Homeland

[Kal]

Surprised to see nobody here watching or discussing this? I know sometimes it takes a while until people give new shows a chance.

I personally didn't care much about it, and then a lot of people told me it was great. After it swept the Emmys last week I decided to give it a shot, and damn it's pretty great. I watched the entire season in one week and now excited for Season 2.

Before watching it I thought it would be just like 24, and even though it was some similarities, it's very well done, well written, great acting. Some of it is predictable, and you seem to know where it will end up, but overall its very well paced and has some great twists along the way that make it extremely entertaining and fun.

Anyone else watching?

[Jeremy Blackman]

I haven't watched the Season 2 premier yet, but I can chime in on Season 1.

Overall it's a good show. Good directing, and Claire Danes is fantastic. It's strange, because I like it, but most of what I have to say will sound complainy. It's like The Walking Dead... the extraordinary potential it has makes this stuff all the more annoying.

There's this odd thing where I know the story has potential and the acting is pretty good, and all the production values are great, but it just doesn't fully connect with me.

MAJOR SEASON 1 SPOILERS

I'm not sure I care about the characters. I feel like I'm watching great acting rather than watching great characters. Breaking Bad is a great contrast; its characters are able to effortlessly capture your sympathies, and even flip them from episode to episode. With Homeland, I felt like the characters should be making that type of connection with me, but it wasn't really happening. Even the most subtly acted characer, Saul, didn't do much for me with his "wife leaving" storyline. Maybe that's because I found her to be an odious, wholly unattractive person, undeserving of Saul's affection in the first place. I find myself relieved that he's rid of her.

All of this shifts my attention to the story. Which is somewhat unfortunate, because much of it was absurd and just too convenient. The terrorist stuff seemed to be realistic enough, but the way Carrie ended up seemed like a cheap and cruel betrayal of her character, all for the sake of some kind of totally undeserved Requiem For A Dream martyrdom moment.

There are so many plot holes. For example, Brody's daughter making the phone call ("little girl, how did you get this number?") did not ring true at all, and there was something specifically implausible about it that I can't remember right now. The most major plot hole: Brody would have been patted down by the secret service. They met him like 5 minutes ago. Even if they did trust him, the secret service doesn't operate based on trust. They would still pat him down. Also, in the days of shoe bombs and rectal devices, why go with something as ridiculous as a suicide vest?

I found myself not left with much except something that was pretty well executed and enjoyable to watch.

Too much emotional manipulation and soap opera stuff going on in the Brody household. The writing was so transparent that I found it impossible to lose myself in those stories.

Random complaints:

- Except in the last couple episodes, Brody's stoner daughter was highly annoying.
- If Brody's son were any more two-dimensional, he would have blown away with the wind.
- I don't like the way they destroyed the subtlety of Carrie's mental illness. It was actually fascinating for a while, but when it exploded like that, I lost most of my interest.

All the political speech, especially in the public statements, was kind of random and stupid. Almost non-sequitur. Politicians in real life are not actually that clunky and cliche, especially at that level.

The vice president's campaign narrative makes no sense whatsoever. Unless he's a former VP and they're still calling him VP, I assume it's the end of his president's second term, since that's the only time VPs run for president. Why, then, does he sound as if he's running against an incumbent, with all the talk about making America great again and restoring this and that. Umm... what? It's as if the writers think everyone's eyes glaze over when a politician appears on screen and they won't pay attention to the words coming out of the characters' mouths. What sloppiness.

I actually wrote this note months ago when I finished Homeland: "If this even begins to overshadow Breaking Bad in terms of end-of-the-year recognition, I'm going to be furious."

[modage]

Yeah. I watched Season 1 and I liked it. But I do have to hold a grudge against it for winning the Emmy because it is nowhere near the level of MM & BB. It's crazy to me to even have to state that. This show is fine/fun escapism. That's all. Entertaining but pretty silly and soapy at times. I didn't think it was as good as "24" but kept watching anyway for Claire Danes.

[diggler]

I thought the show did a good job at making a premise that should only hold up for a two hour movie last for a full season. Claire Danes is indeed great, but personally I think Mandy Patinkin steals the show. Kudos to the writers for not making the show feel stale yet, but I think it's only possible to maintain that for so long.

I like that it got awards, shows like this deserve more attention. BB has enough accolades, I think it's place in the pop culture pantheon is secure. It's easy to say this doesn't compare to BB or MM, but when you compare it the other way to NCIS/CSI/Mentalist I think it's clear that it stands apart. 

[pete]

I gave up six or seven episodes in in Season One. Everyone was too hysterical to be watchable.

[modage]

It's easy to say this doesn't compare to BB or MM, but when you compare it the other way to NCIS/CSI/Mentalist I think it's clear that it stands apart.

But those shows (NCIS/CSI/Mentalist) aren't nominated because they are terrible. So yes, Homeland is better than those shows. But it is nowhere near as good as Mad Men or Breaking Bad, the shows it was nominated against.

[Kal]

Agree that BB and MM, especially these past seasons, deserved the awards more... but those shows already won everything so it seems like they don't need more validation. There are many shows that deserved to win multiple times and only won one year because of that reason. Makes no sense, but thats how it is.

[Jeremy Blackman]

^ Except the Emmys never use that logic.

[diggler]

It's easy to say this doesn't compare to BB or MM, but when you compare it the other way to NCIS/CSI/Mentalist I think it's clear that it stands apart.

But those shows (NCIS/CSI/Mentalist) aren't nominated because they are terrible. So yes, Homeland is better than those shows. But it is nowhere near as good as Mad Men or Breaking Bad, the shows it was nominated against.

Right, I guess my argument was a little simplistic.  It's unfair to judge Homeland against either of those shows because they've both had multiple seasons to cultivate a compelling story arc. If I were to stack up Homeland against only the first season of Breaking Bad, I'd go with Homeland. Mad Men might be a tougher call... The point is that winning an Emmy should pull people away from the NCIS's towards better programming. I think my parents watch NCIS because that's what they expect from TV and aren't aware of anything else. I guarantee that if they sat down and watched Homeland they would enjoy it, but they would never do that without the sort of validation that the Emmy's bring. The Emmy's are silly in general, and shouldn't be taken seriously, but they're worth it if they bring much needed attention to lesser watched shows. If Breaking Bad sweeps every award every year then the Emmy's aren't doing their job. Sure, Breaking Bad might deserve them all, but what is the point?

[Jeremy Blackman]

If I were to stack up Homeland against only the first season of Breaking Bad, I'd go with Homeland.

*head explodes*

[modage]

If I were to stack up Homeland against only the first season of Breaking Bad, I'd go with Homeland. Mad Men might be a tougher call...

Haha, why are you stacking it up against the first season of those shows! The Emmys aren't! We're talking about the most recent seasons (or for Breaking Bad, Season 4) vs. Homeland season 1. Of which, there is no contest.

[Fernando]

^^ agree. and I like Homeland despite its flaws but it simply isnt in the same caliber or those shows.

If Breaking Bad sweeps every award every year then the Emmy's aren't doing their job. Sure, Breaking Bad might deserve them all, but what is the point?

you're saying that like BB swept the emmys but it hasnt, sure Cranston has but they have yet to win best dramatic series.

[diggler]

If I were to stack up Homeland against only the first season of Breaking Bad, I'd go with Homeland.

*head explodes*

Really? Breaking Bad was promising but didn't really cement it's status until towards the end of Season 2 (granted, the writers strike cut Season 1 down). I also wouldn't stack Claire Danes against any of the performances in Breaking Bad and say "no contest", not in any season. You also have to consider that performances are weighed based on a single episode submission, not a season long arc. That alone nullifies their validity, especially when it's applied to a serialized storyline.

[Jeremy Blackman]

The Breaking Bad pilot is widely considered to be one of the best pilots ever aired on TV. It's that rare case of a show that essentially emerged fully-formed. It didn't need several episodes to iron out the production quality, or figure out what its tone is and what its characters are doing.

One of my favorite BB episodes ever is S1E03, when Walt has to deal with Krazy-8 in Jesse's basement, agonizes over whether to kill him (his pro/con list is classic), finds the broken piece of plate missing, etc. That's still some of the most intense stuff the show has ever done.

Season 1 really makes the most of its 7 episodes. Heisenberg is born, Tuco is confronted, and everything is very exciting.

I can't think of one episode of Homeland S1 that I would put above any episode of Breaking Bad S1.

[©brad]

Agree with consensus that Homeland is fun but it's no BB or MM. And season 1 of BB rocked hard.

Also, remember kids:

1. The Emmy's are a joke.
2. The Emmy's serve as nothing more than ads for the winners. Isn't it convenient that Homeland's season 2 premiere was a week after the Emmy's broadcast.
3. I think voters assume if there isn't a big new winner, the broadcast won't be newsworthy. Though given that logic it doesn't make sense why they insist on fellating the mediocre snoozefest that is Modern Family with award after award every year.