After a slew of Emmy wins, a (surprisingly) funny SNL spoof, and even a personal endorsement from President Barack Obama, Homeland‘s riding high right now. Executive Producers Alex Gansa and Howard Gordon have put together a wonderful character-driven thriller featuring some of the best acting on TV in a long time. Leads Damian Lewis and Claire Danes (both Emmy winners) are turning in electric performances as Nicholas Brody and Carrie Mathison, respectively.
Now partway through its second season, some are second-guessing Homeland‘s development in the wake of the events of last season’s finale. The most common complaint is that Gordon and Gansa are beginning to fall into the pattern of their previous work, 24. Yes, Homeland does share some similar subject matter with 24, but I’m not convinced that season two of Homeland is taking a nosedive just yet. Some plot points, like the recent Abu Nazir-ordered shootout at the tailor’s shop in Gettysburg, strain credulity a bit too far, and some seem straight out of season two of Friday Night Lights, like Dana and Finn’s hit and run.
But Homeland pulls these threads together with very honest characterization, just as it did in its first season. What the show excels at is grounding its characters in relatable emotional states. This is partly due to the magnetism of the actors, but also to the show’s writing. We haven’t veered into characterless terrorist-battling 24 mode just yet.
Another complaint I’ve heard is that the show no longer feels like it is centered around anything. Some say that season one was much stronger because much of it was centered around the question of whether or not Brody had been turned to work for Abu Nazir. Now that that plot point (and many others) has been blown up (I couldn’t resist), the complaint is that the show doesn’t seem to be about anything anymore.
But while Homeland has its fair share of crazy spy thriller plot to watch, it’s also a fairly deep character study of the strain that secrets and fraudulence take on a person’s soul. Brody’s motives may be more clear to us now than they were last season, but should we not care about him any more? If anything, Brody’s sunk even further into ambiguity; he’s constantly pulled left and right by opposing forces–once he truly realizes that he’s a pawn for both sides, what will he do then? Who will he choose? Will his allegiance to his country win out over his commitment to his family? There’s plenty of interesting thematic work at play here, and that’s just with Brody.
Every show, once its second season starts, gets plenty of people saying it sucks now. It’s only natural, especially with a show that’s getting as much buzz as Homeland is right now. But Gordon and Gansa are still doing a fantastic job of telling a grounded and human story about people in a profession that viewers are more used to seeing in a James Bond movie. Don’t jump off the bandwagon just yet; Homeland clearly has a lot more to offer.
