Saul is literally my favorite character on television right now.
Saul is literally my favorite character on television right now.
Incredible finale! The stage was set for an epic game change, and this was it! I can't wait to see where they go with things in season 3. It almost makes up for some of the most ridic plotting I've ever seen a top-tier Emmy winner for Drama Series do, even beyond reasonable standards and normal suspension of disbelief. Brody on the run is great, and Carrie "choosing" the CIA over him was the only real way to go in light of the ending. Saul broke my heart tonight. Oh that phone call with Mira and all of his scenes with Carrie (that hall scene in particular was fierce as hell). Mandy Patinkin has more than earned his Emmy nomination next year. Damian Lewis has a second Emmy win with "Q&A," and I think Claire Danes can repeat too with "Beirut Is Back." Please let Meredith Steihm be remembered in writing for something! If "Homeland" submits poorly or the backlash is still in effect next year, then they could be in trouble in Drama Series. I'm still invested in what the future holds for the series, but they certainly didn't make things easy on audiences this season with the kind of plot twists that would have rolled eyes even on "24." The strong ensemble grounds the storylines with a resonant emotional truth that allows me to overlook a great many other things that I probably shouldn't. Either way, here's to a standout season 3! It'll be a long wait to Fall 2013.
I'm so excited for this show and I love Keri Russell! So that's encouraging to hear that she's brilliant on the show.Originally Posted by hurricanesmith
Something tells me you didn't see the episode all the way to the end.
Of course this episode had its share of full-on stupid, and I feared it was going to end as above, but it turned that around just in time. I hope this is the last of Brody we see for a while, because the one thing I truly dislike about this show is the Carrie-Brody relationship. The show didn't need a soapy love interest angle like that, and I hope it stays away from it for a long time. I mean, I hope they don't catch him quickly, only to have a lot of scenes between Carrie and Brody in jail or something. Carrie going after the people who really did this to clear his name is enough incentive, let's keep it like that.
Mandy Patinkin was so incredibly good in the scenes after the attack.
I will marshall all the forces of darkness to hound you to an assisted suicide - Peter Capaldi, In The Loop
Who will play Carrie's Mom?
Meryl Streep: she has already played her mom about ten years ago in The Hours
I agree with every word of this. Everything in this episode that featured Brody and Carrie together made me cringe. I think Saul described her perfectly as both the smartest and dumbest person he's ever met.
And this must be Patinkin's Emmy tape.
I really loved this finale. Low on action and high on emotional and intellectual content, which is where this show thrives.
The ending was the only way to end this. Like, Brody and Carrie on the run as fugitives? That's not a season I want to see. Carrie HAD to come back and thankfully she did.
I find it interesting that so many people call this show Islamophobic. Not that there aren't problematic things in this show (as there would have to be), but Estes speech was pretty much a pointed way of putting the lion's share of blame on US policy.
In any case, the most intense moment of this episode, for me, was when Brody's confession tape came on TV. That was the moment everything clicked and it became clear that, no matter the missteps they took in getting there, this show knew exactly where it was going.
The WTF moment of the week was Estes in his speech praising the fictional vice-president Walden for laying the groundwork for the death of the very real Bin Laden. Is this show taking place in some alternate universe or something?
I will marshall all the forces of darkness to hound you to an assisted suicide - Peter Capaldi, In The Loop
I was kind of hoping Dana was going to keep ragging on the CIA guy and he was going to shoot her.
Yeah, another WTF moment. Suddenly, out of the blue, Dana says, "Hey dad, I figured out you were trying to blow yourself up back then."
I will marshall all the forces of darkness to hound you to an assisted suicide - Peter Capaldi, In The Loop
I'm all for writing off Brody as long as he takes Dana with him. Jesus Christ I cannot think of a less likable character in television right now.
Great. Now who's going to watch Sunday Rose on SAG night??
I want to slap Dana anytime she's on camera. She doesn't even have to say anything.
Oh, I guess my video cut off before the episode ended. Oops.
I wonder for next season if Brody will be lead or supporting, and if Saul will be lead or supporting. I think the show might work better with Danes + Patinkin as the leads of the show. And deserved or not, Lewis could have an easier time getting more awards if he's in Supporting (esp as even given how rare multiple supporting wins are, he'd be only on his 1st) and not up against the final turns by Hamm and Cranston.
Ang Lee - The only 2x Bafta/DGA/Oscar-Winning Director!
Meryl on Oscars: Y’see these little babies? These are my best f***ing friends
and they never let me down. Try to get ‘em away from me and I’ll eat you alive.
Why exactly is she unlikeable? She seems to act like a teen realistically would if they had to put up with an incredibly messed up Father and a terrible family dynamic. When we view characters should we not view the character based on what the character goes through? What exactly do you think the reactions of the character should be from the events that have gone down in her life? To me, that character, if anything, has had a tremendous deal of patience to put up with the shit her Dad has put her through.
The Carrie/Brody romance does nothing for me. It is not laughable like some of Homeland is. Not at all. After all, it is believable that two lonely people would connect to each other. Instead it just seems to be something that comes across empty yet we are supposed to believe it is some epic romance. I can comprehend them being lovers but when exactly did the great passion come into being. It reminds me of how we were supposed to see Brody having some great passion against Walden and others because of the death of Issa. Yet the flashbacks last season left me going is there something more here that I am missing. I don't know if it is the acting or the writing but I didn't find myself going there was some intense bond that would drive Brody. It would have worked for me if he had just become such a believer after years of captivity and that his devotion was not connected to Issa's death. The same thing operates with Carrie and Brody. It feels as there is something in which I am supposed to feel in the blanks. Maybe as if I am supposed to say they seem to have chemistry (I don't think they do personally but of course that is subjectivity) and just buy into it. But I haven't seen anything that makes me buy into it. I have far more concern about wanting Mike and Jessica to be together (since the show has taken the time to show that these two people love each other). I totally buy into that. Of all the characters, Mike and Jessica (along with the children) are the ones I feel the most for. And much of that is the show showing why Mike and Jessica mean much to each other.
I wonder if the producers saying they want this show to go a more John Le Carre route is a want to keep audiences interested. Could it be a way of saying to audiences we will be more thoughtful in our plot happenings next season and shy away from the seemingly non-stop ludicrousness of the 2nd season? That would be quite a change. I wouldn't say an evolution because that matters on what one wants to see. If the show's intent is to be wild and over the top, there is not exactly something wrong with that (though I can see it being a turn off for many viewers). The show has done a solid enough job not changing up the character's personalities to serve the show. Right now, if they can hold up that end of the bargain, I can certainly continue suspending disbelief at the various loopholes and sheer moments of stupidity that occur through out seemingly each episode. However if Homeland can reign it in some, I think it will be for the better. One of my favorite drama's, Breaking Bad has the same kind of moments where one has to do a major league suspension of disbelief (an incident involving tequila being used to poison several individuals is an alltimer). As with Homeland, it's characters though have not had their personalities abruptly changed to served the plot (a good thing). While Breaking Bad is a far superior show imo, I can't deny it has it's moments of the ludicrous. What Breaking Bad does is not allow too many episodes to get overrun by absurdity. This is something I think Homeland does allow to happen.
As far as the show being Islamophobic, I certainly think it is worthy of discussion. I read the Salon article calling it the most Islamophobic show on television and the comments where fans of the show were indignant about that charge. I don't think anyone wants something one loves to be called out as being filled with bigotry. I am an atheist. It is not my religion or lack of religion that is continually in play on the show. I would think we can all try to comprehend how it must feel be of the religion under scrutiny but can we be wholly successful in understanding what it feels like to be the person whose religion is being held up under such scrutiny week after week - the person who watches every character on the show of their faith be a killer or someone involved in plots to murder. I know there have been plenty of times where I have ripped into shows whose handling of LGBT content has struck me as vile while many of those who aren't LGBT go I don't see anything wrong (and certainly there is plenty of disagreement within the LGBT community on plotlines). We all come at it from different perspectives. I am not saying I think Homeland is Islamophobic or not. However I don't think showing that Estes and Walden did repugnant things is not something that necessarily acquits Homeland of that charge.
As far as performances, I have not seen The Americans so I guess right now Danes would be my pick for best actress on a drama. Patinkin has given my favorite performance on the show but Clark Peters's performance on Treme was one of the most affecting portrayals of a person confronting their mortality I have ever seen. I think I would go with Peters. We also have Goggins and Dinklage coming up soon and those guys have both been tremendous. As for best actor, while I liked Lewis, I thought Buscemi* in Boardwalk Empire is the best performance of season so far in any category. But Lewis would be third on my list (Cranston at # 2).
*ahead of Parker Posey on Louie and Sarah Paulson on American Horror Story: Asylum.
Last edited by ldw; 12-17-2012 at 06:51 PM.
please let dana be gone forever now. no need for the brody family anymore, even though the rest of them don't bother me- dana is the worst. horrible actress, horrible character. i second the person who wants to see her punched every time she's onscreen.
Good finale and I think it was a smart way to end a very poor second half of the season. It's a fresh start, but I don't have high hopes, honestly. I'm not expecting to see the magic of S1 back next season.
I too see nothing on Brody and Carrie, I can't see the chemestry, I can't see the epic romance. I thought they were embarassing as a couple during the cabin scenes, no chemestry at all. So I'm hoping S3 will give us more of the true heart on this show which is Carrie and Saul's relationship and less of Brody. Patikin was absolutely perfect this episode. Lewis pales in comparision.
I don't get the Dana hate. I agree with ldw.
Just reading this! How wonderful. I've always loved Russell.
I've liked watching the development of Carrie and Brody's relationship from the beginning until now. It's been one of the touchstones of the series so far for me (the other being Carrie and Saul). It helps that Danes and Lewis are as great as they are and make each other better whenever they share scenes together. I don't know how much of Lewis we'll see from now on (I doubt it's in his contract to ever be demoted to guest regardless of screentime, but him going supporting is an interesting thought), but I'll welcome more Danes/Lewis scenes in the future however they bring that all about.
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