has a show been able to release and introduce main characters without losing its momentum and fan-base the way Homeland has been able to.

Through it all, Homeland remained an honest to goodness, political thriller and engaging action series. The writing is strong throughout and the story continues to evolve and shift to reflect current political issues and climate. This is a binge-worthy series that you are sure to return to time and time again.