Homeland

[Zimmerman]

So anyone watched last nights episode?

There are obviously inconsistencies etc in these sorts of shows... But if it's not Brodies wife being a nob (last week asking him for information when strictly told no questions of that nature).

Last night, Carrie running back in to the warehouse? Why? Just stay outside yer silly cow.

[Zimmerman]

PS any one else notice that when Carrie did go back in, ,she'd managed to wash all the blood off her face and neck?

[Foxtrot]

Still utterly gripping though!

Not sure how much longer they could string this out though. Could they get another season out of it?

It's been a brilliant few weeks of TV - just caught up on Boardwalk and Walking Dead. Both fantastic.

[Zimmerman]

Oh yeh, don't get me wrong, I've loved it. Half the storyline would be gone if Carrie wasn't such a nob!

[murf]

Finally caught up so I can read these threads!

Last night, Carrie running back in to the warehouse? Why? Just stay outside yer silly cow.

We were saying exactly the same thing! Also spotted the moving blood. Another was Brody's wife sneaking out for several hours to shag Mike while not expecting either of her kids who she was sharing a bed with to wake up - and they didn't....

Apart from all that it is excellent stuff (particularly liked them killing Walden with his pacemaker ).

One episode to go and I hope they don't cop out again so they can have a series 3 (though what could that even be about now???)

[The Woolster]

Whatshisname who drove off to hospital cos his stitches had split... surely they would have some medics at a situation like that!

It's almost as silly as Lost now . And Carrie is some of the worst over acting I have ever seen, but still enjoying it.

The Israeli original is much better though

[Jagduracell]

Watched the final episode today

[Zimmerman]

My mate in the states has raved about the final episode.
Hard to know what to expect.

Brody to be in it for himself (with nazir out if the way)?
Carrie to get killed (isn't she pregnant in real life)?


Woolster, I've still got the whole of the original recorded. Might try and watch it over xmas.

[sleuth]

as far as i can recall they are making series 3 or was that just mooted.

so the final epsidoe in series 2 cannot be that great.

Tjey made out the final episode in series 1 was gonna be a cracker and for me it was a damp squib.

To sum up Homelands they have gone to milk the cow once to often.

It stepped out of realism about 10 episodes ago.

America must be full of buffoons and would have you believe their security has money holes in it that a micromesh keepnet, even if on the other hand its still enjoyable viewing.
.

[Zimmerman]

So whats the thinking, an entirely new bad guy in series 3 (and Brody is the ace up their sleeve for future series')?
Or will Series 3 involve tracking Brody down?

Im half thinking Quinn (or the guy that runs this covert team of 'soldiers') could have been behind it?
Got nice guy Saul out of the way, then take everyone else out - clear the decks completely (not expecting Brody and Carrie to go upstairs)?

Or any chance Brody could have been behind it? We saw him park his car. But he did get Carrie out of the way at an appropriate time. Why else sneak off mid memorial (granted, would take one hell of a calculated risk to only go as far as upstairs to avoid the blast)!

[The Woolster]

My mate in the states has raved about the final episode.
Hard to know what to expect.

Brody to be in it for himself (with nazir out if the way)?
Carrie to get killed (isn't she pregnant in real life)?


Woolster, I've still got the whole of the original recorded. Might try and watch it over xmas.

Its quite different, lots of silences, few cliffhangers, no 'evil' guy so to speak, no overacting, no 24 type plots. All about the relationships and acting

[murf]

So are we supposed to believe that Saul was the baddy?

Where was Quinn?

Why didn't Carrie go with Brody if she loved him (oh, to set up their Series 3 plot....)

[TheTon]

Just watched the last episode having had it downloaded since Boxing Day (first chance I've had)

Anyway, someone remind me what happened to Brody's tape after he pulled out of his original suicide bomb attempt (say pulled out, the trigger mechanism failed, didn't it?)

I've watched it over such a long period of time, I've forgotten some of the plot!

Is Saul a bad guy or not?

As for the inconsistencies, when Carrie casually dropped Brody off at the base of his 20 mile hike (not exactly a walk in the park), how on earth was he supposed to know where to go? There are lots of inconsistencies but it's still a good watch. I do, however, find myself a little disappointed with the ending.

[foxinthebox2001]

Just watched the last episode having had it downloaded since Boxing Day (first chance I've had)

Anyway, someone remind me what happened to Brody's tape after he pulled out of his original suicide bomb attempt (say pulled out, the trigger mechanism failed, didn't it?)
The tape was picked up by an Al Quaeda agent, it was recovered in a rucksack by Carrie in Beirut on the mission to get information from an Hezbollah commander's wife, who wanted protection.
The trigger was not primed properly, he went to a rest room, and reset it, but backed out when his daughter rang him just as he was about to explode the bomb.

I've watched it over such a long period of time, I've forgotten some of the plot!

Is Saul a bad guy or not?
We still don't know, but alone in the large room containing all the dead bodies from the huge CIA explosion in prayer he was speaking what sounded like Arabic, odd for a jew.

As for the inconsistencies, when Carrie casually dropped Brody off at the base of his 20 mile hike (not exactly a walk in the park), how on earth was he supposed to know where to go? There are lots of inconsistencies but it's still a good watch. I do, however, find myself a little disappointed with the ending.

[TheTon]

Cheers FITB

So, we're still none the wiser regarding Saul

Plenty of circumstantial evidence for and against him, isn't there.

Definitely set up for a third season. I do hope it's not 12 full episodes of them chasing Brody into the forest (like Rambo!).

Quinn definitely has a further role to play.

[Zimmerman]

Nah, Sauls a total good guy isnt he? Will take a 24-Tony Almeida type twist to implicate him.

As for dropping Brody off, too close to the border and they'll be all over him. As for him finding his way, he's US Marine Cor…. it will be a gentle stroll.

[murf]

Nah, Sauls a total good guy isnt he? Will take a 24-Tony Almeida type twist to implicate him.

As for dropping Brody off, too close to the border and they'll be all over him. As for him finding his way, he's US Marine Cor…. it will be a gentle stroll.

There were hints Saul could be a bad guy in Series 1 (can't remember what they were though!). They were missing in Series 2, presumably to make the revelation he was the bad guy more of a shock.

We are supposed to assume it was him (after mourning in Arabic) aren't we??

[Zimmerman]

I think there were hints about something with Saul, but i thought it was because he was a good guy.

I suppose when he went to meet that top dude (who Quinn met on the bus), he mocked Saul for being a good guy / still not getting his hands dirty;
on the one hand reaffirming what a nice guy he is / on the other more of a revelation it transpires how dirty his hands are!!!!

Personally, im not having it. Good guy all the way.

Finally, I assumed he was just praying in jewish or some scripture type language.

[murf]

Finally, I assumed he was just praying in jewish or some scripture type language.

I'm no expert but is sounded like the same prayer as was said over the body when they tipped Nasir(?) into the sea like Bin Laden

[ctibbits]

I think there were hints about something with Saul, but i thought it was because he was a good guy.

I suppose when he went to meet that top dude (who Quinn met on the bus), he mocked Saul for being a good guy / still not getting his hands dirty;
on the one hand reaffirming what a nice guy he is / on the other more of a revelation it transpires how dirty his hands are!!!!

Personally, im not having it. Good guy all the way.

Finally, I assumed he was just praying in jewish or some scripture type language.

I agree, my take on it was that he was speaking Hebrew. If Ironfist was still around and watched the show perhaps he could enlighten us.

[Zimmerman]

hebrew… thats the word I was looking for ("some scripture type language" )

[Pouzar99]

Over the last 12 days my daughter and I have gone through the first two seasons of Homeland. It starts well, begins to become absurd as Season 1 rolls along and totally face plants in Season 2. IOHO. I am not addicted to realism. I love Breaking Bad for example. It is stylized from the very beginning and the departures from reality mostly serve the purpose of developing character or of hysterically funny satire, in the cases of Saul and Marie, and many others. As Vince Gilligan says the point is to document Walt's transformation from Mr. Chips to Scarface, and the departures from realism achieve this very, very effectively.

Homeland is made by the producers of 24, and relies on the same stunts and ridiculous plot twists for the sole purpose of keeping you on the edge of your seat. We spent most of Season 2 simply laughing at how silly it was and found it impossible to care about any of the characters. Season One begins with an interesting concept, raises some provocative questions about torture and US drone strikes, but starts going off the rails when Brody and Carrie start having a sexual relationship. Of course I am describing OUR take on it. Obviously some people enjoy it and why not? It just didn't work for us after a very promising beginning.
Our plan is to try and dig up the original Israeli series before moving on to all the great Danish TV series others have raved about here. Hopefully we can find a way to stream them onto our computer and then onto my big screen TV, as we did with Season 2 of Homeland.

[Razorback]

[Zimmerman]

Reminder thar series 3 is on tonight (21:00 C4)

[sleuth]

Reminder thar series 3 is on tonight (21:00 C4)

I'm afraid what promised to be the most riveting series on the box has disappeared up its on arse. It should of been killed off at the end of series 1.

What a load of old bollocks.

[TheTon]

Reminder thar series 3 is on tonight (21:00 C4)

I'm afraid what promised to be the most riveting series on the box has disappeared up its on arse. It should of been killed off at the end of series 1.

What a load of old bollocks.

Not watched last nights episode yet but have to say I agree (to a degree) with Dorothy

First time for everything!

[foxinthebox2001]

They took a punt by omitting one of the main characters for episode 1, and it flopped, in my opinion.
Forget all the bombs and beards, it was the relationship between Carrie & Nicholas which was the glue that held it all together, lose that tension and the whole thing starts to crumble.
It was only the first instalment of a new season of a brilliant series so far, I am prepared to give them a chance to pull it back.

[The Councillor]

Finally managed to catch with eps 1 and expect the first 3 episodes of the series to be burn up nicely...


Am in for the long haul after 2 fantastic series.......

[DrBunker]

They took a punt by omitting one of the main characters for episode 1, and it flopped, in my opinion.
Forget all the bombs and beards, it was the relationship between Carrie & Nicholas which was the glue that held it all together, lose that tension and the whole thing starts to crumble.

Not for me, their relationship became very trying and it was the combination of all of the other threads that hooked me. I hope they don't use the daughter's troubles as a proxy for the Carrie/Nick relationship but rather focus on the politics at/around agency and the fallout from the explosion.

Brady's (current) omission is probably only as important as that of the real bad guy (Abu Nazir) and without that focus they'll need some clever writing to keep the show going in the right direction.

[mephisto]

Somebody cry,"why, why, why?" Homeland was homeless. Series 3..forget two dimensional characters, this was 3D cardboard cut outs fighting to get out of its own rectum. Where was the ginger sinner? Where was the plot, the script, the one-liners..the whole sorry episode had less tension than a milf in a hammock. This was a shock. My son and I had enjoyed the First, suffered the Second and then watched the Third, waiting. Waiting for someone, anyone, Godot to grab our attention and tease out an emotional connection. But like two new arrivals into a private care home, we saw the future in the opening ten minutes and drooled into our bibs listlessly, took the occasional slap without blinking and dreamed of better times when TV actually challenged authority, not paid lip service to it. The sub textual assassinations were unpleasant as the propaganda tap poured relentlessly forth. Tis no surprise that Obama counts this as his favourite show..a cartoon readying the hapless souls of america into a fearful surveillance culture, perhaps even martial law.
It is impossible to ignore the fact that Homeland Security has shipped in 1.6 billion ammo rounds in recent months and the passing of the NDAA has brought such increased powers of incarceration (without trial) that every american is not only seen as a potential terrorist, perhaps even is one.
Brody is an Everyman figure, a flawed hero that we could all identify with (at least his struggle with good and evil) and the glove puppet act with Carrie promised (breathless at times ) fun and games, farce, refuge, chaos and redemption. But like the video game we will increasingly live in, on and on and on it droned and provoked neither anger, sympathy or excitement. Punch wasn't even present and Judy looked lost without her man to bash and her Lithium to swallow. Could this series plug psychotropic drugs any harder? Take a quick butchers at the DSM, the ever growing manual of mental disorders for the american psychiatric association and you will see why. When I sit back and reflect, Homeland pays an enormous homage to the big 3...Big Pharma, Big Data and Big Defence. And Terrorism. In America.
It is interesting to note that before leaving Bush famously drawled.."you're either with us, or against us". On this evidence, I'd prefer to watch a documentary on the genital general pacu found in the river Seine. At least that fish actually goes for your nuts. Carrie On Up The (Urban) Jungle.