Homeland

[Fernando]

SPOILERS S04E09


yeah, this felt like an episode 9 of Game of Thrones, but there's three episodes left!

one minor observation. when learning that Dennis Boyd is in bed with the other side, wouldn't be logical to retrace his steps? meaning, watching the security cameras to see who he has been talking, when he left the embassy, etc? if they did that they would see (if there are cameras there) when Tasneem hands him that napkin that we now know she asked about Carrie's secret entrance/exit.

[©brad]

SPOILERS


Yeah um wow. Although, in typical Homeland fashion, they follow up something brilliantly plotted with something ridiculously stupid (are we to believe the secret Embassy door would be secured with a padlock, with no alarm or guard?)

I might argue that no actor on TV right now is kicking as much ass as Claire Danes. Her take down of the traitor husband in the interrogation room was so great. It reminded me of her equally hair-raising season 2 arrest of Brody in the hotel room. 

The cartoonish terrorist villain still bothers me a lot.

[Jeremy Blackman]

SPOILERS

Actually I've grown to enjoy Homeland's absurd plot turns. They are deployed sparingly enough that it seems to work for me. And it's nothing new. Remember the crazy stuff that happened in Season 1?

This season has had a quality of unpredictability on par with Breaking Bad. I think it started with Aayan's sudden death and just kept going from there. I did not expect Saul to be recaptured, and I did not expect the hostage exchange to go down how it did, or the ensuing events. I sort of expected Dennis Boyd to be cracked under interrogation. At every turn they've made the more difficult plot choices. They've probably realized that it's not just writing yourself into a corner, it can be sustained as a way to generate unpredictable plot, especially "in a world" where things can plausibly be this twisty.

[Fernando]

SPOILS

I enjoy everything and like you say this season has been unpredictable, still I like to think of all the clues that are there that sometimes they don't see (the characters I mean), like these that happened to Saul:

- Haqqani tells him 'welcome back to Islamabad'. HUGE RED FLAG

- then made a video in english where he threatens the US, obviously a video to use after the attacks.

he should have told Carrie the second he saw her both, specially that he was in Islamabad.


I hate waiting a week to see the next episode and just now found out that there's no new episode this weekend...what the fucking fuck!

[Fernando]

SPOILS S04E10

well, it was a bloodbath, still the main players made it. poor Fara thou.

it was pretty stupid of Lockhart to give up the list like that, Martha the ambassador knew better...

we have to assume that the ambassador told Carrie and everyone else about her husband's contact with ISI right? still is one of those things that I wish they take just a few seconds to acknowledge it.

Carrie obviously won't die but I'm not so sure about Quinn, I hope he makes it.

[AntiDumbFrogQuestion]

My 4-word review:

MOST
DEPRESSING
SEASON
EVER!!!!![/i]

[Jeremy Blackman]

cronopio2 [15|Nov 09:17 AM]:   http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/oct/15/homeland-is-racist-artists-subversive-graffiti-tv-show
Jeremy Blackman [15|Nov 11:33 AM]:   I've read that. Not actually convinced Homeland is racist though.
Jeremy Blackman [15|Nov 11:34 AM]:   Have you seen this season and last? They've been especially not racist.
Drenk [15|Nov 11:38 AM]:   "Banksy wouldn't suck Homeland's dick" would be better and funnier than "Homeland is racist"
Drenk [15|Nov 11:38 AM]:   They had the opportunity to write whatever they wanted.
Jeremy Blackman [15|Nov 12:00 PM]:   I mean, I'm open to the idea that it's racist, but that was such a weak argument.
Drenk [15|Nov 12:00 PM]:   I almost don't remember the first third seasons of Homeland.
Drenk [15|Nov 12:01 PM]:   But I'm sure it's more clumsy than racist.
Jeremy Blackman [15|Nov 12:01 PM]:   "We think the show perpetuates dangerous stereotypes by diminishing an entire region into a farce through the gross misrepresentations that feed into a narrative of political propaganda."
Jeremy Blackman [15|Nov 12:01 PM]:   ^ WEAK argument. Have they even seen the show recently?
Drenk [15|Nov 12:02 PM]:   Probably not.
Jeremy Blackman [15|Nov 12:03 PM]:   Homeland is definitely the wrong target. There is so much worse culture out there about the Arab world.
Jeremy Blackman [15|Nov 12:07 PM]:   Last season was all about showing the consequences of drone warfare and empathizing with the victims, one of whom was a main protagonist.

[Jeremy Blackman]

Has anyone else been watching this season? Overall it was pretty good. About the best you can expect from latter-day Homeland.

SPOILERS

The finale was quietly but intensely weird. Still not sure if I loved it or hated, but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt for provoking a reaction.

Speaking of which. They completely destroyed Quinn's body throughout this season, didn't they? Just over and over again. He almost gets a chance to heal, then he is violently punished, barely survives, repeat. Is he supposed to be a Christ figure?

During's... marriage proposal, I guess?... was truly bizarre. But it was exactly that for Carrie, so job well done.

I think that's why I keep watching. The show has time for stuff like that. It has a real personality. And no Dana.

[diggler]

Miranda Otto has been really good this season and it was ramping up towards the end.

SPOILERS

The finale was a bit of a wet fart, it was almost comical how easily the terrorist plot was foiled. She just asked him to talk his cousin out of it and he was like "sure." During's proposal was also totally out of left field, wasn't she dating his subordinate? What was he waiting for? Lots of puzzling choices to wrap this story up.

Poor Quinn.

[Jeremy Blackman]

SPOILS

Well to be fair, Carrie (in desperation) asked Qasim to shoot his cousin. Qasim had the crazy idea of talking him out of it, and she was like okay whatever just do something, then followed him, planning to shoot. I could also buy that he was ready to turn; they hammered that so hard every week that we knew early on it was inevitable.

There were many other logic problems with the story this season, though. Like why did Qasim's cousin let him come at all or give him a role of any importance, after he knew about his doubts?

Also... Why was Allison allowed to go anywhere (including inside a public restroom) without at least 3 officers on her at all times? It's an extreme measure to give her any amount of freedom; they would surely take extreme precautions. They would never just send one doting guy to tag along. And she would have been guarded in the hospital.

[©brad]

What in the love of pixelated crap was that? I say this as someone who's really liked this season, which has been genuinely suspenseful and fun especially now that Brody and Dana as JB says are a distant memory. Last week's episode was one of the best they've ever done. And now... this?

Diggler you're right on, they built up this terrorist plot for the entire goddamn season only for it to fizzle out in the first 5 minutes?

Alison has been SUCH a great character and this is how they get rid of her? No final showdown with her and Sal?

Last season's finale was a snoozefest as well if memory serves. I guess such is to be expected. Homeland remains an entertaining and frustrating show often in equal measures.