'Homeland,' 'The Affair' season premieres set for October 4

Season 5 of Homeland and Season 2 of The Affair are to premiere on Showtime Oct. 4.

The cable television network's dramas are to air respectively at 9 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Homeland will pick up two years after Carrie Mathison's ill-fated tenure as Islamabad station chief.

"Struggling to reconcile her guilt and disillusionment with years of working on the front lines in the 'war on terror,' Carrie finds herself in a self-imposed exile in Berlin, estranged from the CIA and working as the head of security for a German philanthropist," a synopsis said.

Claire Danes plays Carrie on the series. The show's Season 5 ensemble also includes Rupert Friend, F. Murray Abraham, Sebastian Koch, Miranda Otto, Alexander Fehling, Sarah Sokolovic and Mandy Patinkin.

Season 2 of The Affair "explores the emotional and psychological effects of an affair that destroyed two marriages, and the crime that brings these individuals back together."

The program stars Ruth Wilson as Alison, a woman attempting to move on from tragedy and building a lasting relationship, while contending with the judgment of others and her own self-doubt. Her lover Noah -- played by Dominic West -- is a writer trying to balance the temptations of success, the family he left behind, and the woman he loves. Maura Tierney and Joshua Jackson co-star.