‘High Value Target: The Hunt For Saddam’ Episode 4 Release Date, Time and Where to Watch as John Finally Meets His Target

TNT’s tense political thriller is barreling toward one of its most pivotal moments yet. ‘High Value Target: The Hunt for Saddam’ has already delivered three episodes in a rapid fire launch week, and now fans are counting down to the installment that finally brings its two central figures face to face.

The eight episode limited series, starring Joel Kinnaman as CIA analyst John Nixon, has been building toward this confrontation since the premiere. With episode 4 titled ‘The Ace of Spades’ on the horizon, viewers want to know exactly when it drops, where to catch it, and what to expect once Nixon and Saddam Hussein are finally in the same room.

‘High Value Target’ Episode 4 Release Date and Time

Episode 4, titled ‘The Ace of Spades,’ is set to premiere on September 20, 2026. The episode is scheduled to air on TNT at 9PM. That timing keeps the show’s established rollout pattern intact, since new episodes have been dropping on Sundays and Mondays following the show’s unusual three episode launch weekend.

The series first two episodes premiered on Sunday, September 13 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, with the third episode following the very next night on Monday, September 14 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. From there, new episodes have continued dropping every Sunday and Monday night, a pace that will carry the series through to its season finale on Sunday, October 4.

That means episode 4 arrives on Sunday, September 20, with episode 5 following the next night on Monday, September 21, as TNT keeps moving through its eight episode run toward the October finale. It is an aggressive release calendar for a limited series, but one that seems designed to keep the momentum of Nixon’s manhunt from ever really slowing down.

Where to Watch ‘High Value Target: The Hunt for Saddam’?

Viewers in the United States can watch ‘High Value Target: The Hunt for Saddam’ directly on TNT, and it can also be streamed through any supported live TV streaming service that carries the network. That makes the show accessible to cord cutters as long as their streaming package includes TNT in its channel lineup.

For those trying to catch up before episode 4 lands, the earlier episodes should still be available through on demand options tied to TNT or a compatible streaming provider. Given the fast paced two night premiere schedule the show used out of the gate, catching up before the new episode drops should not be difficult for most viewers.

The series was created by Daniel Stiepleman and Jonathan Wakeham, with writing credits shared among Leslie Greif, Graham Sack, Stiepleman, and Wakeham for TNT. It draws from the memoir ‘Debriefing the President’ by John Nixon and follows the CIA agent’s first interrogation of Saddam Hussein after his December 2003 capture.

What to Expect from the “Ace of Spades” Preview

According to the official episode description, John finally comes face to face with Saddam Hussein in episode 4, all while insurgent attacks continue to spread across Baghdad. The synopsis notes that as John comes face to face with Saddam, the insurgents remount their attacks, and Baghdad burns around them.

That framing suggests episode 4 will not just be a quiet character study locked inside an interrogation room. Instead, the chaos unfolding in the streets appears set to run parallel to the psychological standoff between Nixon and Hussein, raising the stakes for both men and the soldiers around them.

The episode immediately following, titled ‘Enemy of My Enemy,’ finds John ignoring his orders and entering hostile territory, where the mission turns into a dangerous pursuit. That suggests whatever happens between Nixon and Hussein in ‘The Ace of Spades’ has consequences that ripple almost immediately into the next chapter of the series.

TNT’s official synopsis frames the show as a pulse pounding political thriller exploring the high stakes exchanges between Nixon and Hussein, with Nixon forced to confront the far reaching consequences of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Episode 4 appears to be where that promise finally starts paying off on screen.

Cast and Story Behind ‘High Value Target’

Joel Kinnaman stars as John Nixon, with Lena Góra playing Polly Stevens and Waleed Zuaiter portraying Saddam Hussein. The ensemble also includes Rebecca Night, Tom Berenger, Paul Ryan, Christopher McDonald, Dar Salim, Matt Barr, and Ewan Miller, among others rounding out the wartime drama.

Paul Ryan plays President Bush in the series, while Danielle Lewis takes on the role of former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. That mix of political and military figures situates ‘High Value Target: The Hunt for Saddam’ firmly within the real world chain of command that shaped the Iraq War era.

Critical reception has already started trickling in, with the Washington Post offering a mostly positive review describing the show as a personal history told from the vantage points of Washington and Baghdad circa 2003. The series does not yet have an official Rotten Tomatoes score, but fans looking for similar territory may also want to revisit ‘House of Saddam,’ the 2008 HBO limited series, or ‘The Devil’s Double,’ a feature film centered on Saddam’s son Uday Hussein.

With the Nixon and Hussein dynamic now taking center stage, ‘High Value Target: The Hunt for Saddam’ seems to be entering its most consequential stretch yet, and after watching John finally sit across from the man he spent years studying, what do you think this confrontation reveals about the true cost of the hunt for Saddam Hussein.