The Americans and 10 more political thriller series to watch on Hulu

Hulu has become one of the best go-to streamers and is home to some fun political thrillers to boot!

With political thrillers more exciting thanks to real-life events, many TV networks and streamers have dove into the genre for some powerful shows. Hulu is home to a lot of them, thanks to having many networks like FOX, FX, ABC, and others under their banner.

Plenty of pure dramas or even comedies use politics well. But there are some terrific thrillers with a political theme, which include several Emmy-winning smashes. For anyone with Hulu, here are 10 political thriller TV shows that are more than worth your time binge-watching!

The Americans

This stunning FX series remains a gripping ride thanks to the compelling leads. In the 1980s Phillip and Elizabeth Jennings (Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell) are the seemingly typical couple living in suburban Washington D.C. In reality, they're deep cover KGB agents carrying out secret missions for the Soviet Union. The ruthlessness of the pair (especially Elizabeth) makes for often shocking scenes.

There's some heart in how the couple goes from a fake marriage to a real union and the cat-and-mouse game with their FBI agent neighbor. There's great supporting turns from Margo Martindale and its multiple Emmy wins make it one of the best espionage TV shows ever that still holds up today. 

24

No TV series has ever pulled off the "real-time" concept like this long-running Fox hit. The first season remains a stunning thrill ride as Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) tries to stop an assassination plot against a Presidential candidate (Dennis Haysbert) while also protecting his family. The countdown clocks on each episode ramp up the tension as Jack gets into more dangerous adventures.

Every season gives Jack a new threat and challenges him to the utmost. The high point is season 5, which won Emmys for Best Drama and Sutherland's performance. The later years show Jack more broken by events but never quitting and the format is perfect for streaming. Even at the low points, 24 is a show like no other and can still thrill as well as it did on TV. 

Scandal

One of Shonda Rhimes' biggest hits, this ABC drama focuses on Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington), D.C.'s prime "fixer" for the rich and powerful. From affairs to even murder, Olivia can make sure to spin things for the media. Her biggest scandal is that she's in love with President Fitzgerald Grant (Tony Goldwyn) to the point of fixing an election for him. That bizarre romance becomes a key plot for the series.

The show gets crazier as it goes, with Olivia's father revealed as a ruthless secret agent, her OPA gang getting darker and more dangerous, and First Lady Millie going for the Presidency herself. The last season features an election that is more insane than anyone could imagine before its remarkable conclusion. It's no wonder this steamy thriller became such a hit. 

Homeland

The first two seasons of this Showtime drama are among the best television you'll ever see. Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) is a CIA agent convinced that recently rescued POW Nicholas Brody (Damien Lewis) has become a terrorist sleeper agent. This creates a compelling game of Carrie (who's fighting mental problems) trying to uncover the truth while Brody's actions have viewers guessing his intentions.

The chemistry of the leads is wonderful and matched by a supporting cast headlined by Mandy Patinkin. The later seasons don't have quite the same energy yet can offer powerful tales of Elizabeth helping the President (Elizabeth Marvel) through a crisis. The multiple Emmy wins for Best Drama and the two leads prove how this series still made a massive splash with viewers to remain top watching. 

Quantico

The first season of this ABC thriller has a unique format. It opens with FBI agent Alex Parrish (Priyanka Chopra) on the scene when a massive terrorist attack occurs. Framed for the bombing, Alex suspects one of her FBI classmates was involved. So, while she tries to clear her name, flashbacks show the class training and the mystery of who was behind the bombing.

The first season is exciting and does a nice job balancing the dual timelines. Season 2 makes it more linear as Alex is recruited by the CIA and involved in a plot that could lead to an overthrow of the country. Season 3 is more a "Case of the week" while containing some nice thrills. The first season is the best for how it unfolds and Chopra is a great lead to be one of ABC's more underrated thrillers. 

Tyrant

This FX series is an intriguing spin on the political thriller. Bassam "Barry" Al-Fayeed (Adam Rayner) is an immigrant happily living with his wife and kids when he reluctantly heads back to his fictional Middle Eastern nation. Barry is the younger son of the country's ruthless dictator who's been trying to escape his family's past. When his father dies and his older brother takes the throne, Barry decides to help.

The early plots revolve around Barry attempting to aid his colder brother in reforming the nation, only to see him fall into their father's darker ways. He’s also handling his family, who aren't happy being on the verge of civil war in a foreign country. The series only went three seasons yet offered some amazing tension in a foreign land for one of FX's more underrated series. 

The Looming Tower

The Looming Tower is more gripping than the other shows on this list as it's based on one of the most important days in modern history. Adapting the bestselling book, it examines the lead-up to 9/11 and how the various intelligence agencies missed all the signs the attack was coming. It's soon clear that the FBI, CIA and other agencies just couldn't talk to each other enough to share the needed data.

There are glimpses of the terrorist's plans while the focus is mostly on the various agents, with a few sensing something off but still horrified when the attacks happen. There's also the aftermath of how the failures also contributed to the Iraq war. It's a sobering examination of how the agencies trusted with protecting us endured this epic failure. 

The Veil

Elisabeth Moss stars in a spy show in this FX/Hulu drama. She plays an MI6 agent who's a veteran of undercover work. She's assigned to oversee a woman (Yumna Marwan) suspected of plotting a terrorist attack. As the pair form an unlikely bond, tension rises over who is playing whom.

Moss shows far more drive and steely resistance than you'd expect and is stellar in the dramatic scenes. The show does a good job with the plot to make you wonder just who is really planning an attack and it's hard to know who to trust. At six episodes, The Veil flies by well and thus is a great short binge with Moss proving herself as a spy show star.

Treadstone

Loosely connected to the Jason Bourne movie series, this USA Network show has a man discovering he's part of a top-secret government project that can transform normal people into sleeper agents without morals or doubts to take out targets then go back to their old lives. 

The show bounces between the present and 1973 when the program got started with the dual plotlines eventually linking up. Treadstone boasts some great action sequences, especially the fighting and builds to a thrilling finale. It lasted just one season yet fans of the Bourne movies will get a kick out of this expansion.

False Flag

Apple TV+ tried a remake of this series called Suspicion which failed. Thankfully, the original Israeli series is on Hulu and is a far better watch. Five ordinary citizens have their lives turned upside down when they're blamed for kidnapping the Iranian Minister of Defense. As the media and their own families turn on them, they try to figure out the truth.

The first season is smartly written to make the viewers wonder if these five are truly that innocent while tensions between Israel and other countries increase. Season 2 shifts the plot a bit with new characters while retaining the same sense of danger. False Flag is a good watch for takes on media and politics and a reminder nothing is as it seems. 

The Unit

If you're a fan of SEAL Team, this show is up your alley. Airing on CBS from 2006-2009, The Unit focuses on a top-secret military team embarking on dangerous missions. Dennis Haysbert of 24 fame is the leader, and the intriguing idea is that the unit's wives are part of the cover for their real actions. Thus, we have some good home drama mixed with exciting missions.

The four-season run is good with the team often having to tangle with terrorists, stop possible attacks on the U.S. and still navigate their tricky home lives. The supporting cast of Scott Foley, Robert Patrick, Regina Taylor and others aid the show as the soldiers often learn the enemy in the field is easier to handle than the political foes they face.