Counterpart

Counterpart

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Overview

Howard Silk is a lowly cog in a bureaucratic UN agency who is turning the last corner of a life filled with regret when he discovers the agency he works for is guarding a secret: a crossing to a parallel dimension.

Media

Counterpart

Cast

Nicholas Pinnock

Olivia Williams

Creator:

Justin Marks

Fist Air Date:

2017-12-10

Episode Runtime:

56m

Production Companies:

Gilbert Films, Anonymous Content, MRC, Gate 34

Genres:

Drama Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Keywords:

parallel world spy

More Show Details

Vote Average: 7.5/10

Vote Count: 469 Votes

Show Popularity: 20.3225

Show Status: Canceled

Show Type: Scripted

Spoken Languages: English, German, Italian

Review

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Insomniacs Reviews
- 23 April 2026 at 7:28 am

9 Based on 1 Votes
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⭐ Insomniacs Rating: 9/10 THE SUMMARY Imagine working a dead-end government job for thirty years, only to find out your office is actually a gateway to a parallel dimension created by a Cold War experiment. J.K. Simmons plays Howard Silk, a mild-mannered bureaucrat who discovers his "Other"—Howard Prime—is a ruthless, high-level super-spy from the other side. As a mysterious plague and a series of assassinations threaten both worlds, the two Howards have to swap lives to uncover a conspiracy that goes deeper than either dimension realized. It’s a two-season clinical study of identity, choice, and how a few different decisions can turn a "nice guy" into a killer. THE PROS J.K. Simmons is a total win. He plays both versions of Howard so distinctly that you can tell which one is on screen just by the way he stands or holds a glass of water. It is a sincere masterclass in acting that doesn't rely on flashy CGI to show the "double." The show’s biggest win is its grounded, gritty vibe—it treats a bridge between dimensions like a drab, bureaucratic border crossing between East and West Berlin. The supporting cast, especially Olivia Williams as Emily and Harry Lloyd as the wonderfully out-of-his-depth Peter Quayle, make the world feel incredibly lived-in and dangerous. THE CONS It is a 9/10 because it is a very Languid Burn. If you aren't paying attention to every whispered conversation in a dimly lit hallway, you’re going to get lost fast. It misses the 10/10 mark because it was cancelled after Season 2, leaving some massive threads about the "Management" and the origin of the crossing dangling. It is total garbage that Starz dropped it just as it was becoming a cult legend, but at least the Season 2 finale provides enough closure to feel like a complete story. For some, the extreme "grey and rainy" aesthetic of the show might be a bit of a downer if you're looking for a bright, colorful sci-fi romp. THE VERDICT A 9/10. It is a genuine, smart, and beautifully calculated thriller that feels more like a 20-hour movie than a TV show. I was slightly gutted to find out in early 2026 that the rights had expired on Prime Video, making it a bit of a "lost classic" that you now have to hunt down on DVD or VOD. It is total garbage if you want a simple "good vs. evil" story, but as a deep dive into the "nature vs. nurture" debate, it’s a vault essential. By April 2026, it’s still the show everyone brings up when they want to sound like the smartest person in the room. INSOMNIAC TRIVIA * The "Howard" Names: Creator Justin Marks refers to the Howards as "Alpha" (the quiet one) and "Prime" (the spy). To keep it straight on set, the crew actually had different color-coded lighting for the two worlds—"Alpha" world is warmer, while "Prime" world is cold and blue.* Pandemic Prediction: The show features a plot about a devastating flu pandemic that originated in the "Prime" world, leading to a society obsessed with masks and hand sanitizer. Watching it

TV Show Poster

Season 1

10 Episodes

Air Date: 2017-12-10

Howard Silk (J.K. Simmons) is a lowly cog in the bureaucratic machinery of a Berlin-based United Nations spy agency. When Howard discovers that his organization safeguards the secret of a crossing into a parallel dimension, he is thrust into a shadow world of intrigue, danger, and double cross… where the only man he can trust is his near-identical counterpart from this parallel world.

TV Show Poster

Season 2

10 Episodes

Air Date: 2018-12-09

Season two finds the Crossing closed and each Howard stranded in the other's world. As a cold war escalates between worlds and deepens the divide, both men find themselves growing increasingly like the other.

Videos

Counterpart

Counterpart

Cast

Nicholas Pinnock

Olivia Williams

Nazanin Boniadi

Sara Serraiocco

Related Shows To

Counterpart

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Counterpart

Comment (1)

Insomniacs Reviews
- 23 April 2026 at 8:28 AM

⭐ Insomniacs Rating: 9/10
THE SUMMARY
Imagine working a dead-end government job for thirty years, only to find out your office is actually a gateway to a parallel dimension created by a Cold War experiment. J.K. Simmons plays Howard Silk, a mild-mannered bureaucrat who discovers his “Other”—Howard Prime—is a ruthless, high-level super-spy from the other side. As a mysterious plague and a series of assassinations threaten both worlds, the two Howards have to swap lives to uncover a conspiracy that goes deeper than either dimension realized. It’s a two-season clinical study of identity, choice, and how a few different decisions can turn a “nice guy” into a killer.
THE PROS
J.K. Simmons is a total win. He plays both versions of Howard so distinctly that you can tell which one is on screen just by the way he stands or holds a glass of water. It is a sincere masterclass in acting that doesn’t rely on flashy CGI to show the “double.” The show’s biggest win is its grounded, gritty vibe—it treats a bridge between dimensions like a drab, bureaucratic border crossing between East and West Berlin. The supporting cast, especially Olivia Williams as Emily and Harry Lloyd as the wonderfully out-of-his-depth Peter Quayle, make the world feel incredibly lived-in and dangerous.
THE CONS
It is a 9/10 because it is a very Languid Burn. If you aren’t paying attention to every whispered conversation in a dimly lit hallway, you’re going to get lost fast. It misses the 10/10 mark because it was cancelled after Season 2, leaving some massive threads about the “Management” and the origin of the crossing dangling. It is total garbage that Starz dropped it just as it was becoming a cult legend, but at least the Season 2 finale provides enough closure to feel like a complete story. For some, the extreme “grey and rainy” aesthetic of the show might be a bit of a downer if you’re looking for a bright, colorful sci-fi romp.
THE VERDICT
A 9/10. It is a genuine, smart, and beautifully calculated thriller that feels more like a 20-hour movie than a TV show. I was slightly gutted to find out in early 2026 that the rights had expired on Prime Video, making it a bit of a “lost classic” that you now have to hunt down on DVD or VOD. It is total garbage if you want a simple “good vs. evil” story, but as a deep dive into the “nature vs. nurture” debate, it’s a vault essential. By April 2026, it’s still the show everyone brings up when they want to sound like the smartest person in the room.
INSOMNIAC TRIVIA
* The “Howard” Names: Creator Justin Marks refers to the Howards as “Alpha” (the quiet one) and “Prime” (the spy). To keep it straight on set, the crew actually had different color-coded lighting for the two worlds—”Alpha” world is warmer, while “Prime” world is cold and blue.
* Pandemic Prediction: The show features a plot about a devastating flu pandemic that originated in the “Prime” world, leading to a society obsessed with masks and hand sanitizer. Watching it

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