
Scripted series · The CW
Containment
Hope is contagious.
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How Containment actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
Containment reads strongest on Character Depth, Emotional Weight and Bingeability.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
The story
What it's about
An epidemic breaks out in Atlanta leaving the large city quarantined and those stuck on the inside fighting for their lives. This is the story of loved ones torn apart, and how the society that grows inside the quarantine reveals both the devolution of humanity and the birth of unlikely heroes.
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.

S01E03
Be Angry at the Sun
Controversial videos featuring chaos inside the cordon sees Lex requesting reinforcements.
- Directed by Charles Beeson
- Written by Marguerite MacIntyre

S01E01
Pilot
An urban quarantine happens in Atlanta following a deadly outbreak of a mysterious disease.
- Directed by David Nutter
- Written by Julie Plec

S01E04
With Silence and Tears
Things become more dire inside the situation room. Lex becomes more frustrated by the false hope he's forced to send to the public.
- Directed by Chris Grismer
- Written by Michael Jones-Morales

S01E12
Yes Is the Only Living Thing
As Jana, Sam and Suzy pull together the funds they need to plot their escape, Jake considers his own options for breaking out of the cordon. Lex receives cryptic clues from Leo that lead him to an abandoned warehouse outside the city. Elsewhere, a widespread rumor leaves Dr. Cannerts’ life in danger. Finally, after seeking shelter at her grandma’s house, Teresa makes a difficult decision about her family’s future.
- Directed by Charles Beeson
- Written by Marguerite MacIntyre

S01E11
Nothing Gold Can Stay
Lex and Leo clash over their next move after a failed plan threatens to unravel their entire case. When word begins to spread that there may be a way out of the cordon, Jana considers her options. Finally, an unexpected turn of events brings Jake and Katie closer than ever.
- Directed by Chris Grismer
- Written by Tom Farrell, Julie Plec

S01E08
There's a Crack in Everything
Dr. Cannerts makes a major breakthrough that brings him one step closer to finding a cure for the virus. Meanwhile, after monitoring hospital surveillance from the day of the outbreak, Katie and Jake unravel the truth behind Patient Zero. Elsewhere, Jana and Suzy move forward with a plan to escape the cordon using the city’s underground tunnel system. Finally, a risky operation to extract the potential antidote from the cordon takes an unexpected turn.
- Directed by Elliott Lester
- Written by Ariella Blejer, Dawn Kamoche
Recently aired
Latest Episodes

S01E13
Path to Paradise
- Directed by Charles Beeson
- Written by Chris Ord, Matt Corman

S01E12
Yes Is the Only Living Thing
- Directed by Charles Beeson
- Written by Marguerite MacIntyre

S01E11
Nothing Gold Can Stay
- Directed by Chris Grismer
- Written by Tom Farrell, Julie Plec

S01E10
A Time to Be Born

S01E09
A Kingdom Divided Amongst Itself
- Directed by Lance Anderson
- Written by Michael Jones-Morales

S01E08
There's a Crack in Everything
- Directed by Elliott Lester
- Written by Ariella Blejer, Dawn Kamoche
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.

Julie Plec
Showrunner

Marguerite MacIntyre
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Chris Ord
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Ariella Blejer
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Jeff Stetson
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Tom Farrell
Writer

Matt Corman
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Elizabeth Peterson
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Dawn Kamoche
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Michael Jones-Morales
Writer
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Writing
- Marguerite MacIntyreWriter
- Chris OrdWriter
- Ariella BlejerWriter
- Jeff StetsonWriter
- Tom FarrellWriter
- Julie PlecWriter
Direction
- Lance AndersonDirector
- Elliott LesterDirector
- David NutterDirector
- Chris GrismerDirector
- Janice CookeDirector
- Michael A. AllowitzDirector
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
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