Starz sci-fi drama "Counterpart" starring JK Simmons was executive produced and directed by Morten Tyldum for the first episode. It was booked for two seasons in 2015, with 10 episodes in each season. "Counterpart" is described as a spy thriller with an abstract twist. It tells the story of Howard Silk (played by JK Simmons) who was originally just a small role in a government agency, but found that the agency was guarding a "door" that could lead to a parallel world. The play summarizes the character's identity, what if events, lost love and other plots through his and his parallel world. Olivia Williams plays Emily Burton Silk, Howard's wife, a mysterious woman, who is the center of the story in the first season; Harry Lloyd plays Peter Quayle, the director of Howard's agency. He carefully plans his career, but is also caught in the world of espionage and double life. Ulrich Thomsen will play Chekhov (replacing actor Michael Nyqvist), the head of operations at Howard's agency, who is a mix of philosopher and spy. Nazanin Boniadi will play Clare, a young woman with a mysterious origin who is key to the plot of the season. Nicholas Pinnock will play Ian Shaw, a proactive operator and monitor responsible for ensuring peace between the two dimensions. Sara Serraiocco will play Baldwin, a mysterious assassin who has a new purpose when she is exposed to the other side.