Tonight Cinemax’s over-the-top action/adventure spy drama Strike Back returns for its fifth season on the network, with an all new cast. The series follows the exploits of Section 20, a top secret branch of the British Defence Intelligence service that takes on risky missions around the globe. This isn’t the first time the series has changed things up. The protagonist of the first season—which Cinemax aired as Strike Back: Origins several years after the current series premiered—had a different protagonist, and he passed the torch to Sergeants Stonebridge and Scott in the first season of the Cinemax series. Now, with Strike Back: Retribution, it’s time for the torch to be passed once again to new cast of characters.

I have thoroughly enjoyed every iteration of this series thus far. When the series moved to Cinemax, they really amped up the action and also added some humor. I look forward to meeting the new team, seeing what threat Section 20 must take down, and what exciting missions await the soldiers this season. It looks as though the series will be keeping the same US/UK dynamic of the previous four Cinemax seasons—partnering up US Joint Special Operations Command Sergeant Samuel Wyatt (Daniel MacPherson, The Shannara Chronicles) with British Army/ex-United Kingdom Special Forces Sergeant Thomas “Mac” McAllister (Warren Brown, Luther)—while also expanding out the team a bit this season. The rest of the main characters include British Army Captain Natalie Reynolds (Roxanne McKee, Dominion); Lance Corporal Gracie Novin (Alin Sumarwata, Neighbours) of Australian Army Special Operations Command; British Army Colonel Adeena Donovan (Nina Sosanya, W1A, Marcella), the leader of the revived Section 20; and Lance Corporal Will Jensen (Phil Dunster, Murder on the Orient Express) of the British Army Intelligence Corps.

In tonight’s premiere, members of Section 20 are called back into action when a new threat puts the world in danger.

Tonight I’ll also be watching/recording Absentia, Altered Carbon, Child Support, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and The Graham Norton Show.

For additional suggestions on what to check out tonight, including Altered Carbon & Hawaii Five-0, check out the If We Controlled Your Remote… 2/2/18 post at TVisMyPacifier.com.