‘Homeland’ Season 5: Showtime Reveals ISIS Storyline At Television Critics Association Press Tour

Past seasons of Showtime’s hit drama series “Homeland” haven’t been afraid to touch on recent events and the upcoming installment is no different. During an appearance at the Television Critics Association press tour Tuesday, Showtime president David Nevins revealed three storylines set to take place in the series’ fifth season.

Being that the new season will take place in Germany, Nevins says Ukrainian politics and Russia’s president Vladimir Putin will to come into play in the fall premiere. “The first episode’s going to real deal with Russia, being right next to Russia — what’s Putin up to? What’s going on with this tricky relationship there?” Nevins said, Entertainment Weekly reports.

Another public figure being brought into the story this season is NSA leaker Edward Snowden, which according to Nevins, was one of the noteable names added in an attempt of keeping the series fresh and to “resonate with people.” “It’s interesting elements to this season that brings a lot of things together,” he said. “As long as they keep it fresh, it’s a show that’s never the same season after season.”

And finally, in what is possibly be the most controversial storyline planned to be introduced this year, is the inclusion of the Islamic State Group. Despite some initial concerns from showrunner Alex Gansa that including the Muslim extremist group might be “too evil” to put on the show, Nevins says he is content with the direction of the series. “It’s going to touch [ISIS]. It’s going to touch all those things. It’s a show that reflect the world that we live in. We’ll see. I feel very confident with what they’re doing,” he said.

While Showtime isn’t giving away any crucial details about the forthcoming season, Nevins made it clear that lead Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) is not in any imminent danger. “It’s hard to imagine ‘Homeland’ without Claire Danes,” he said, following the release of the season’s first trailer which shows her character getting kidnapped and strangled. “She’s got a multi-year deal, so she’s not going anywhere,” he added.

“Homeland” Season 5 will kick off over two years after the events shown in the Season 4 conclusion. Viewers will remember that Carrie discovered her longtime mentor Saul Berenson (Mandy Patinkin) at the home of two-timing CIA agent Dar Adal (F. Murray Abraham). In the new installment, Saul will be a back in the intelligence game while Carrie will be in Berlin, Germany, working as the head of security for a German philanthropist.

“Homeland” Season 5 premieres on Showtime Oct. 4. Check out the trailer for the new season here.