'Grace' - Homeland, Season One

Homeland

Season One

Episode Two

'Grace' - 6.0 

Had to take out the boobies. Sorry.

As a psychological thriller, it makes sense that Homeland's second episode 'Grace' is all about Nick Brody's slow re-alignment to the standards of Western culture while grappling with the psychology of eight years as a prisoner of war, but 'Grace' does verge on the boring, with a sub-plot eclipsing Brody's struggles.

Some of the psychology that the show attempts to portray is brave and nearly unprecedented on television. For someone to want to tune in every week, most networks tend to think that watching a character deal with realistic post-traumatic stress won't cut it, but Homeland is blessed with some of the best actors in their profession. Damian Lewis manages to pull off the quirks of his illness with a perfect quiet and somber facade, while simultaneously acting the part of dutiful father who is happy to be home. As viewers we can see his pain, but whether or not he is happy to have returned home is completely up to us to decide, and Lewis' performance is both strong and subtle enough to not give us any hints. For a part of the episode, Brody sits curled up in the corner of his bedroom because it mimics the quarters he had in his prison. The idea of a main character being incapacitated in his own home doesn't sound like the most interesting piece of television ever, and it isn't really, but Lewis does pull it off.

Brody has allowed himself to deal with some of his demons by the conclusion, and as he steps out onto the porch to greet the media, we are with him and support him while still able to understand why it took him this long to do so. Still, I just wish we hadn't spent an entire episode watching him sulk in silence. Admittedly he does get a good punch in when a nosey paparazzo trespasses on his property looking for a scoop, and that wasn't dull, though the long walk through the shopping centre afterwards was a bit of a drag, and ultimately unnecessary. Probably the best part of the episode for Lewis occurs when his military friend - and his wife's eventual solace - comes over to try and convince him to re-enlist. In the only other time he's really shown his true emotions since he arrived, Brody lets Mike know exactly how he feels about the United States military and government in a masterfully written and spoken monologue. Like most of the show, it basically lacks a score, choosing instead to be soundtracked by Lewis' voice as he gets his feelings off his chest, and the look on Mike's face is priceless.

Though Lewis is an exceptional actor, he is child in a lobster suit compared to Claire Danes, who even when she's not appearing to be on the verge of a psychotic break is a discovery worthy of the Nobel prize. Her role as CIA Agent Carrie Matheson isn't really exhausted to its full potential in this episode, but during her sub-plot involving the concubine of some Arabic prince she gets to have a little fun. The plot isn't too complicated, and it certainly isn't over yet, but it was definitely intriguing and looks set to get serious within the next few episodes as the concubine attempts to be a CIA informant at the same time. Whoever is the 'asset' is also pretty damn good, so I'm looking forward to seeing a bit more of her.

One character I really don't like is Estes, the head honcho of the Counterterrorism Centre. I know he isn't supposed to be likable, but his character is just so abrasive and stand-offish that in the end his character is merely an obstacle for Carrie. Sure, I see the past history between them, but for me it isn't enough to justify being such an ass about it all.

There were some subtle hints that are moving us towards what exactly has Carrie so wired all the time, but for the time being 'Grace' doesn't really give us a great leap forward for Homeland. Towards the end of the episode it seems to try and turn the fact that Brody has converted to Islam as some sort of shock, that it is a clear implication for his role as a terrorist, but I might be aggravating the motives behind the revelation and the way it was shot. I found it slightly offensive nonetheless, though I probably shouldn't start getting into political correctness and just sign off saying that the episode was a good installment, if a little dreary in some parts.