Falling Behind

I've gotten a bit slack lately. Whether it be my frequent trips away from home or the fact I've suddenly developed a life - totally overrated, by the way - I've completely and unavoidably fallen behind.

I'm near obsessive compulsive, by the most head-on way to deal with that condition is to totally fuck up my intricate and important systems for doing anything. In the case of this blog, that means I have to do something I swore I'd never do: skip a few episodes. I haven't quite decided what will be dealt with and what won't be, I do know that anything I watch this week will not be reviewed in depth for this site, with a few exceptions.

The episodes I will not be detailing are (I'll update this list as it grows):

'Two Hats' - Homeland, Season Two, Episode Nine
Simply put, I did actually enjoy this episode quite a lot. It was intense and emotional. The rekindling of Mike and Jess' affair was a long awaited development that was deftly handled and suitably resonant, yet understated. Meanwhile, the eventual apprehending of Roya Hammad was well-worth the wait, even if it did rob us of a major terrorist event.
Score: 8.5

Episodes I will be reviewing despite watching in my anti-work period include the Boardwalk Empire finale, simply because it is the big finish for the season, and anything I watch that is Fringe-related, because this thirteen-episode season is essentially the show's much longer finish.

'A Gettysburg Address' - Homeland, Season Two

Homeland

Season Two

Episode Six

'A Gettysburg Address' -  7.0

'Remember that time we spent in backseat heaven? Welcome to front seat hell.'

I thought last week was intense! Hello, machine gun-wielding men in black! 

I had come to the conclusion that Galvez was actually the mole, so imagine my surprise when he was gunned down just as haphazardly as Quinn, Chapman and the four or so other agents sifting through the deceased tailor's digs. Of course, Quinn doesn't die, at least not blatantly, so we can expect to see a bit more of him. 

It all went down because someone was clearly watching the tailor's place to ensure that it wasn't raided, so when it was they had to rush in a retrieve whatever big of incriminating evidence lay behind the false wall. My question however, is why they didn't retrieve it earlier? Why wait until the CIA were actually in the building before moving in. Did they want to make an example out of the CIA? Hopefully this is the case, as it makes a lot more sense than 'we waited two weeks and suddenly it became urgent'. When Roya points out that it had taken two weeks before it was investigated properly hints that maybe this was the reasoning.

Can I just say how much better Roya Hammad is now that she is a known enemy, rather than the mysterious middle man for Abu Nazir? Everyone knows she's evil, but she doesn't know that she's been made. It is entirely against her controlling, dominating character and it is pleasurable waiting for her to start squirming, even if I have to endure Brody squirming all the while.

There is just this one issue, and I have been over it before: why trust Brody? He's a confessed jihadist and someone with a known desire to cripple America, why recruit him into the fucking CIA? You have to question whether jeopardising every single operative on the team is worth the possible link to Abu Nazir.

Just so you know, I'm currently talking to Centrelink on the telephone as I try to concentrate on writing this review. I'm pretty new to this adult responsibility thing, but I see why everyone hates to talk to this crazy corporation. I've been listening to awful hold music for the duration of my time at the desk here, interspersed with the jarring ring tone and almost motivational slogans only a government organisation would throw at you. 'Sick of rebellion? OBEY THE AUTHORITY!!! Live happy!'. Ok, it's nothing like that, but you get the idea.

In the world of Dana Brody, things are just as complicated. Well that's a giant lie, as her plot seems ripped straight from the pages of any soap opera script. Dana gets all emotional and flighty after talking with the daughter of the woman they ran over last episode, and once again we find the main character being the moral compass in a crime duo, with the little known boyfriend being the dick. Why is the main cast always so righteous? Discounting the fact she should have gone to the police by now, we are clearly supposed to be on her side in this whole mess, but it's such a tired storyline that I'm not really on anyone's side.

All I want from you, Homeland, is to give us a story about Brody and Carrie. If this hit-and-run plot is going to tie in beautifully with theirs then go about your business, but if you are going to wrap this up with no ultimate connection then FUCKING GET IT OVER AND DONE WITH. Dana-schmana. I kind of wanted Carrie to strangle her in the season finale anyway.

'A Good Soldier' - Homeland, Season One

Homeland

Season One

Episode Six

'The Good Soldier' - 7.5

Ug. 

Very good. Not perfect, just very, very good. I'm neither feeling up to reviewing or recapping, but I guess I can give it a go today. Homeland is one of those shows that is just so marvellously consistent that it is difficult to talk about what makes each episode worthwhile, almost entirely because it is the same aspects every episode.

So what happened in 'The Good Soldier'? Well following Afzal Hamid's suicide in the interrogation room Carrie has organised polygraph tests for everyone involved in his transport or questioning. She is confident that this will catch Brody out as the man responsible, and thus as a national security threat.

I enjoyed every single polygraph scene, they were all pretty indicative of the character's personalities. Carrie is surprisingly eager about doing hers, but she seems to fail on the questions about illegal drugs. Estes clearly just wants to be somewhere else, and doesn't react particularly well when asked about his marriage. Saul goes so far as to storm out of his first one, apparently you have to be in the right mood for one of these things. He fails in every question, including both his name and the question about the blade. We do have to wonder for a moment though, he was in the room with him the most; couldn't it have been him? Of course, his wife Mira had not long told him that she wanted to move to India without him, which can't help someone's stress levels. He gets through alright the second time though.

The Brody family attends a memorial service for Thomas Walker, the over half of Brody's sniper pair and the man he killed during their captivity. It is his job to deliver a friend's eulogy, a scene that I will admit I was a bit bored during. Funerals aren't the most interesting of events, and one for someone I've never actually met is even less so. Brody's speech was... awkward? It started with a jarring and brief flashback to his murder of his friend which cut into the heavy silence that prevails at these functions. It was almost a jump moment, and I believe completely unnecessary. We haven't forgotten he killed Walker, you don't need to remind us. Once Brody gets into the eulogy, it was entirely without gripping moments or dialogue, with his decision to do a roll call at the end almost... embarrassing, in its awkwardness.

The reception is held at the Brody house, probably just so the production crew didn't have to scout for another location. Of course it ends badly, with some asshole veteran getting into Brody over what happened to Walker and the foils of war and all that shit. He was just a drunk asshole, angry and jealous about his fellow soldiers sudden rise to fame over an unnecessary war. Anyway, during his tirade he lets slip that one of the marines present had wonderful sex with Jess, a suggestion that warrants a pummelling - from Mike. Oh yeah, that's keeping things under wraps. I'm pretty sure Brody knew before, but he reaction during the reception is pretty violent, pulling Mike off the asshole and giving his friend a few hard punches, as Jess watches from the sidelines.

Back at Langley, the investigation into Raqim Faisel has uncovered the existence of a Caucasian girlfriend, a statistical irregularity for an Arabic terrorist. The girl, Irene Margaret Morgan, we find to be the real ringleader of the pair, having received formal training in bombs and espionage. After being tipped off to the CIA's imminent raid of their home, the couple had fled to what they'd been told was a safe house. Ultimately this proved false, as the door was tripped to cause a bomb to go off, but luckily for Faisel, Irene was able to discern this before entering the house, but it did mean that their own side was not out to silence them.

Morgan and her man go to the nearest hotel to discuss their next move. Faisel wants to turn himself in, fearing that they will just be running forever, or just end up captured or dead. Irene is more keen on Mexico, wishing to avoid torture and incarceration at Guantanamo Bay. They never really get to come to a compromise in the end, because while Irene's in the bathroom a car pulls up, filling the room and Faisel full of holes, but leaving her unscathed. She manages to crawl out a window and to safety, probably about to make her way to Mexico.

After Brody's melt down at the reception, he storms out and hides in some dive, giving Carrie a call asking not to have to do the polygraph. Carrie comes to see him in person, and the two get to some serious talking that culminates in a shocking tryst in the back seat of her car. Seriously, it was a 'what the fucking fuck?' moment. I mean sure, they have acid/base chemistry going on, but sex on like the fourth time they've ever met is... Maybe Carrie's a whore? Regardless, it did allow for an incredibly awkward polygraph for Brody, especially once he passes the razor blade question without a hiccup. Carrie freaks, forcing the poor guy to ask him the same question over and over, each time Brody doesn't show a single sign of lying. We are left wondering though, as Carrie has the conductor ask Brody if he was faithful to his wife, which he answers with a lie, yet doesn't trip the heart monitor. So, Brody's worked out a polygraph machine? Probably makes sense for a sniper.

The episode ends with a disgruntled Carrie being found wandering the parking lot by an angry-looking Brody, who tells her almost threateningly to get in his car, which she seems happy to do. Kinky.

So what do I think? I don't. Really. It was fun and full of intrigue the way that Homeland always is, but 'The Good Soldier' seemed entirely built around Carrie and Brody hooking up at the bar, a moment of weakness for both that will no doubt have lasting and irreparable consequences for both. I thought the acting in the polygraph scenes were all fantastic, and I loved the look Brody gave the surveillance camera when he was asked about his fidelity. Ha! Look at all that menace. This guy's so evil.

'Q&A' - Homeland, Season Two

Homeland

Season Two

Episode Five

'Q & A' - 9.5

I had so much trouble locating an interesting image from this episode, so endure a photo of Morena Baccarin. 

Like 'The Weekend', 'Q & A' shows Homeland doing what it does best: showcasing its uber talented cast and crew, with the writers and actors being at the forefronts of their respective fields. Claire Danes and Damien Lewis have been almost consistently fantastic, so it would be almost redundant to heap praise on them like dirt on a fresh grave, but they truly, truly deserve it, especially considering that most of their scenes tonight are spent in one location, having one extended dialogue.

Oh, and what a dialogue it was. When Carrie walks into her home once it's all said and done, then takes out a bottle of wine and pours herself a glass it was possibly the most deserved drink of all time. That was some prime delivery of some amazing writing, it is possibly impossible to pick which one of the two actors was stronger. I can imagine how tough that would have been to film. Well, I can't really, but it sure as hell didn't look easy. 

I actually stopped taking notes during the interrogation because it was all in the eyes, and looking down at a page I was just missing out on the awesome. Just the sheer emotion, weariness and desperation that was contained in both pairs was astounding, and I was happy to see the tears took forever to come out. Tears are the easiest emotion to fake, in my book. I can fake cry and I've never had a single acting class outside of compulsory school drama. Luckily 'Q & A' waited until the tension and drama reached an absolute peak before bringing out the water works in both Carrie and Brody. 

It was highly pleasing to see Brody give in and admit to it all. Sure, it leaves us wondering where we can go from here, but I have been wondering where we're going since about the third episode. One ultimately negative aspect about this series is the finite premise, which will one day be forced to retire or fade into dragging, convoluted nonsense that people will eventually give up on. Looking at the speed of the major arc, especially over the last few episodes, Homeland may only last one or two more seasons before it will have to gracefully bow out of the ring. Heaven forbid they try to shift the focus to another major plotline - Maybe Jess has been a terrorist this whole time! - *shudder*. 

I have to wonder the feasibility of allowing Brody back out into the world. It makes sense from an audience perspective, I mean they aren't just gonna shove off one of the two major players just as his story hits its high, but in reality I don't know if a confirmed and confessed would-be terrorist would be granted the ability to walk freely amongst the non-Jihadists. And no, I'm not saying all terrorists are Jihadists, just this one. Of course, I guess he hasn't actually committed any acts of terrorism yet. And he is a direct (ish) link to Abu Nazir, and their first man on the inside. I can definitely see the advantages in letting him go about his business, but what about the risk of him being a triple agent and just going in and telling Nazir that he's a part of the CIA now?

In terms of plot, I wasn't sure how I felt about Dana and the Vice President's son getting into some potentially life changing shit, as Finn Walder accidentally runs down a pedestrian before not-so-accidentally driving away from the scene, against the initial protests of his young date. This focus on young love - perhaps squandered now - is a tad bizarre to me, and feels largely out of place in this tale of terrorism and political intrigue. I'm happy for there to be little references to it or the odd line of dialogue, but really I don't care. Dana's pretty annoying as well, and Finn's kind of an ass. Hopefully he'll be put in jail and never heard from again.

Obviously the focus of 'Q & A' was the interchange between the down-and-out Brody and the high-horse-hoisted Carrie, and I'd say two thirds of the episode was devoted to them in some way. My favourite bit was when Carrie began talking about monsters, and how Brody's decision to not blow himself up demonstrated that unlike Nazir, he isn't one. Nazir on the other hand kills civilians, or as she puts it 'Danas and Chrises and Jessicas'. Carrie then goes on to warn him about the weight of lying, and decides to demonstrate the power of honesty by telling him the flat truth: she wants him to leave his wife and children and be with her. 

Dialogue and performances meld together so soundly it's immaculate, and unfairly intense. You aren't gripping the armrests in agonising discomfort, but you're unable to avert your gaze as these two amazing people and amazing actors manage to create something truly spectacular, and you can just tell that Danes and Lewis will no doubt take the Emmy's again next time. Fuck, they are so awesome. I wish I was one of them.

It seems that's why we watch Homeland, not for the Brody family drama, not for Abu Nazir's winding staircase of a terrorist plot and not for Carrie's insanity. We watch it to see Claire Danes and Damien Lewis deal with the Brody's, Abu Nazir and their failing psyches, because what would this show be without the two best lead actors on television? 

'Blind Spot' - Homeland, Season One

Homeland

Season One

Episode Five

‘Blind Spot’ – 9.5

Claire Danes giving her best pedobear impersonation. 

In just one episode, Homeland turned from an OK television show with a great pilot to an all round fantastic series. ‘Blind Spot’ brings back the sense of suspense and mystery that had been allowed to fall to way side in the last few weeks, interrogating a terrorist and one of Brody’s captors in some tremendous scenes.

The first thing we see in ‘Blind Spot’ is the apprehending of Afzal Hamid in Islamabad, Pakistan, the last known survivor of the compound from which Sergeant Brody was rescued from. Hamid’s capture interrupts the personal lives of two of our major characters; Carrie’s malicious visit to her father is cut short, even though she had really only gone to try and pilfer some of his meds, while Saul is called in while trying to drive his wife Mira home, who has just arrived at the airport from India. 

Something that Homeland strives at is creating realistic and well-rounded characters, every single person in the show could easily be someone we know, will all of them having both beneficial and negative character attributes. For example, Saul is nurturing and wise, but he is also patronising and distant. Jessica Brody is loving and patient, but she is also judgemental and difficult to please. The ability to not only write such detailed characters, but also to depict them easily and accessibly is a true gift, something as a writer I would love to have. It is refreshing to see a show with both a gripping storyline and enthralling characters, as a lot of shows have either one or the other.

Tonight, however, the dialogue and atmosphere are on display, because ‘Blind Spot’ is all about the interrogation of Hamid, which Carrie and Saul are tasked with. For a second it looks like we are going to finally get some answers, as the two characters who suspect that Brody may not be who he says he is will be able to question someone who would know the truth, but it doesn’t work out that way for two reasons; Estes is watching the entire thing by feed, and worse, he’s put Brody on the job as well. He believes – quite logically, really – that Brody will be able to provide detailed information about Hamid, things that they can use in the interrogation. Carrie is obviously pissed by this development and she worries Brody will compromise the subject, while Saul sees it as an opportunity, since they will be putting him under a high pressure environment that they essentially control.

Everyone meets up at a secure location, which is interestingly not at Langley. When Brody arrives Carrie pretends that the two of them have not meet or interacted outside of the briefing in the first episode, an act that throws Brody off just a little bit. Damien Lewis does an especially good job, especially once he gets a look at Hamid, who turns out to be none other than his own guard, who at times peed on him and beat him with a stick wrapped in barb wire. Lewis appears legitimately angry, but there is that level of doubt that we are afforded; is he genuine? Frightened by him? Frightened he might be found out? Angry about the eight years of torture? Angry about Hamid actually getting captured? We don’t know, and that’s the whole point.

When the actual interrogation happens, it is a thing of beauty, even if Brody isn’t actually in the room. Saul is the one who asks the questions, with each one being answered by Brody through a headset while Hamid gives little but silence. The idea is that the information gives Hamid the idea that his questioners already have all the answers, they just need him to admit to them. It was impressive how quickly Mandy Patinkin went from being the father-figure to being this intimidating authority who has all the answers. He was the CIA Wizard of Oz or something. Despite Patinkin’s magical abilities, Hamid does not budge, and Saul calls it for the night leaving Carrie to take the night shift watching for any flinches.

The filming of Hamid’s torture was amazing. It isn’t brutal or foggy like Brody’s torture, rather it was modern and clean, but nonetheless cruel. I don’t know if this is what the CIA actually does to people, but Hamid had to sit in a room all night in his underwear with the air-conditioning on full, while the lights flicked on and off slowly and booming heavy metal music is played intermittently. Impossible conditions to get comfortable in, let alone sleep, and it is the next morning before the poor guy makes a move. The blaring noises and the ever changing conditions in the room are presented to us like we are there as well, a clear anti-torture message that comes through like the screaming of the musician Hamid is forced to listen to. 

The team manages to get eight names from the guy, all written with the crayon he was given to prevent him from killing himself with a pen or pencil. Saul says it isn’t enough, explaining in no uncertain terms that they will need more, or Hamid’s family will not be protected from the inevitable wrath of Abu Nazir. Hamid caves, providing an email address that leads – eventually – to one place; the department of Raqim Faisel at Bryden University, the man Carrie cased out the last episode. They all jump on this revelation, with Carrie sending Virgil into his office to try and find his house, discovering that it is where they had driven past while tailing Faisel only days before. Virgil, Carrie and that other guy all sit in their little van outside the house waiting for signs of life, but hearing none.

While Raqim Faisel is tracked down, Brody tries to organise one-on-one time with Hamid. He tells Estes that all he requires is to look the guy in the eye and prove that he won, which is fair enough I guess, but what’s weird is that Estes LETS HIM IN. WHAT?!! The morning after Hamid’s night of undesirable noises, the guy he freaking tortured saunters in with a smug grin on his face. Yeah, that was worth it for Brody, but is there not a serious potential security breach lurking under the surface here? Whether or not Brody is an evil terrorist bent on bringing the American government to its knees – again – someone without training as an interrogator shouldn’t be allowed to visit with the prisoners. I know he was a soldier, but wasn’t he a sniper? That doesn’t scream liaison or anything.

Sure enough, fighting ensues. Brody says some things and takes away Hamid’s dinner/breakfast/I-don’t-know-what-the-time-is, getting a nice big loogey in the face and entirely beating on his former captor. Hilarious yo! It seems that’s all Brody wanted though, and he cheerfully exits the room after the fight’s been broken up. Sadly though, it’s shown Brody chose to punch his tormentor in the face rather than watch his kid get a new belt in karate, though I’m sure this is only relevant because Matt went instead.

Not too long after, Carrie receives a worried call from Saul, who has gone back to Hamid’s compound to find him dead on the floor of the interrogation room, a tiny fragment of a razor blade used to slice his arms open. Gross people. Carrie uses this bad news to get authorisation from Saul to storm Faisel’s house, worried that whoever slipped Hamid the blade could have warned him. As it turns out, that may have been the exact case, since the house is completely abandoned.

Saul and Carrie have a lovely, emotional confrontation in Saul’s home regarding Estes’ decision to let Brody in to see Hamid. It doesn’t help that it happens immediately after – well, kind of during – a soft-spoken semi-break up between Saul and Mira, who wants to take a job in India because of her husband’s long, arduous and never-ending hours at the CIA. Anyway, Carrie essentially tells Saul she is going to take the investigation into Brody higher up, informing Estes, which he believes would jeopardise both their careers. The two get in a heated argument that shows Claire Danes and Patinkin at their respective bests, with both characters damaging a relationship with someone they trust dearly, as well as threatening the jobs that mean everything to them.

Following the argument, Carrie turns up at her sister’s in the middle of a breakdown, worried that she has effectively quit her job and ruined her and Saul’s rapport forever. It is really hard to describe just how good Danes is as the so-obviously mentally ill CIA agent, it’s just one of those performances that hits you with a tonne of bricks and forces you to pay attention. In the final few sequences of the night, Carrie decides to stay the night at Maggie’s, receiving a warm and excited welcome from her two nieces. Watching Carrie be jovial and caring with her family is like watching butter slay a butter knife, it just doesn’t seem right, yet Danes is able to make it look like a realistic facet of her character’s personality, and that’s really it with this show. Yes, the story is amazing, the intrigue is strong and the characters are fascinating, but for those who tuned in for any of that stayed just for Claire Danes and Carrie. This is her show, rather than Lewis’ or Brody’s, and it’s becoming more and more apparent.

'New Car Smell' - Homeland, Season Two

Homeland

Season Two

Episode Four

'New Car Smell' - 7.0

In a show about national security and terrorism, young love is the most important thing. 

I find myself largely unable to believe that Carrie would just be let back into the CIA. It was probably my only issue with the episode tonight - that, and the Dana subplot which went nowhere interesting - as I'm pretty sure she was not only discredited but she was stripped of her security clearance due to her mental illness. I don't think you can just veto that decision because it turns out she wasn't wrong, she's still a bit everywhere up in the head. Of course I could be wrong, the CIA might have a bit of leniency when it comes to people kicked out because of crackpot theories that don't end up that crazy. She presumably could have sued them for wrongful termination, so maybe they’re just covering their asses. 

Aside from that problem, there was a lot to like about 'New Car Smell'. Most notably, we're back to the surveillance of Brody. It was an immediate call back to the first few episodes of this fantastic show, but on a significantly grander scale, with the CIA tapping into the cameras in every building he visits, including the hotel he's staying in. They also have tapped his mobile phone and the one at home, all in the hopes of working out who he's working with. Early on, the team decides to throw the jihadist off by having him catch Carrie on the way out of Langley, thinking that he'll realise she's been reinstated in some way. It works like a charm, and the two of them even catch up for a few moments. 

The best Carrie/Brody moment had to be in the bar, as Claire Danes was simply amazing as her character struggled to keep her real feelings bottled up while talking about getting the Electro-convulsive therapy. In the end though, Carrie doesn't believe she was good enough and warns the team that she thinks she's been made, making her way over to Brody's hotel room for one of the greatest scenes this show has given us. 

At first Carrie pretends to be there for a booty call, openly flirting with her target. Soon though, her apparent sincerity fades to reveal the true anger underneath it all, as she cracks spectacularly, tearing into the man she loved for wronging her, getting her fired and driving her to the looney bin. It was powerful stuff and expertly handled, especially as she began egging him on to dispose of the apparent only witness. Luckily the SWAT team barges in and apprehends Brody just as he'd started advancing on her, and thus we end the first chapter of this show: Brody is now not only a known operative of Abu Nazir, he's a captured one too.

There was some other stuff too, namely Dana kissed Finn Warden, the Vice President's son. In all honesty, no one even really likes Dana so how am I supposed to give a shit about her fucking love life? Oh no! She has to dump Zander for him, despite the fact he's a complete asshole. All this plot line was was a waste of precious time.

Similarly, Mike and Jess has to deal with a drunk and raving Lauder, who turned up on his crutches at the Brody home, talking shit about Brody being evil and all. I mean we know it's true, and Mike does inquire deeper, but they end up concluding that he's working for the CIA. What? What exactly is he doing for them? Keeping tabs on the Vice President, who FYI used to be the director of the CIA? He's a terrorist, gentlemen, realise it.

We also meet a new character tonight, one Peter Quinn, an agent assigned to the Brody task force. He's an obvious relief character, one who is able to survey the main characters and make witty or almost meta-referential observations, ones that the audience can agree with or be amused by. Don't get me wrong, he was funny at times and a nice change from the sombre seriousness that is generally Homeland, but for the most part his presence fell to the wayside and I didn't really care. 

It's good to see that Claire Danes and Damien Lewis get some more scenes together, and looking at next week's previews we can expect to see her in on the interrogation, so I'm definitely looking forward to that. When Carrie and Brody are together we often get the most effective and beautifully delivered dialogue on television right now, and the two actors have some genuine chemistry, even if it isn't so much romantic anymore. Hopefully there'll be a lot more of the two of them to come.

After 'New Car Smell', Homeland has essentially burned through all the plot lines I'd expected from this season, which is both a brilliant and a risky move. Where can the show really go from here, and how long can they keep pushing the public acknowledgement of Brody's dissent back before it just gets annoying? I am definitely excited to see how Homeland will handle pretty much losing its premise - it was about whether or not Brody was a terrorist and how they would catch him - but I'm also wary that it could go very wrong. We can only wait and watch to find out.

'Semper 1' - Homeland, Season One

Homeland

Season One

Episode Four

'Semper 1' - 3.5

There isn't much colour in Homeland. Apart from Damien Lewis' hair. 

Homeland continues the expository early arc of its run, facilitating changes in the dynamics of a couple of the relationships in order to reinforce our prior notions, as well as bringing Carrie's hunt for Brody into the next stage. Unfortunately it takes a while to get into the action, and I found myself distracted by shinier objects in the room on occasion.

'Semper 1' begins as Carrie's FISA warrant nears its end, meaning around three weeks have passed since the death of Lynne Reed last episode. Carrie is a day away from having to break into Brody's house and take down the surveillance equipment, ending the moderately legal operation. In the first scene, we get an insight into how acquainted she has become with Brody and his family, watching him prepare to speak to some young Marines in training and narrating his preparation routine. She even knows where his tie was when he didn't. The pre-emptive commentary was actually effective in demonstrating how observant, obsessive and attached Carrie is with her mark, and predicts her almost mindless pursuit of him following the end of the warrant.

Meanwhile Estes is approached by a Lizzie Gains, the chief political operative for the vice-president, who wishes to investigate Brody, and it is suggested he's being considered as a possible candidate for office. What office? I have no clue - I don't understand American politics. Seems like civilians over there can be elected for anything. Gains organises a meeting with Brody after encountering him while his family's at church, but we haven't seen the meeting yet. Next week, probably.

Now would be a good time to mention that I was actually quite bored watching this episode. I'm not sure why, it is intriguing, but it didn't really grab me as much as the first three. Until the end of the episode, nothing really happened, and the characters all seemed to be walking in circles around one another. For example, Jess continues to fuss over her affair with Mike, while Chris and Dana worry that their family is about to fall apart. Saul keeps pretending to help his protégé and friend, while simultaneously talking down to her, and Estes just acts like a prick the whole time.

On that note, what was up with Estes? He and Carrie's scenes together told us two things; first, Estes doesn't trust her, and rightfully believes she's up to no good behind his back. Second, the two had a little fling in the past that ended with Estes' wife leaving him, effectively explaining their mutual dislike. That's just great, Homeland, but I honestly don't care a single iota about Estes or his relationships, present, past or future. Carrie's, maybe, but considering how pointless it ends up sounding I think it was a bit unnecessary. It is nice that the two kind of made up with each other in the scene at the bar, but it was just a bit more sentimental than important. I also don't know yet if I can trust Estes' demeanour. It just shifted from hostile to sincere way too quickly.

We seem to have a non-Nazir face to our enemy, with the couple we saw buying a house last week getting a proper introduction tonight. When the prince from the last two episodes' chief aide visits the a laundromat the FBI has noted as a Hawala broker - seems to be some sort of Arabic-world banking system that allows funds to be transferred without records - Carrie suspects he swapped that $400,000 necklace in. This means that someone who visited the laundromat afterwards may be part of a sleeper cell in need of funds. Raqim Faisel, an assistant professor at some generic sounding university is photographed leaving the laundromat, along with a whole mess of others. Noting a couple suspicious visits to Pakistan, Carrie and her partner tail Raqim home from work. Seems the sleeper cells are smarter than that though, and just as he's about to enter his new home - which isn't the home listed in his file - his wife receives a cryptic phone call. Instantly, she freaks out, rushing up the stairs of the house and putting an American flag outside a second-storey window, and Raqim slams his brakes on and keeps going, able to hide the real location of his home. No doubt these two will be integral in whatever Nazir is planning, and it is interesting they chose a Caucasian woman to be part of a sleeper cell.

The best scene of the episode occurs while Brody and his family are at church, giving Carrie enough time to get into his house and remove all the camera and microphones. Of course, it's actually Virgil and his brother who do the physical labour, while Carrie searches for that elusive clue hidden somewhere in the garage. At one point, she even lifts his Muslim prayer shawl up in order to open the box beneath it. Anyway, the best part of this sequence is that it is scored by the hymn being sung at the church. It was a very moving, beautiful hymn that had dramatic organ music not often heard in television or film. The final shot of Carrie unscrewing the last camera was great too, showing it on one of her monitors back at her house.

With the surveillance supposedly over, we knew Carrie would find some new way of keeping tabs on Brody. Now, she's not being particularly subtle about it, simply tailing him around and watching him from her car.

Brody is still having a tough time, and in a suspenseful moment the show tries to make us believe that he is going to shoot Mike. After building up the implication that Brody is actually aware of his wife's infidelity, Mike ends up being invited to a get-together at his friend's house. As Brody watches Jess and Mike converse in the kitchen, he pulls down a gun he stores above the fluorescent light in the garage, just as there's a shot of Mike coming in. We cut back to Jess who's having a nice, normal moment with some other friend when two gun shots ring out. It was a bit of a shock, and for a second there things were looking bad, but he ends up just having shot a deer who was eating the flowers. Jess freaks out nonetheless, and fair enough. Any excuse really to see Morena Baccarin do her stuff, and do her stuff she does, with Jess telling Brody that he needs to get help or she'll leave him.

Carrie follows Brody to a Veteran's support group, where she seizes her opportunity to get a little closer to him, pretending to be a part of the group. She 'accidentally' bumps into him, then fakes a freak out at seeing a familiar face and bolts, fully expecting him to fall into her trap and follow her. Brody proves he's not the brightest bulb when he does exactly that, meeting her out in the parking lot for some none-the-wiser flirtation. Damien Lewis and Claire Danes play off each other like best friends in a Mensa meeting, with the two being quick but secretive simultaneously, and there is an obvious spark the second the two begin talking. Straight away, you can sense that this is going to go somewhere new, somewhere much more personal than the original long-distance surveillance gimmick had made it look. As Carrie walks away, a big satisfied - and probably aroused - grin on her face, you just know that despite a comparatively lifeless episode, Homeland is about to get very, very interesting.

'State of Independence' - Homeland, Season Two

Homeland

Season Two

Episode Three

'State of Independence' - 6.0

'Hey Friend. Remember that vest you gave me? About that: prepare to be chased through the woods, thrown down onto a star picket and then have your neck snapped. Ready?'

Normally when I write my reviews I do them immediately after I watch whatever the hell it is that I'm watching, give my brain a night's rest then post them at some point the day after. That's fine, I guess, but I saw 'State of Independence' last night, wrote half a review, got pissed and went bed. Instead of continuing on from where I left off I have opted to start it anew, but this time writing it with the intention of posting it straight up to the blog.

Therefore, the time and date that it says this was posted at is the point that I actually finished. This allows me to something I haven't had a good opportunity to do so far; actually comment on how the blog is coming along.

As I've said before, I'm not actually a professional reviewer, I've had no training outside school, nothing like that. You could probably discern that pretty damn quick, and no one out there would be the first to tell me I sucked at it. I kind of do. It doesn't bother me, but if you find it grating then feel free to find someone else.

I've only been posting reviews here for two weeks, so I wouldn't be hanging out for some sort of sudden improvement. I'm sure it will happen eventually, but it may take many a review. In fact, since I posted my first review to this blog I've only actually written eleven new posts, with the others all being written up to four months ago.

'State of Independence' is my first - and possibly only - review posted somewhat 'live'. There is nearly no better drama to choose to write about, as Homeland is regarded as one of the last few years greatest gifts to the world of television. Yet, this episode was... sub-par.

I can't shout at it for being not-too-bad, but these average episodes are always the hardest to discuss, simply because all you can say was that '[insert aspect here] was alright' or 'fine' or 'average'. Even though I despise any episode that scores below about a 3.0, anything above that and below 7.0 are difficult to talk to talk about. I mean, why did 'State of Independence' not sit right with me?

How much backlash can I get if I say I didn't like the performances? Yeah, yeah, yeah, I can see that this is Homeland, possibly the greatest showcase of acting talent this side of Mystic River, but that prevailing notion of untouchable actors leaves room for terrific failings. What I'm saying is that when we come to expect nothing but the best, if we get just a little less it seems like a lot.

The two best moments belonged to Claire Danes and Morena Baccarin, with the former playing her character's suicide attempt with supreme subtlety and completely dialogue free. Baccarin has the honour of being ushered up on stage before a room filled with extras and forced to act like she's shy. She stammers and fumbles, pauses and gesticulates wildly. Yes, absolutely stereotypical idea of stage fright, but she did incredibly well and I was swept up in her awkward but beautiful impromptu speech.

I appreciated that Saul managed to get the SD card back into America and within an arm's reach of the CIA, as at the very start there was a horrid moment that looked as if we'd have the proof of Brody's defection taken by the Lebanese government. Lucky for us Saul kept the real one hidden in a safer location, as I would've been immeasurably aggravated by the nullifying of this fantastic twist. By the end of the episode, Saul's appeared at Carrie's door and given her the emotional realisation that she was right all along. She's still nuts though, because she had tried to kill herself only about an hour before hand.

I'm not sure how I felt about Brody's subplot tonight, as it was fundamentally flawed from the beginning. Why would Abu Nazir threaten one of his most important operative's position like that? It was insane, and I didn't believe, even though the eventual pay off was satisfying. Brody killed the tailor from 'The Vest'! Because, you know, we had to mention him again, I guess. I do like that I think the show is trying to make his actions less and less justifiable, as he could have tried harder to save the poor guy's life, instead of just snapping his neck. There is this sense that Brody will end up being in enemy territory by the end of this season, with the entire force of the American government after him while he tries to evade the most powerful organisation on the planet, in a country where everyone knows who he is.

That, or the mole will destroy the evidence. That would irritate me less than had some random event caused Brody to be let off the hook, but I'm thinking that it would still be highly disappointing. Though I'm not saying that it couldn't be done well, we have built up the mole quite considerably.

Theories are theories, here in Australia Homeland airs nearly three weeks after the same episode airs in the States, so I'm sure I could sort out fact from hypothesis by checking my sources. Maybe, depends how slow the storyline moves from here on out, I'm assuming they don't slow the entire thing to a crawl to push back Brody's approaching destruction further and further.

'State of Independence' is an almost unfortunate choice to be my first review written on the blog, as for the most part I was actually dissatisfied by the week's offering. Considering how many views I get a day (it's around about thirty, on average. Some days I have none) it's not like that many will read this anyhow. If you are one of the lucky ones, feel free to give your opinion below.

'Clean Skin' - Homeland, Season One

Homeland

Season One

Episode Three

‘Clean Skin’ - 8.0

'Did you die a little inside too?' 'Yeah, twice!'

I find the opening title sequence of Homeland to be really boring. There’s nothing overly wrong with it, I just think it’s a bit long and pointless, a cut-together mess that’s like playing word association starting with ‘terrorism’. It didn’t feature in the first episode, but it started the second in a lame way. Tonight I was already sick to death of it.

Luckily immediately after the boring we got to the boning, with Prince Farid and a consort of his harem Lynne Reed together in the Prince’s suite. People love a good sex scene – the PTC don’t count as people – so it was a pretty effective and gripping start to the real action, especially when it continues into a tense spy game. Last episode established Lynne as an asset for the CIA, someone who can infiltrate high places to find information for the government, so when she came forward with news that Farid had met with Abu Nazir, she was convinced into copying his phone data. After their session, Farid leaves the room to talk to some generic member of his entourage and Lynne seizes her chance to do what she was asked. In typical spy drama fashion, whether she was seen doing the deed is ambiguous, with Farid re-entering the room just as she finishes up. In one of the most suspenseful moments of the episode, he takes Lynne over to the mirror, standing behind her as he subtly asserts his dominance. Instead of sticking something sharp somewhere she wouldn’t like, he reveals a beautiful and expensive-looking diamond necklace, tenderly placing it around her neck as the two exchange pleasantries, and she says thanks the way a consort always should.

That was only the first scene, and it didn’t feature any of the main characters of the show. For our two protagonists, it isn’t the most eventful hour. Brody spends the whole episode preparing and taking part in interviews for various personalities and programs, including a family interview at the house. The main conflict came from a sex scene far more awkward than the Prince and Lynne; Jess, tired of waiting for her husband to come around and get back into the habit of schtooping her on a regular basis, tries to arouse him again after the horrific failure of a reunion bump in the Pilot. It kind of works, but Brody seems to have little interest in actual penetrative sex, choosing instead to masturbate while Jess just sits there with her boobs hanging out. From the look on Morena Baccarin’s face, I don’t think she was having much fun being porn. She even offered to do the physical labour for her husband, but he preferred doing it himself. Carrie, who was watching on her monitors, found the entire thing particularly unpleasant and pushed the screen away. Considering she watched the original sex, you can tell how weird that was.

Dana, Brody’s wayward offspring, is having issues with her family’s sudden fame. I find Dana irritating, but I can tell that was the entire point of her character. She’s a teenager who likes drugs, swearing, ruining family moments and probably kinky sex, and in terms of rebel children she’s nowhere near the worst on television. Hello, Jeremy Gilbert and Josh Shannon. Anyway, at one of her drug-parties with her other unruly cohorts she decides that she wants to speak the truth at the family interview, rather than lie and pretend to be happy. Thankfully, a heartfelt admission from her father brings her around, as he tells her that he isn’t overly satisfied by his life back in the real world either, and the interview goes off so problem-free that it was a bit dull. Happily there was a little more drama for Dana, as she reveals that she’s entirely aware of her mother and Mike’s affair while her father was gone.

Carrie, in an oddly Brody-less storyline, takes the information gathered from Farid’s mobile phone only to discover it is practically useless. When she receives a call from Lynne detailing that she’s been called to please a new business partner of the Prince’s, she jumps at the chance to follow her and actually find a lead. Unfortunately, and not shockingly, the plan is a rouse and Lynne is pulled out into the alley only to get a pair of bullets to the chest, point-blank. Carrie is shattered, but since she took Virgil’s van to the scene they have to leave without calling it in, leaving the dead girl in the alley.

It does guide them to a realisation though, with Saul helping Carrie see that jewellery is a terrific way of transferring funds safely (not for those wearing it though) and under-the-radar. There are minor implications that the Prince himself is not fully aware of the plot with Abu Nazir, and this is corroborated by his noticeable grief at the death of Lynne. While Carrie has this epiphany with Saul, we are treated to cutaways that prove the story, showing the necklace being valued at $400,000 by an Arabic looking man, with another showing a couple buying a house – in cash – within spitting distance of the airport.

So what does it all mean? Where is this going? Is Brody evil? Who knows? We are now three episodes down and we still don’t know the rhyme or reason for one of the two protagonists of the show. Hell, even the other one has some flimsy intentions, but I think this mystery and intrigue makes the entire piece more... mysterious and intriguing? Anyway, I enjoyed it, though I would appreciate more answers that aren’t just watered-down brush-off explanations that appear to need expanding.

'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.

'Beirut is Back' - Homeland, Season Two

Homeland

Season Two

Episode Two

‘Beirut is Back’ – 8.5

Saul is clearly sniffing Carrie's hair. Mmmm... Peroxide.

Even though I find the transition into an action drama the tiniest bit of a sell-out, at times Homeland seems like a high-class shoot-‘em-up piece, ala the Godfather or something. I’m not saying we’ll be watching episodes like ‘Beirut is Back’ for the rest of our lives and remarking how wonderfully subtle it is – it’s not that subtle, FYI – but the action isn’t over-the-top or implausible. It may be a little unnecessary though.

Following her escape from her tracker at her rendezvous with Saul, Carrie chooses to go straight to her informant’s mosque to catch her during Friday prayers. The two have a nice chat about what has changed in eight years, but by the end we know one thing; Abu Nazir is meeting her husband and they have the perfect opportunity to take them both out.

Issue is, for me anyway, that the husband is supposed to be Hezbollah and Abu Nazir is Al Qaeda. Last I heard from the media these two organisations were less than friends, that’s like a democrat openly working with a republican. Except worse, because these two terrorist factions believe themselves to be religiously incompatible. I guess you could make it work at a stretch. There have been suggestions from the US government that the two are working together, though the very fact they are Islamic-groups often rings alarm bells for the US.

After Carrie arrives back at Saul’s and the two share a relieved reunion, she reveals she visited the informant alone. He is less than impressed, as officially he was supposed to be present so that the non-CIA Carrie didn’t have to make any calls herself. Estes has a similar position, and the whole team worries that perhaps Carrie is falling for the word of a rogue informant who is planning to lure a team into a trap. Our bipolar heroine later overhears Saul telling Estes that he didn’t want her to be there, which sends her into an emotional flight that carries her up to the roof of the building, where Saul later finds her for a brilliantly acted chat about her mental state and her confidence. Carrie relays that she can no longer trust her own judgement after the Brody incident went so wrong, but she trusts her old self who recruited Fatima as an informant, and Saul relents, calling Estes to arrange the operation.

Unfortunately, as the CIA prepares to send in its agents the next morning, Brody is invited into the War Room so that he can watch his kidnapper get taken out. When he realises who is supposed to die today he begins to freak out, as a number of Arabic soldiers turn up at the meeting place in Lebanon.

It was very tense, and I kind of wanted to see Abu Nazir killed so that we can move on from that story, but in the end it is his two lieutenants who die, while a text message from Brody manages to alert him just in time. I could already see that one day this will be the deciding moment, when someone at the CIA will have his phone records pulled to discover he sent a message to Abu Nazir. Never a good sign.

Despite having failed to take out the big guy, Carrie, Saul and some other guy travel to Fatima’s apartment to pick her up and take her back to the US for safety. This scene was the real action sequence, because Carrie decides to investigate the apartment now that there’s no one in it, rushing out of the car while a mob of angry men start converging around it. By the time Carrie has shoved a whole bunch of files and CDs into some bag and rushed out the door, the car’s been forced to vacate to avoid being torn apart by the mob. When it leaves, a bunch of the men decide to turn their attention to Carrie, attempting to shoot and beat her as she tries to escape the building. It was tense, but only so much as we know they won’t kill Carrie. Anyway, she does manage to survive with the help of a brick and one of the men’s skulls, before meeting an agent as she comes down the steps and being escorted to safety.

Brody’s life this episode was comparatively uneventful – apart from supplying a warning to Abu Nazir – as he was called upon by old friend Mike to look into Tom Walker’s attack on the State Department as well as his later death. As a congressman, he apparently has a high security clearance, as well as motivation to release confidential information. Was there a point at all to this? Yeah I’m happy that Tom Walker’s death didn’t just go unnoticed, but I don’t see why it couldn’t get some subtle reference instead of a full-on subplot. There was a moment when Brody says ‘he stopped being a marine the day he became a traitor’ which was entirely unrelated to anything else on this show. If you know what I mean.

The biggest event of the night though happens at the very end, presenting perhaps Homeland’s greatest twist; Saul, going through the documents Carrie picked up, finds nothing. That’s not the twist though, so don’t worry. Instead, as he fumbles around with the bag she picked up, he notices a strange object sewn into the lining. He extracts it revealing it to be an SD card which he plugs into his computer. What pops up is fucking amazing; it’s Brody’s video, which he made in ‘Marine One’, meaning that Saul Berenson is now aware of Brody’s true allegiances. Haha! FANTASTIC!

Such a twist shows that Homeland is moving forward, and unless they kill Saul off next episode before he can say anything – which better fucking not happen – we are close to entering a new era for this phenomenal show, one where Sergeant Brody’s lies are made public and he has to go on the run. Better yet, perhaps they’ll just kill him off! This could be so epic! So many ways they could handle this, and most of them good! Don’t just sweep it under the rug though, writers. Don’t dangle a cake in our faces then hand us a carrot. If you’re going to hint at perhaps the most game-changing plot development this show’s thrown at us, don’t fucking mess it up, because that would involve killing Saul and I like Saul.

Aside from the ending, I quite enjoyed all of the Beirut-centred activities, with both the action sequences and any scenes between Claire Danes and Mandy Patinkin being brilliant. I did mention last time that I’m finding the action to be catering to the masses too much, and I still do, but I admit that it is a little fun. And hell, since they are leaving Beirut and returning to America we’ll probably see a lot less of it, and be getting back to the political intrigue and conversation that made the first season so suspenseful.

'The Smile' - Homeland, Season Two

Homeland

Season Two

Episode One

'The Smile' - 8.0

By the way, this is my tenth review. Double digits! 

I wrote the review for the first season finale of this fantastic series only a couple of hours ago, and here I am pounding out the entry for the second season opener. This whole blog thing is making me wish I had this kind of commitment to my school studies, you know? Yeah, admittedly these aren't my best work, but my process is simply watch-write-post, with only about an hour or two spent looking at the recap. I don't call them reviews because when I started, that was what they were, but by switching to recaps I was able to make them longer and they were significantly easier to write. Why is longer important? I don't know, just a long inbuilt assumption that a longer essay was far superior to a brief one, irrespective of quality. One day perhaps I will become more adept at writing in general and will muster the courage to return to reviewing rather than recapping. For now though... ok, let's give reviewing a go.

'The Smile' was a terrific way to start a new season, but I have to posit that perhaps a show like Homeland could have pulled it off better. To me it seemed... more thrilling? But in a bad way? I'm trying to get across that the show kind of sold out without saying it with that excessive a connotation, but there appeared to be a conscious decision to pick up the action. Maybe it was just me. 

The one thing that was definitely bad about the episode was a character; Roya Hammad. She was a journalist/member of Abu Nazir's group and contacted Brody early in the episode in order to get him to pull some info out of Estes' special safe of mysteries. There was something confident and sassy about her, but when you boil it down she's a quick attempt to make a plot device/villain trope into a likeable and interesting character. She's that amoral and fast talking bad guy that always emerges at some point, who always talks with a flirtatious smirk on her face and is able to confound the men with her feminine wiles. You know what, miss? You can take your 'wiles' and collapse into them like the failed concept that you are. I don't despise you, but I can never respect you as a character or a story arc, so I hope your hinted future dealings with Estes turn out dead, or you turn out dead. 

To be honest, when she strutted into Brody's new congressman's office and asked if there were cameras or recording devices, I thought she was going to take her top off and slut it up. I thought maybe he was cheating on Jess again, but no. She's just a messenger, and despite what they say the messengers always get shot. I wouldn't get too close to this one ladies and gents, some way or another she'll take her spinning path down the drain. Hopefully.

Something I've been incredibly anxious about was exactly how the writers were going to bring Carrie back into the middle of things following her very clear-cut dismissal from the CIA at the end of the first season. You simply can't picture how delighted I was by the process that sends her back in, it just made sense. See, some chick - a former asset of Carrie's and the wife of a Hezbollah district commander - approaches the embassy in Beirut looking for her with information about a coming attack and refuses to speak to anyone else. Carrie is whisked to Nicosia where she prepares to take on a temporary new identity; a Canadian. THE HORROR!!! 

It made sense, and it wasn't just like she’s had a single short beat off the job. She's been gone for months and has settled into a life without the CIA. In fact, you could literally see her tone and posture change the second she spied Agent Galvez waiting outside her classroom. Just so you know, she's now an English teacher, which is a perfect fit for her in my opinion. Also on a side note, has anyone ever seen Claire Danes as herself, as in like on talk shows or on the red carpet? She LOOKS different to Carrie, she lacks the crazy-intense eyes and jerky, flightiness that prevails the character. Weird. 

Off topic, yeah, but the point is that Carrie was calm and happy, then suddenly her world is fucked with by the CIA and she's asked to fly out of the country, threatening to unbalance her fragile state of sanity. I found her reluctance and clear annoyance refreshing, though I agree with Maggie who believes that deep down she really does want to go and be a part of it all again.

For Brody the episode concerned the sudden likelihood of him becoming the running mate for the Vice President's campaign for the top job. I don't know how often inexperienced and unproven politicians are randomly picked as possible Vice Presidents but it... was... Ok, Sarah Palin, you win this round. I won't complain any more. 

DANA. She's someone to talk about! All she did was piss off some school kids and openly and loudly admit her father had converted to Islam to a whole bunch of Quakers. You know what? Fuck you Quakers, from what I saw tonight yous people be crazy. So orderly and polite, until bitches be gettin' all islamic in ya faces. SUCK MY QU'RAN QUACKERS. 

Luckily the Quaker retards don't take her admission too seriously, but Jess does get a call from the school's - yes, it was a Quaker school - dean because she'd spoken out of turn doing the... what was it? Some sort of horrible, one-person-at-a-time debate that was very, very anti-Islam and anti-Iran. I just shudder at the thought of all this 'MY RELIGION'S SO MUCH MORE RELIGIOUS THAN YOURS. IPSO FATSO I FUCKING RULE YO' garbage, so I just adored the treatment of Jess' outrage at her daughter for implying Brody was Muslim. She went off her rocker yelling at poor Dana who just keeps looking at her father for guidance, before good ole Brody comes to her defense by admitting the horrible truth; he's converted to a different faith! THAT FAITH! MORE HORROR!!! 

Except this time there was actual mortification, with Jess wigging out like a chemotherapy patient in a hairdresser's, storming into the garage and pulling her husband's Qur’an from the cupboard and hurling it at the ground, much to Brody's disgust. Did you know that Qur’ans aren't supposed to touch the ground? I didn't. Makes sense though, they don't like feet, which is why throwing shoes is such an insult. Anyway, both sides had merit, even though Jess was somewhat narrow minded she did have a fantastic speech about 'these people', who she says had held Brody captive for eight years and would stone Dana if they knew she was sexually active. When Brody is disturbed by the book hitting the deck, she gets even more distraught, mentioning Carrie's accusations on their lawn a few months prior. Little does she know that her husband had illegally acquired classified intelligence for his terrorist group only that day... 

Shortly after arriving in Beirut, Carrie attempts to rendezvous with Saul, only to be forced off the meeting place by a man on her tail. Rather than turn herself in like Saul suggests, she decides she'd rather just escape him, and they go on a big long chase that's as thrilling as they normally are. I somewhat wanted her to be apprehended, if only to see where the show would take it. Alas, she gets away with a well placed knee to her pursuer's groin. Damn Canadians and their knees. 

I did appreciate her smile - possibly the titular one? I wasn't sure - as she walked away from the pained man, and I think it will possibly be the beginning of a decent into more and more dangerous situations, maybe. Danger is always good, I guess, but I don't want this to turn into a full on action drama. A political thriller was satisfying enough.

'The Smile' focused entirely on Carrie and Brody, and rightfully so. They are both intriguing characters who represent two misplaced facets of a similar coin, with both almost in better places following the dramas of the last season, only to be thrust back into lives that they don't want to live anymore. I can already see how this season will differentiate itself from the last, though I can't help but notice the differences; different music, for example. Abu Nazir is now kind of sloppy in his methods of communicating with his operatives - Damned Roya - and it is considerably faster and more edge-of-your-seat, a quality that is generally good, but perhaps a betrayal of the show's original restrained, documentary-style feel. Yes, I liked it, of course I liked it, but it was not Homeland's finest hour, though I'd certainly continue to tune in if this level of quality is held, because when compared to all shows it is still fucking great.