giandujakiss: Is anyone else watching Homeland?

giandujakiss (

giandujakiss) wrote,
@ 2011-10-22 01:38 pm UTC

Entry tags:	random fandom
Crossposts:	http://giandujakiss.livejournal.com/1371030.html

Is anyone else watching Homeland?

I just marathoned through several episodes (I'm not quite caught up; still haven't watched the second half of the latest episode), and I'm really on the edge of my chair.

I am loving the performances of Mandy Patinkin and Claire Danes. Danes in particular is doing an amazing job playing a really flawed, often unlikeable, but nevertheless fascinating, lead.

My only real problem with her character is that she's so difficult and has so much trouble relating to people that it's hard to see how she could accomplish certain necessary tasks - such as engender the loyalty of her assets. Like, I'd assume that if it's your job to persuade people to risk their lives and betray their friends and lovers, you'd be able to fake a degree of empathy, at least for the length of your very brief meetings - and Danes's character doesn't seem capable of even that much. It's hard to imagine her recruiting anyone and holding their loyalty for any length of time.

I'm a lot less interested in Damian Lewis and his reintegration. Obviously, the question of whether he is or isn't a terrorist is critical, but I'm pretty bored with the ongoing family drama and the frequent but often meaningless flashbacks, although I assume that some of this will pay off - (possibly when I finish this week's episode - don't spoil me!)

I like Lynn Reed as well, although she's pretty much got a bullseye on her forehead, so I'm not going to get too attached.

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	no subject coffeeandink 2011-10-22 05:47 pm UTC (link)
	NOT LOOKING AT YOUR SPOILERS. I just watched the first episode. And started downloading the rest. (Reply to this)

	no subject giandujakiss 2011-10-22 05:54 pm UTC (link)
	It's good, isn't it? I can tell you it stays good at least as of the first half of the latest episode. (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent)

no subject

rivkat
2011-10-22 06:40 pm UTC (link)

I love the show so far. I love how the show makes clear that reflexive sexism is a huge security threat/weakness. I am operating on the theory that Danes's character has up times and down times, and she is struggling through a more difficult time right now. She was pretty good at reassuring her asset that secret agents were protecting her right then.

I have no idea whether Lewis is a terrorist, and I love that.

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	no subject libitina 2011-10-22 07:03 pm UTC (link)
	I only watched the pilot, but it seemed very good/serious. I was planning to wait to watch it until halfway through season 2 to see if it ate its own tail like 24. That said, I wished they'd picked a different actor than Damian Lewis. I only find him credible as a sociopath or a robot. (Reply to this)

	no subject rosaw 2011-10-22 07:26 pm UTC (link)
	I've been watching Homeland and I am hooked. It has surprised me -- Lewis' character particularly. We'll see how they develop the rest of the season but this show is on my must keep caught up list unlike Person of Interest which I have totally lost interest in and is languishing on my dvr. (Reply to this)

	no subject giandujakiss 2011-10-22 07:32 pm UTC (link)
	Yes, I wondered whether the idea is that she's recently having more trouble - although it sounds as though "recent" is fairly long term, in that she's been having problems for a long period now. I too have no idea how they'll resolve Lewis - I also wonder if the show can possibly last beyond a season, but we'll see! (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent)

	no subject giandujakiss 2011-10-22 07:33 pm UTC (link)
	Oh, I lost interest in Person of Interest in the first ten minutes ... it's still on my DVR and maybe I'll catch up eventually, but it's pretty much a huge yawn for me. Why do people keep insisting on casting Jim Caviezel is things? (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent)

	no subject giandujakiss 2011-10-22 07:34 pm UTC (link)
	If you're going to hold off, I'd still at least recommend that you watch once the season is complete - I figure they'll wrap up the current storylines then, although I too have no idea if they'll be able to plausibly do another season. Lewis does nothing for me, either. (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent)

	no subject ratcreature 2011-10-22 08:49 pm UTC (link)
	Yes, I'm watching it too, even though I'm apprehensive whether they'll manage to keep it mostly non-cringeworthy. But its hook works fairly well. (Reply to this)

	no subject coffeeandink 2011-10-22 10:31 pm UTC (link)
	Okay, caught up. I am not completely sold they won't end up going someplace I can't follow -- he converted! he's evil! she's bipolar! she's hysterical! -- but the relationship between Carrie and Saul is fascinating. (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent)

	no subject giandujakiss 2011-10-22 10:34 pm UTC (link)
	I actually am tentatively hopeful for two reasons. First, it's pretty clear they've put a lot of thought into how the characters are developing so I don't think they're going to go for that kind of trite resolution. And second, Showtime did Sleeper Cell, and that was very good. (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent)

no subject

serrico
2011-10-22 10:40 pm UTC (link)

I'm LOVING Homeland. The tightrope act of their storytelling--the way *everything* Brody does can be read multiple ways, can plausibly have at least two contradictory explanations; the way everything *Carrie* does paints such a complicated picture of who she is and how she relates to the world--is complex and suspenseful and *fascinating*.

I'm rather worried that they won't be able to sustain what's so good about the show once they start giving us concrete answers about how right Carrie is to be suspicious of Brody, but until we reach that point, I'm enjoying the heck out of the show. In an often-uncomfortable, knot-in-my-gut kind of way. *g*

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mswyrr
2011-10-23 10:12 am UTC (link)

I'm watching. When I first heard of the show, I imagined it would be cheesier, which would have been more enjoyable for me. But now that I've seen it, it has way more of my respect but less of my fannish investment, if that makes sense. It's effective, troubling drama and I respect the hell out of them letting Carrie be such a complicated, difficult person. But I don't ship anyone with anyone and I haven't done anything with it besides making this fanart. It's... not a good storyverse to mentally live in, rather than observing from outside.

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	no subject giandujakiss 2011-10-23 07:00 pm UTC (link)
	I have faith! I mean, maybe I'll be disappointed but Showtime did well with Sleeper Cell and it's obvious to me that the writers have given a lot of thought to the complexity of the situation and the characters - so I am hopeful it won't become cringeworthy. (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent)

	no subject giandujakiss 2011-10-23 07:01 pm UTC (link)
	See, I think it will remain good through the Brody storyline - it's just that I assume they'll have to wrap that up at the end of the season, and I don't know where they'll go from there. But I am enjoying it a lot now! (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent)

no subject

giandujakiss
2011-10-23 07:03 pm UTC (link)

See, I too have a pretty bright dividing line between stuff that engages me on a fannish level, and stuff I love but don't want to, say, read fic about or vid. And for me, too, Homeland falls on the non-fannish side - but that's okay for me! I wasn't expecting anything else, and I'm fine with that level of engagement. I'm not sure that the cheesy shippiness thing that I enjoy in fannish stuff would work very well for this subject matter, anyway.

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