7 best shows like The Recruit for fans of action and espionage

If you finished watching The Recruit and started looking for something that gives off the same energy, then you are not the only one. The show throws you into a world where nothing feels stable and no one knows what they are doing. The Recruit delivers action that keeps moving fast while still letting its main character joke his way through chaos. That mix makes it stand out, and it is hard to find shows that get it right.

Some shows come close to The Recruit. They bring in the same kind of tension where every move can go wrong, and the wrong word can start a disaster. A few of them are packed with shootouts and chases, while others focus more on secrets and betrayals. Some stay serious the whole time, but a few still manage to add humor in the middle of the madness, like The Recruit.

What makes them work is the way nothing ever feels easy. Characters are always two steps behind, and everyone is lying about something. If you liked watching someone try to survive a job they were never trained for, then these seven shows will hit that same spot like The Recruit. They all bring their own version of danger and spy games that never slow down.

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7 best shows like The Recruit for fans of action and espionage

1. Jack Ryan (Prime Video)

Jack Ryan works as an analyst who spends most of his time behind a desk studying patterns. One day, he picks up on suspicious money trails that lead him straight into an active field operation. The moment he steps out of his comfort zone, he finds himself dealing with live threats and shifting alliances.

The show never pretends Jack knows everything. He makes mistakes. He pushes too far. He gets pulled into places where politics matter more than logic. The real tension comes from watching him try to balance instinct with protocol while surrounded by people with more power.

Each season gives Jack a new international crisis to work through. It keeps the pacing quick but never drops its focus. Like The Recruit, it builds real risk around someone who is still learning the rules. The danger feels close. The choices feel hard. And nothing ever comes without a cost.

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2. Condor (MGM+/Amazon)

Joe Turner is not a spy. He writes reports and reads intelligence. But when his entire team is murdered after one of his discoveries, survival becomes his only focus. That shift from safe work to running for his life sets the tone right away.

What makes Condor feel different is how unpolished Joe remains. He doesn’t suddenly become a trained killer. He fumbles. He panics. He does what anyone would do when they realize they were never safe to begin with. The story sticks with him and lets the paranoia build in real time.

The longer he stays alive, the more corruption he finds buried deep in the system. Like The Recruit, the story is built around a character who was never meant to be in the field. Watching Joe figure out who to trust while trying to stay alive gives the show its edge. Every decision feels like a risk.

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3. Slow Horses (Apple TV+)

MI5 pushes its failures into a forgotten office called Slough House. That’s where Jackson Lamb leads a team of disgraced agents. They are not welcome in active missions. They file paperwork. They kill time. That is, until a kidnapping throws them into something real.

The agents are underdogs for a reason. Some made huge mistakes. Others just got in the way. But when nobody else takes a threat seriously, these so-called rejects end up being the only ones willing to move. The risk is real, and so are the consequences.

Slow Horses stands out because it never glamorizes the work. There are no smooth chases or big shootouts. There’s doubt. There’s failure. There’s also dark humor and sharp dialogue. Like The Recruit, it deals with spies who operate outside the usual rules. It is messy and uncomfortable, and that’s why the stakes feel more honest than most spy shows.

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4. Treason (Netflix)

Adam Lawrence is next in line for the top job at MI6. He has done everything by the book and earned the trust of his peers. Then someone from his past returns. She is a Russian agent who once helped him rise in the ranks.

The moment she shows up, Adam’s world starts to collapse. Friends question him. Superiors watch him. His family is pulled into something that grows more dangerous by the day. The threat is not global. It is personal. And that is what makes every scene hit harder.

Treason moves fast but never loses control. It knows what kind of story it wants to tell. It focuses on how a man’s entire career can be pulled apart by one relationship. Like The Recruit, it shows how internal conflict can be more damaging than anything outside. The fear comes from within, and it never lets up.

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5. The Night Agent (Netflix)

Peter Sutherland takes calls on a secure line that never rings. He works alone in a White House basement doing a job that seems pointless. Then the phone rings and everything changes. The call is from someone in immediate danger, and he’s the only one listening.

That moment kicks off a fast-paced story filled with close calls and dirty politics. Peter is smart but not trained for what’s ahead. He meets Rose, a cybersecurity expert whose family was targeted. Together, they try to survive while uncovering a plot that runs deep inside the government.

The show builds pressure without using complicated spy tech or long action scenes. It puts two people in situations they are not prepared for and forces them to make hard choices. Like The Recruit, it’s about figuring things out as they fall apart. The clock keeps ticking, and every answer brings a new threat.

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6. Bodyguard (Netflix)

David Budd stops a suicide bomber in the first ten minutes. He is calm. He is steady. But underneath that, he is breaking apart. David is a war veteran who now protects politicians, including one with controversial views that he does not agree with.

The job puts him right in the middle of national security issues. Every meeting. Every motorcade. Every shift feels like it could go wrong. David starts seeing threats where others don’t. He is always alert but never really okay. The stress builds with each episode.

Bodyguard keeps the focus tight. It doesn’t turn into a global crisis. It keeps the danger close to one man and his choices. Like The Recruit, it follows someone who carries trauma while trying to stay functional in high-stress work. The suspense is built on tension you can feel, and the character work keeps the story grounded.

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7. Berlin Station (MGM+)

Daniel Miller is sent to Berlin to find a mole. He arrives under false cover and has to earn trust from people who suspect everyone. The station is filled with veterans who don’t like newcomers. That makes Daniel’s job harder than expected.

The show doesn’t speed through the story. It takes time to build relationships, set traps, and show how fragile trust can be. Surveillance is constant. Secrets are currency. Everyone wants something, and no one gives anything for free. That gives the show a cold realism that rarely breaks.

Berlin Station makes intelligence feel methodical. Conversations matter. Body language matters. Like The Recruit, it is about working in a world where nothing is direct. Daniel doesn’t always know what he’s walking into, but he keeps moving forward. The tension grows not through action but through silence and uncertainty. Every step feels like it could go the wrong way.

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