Over the last half-decade or so, “Homeland” developed a penchant for prescience. Be it Russia’s cyber interference with American elections (in Season 6), a European terrorist attack (in Season 5), or a U.S. president at war with their own intelligence community (Season 6 again), the Showtime drama’s preseason intelligence briefings set the stage for annual stories that felt ripped from the morning headlines.

Season 8 was no different. Though the final season didn’t focus on controlling a deadly worldwide contagion, it did make a point of illustrating how national emergencies can escalate into further tragedy when an incompetent, easily manipulated president is at the helm. Without ever saying his name, “Homeland” took Donald Trump to task while the country was reeling from his lack of leadership.

“The idea was, ‘What has America learned since 9/11?'” executive producer and director Lesli Linka Glatter said about the origins of their presidential plotline.