Is anyone else watching Homeland?

[giandujakiss]

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.

Comments

[coffeeandink]

NOT LOOKING AT YOUR SPOILERS. I just watched the first episode. And started downloading the rest.

[rivkat]

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.

[libitina]

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.

[rosaw]

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.

[ratcreature]

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.

[serrico]

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*

[mswyrr]

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.