Paul and I have been watching the fourth season of one of our favorite dramas: MI-5. I thought I’d say a few good words about it, particularly since I don’t think I’ve mentioned it before.

It’s a gripping British spy drama, better than ever this season, I think. It’s fundamentally realistic in its characters and plots, never crazy-weird like Alias was. So the drama isn’t contrived. Yet it’s not naturalistic like Battlestar Galactica: its heroes are not sullied every few episodes in the name of “gritty realism.” With rare exception, the agents are genuinely and consistently heroic. (I say that even though I often have substantial philosophic disagreements with their actions and policies.) The drama often revolves around the difficult choices faced by the MI-5 agents, not external dangers, car-chase action, or shocking horrors. Every episode is thoughtful in a way almost unheard-of with American television.

If you haven’t seen the show yet, you can surely find it on NetFlix. It’s also available on Amazon: Season One, Season Two, Season Three, Season Four. They are short seasons, but long episodes.