10 years afterPrime Videolaunched one of its best and most underrated original series,Patriotremainsmore timely than ever in 2025. The darkly comedic American spy series follows John Tavner (Michael Dorman), an ostensible industrial engineer who moonlights as a folk singer. John is also a secret spy who lives a hidden second life as a high-ranking intelligence agent tasked with preventing nuclear war from breaking out in the Middle East.
Despite the serious and sobering nature of the nuclear war,Patriothandles the dramatic global stakes with a deft touch through humor and folk music, making the harsh realities easier to bear. Over two seasons and 18 episodes,Patriotnever released a lackluster episode full of filler. Yet, due to the lesser-known cast of actors, the hard-sell premise, and its release on Prime Video before the streamer proved viable, even the most hardcore spy-hards probably missedPatriotduring its initial run.
‘Patriot’ Follows John Tavner in an Undercover Operation
Patriotpremiered onPrime Video in November 2015, two years after the streaming platform launched its first original scripted series.Patriottracks the double life of John Tavner (Dorman), whose real name is John Lakeman.John is assigned to go deep undercover and pose as an industrial engineer for McMillan, a Milwaukee piping company.
John’s father, Tom Tavner (Terry O’Quinn), is a top-ranking CIA official who plants John in the company to pose as a McMillan employee due to its partnership with Luxembourg. John’s real goal is to prevent Iran from advancing its nuclear program, with his access to Luxembourg playing a vital role in his covert intelligence work. John also relies on his family connections to the U.S. government for assistance, including his mother, Bernice (Debra Winger), who is the Secretary of Transportation, and his brother, Edward (Michael Chernus), a Texas Congressman.
John keeps a low profile at McMillan, with his coworkers slowly suspecting something amiss due to his frequent business trips to and from Luxembourg. As John executes one dangerous mission to stop Iran from going nuclear after another, his true identity is threatened to be exposed by his suspicious colleague Peter Icabod (Julian Richings) and the snooping Luxembourg homicide detective, Agathe Albans (Aliette Opheim).
How and Why You Missed ‘Patriot’ When It Was Released
Considering howPatriotwas released in 2015, long before Prime Video had established itself as a viable streaming option for high-quality entertainment, the show largely went under the radar. Moreover, Prime Video didn’t expand worldwide until 2016, meaning the targeted global demographic was not afforded the chance to see the show as it aired in real time. Add in the relatively unknown cast of talented but non-famous character actors, and it’s easy to see why so many missed the series during its initial run.
10 Spy Shows That Were Canceled Too Soon (Including the Recruit)
Most espionage shows start strongly but aren’t always able to keep up the quality, often leading to premature cancellations.
Secondly, the show only lasted for 18 episodes. Before espionage fans could discover the series and invest their time and attention, it was already nearing its end. Coupled with severe competition from broadly appealing,rival spy shows likeTom Clancy’s Jack RyanandThe Man in the High Castle, Patriotwas unfairly lost in a sea of similar TV series with even bigger names and more polished production values. Throw in the unoriginal title, and it’s easy to confuse the show with Mel Gibson’sThe Patriot, Harrison Ford’sPatriot Games, or Steven Seagal’sThe Patriot.
Lastly,a three-year hiatus between Seasons 1 (2015) and 2 (2018) dashed the show’s momentum. Even those who found Season 1 on Prime Video and enjoyed it likely grew impatient withhow long it took for Season 2 to return. As the show receded into the back of people’s memories, too many other streaming shows proliferated and vied for the attention span that platforms like Prime Video prey on. Fortunately, for those who missed Patriot during its first go-around, the show is even more salient in 2025.
Why ‘Patriot’ Is More Timely Than Ever in 2025
Given the current Middle Eastern skirmish between Israel and Iran,Patriotis more relevant than ever in 2025. Granted, the show uses a fictional Iranian nuclear program for entertainment purposes, but the stakes are no less dire regarding real-life consequences. As Tavner works to prevent Iran from escalating its nuclear missile capabilities, it’s impossible not to think of the recent events that have occurred.
Not to make light of such an existential dilemma by recommending a TV series, butPatriotmay help to keep some from crying by cathartically laughing. The fraught modern times can be scary and uneasy for many, especially those living in a war-torn region.Patriotmay not allay such tensions and anxieties, but it can help people understand the historical conflict between Israel and Iran, and America’s role in the proxy war.
‘Reacher’ Who? This Underrated Action Thriller Series (With 87% on Rotten Tomatoes) Is Flying up the Streaming Charts
The underrated action thriller series is now climbing the streaming charts (and it’s quickly catching up to ‘Reacher’).
Another compelling reason to watchPatriotnow is its consistent quality from Episode 1 to Episode 18. Without a poor episode,Patriotboasts a 91% Tomato Meter scoreon Rotten Tomatoes and an 89% Popcorn Meter score. Critics and general audiences have enjoyed the series almost equally. Meanwhile, the show’s popularity has recently spiked by 413 points on IMDb (8.2 rating), almost certainly due to the timely and topical nature of the story as the world awaits a resolution to the Iran-Israel conflict.
Moreover, many critics agree that Season 2 is a marked improvement over Season 1, even if the plotting assumes a slower pace. Season 1 earned an 82% RT score, with Season 2 increasing to 100% approval by critics. Therefore, those intrigued by the timely premise should stick around and complete the entire series, as it gets better as it progresses.Patriotis available to stream onPrime Video.
