Homeland

[modage]

Has there ever been a show that went from so good to so bad in the span of only 2 and 1/2 episodes?

Twin Peaks still holds the record with one episode. But yeah this is pretty catastrophic. The real question is: has a show ever gotten terrible and bounced back 100% to former greatness? (Not like, it's better than it was ie: less terrible but full-on great again?)

[Kal]

Problem with the show is that as much as I get annoyed during the episode with some of these holes and idiotic plotlines, and get even angrier when I read everyone discussing here, the show is still entertaining as hell. There is still good tension around what will happen, especially when it comes to Brody. He is one of the two main characters, but it pretty much makes no sense that he survives next week. My bet is that he will. If he did or didn't, the show would have to take a whole different direction regardless.

So the wholes are there, but the show still works and entertains. That means the majority of people don't even see any problems with it and the show will continue to thrive. So until these problems make the show boring and the majority of viewers start noticing, not sure if they will even try to fix it. By then it will be too late.

[Jeremy Blackman]

Problem with the show is that as much as I get annoyed during the episode with some of these holes and idiotic plotlines, and get even angrier when I read everyone discussing here, the show is still entertaining as hell.

Absolutely. Maybe it's like Dexter now; you're not supposed to take it too seriously.

[©brad]

Again I don't mind the show being ridiculous. I just don't like such lazy, sloppy plotting, especially when we know what these writers are capable of.

[modage]

FINALE SPOILERS

"But the reason we wanted Walden and Nazir both dead is we wanted to open the possibility that Brody and Carrie could have a happy ending, that their doomed romance was not doomed after all. The only way to make that happen was to off these two antagonists.
So we've sort of left the thriller aspects of the show behind and now we come to a very personal story about Carrie and Brody and all the obstacles that lie in the way of them being together. That is what the finale is about. It's a real character study of these two people, where they've come from, how they regard each other, and whether or not there's a future for them." - The writers. 

[Jeremy Blackman]

I'm not surprised. It could work, too.

[©brad]

"One thing I would encourage people to do is remember the Issa episode last year? There was a similar like, 'Oh my God.' Then you realized after the finale how important that episode was. You realize that without Brody's connection to Issa, none of it would be comprehensible." The writers.

Yeah the show basically hinges on Brody wanting to avenge Issa's death, a kid we met for one episode last season. Meanwhile, Brody barely gives half a shit about his own kids' well-being.

Arghhhh I need to stop. This show does stupid and awesome in almost equal measure. Last night's ep gave us some good stuff too. Jessica and Brody's breakup in the car was a fantastic scene. Saul getting angry and dropping f-bombs is always fun. Roya taking Carrie down in the interrogation room was chilling. What is everyone predicting for next week? Brody dying is the obvious ending. I wouldn't be surprised if Carrie defends Brody by killing Quinn, or if Brody dies and Saul/Carrie team up to take Estes down. If Brody and Carrie run away together? Eh, okay I guess. If Brody does get killed and Carrie finds out she's pregnant I'm throwing my TV into the Hudson River.

[Jeremy Blackman]

I agree. The show still has these amazing, intense, unpredictable moments. No matter how silly it gets, I think it will still have those, because they absolutely know how to do that. Again, it's kind of like Dexter in that way.

I absolutely bought Brody killing the VP. Brody hated everything he stood for and was basically gritting his teeth every time they met. (And honestly, he probably prevented a lot of death and destruction by going through with that.)

Brody won't die. They've been setting up the Brody/Carrie thing for too long.

I hope Saul organizes his own unauthorized elite spy force to assist Carrie. Why not? If the show's gonna get silly, it needs to have some fun.

[polkablues]

Finally caught up! 

So this show is 24, right?  It's literally 24 that can say fuck and show tits and not pretend it's all happening on the same day. 

At this point, I want the season finale to be a bottle episode where Chris and Mike hang out all day, watching basketball and playing hearts, with Dana periodically wandering in front of the camera like Fred Armisen's Governor Patterson impression on SNL.  All that messy espionage drama can hold until next year.

And if they ever question Galves' loyalty again, I'm burning this motherfucker to the ground.

[diggler]

Dana literally crying over spilled milk... it's almost as if that actress did something to the writers for them to treat her character this poorly. Since when does any kid that age want to go to school?

Brody's story is essentially finished, and they've run out of drama for his family life. I hope they don't kill him off though, since it's been telegraphed so much. The show has mostly succeeded at catching me off guard so I hope they don't drop the ball there. Carrie's lip quivering is bordering on self parody, and how many times can a character ignore authority? She gets away with it because she's usually right and gets results, but only at the expense of the raging incompetence of everyone around her. A child could have found Nazir in that mill.

Saul is a fantastic character though, and they've done a good job getting me invested in Quinn as well.

[©brad]

Okay that finale was pretty badass.

[samsong]

word.

[polkablues]

Except for the dialogue in the Carrie/Brody goodbye scene that would have made Stephenie Meyer question her sensibilities as a writer, I agree.  I love that the show's actually willing to shake things up to this extent.

[Stefen]

Has there ever been a show that went from so good to so bad to so good in the span of 4 episodes?

[©brad]

Loved
- How quiet and almost boring the first 30 minutes were, only to blow everything up (literally) later on.
- Speaking of, the bomb scared the bajeebus out of me.
- Quinn.
- The release of Brody's confession tape was brilliant, leading to a truly heartbreaking scene of the family watching it live. Even Chris stepped up to the plate and actually showed a modicum of human emotion. This could make for some compelling stuff next season; how will this family cope knowing what they think is true about their father. Those kids are going to be f'ed up.
- "You're the smartest and dumbest fucking person I know."
- The end with Saul and Carrie. This relationship is the foundation of the show to me, not Carrie and Brody. When Saul says "He's a guy who strapped a bomb to his chest, always will be" I cheered.
- Lots of speculation online that Nazir must have a mole in the CIA who moved the car, and maybe Nazir's people got caught on purpose in episode 9 to get the C4 in CIA territory.
- All I wanted was an unexpected ending and I think we got one.

Didn't Love
- Polka I agree on the dialogue. The scene that got me the most was Quinn's "I kill bad guys" showdown at Estes house. Also the whole "I'm just going to hide in the dark in your house until you get home" schitck, total ugh. I did like the idea of Quinn turning on Estes, just not the execution.
- Brody and Carrie playing house as if Brody didn't just kill the vice-president. Carrie being perfectly fine with this is troubling for a character so obsessed with keeping America safe.
- So I guess they don't do any kind of bomb search of cars when you go to Langley? Um okay.
- The shot of Saul praying surrounded by all those body bags was all the more eery given the recent tragedy in Connecticut. No wonder Showtime put up that warning.