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Pine Gap

2018Miniseries1 season6 episodes~56 min/epMidcredits score: 57th percentile of all shows

A team of talented Australian and American intelligence analysts work together to ensure global stability in one of the world's most important and secretive joint intelligence facilities... Pine Gap. But the relationship between the Australian and American intelligence analysts working at Pine Gap isn’t always rosy.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Pine Gap?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Pine Gap streaming on Netflix and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

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Highlights

What stands out about Pine Gap?

Pine Gap earns 3 badges, led by Crowd Pleaser and Thought-provoking.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is Pine Gap worth watching?

Pine Gap's Midcredits score is the 57th percentile of all shows, from 8.2K ratings across 2 sources. 77% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

57th percentile

Better received than 57% of shows

54th percentile among Drama55th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)48th
Approval (how many liked it)65th

Acclaim

Crowd Pleaser: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

70 /100

48th percentile of all shows

47th percentile among Drama46th percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.3 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

77% liked it

65th percentile of all shows

60th percentile among Drama63rd percentile among 2010s
77% rated it 7–1023% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

83rd percentile

8.1K ratings across platforms

78th percentile among Drama83rd percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Up 17% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

The series is a slow-burn, dialogue-driven spy drama focused on US-Australia-China tensions rather than action.

Fans praised

  • Intelligent, layered plot with geopolitical substance
  • Strong ensemble cast and credible character dynamics
  • Taut atmosphere and grounded depiction of signals intelligence work

Detractors panned

  • Dull pacing and tedious dialogue-heavy scenes
  • Technical inaccuracies undermine credibility
  • Anti-American bias and clichéd political messaging

What stands out

ActingDivisive65

Solid dramatic work by the core cast, but some wooden line readings and unconvincing accents

AtmosphereDivisive65

Claustrophobic bunker tension and evocative outback setting

Plot and storyDivisive60

Engaging geopolitical whodunit with layered intrigue, yet predictable and convoluted at times

CharactersDivisive55

Well-drawn protagonists with personal depth, but thinly-written American characters and stereotypes

TensionDivisive55

Effective slow-building suspense, but frequently undercut by soap-opera detours

OriginalityDivisive55

Fresh angle on surveillance-state drama, but derivative of Homeland and House of Cards

DialogueDivisive45

Occasionally sharp but often clunky, heavy on exposition and jargon

PacingDivisive35

Slow burn that drags in early episodes, picks up only in final two

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 14 points higher than women.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • US vs non-US 3 points apart

Episodes

1 season

Season 1 · 2018 · 6 episodes · 6.1 average across 1 rated episode

  • S1E1

    Episode 1

    Oct 14, 201860 min
  • S1E2

    Episode 2

    Oct 14, 201860 minTMDB rating 6.1
  • S1E3

    Episode 3

    Oct 21, 201860 min
  • S1E4

    Episode 4

    Oct 28, 201860 min
  • S1E5

    Episode 5

    Nov 4, 201860 min
  • S1E6

    Episode 6

    Nov 11, 201860 minFinale

Watch experience

What is Pine Gap like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, dark and charged — an even-paced watch that leaves you thinking.

Setting

  • Contemporary
  • Realistic
  • Institutional
  • Wilderness

Feelings

  • Tense
  • Dread

Style

  • Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.
  • Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.

What it asks of you

  • Even-paced
  • Full focus
  • Affecting
  • Open-ended

Themes

  • Deception
  • Loyalty
  • Truth

How it leaves you

  • Thought-provoking
  • Unsettling

Story

  • Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.
exact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Heaviest: middle
Told as
SerializedSingle-season story
ToneThe series plays its material completely straight, treating the high-stakes espionage and moral compromises with sober seriousness and no ironic distance.
The rideThe show maintains a constant undercurrent of tension and suspicion, with the middle seasons likely containing peak secrecy and conflict.
StructureThe story is told in a straightforward, forward-moving serialized fashion, following the agents' investigation as it unfolds.
Episode formatThe limited series tells a single, continuous story across all six episodes.
Season formatThe show consists of one season that tells a complete story, fitting the limited series format.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
Why it leaves you this wayThe series leaves a lingering unease about the unseen mechanisms of power and the moral compromises of intelligence work, provoking questions about loyalty and truth.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18% (this title): Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% (this title) · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Oppressive state: A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).

18% of shows fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe series follows intelligence officers working within a secretive joint defence facility, where the central threat is the clandestine and corrupt state apparatus itself, which they must navigate, expose, and overcome to uncover dangerous secrets being hidden within the alliance.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31% (this title): Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7% (this title)
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11% (this title): Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6% (this title)
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5% (this title): Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% (this title) · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Morality

Deception · 6% of showsLoyalty · 7% of showsTruth · 6% of shows
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe show explores the pervasive use of deception within intelligence alliances, testing personal loyalties against national secrets.
StanceThe show poses questions about truth and loyalty within the framework of national security alliances, without offering simple answers.

The world

Orchestral modernElectronicSupportive music · original score · Burkhard von Dallwitz
SettingA US/Australia joint defence facility in central Australia
MusicComposer's score blends electronic tension with orchestral depth, typical for modern spy thrillers.

Content guide

Is Pine Gap okay for kids?

As of August 29, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at mild (24/100), sexual content at moderate (42/100), language at moderate (60/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (31/100) and frightening material at mild (33/100). Overall it is heavier than 30% of all shows.

Ratings in 10 other countries
  • UK15
  • AustraliaM
  • Ireland15
  • South Korea19
  • Austria14
  • Czechia18+
  • Hungary16
  • Poland16
  • ROAP
  • Switzerland16
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 30% of all shows
Violence & Gore
Mild
heavier than 16% of all shows
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavier than 51% of all shows
Profanity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavier than 62% of all shows
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
heavier than 29% of all shows
Frightening / Intense
Mild
heavier than 26% of all shows

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is language.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does Pine Gap have?

MovieCove's classifier found no depicted content warnings in Pine Gap. 1 is mentioned only, in dialogue or backstory: Sexual violence. Each is backed by a verbatim quote from the parents' guide notes or plot synopsis; a missing warning is not a guarantee of absence.

Screened from limited information, so some warnings may be missing.

MentionedSexual violence

Mentioned: referenced in dialogue or backstory, not shown in the story’s present.

Cast and crew

Who is in Pine Gap?

Cast

Parker Sawyers
as Gus Thompson
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Jacqueline McKenzie
as Kath Sinclair
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Steve Toussaint
as Ethan James
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Tess Haubrich
as Jasmina Delic
Stephen Curry
as Jacob Kitto
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.
Lewis Fitz-Gerald
as Rudi Fox
Mark Leonard Winter
as Moses Dreyfus
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.
Sachin Joab
as Simon Penny
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Edwina Wren
as Eloise Chambers
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Alice Keohavong
as Deb Vora
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

Crew

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What are shows like Pine Gap?

TMDB's suggestions for shows like Pine Gap include Dispatches from Elsewhere (2020), Rabbit Hole (2023) and MI-5 (2002).

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What other shows share a tag with Pine Gap?

191 other shows share the rarest tag below, follows: spy. Each tag opens Browse with the shows that share it.