Homeland (showtime)

[Henry Gale]

Definitely an exhilarating episode of television with a few of its best moments so far, but some major plausibility issues keep it from that completely satisfying, top-tier television level for me.

Still, very impressed with just how quickly they're moving some things along. A recent Vulture article compared how it took Dexter seven seasons to do what this show essentially did in seven episodes, and though that might mean Homeland won't have enough juice to sustain it as long, I'm perfectly okay with it maintaining that pace in its current state.

[Mara]

The writing is more solid (so far) this season, although as others have mentioned, there are some implausible twists.

The acting, however, continues to be amazing. Danes' freakout on the roof was epic, and Patinkin's Papa Bear moments were a highlight.

It looks like this season has decided to feature Dana as a main character. I have mixed feelings about her taking a more active role.

[ledfloyd]

that was a fantastic episode, but i feel like it put a pretty firm sell by date on either brody maintaining his secrecy or patinkin's character. unless something hugely improbable happens.

[Benny Profane]

that was a fantastic episode, but i feel like it put a pretty firm sell by date on either brody maintaining his secrecy or patinkin's character. unless something hugely improbable happens.

Agreed. Surprised that video was exposed in just the second episode.

Claire Danes has the "crazy eyes" down pat. She is really putting out some terrific performances on this show.

[Mara]

Danes is pregnant, by the way. I don't know if it will affect filming or not, and if it does, how they will handle it.

[Benny Profane]

So Brody placed that card in the rocks before his suicide mission and went back afterwards and it was gone. I imagine that the next episode or two will be about piece together who snagged it and how it ended up at that apartment. Or maybe many copies were made and spread to Nazir's people all over to spread morale.

Since when does the CIA use skype?

Also, we still don't know who the mole is, the one who tipped off the professor and the blonde terrorist.

I think it could be Estes just cause he's so sleazy. And because he let Brody have a moment alone with that prisoner. And because he left Brody alone in his office. And because that reporter somehow knows the combination to his safe.

Any predictions about how this season will unravel?

[EvilShoe]

Wonder where they're going with that... I only see a few options.

[

Show Spoiler

1. Saul gets killed before he can share the information. Please no, Patinkin's great in this.
2. Saul's the mole. Please no, I don't see how his character can survive such a twist.
3. Brody gets forced into becoming a double agent. I could live with that. Seems like it would cut the show's lifespan short though.

]

[Mara]

I assume option 3. But I'm curious to see if they can pull it off.

[ledfloyd]

option 4

[

Show Spoiler

the evidence gets destroyed/lost/stolen before saul can get it to estes. or option 5, saul gives it directly to estes, and estes is the mole. without the evidence nobody will believe saul.

]

[EvilShoe]

I think 4 would be too much of a cop-out. Don't see the writers doing that.

5 on the other hand...

Then again:
[

Show Spoiler

If Estes is the mole, then why would the journalist (or whoever she is) lure him downstairs so Brody can steal the files? It doesn't necessarily rule out his involvement, but then why would Abu Nazir not ask him the info straight up? Because he's testing Brody?

I guess Estes doesn't have to be mole per se, someone else could fulfil that role and make sure the evidence doesn't make it to the higher-ups.

Although, wouldn't Saul make a backup?

]

[Benny Profane]

Yes, I think he was testing Brody. The meeting with the journalist was all for show. That's why Estes agreed to the dinner date afterwards. Guys in his position at the CIA don't just go on dates with media members.

[transmogrifier]

Why does there even have to be a mole? I'm sick of that convenient little plot device in all stories like this.

[EvilShoe]

Give Gordon a break: the man loves his moles. We should be grateful he's not at the third or fourth yet.

[Benny Profane]

Why does there even have to be a mole? I'm sick of that convenient little plot device in all stories like this.

There doesn't have to be a mole. But if there's no mole, who tipped off the professor's girl about the CIA coming to their house? How did the reporter get the code to Estes's safe? As long as it's explained adequately by the writers then it's not important if there's a mole or not. But that would just be my initial guess.

[transmogrifier]

That's what I mean - right from the start they could have played out the same story without needing to raise those questions. But it seems as if they are relying on the mole card to allow them to get away with pesky plot problems and I really hope they don't go that route.

[EvilShoe]

Not the biggest fan either, but they brought it up in season 1 so it needs to get addressed at one point. From reading interviews with Gordon, it seems like he's learned his lesson from 24.

[EvilShoe]

The Lebanese government threatened to sue Homeland, because of the way the show portrayed Beirut.

A few hours later a car bomb went off in Beirut. I don't want to joke about this as it's awful, but... yeah.

[Henry Gale]

I don't know what's more impressive: These last two episodes, the show's willingness to already jump at these (more or less inevitable, but still major) plot developments, or that they've done all this with eight episodes still left in the season.

For a show that spent the majority of its first season not even definitively letting us know whether Brody was actually a terrorist, it's nice to see its storytelling ambitions evolving in such fine, accelerated form.

[Mara]

Yeah, this episode was unexpected in all the right places. This season has been very confident.

[Benny Profane]

So is Carrie officially back working for the CIA? Or still a temp on a per-need basis? There was never a "welcome back" line so I'm not sure. Also, Carrie said last year that the CIA wouldn't let her work there if they knew she was bipolar. And now they know.

Regarding Brody, I think he will now help the CIA track down Nazir, as they originally planned before Carrie blew their cover. Otherwise I have no idea what they will do with his character.

[Benny Profane]

Also, would the fact that Vice President Walden had a confirmed terrorist as one of his VP candidates effectively kill his election chances? Will he make Estes keep it quiet? Is that even possible if Brody just disappears?

[transmogrifier]

Well, they are certainly moving the story along at a full clip, which is just as well as I don't think I could have stood more of the same idiocy as having a well-known congressman act as courier for some random terrorist suspect who needs to get to a safe house.

[Benny Profane]

Well, they are certainly moving the story along at a full clip, which is just as well as I don't think I could have stood more of the same idiocy as having a well-known congressman act as courier for some random terrorist suspect who needs to get to a safe house.

It's possible that Brody was sent on that mission because Nazir was going to kill both of them when they got there.

But if the motivation doesn't go any further than what you stated, then yeah, it was a pretty lame segment of the show.

[Benny Profane]

That interrogation scene pretty much locked up the Emmy and Golden Globe for Danes and Lewis again.

Also really liked the ending. Carrie has endured a ton of shit and just experienced a huge breakthrough both professionally and emotionally, and you can tell how much it meant to her in the moment. But then everyone goes home. Brody hugs his kids and sexy wife and Carrie is drinking alone. Perhaps the greatest victory of her life and she has nobody to share it with. Downbeat end to a triumphant moment. One of the show's overarching themes is aloneness (physical and emotional) and what it does to the psyche. I thought this ending depicted it perfectly.

[Mara]

That interrogation scene pretty much locked up the Emmy and Golden Globe for Danes and Lewis again.

Yeah, EMMYS FOR EVERYONE. That entire sequence was great, great television.

Everything else suffered in comparison, especially the VP's son stuff.