Homeland (discussion with spoilers)

I like slow-burn. :)

But really I like shows that take the time needed to tell their stories and actually earn the things that happen. Danes has his house totally bugged in the first 10 minutes it seemed to me. No time was taken to set up an eerie atmosphere or paranoia, or to get to know these characters. It's all just on-the-nose ADHD storytelling to me.

And I don't buy any of it. Which I'd say is different from believability. I don't buy that Danes should be working for the CIA or get the shitton of leeway she gets despite being on antipsychotic drugs that apparently her employers don't even know she needs. And then she makes a pass at her boss to cover up her breaking the rules. Who the fuck wrote this show?

I want to say this is "NCIS with tits", but I'm starting to think it's "BURN AFTER READING without the intended comedy".

Anyone else getting a little frustrated with where the show is right now? I'm reading a lot of folks saying it's becoming 24, and while I think that's a little hyperbolic, I can see where they're coming from. Homeland never had to rely on huge reveals, twists and relatively huge leaps in logic and believability before, and while I admit it usually makes for good TV -- it's pretty much the only reason I've stuck with Dexter -- it just doesn't quite sit right with me here.

Don't get me wrong -- I'm very anxious to see how the season wraps up. I'm just a little worried that the showrunners might be sort of vexed on the show's identity.

Season finale was last night.

Overall thoughts on the season: I'm a little disappointed Homeland sold its soul a little bit in favor of cheap parlor tricks -- there are surely going to be an endless array of 24 comparisons to sift through during the show's offseason. However, I can't deny that I was thoroughly entertained throughout, especially during the back half of the season where things started to get crazy. I guess I'm one of those suckers and idiots who falls for twists and reveals like that, even if it's not what Homeland is at its core.

That said, I'm not sure I'm all that excited to see where next season goes.

Spoiler:

Homeland is still one of my favorite shows but I'm skeptical about season three. The writers have said it will be toned down a bit, a la le Carre, so if that's the case, I guess I'm not all that skeptical. Just depends on how much we get of the aforementioned character in that spoiler above.

Yeah, Mandy Patinkin is terrific as Saul. Excellent actor. He's perhaps the most grounded and rounded character on the show, and even though he sometimes seems something of a minor player I sometimes think he's the emotional backbone of the whole thing. I don't think HOMELAND would work half as well without him.

Anyway, having now seen the finale last night I'm pretty satisfied with the second season of HOMELAND. True, it had too many lulls and absurdities and wasn't a solid gold classic like the first season, but I was still entertained and am looking forward to season three. It's like the ROCKY II to season one's ROCKY - something of a shameless retread of the original, lacking its freshness and falling far short of its masterpiece status.... but good, watchable fare nonetheless.

I think the third season could well be the best yet, if only because the writers will be forced to shake things up quite a bit and take the story in various new directions. More of the same is not an option.

The White Tuxedo wrote:

Watched the first two episodes. I suppose it gets better....? I thought it was boring crap. I like the idea of it. It's basically THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE as a TV show. But the writing seems totally phoned in. I'm just not buying anything that I see, and I certainly can't believe this Claire Danes character works for the CIA. She should be teamed up with M from TWINE.

We just started netflixing it about 10 days back. I was ready to quit after 2 episodes, but now after seeing the first 6 I'm a lot more interested. Still don't think the main guy brings anything unique or award-worthy (also jealous that this guy scooped Hamm for Emmy.)

I don't think Homeland will be make the same impact at next year's Emmys as it did this year, so I wouldn't worry too much if I were you.

S3 just landed on Netflix UK. Realise the season is probably old news to the rest of you, but there it is...

Having watched the first four episodes, I'm saddened to see an even greater decline after what was a very unsatisfactory and uneven second season. Now the focus is on Brody's repulsive family, which seems bizarre - how did the supports become the leads? Plus, teen scum always results in boring drama; their lives have yet to amount to anything, after all.

All a bit sad, because the show was good, perhaps very good, in its initial outing. The use of jazz to reflect Carrie's schizophrenia was interesting and I found her promiscuity and habitual lying refreshing; it does women no good to be portrayed as saints. Maybe if the runners had managed to resist the temptation to go for a second series then Homeland might have been better remembered. As it is, seems to have become a soap-opera/24 hybrid.

I think your last point actually goes to the heart of the matter, Ambler.
They took a concept that was perfect for a one-season show and tried to turn it into a multi-season show.

Season one should have ended with Brody dead or in prison. Which should have doubled as the end of the series.

Season four premiered last night. Nothing of real promise — Carrie is still doing dumb, out-of-character shit, and the ghost of Brody still hangs unfortunately over the show. Saul, and hell, even Quinn, are becoming the only characters I care about.

Had my wisdom teeth removed so gave myself the afternoon off to watch the rest of Homeland S3.

Ditching Dana was the right thing to do. As for Brody's departure, it made sense for the series if not the hopeless romantics. It also gives the less committed viewer an exit point.

We're getting Homeland S4 in Albania starting this Sunday. I'll see whether Damien II: Spawn of Brody has anything left to offer.

Saw the first episode of S4 Sunday. Bit of a better start than S3, losing Brody means losing his family's nonsense (though one mourns Brody for whatever reason). A long road to go. Though the series can't have much more left in the tank or maybe it will run a few more seasons. The War on Terror being infinite.

I'll miss Brody's smokin' hot wife and her non-network nudity.

After Carrie Mathison stat-raped a trembling 17-year-old flower in S4, I was curious to see how much lower Homeland could sink. S5 has been a disappointment on that score with only a homicidal Quinn - on a rampage in multiculti Berlin - livening things up. As for Claire Danes' histrionics, it would seem bipolar is so 2011.

I ditched this show after season two and haven't regretted it once.
Based on some of the posts in here, it was the right choice.

I have stuck with it. It picked up after ditching the Brodys IMO (despite my aforementioned appreciation of Mrs Brody).