In the golden age of prestige TV, some shows quietly become cult classics without ever dominating the cultural conversation. TURN: Washington's Spies is exactly that kind of gem. Running for four seasons from 2014 to 2017, this historical thriller about the American Revolution's Culper Spy Ring never reached the mainstream heights of Breaking Bad or Mad Men, but it's earned a devoted following for its tense, character-driven take on espionage. Now, with the series set to leave Netflix on June 10, there's no better time to binge this underrated masterpiece.
Unlike typical war dramas that focus on battlefield heroics, TURN reframes the Revolution through the eyes of ordinary people who became George Washington's eyes and ears. Based on Alexander Rose's book Washington's Spies, the series follows the real-life Culper Spy Ring, a network of colonists who risked everything to gather intelligence. At the center is Abraham Woodhull (Jamie Bell), a quiet farmer from Setauket, New York, who stumbles into the spy trade almost by accident. Drawn in by childhood friend and Continental officer Ben Tallmadge (Seth Numrich), Abraham becomes a reluctant but indispensable asset to General George Washington, portrayed with dignified restraint by Ian Kahn.
Spycraft in the 1770s
What makes TURN so compelling is how it blends historical detail with the pacing of a modern spy thriller. It's fascinating to see how information was passed in the 1770s — coded messages hidden in laundry lines, invisible ink, dead drops — and how integral women were to the effort. Abraham's missions endanger not only himself but also his wife, Mary (Meegan Warner), his young son, and Anna Strong (Heather Lind), the woman he still loves. Anna is fierce, perceptive, and far more central to the spy ring than many history books acknowledge. Idara Victor is also fantastic as Abigail, a character created for the series but inspired by Agent 355, the real-life female spy whose identity has never been confirmed.
The British soldiers in the show offer equally rich storytelling opportunities. Owain Yeoman brings surprising nuance to Benedict Arnold, giving context to one of history's most infamous traitors. Samuel Roukin delivers a chilling turn as John Graves Simcoe, one of the show's most brutal and unhinged antagonists. At the same time, Burn Gorman portrays Major Hewlett as a sympathetic, principled officer caught between duty and humanity. Together, the ensemble elevates TURN beyond a simple historical retelling, bringing complexity to a chapter of history rarely explored with this much depth.
A Must-Watch for Espionage Fans
Though it's set in the 1770s, TURN shares surprising DNA with some of modern television's most acclaimed spy dramas. Long before Slow Horses, before the resurgence of John le Carré adaptations, and even before the cultural reevaluation of The Americans, TURN understood espionage as a psychological battleground. The show isn't interested in gadgets or spectacle. Instead, it focuses on the pressure of living between identities. Characters must navigate the razor's edge between loyalty and survival, family and duty, truth and deception, often with no guarantee of escape.
What makes TURN essential viewing for espionage fans is how authentically it portrays the craft itself. In an era before formal intelligence agencies existed, spies had to invent every technique on the fly, often unsure if any of it would work. Watching the Culper Ring evolve from anxious amateurs into a fully coordinated intelligence network is one of the series' greatest strengths. Abraham Woodhull's evolution in particular, from a simple cabbage farmer in a family of British sympathizers to the unlikely leader of a spy ring, is one of the most satisfying long-term arcs.
Like the best ensemble spy thrillers, TURN thrives on collaboration, both in the story and behind the scenes. Craig Silverstein and his writing team craft a narrative that gives each character room to breathe and grow, showcasing the full range of the ensemble cast. The emotional bonds between these ordinary people become the heart of the series, grounding the spycraft in something deeply personal. Visually, the series matches its narrative ambition with phenomenal production design, costume work and atmospheric cinematography that elevate it far beyond a typical period drama, placing it squarely alongside the prestige spy thrillers of the last decade.
Despite strong reviews and a devoted fanbase, TURN: Washington's Spies never became the mainstream breakout it deserved to be. Yet its four-season run is definitely worth revisiting now. Each of the four seasons consists of 10 episodes, making it a perfect binge-watch for the weekends when you need something new to watch, especially with the show leaving Netflix in June. In a crowded landscape of spy thrillers, TURN stands out as a quiet, gripping, and deeply human story that deserves your attention before it disappears from the streaming giant.
If you're a fan of psychological thrillers from the 2010s, you might also enjoy our list of 5 Psychological Thrillers from the 2010s That Are True Masterpieces. And for more underrated war dramas, check out 8 Underrated War Thrillers That Deserve Your Attention.
