Art will imitate life in the fifth season of Homeland as the espionage series tackles ripped-from-the-headlines storylines focusing on Isis, the Charlie Hebdo attack, Edward Snowden and Vladimir Putin.
At the Showtime panel at the Television Critics Association (TCAs) briefings in Pasadena, Showtime president David Nevins spoke about the new direction of the show – which has been relocated to Berlin – and how he hopes it will resonate with viewers.
“Its themes, I think, will resonate with people,” he said. “Charlie Hebdo. Snowden. It’s interesting elements to this season that brings a lot of things together. As long as they keep it fresh, it’s a show that’s never the same season after season.”
The fifth season will see Carrie Mathison (played by Claire Danes) working for a security firm in the German capital after her relationship with the CIA soured.
He added that the show “deals with Isis”, which contradicts what the show’s executive producer, Alex Ganza, said at PaleyFest in March.
Ganza said it was too difficult for the show to make the terrorist group’s lives “understandable” for viewers.
“If you look at Abu Nazir, even look at Brody, or look at Haqqani this past season, there was a real effort to make their concerns and their lives understandable. That is very hard to do with Isis,” he said.
Ganza had previously hinted that the show’s new season could include storylines about the current Ukraine conflict, and revealed the writing team spent time in Washington researching international relations.
Homeland’s fifth season will premiere on 4 October.
