'Homeland' season 6 spoilers, news: Carrie deals with small-scale terrorism; new teaser revealed

Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) will deal with a significantly scaled-back level of villainy when "Homeland" season 6 premieres next year.

Known for storylines that are inspired by real-life headlines, "Homeland" has always tried to be as close to depicting real world issues as possible. However, both fans and critics could agree that the series may have gotten a bit too real last season when it centered on a storyline reflecting terrorist attacks. With season 6 taking Carrie to a new location, showrunner Alex Gansa hints that the program will tell a different story as it continues to change gears.

Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Gansa mentioned that season 6 will focus on small-scale terrorism instead of the usual apocalyptic themes seen in film and television depictions of the subject matter.

"The threat we're facing right now are these do-it-yourself self-radicalized individuals — and that's a very different risk than another plot like 9/11," the showrunner explained. "So we made a very conscious choice to not tell a 'New York threatened by suitcase nuclear bomb' story. We just weren't going to do that. The thriller exists in a much more psychological way this year, and we're curious to see how people respond to it," Gansa added.

Meanwhile, Showtime released a new trailer for the show earlier this week, giving viewers a peek into the Emmy-winning drama's tension-filled power struggle between the newly-elected female president (Elizabeth Marvel) and the CIA.

Season 6 picks up with Carrie back on American soil to be with her beloved family. The series entirely takes place between the U.S. presidential election in November and the inauguration in January. This gives plenty of time for professional frenemies Saul (Mandy Patinkin) and Dar (F. Murray Abraham) to spy on each other, using their connections to pursue their personal goals.

The 6th season of "Homeland" premieres on Sunday, Jan. 15, at 9 p.m. ET on Showtime.