'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.

'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.

'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.

'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.

'Pilot' - Homeland, Season One

Homeland

Season One

Episode One

'Pilot' - 9.5

'Thinking about terrorism gets me in the mood. Stopping it, of course.'
- PS. Not actually from the show.

Homeland is a terrific television series. I say this as someone who has already seen the entire first season, and admit my desire to rewatch every episode so far is what is driving me to write this review. It is strange to pinpoint exactly what makes it so good - it feels a bit like I am trying to explain why I enjoy a specific song. I guess it's just satisfying, and evokes the right emotional reaction from me. I honestly don't know; all I can tell is that the whole first season is expertly crafted and nurtured by its writers, directors and actors.

It still doesn't make much sense to me; the score in 'Homeland' seems pretty stock-pile worthy, and never reaches any kind of crescendo on its own. The flashbacks are over directed and clichéd; with 1980’s vignettes and 'foggy' sound editing to make everything appear distant. One could even say the premise on its own doesn't sound interesting at all (I sure did). Yet, 'Homeland' is right, and when put together in this fashion is nearly flawless.

Personally, I think we can attribute the successful composition of the show to two aspects - Casting and writing. There are nearly no weak links in the relatively small cast, with even the little roles played to perfection. The two clear protagonists; CIA officer Carrie Mathison and former-POW Sergeant Nicholas Brody; are immaculately given life by Claire Danes and Damian Lewis. Brody's wife is played by sci-fi favourite Morena Baccarin, who proves her ability outside of laser guns and stargates. Mandy Patinkin seems to revel in playing Mathison's mentor Saul, a character not-unlike his role in Criminal Minds. The only not-so-fantastic performances are given by the children actors, though we can hardly fault them on that; however I must admit the son's 'nice to meet you' introduction to his father was very well done by the young Jackson Pace.

There are some moments of real acting greatness during this episode, including Lewis and Baccarin engaging in their first sexual encounter in over eight years, which ends in Brody's wife having to hold back her tears following a particularly rough tumble. Danes is the one who really steals the show though, coming through with a fury in scenes such as Carrie's interaction with Virgil in the van, the interrogation of Brody and the captivating part where Carrie was confronted over her surveillance of Brody by her friend - and superior - Saul.

The plot involves terrorism, a touchy topic for anyone; American or not, and it deals with the aftermath of 9/11 quite honestly and openly. Before then, I doubt such a show as this would have been conceivable, and 'Homeland' seems to be aware of where it all comes from and what it can and can't do if it wants to remain relevant and relatable. No one character is blatantly a terrorist, and they are never accused of being evil or immoral. In fact, Brody's possible dissent to the Muslim extremists - here led by fictional mastermind Abu Nazir - is handled sympathetically. We are given no specific answers as to what side he's on, but we are slowly being led to understand him no matter what. The most interesting piece of plot, however, is Mathison's 'mood disorder'. While no big deal is really made by anyone, Virgil makes a good point when he wonders whether Carrie is either A) telling the truth, B) making the whole thing up or C) completely and irreversibly insane. As the viewers we are forced to make a similar observation - there is no way Carrie is normal, but could she really just be paranoid? A possibly-insane protagonist is a hell of a gutsy move by the writers and should be continuously commended.

The characters and the actors who play them are what make this episode and the show, not only watchable but endlessly riveting. It is not funny or sad, over-the-top or subtle. 'Homeland' is simply captivating, if only due to a perfect balance of composition. This first episode, and nearly all of the rest of the season, are absolutely fantastic. A must-see drama for all.