Homeland: New Car Smell

I chose to write about Homeland tonight because I think it is one of the best shows on TV.  It is a character driven show with an aggressive plot line.  When I watched the first season I was ravenous to get through it to see what was going to happen.  The second season does not have the same urgency, but it is just as interesting.

Many critics have been pointing out the holes in the plot, but I think the viewers can overlook the slight inconsistencies because of the characters.  Carrie and Brody ultimately are significantly broken people trying to navigate complicated lives.  I think people identify with the brokenness and we like the backdrop of the CIA and terrorism to see flawed people become heroes/heroines.

In this episode, Carrie is reinstated in a limited capacity working for the CIA.  Brody is trying to clean up his family life and his car from the murder he committed last week.  Yet, no matter how hard they try, their worlds implode.  After Carrie sees Brody she can't emotionally handle her situation, and she is goaded on by Peter Quinn. Brody after being told to continue the relationship manages to continue to play mind games with Carrie. Unfortunately, this was her undoing.  After she met for drinks with Brody, she couldn't help herself especially after her therapy was mentioned.  She needed to bring him down, and she blows the cover of the whole operation.

It is very Shakespearean that the drunk Marine or joker sees/speaks the truth about the assassination attempt by Walker and his subsequent murder.  It will be interesting to see how the writers play that out. 

I cannot wait to see how the series handles the interrogation.  I wonder if it'll spark any criticism or if it will highlight that the government has deprived people the right of due process in the name of the war on terrorism.  As long as it generates dialogue of any kind, that's the best thing any show can hope for.

P.S. Only prep school kids would make cute nick names out of history, Dana as Sally Hemings, Thomas Jefferson's slave and possible mother of two of his children, and Finn as Thomas Jefferson.