Topic: Homeland - now finished in the States - here be spoilers

[SkrtelPower]

Season 2 thus far has been very poor compared to season 1.

[libby_lfc]

I'm really keen to see why they're rushing it so much!

[Col]

Spoiler

With the hit and run, it could go in a completely different direction - say, for example, someone saw it and maybe got pictures of the car. If it were all to come out in the press (especially if the woman dies), then it could make Walden's position as VP untenable.

If he quits or is removed, but the terrorists' plan is already in motion, what do they do?

Carry on with their plan and kill the incoming VP? Surely Brody wouldn't take any available position knowing this to be a risk.

Or maybe they go after Walden personally?

Maybe they do both, leading to a personal assasaination attempt and a public terrorism movement, with Brody somehow involved?

[close]

[Yiannis]

Spoiler

Regarding the accident and correct me if i'm wrong,but didn't they show someone standing above the woman that was down hurt?

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[Shepnois]

Spoiler

Regarding the accident and correct me if i'm wrong,but didn't they show someone standing above the woman that was down hurt?

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Spoiler

Yep, another car stopped and someone got out to help. Whoever that person is would've seen the car driving away so might have some details about the car

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[ghost1359]

Spoiler

He was a captive for years, underwent years of physical and psychological torture and we're supposed to believe he'd crack in under 24 hours?

[close]

This season is painfully predictable so far and nowhere near as good as the first

[oojason]

Wasn't expecting that

Spoiler

shootout/massacre at the old tailor's store

[close]

- should be interesting to see where it goes after this and what the resulting fallout will be.

[choi]

Spoiler

I thought there was gonna be an IED in the shop or something, didn't think they'd be ambushed.

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[WelshMike]

It's getting sillier by the week.

Having said that, I'm enjoying and anticipating it more than I have in the past. Maybe it's because everybody's stopped going on about how breathtakingly awesome season 1 was (not true - the cliches and silliness was still there) and now there are people crying into their tweets about it having jumped the shark.

It seems as though the fan base is as schizophrenic - which is the only word I can really think of to describe it -as the show is. Everything is either amazing or terrible. It's the same with the show itself... from scene to scene it can go from excellent to cliched nonsense. It's all a bit mental really.

I think even the acting has been overblown a little... there are some memorable scenes but at the same time seeing Claire Danes go mental in every scene is a little tedious and unnecessarily over-the-top (and I do understand the fact that she has mental health issues, before you mention it). I don't think the roles - for the most part - are as difficult as plenty of others. They're not exactly understated or subtle.

Generally the two leads are good but the rest of the cast are wooden as fuck as well. They thought about pretending that David Estes' character was three-dimensional for a couple of episodes during this season and then gave up.

Having said all that - and I realise it looks like I'm moaning lots - it's still interesting to see where it'll go, but if they go on much longer than this and next season then I've got a feeling that it'll be getting more ludicrous by the episode.

[Snail]

Spoiler

So not down with Carrie and Brody hooking up again. Her and Quinn need to bang instead.

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[sideshowme]

It seems as though the fan base is as schizophrenic - which is the only word I can really think of to describe it -as the show is. Everything is either amazing or terrible. It's the same with the show itself... from scene to scene it can go from excellent to cliched nonsense. It's all a bit mental really.

bipolar, surely?

I think even the acting has been overblown a little... there are some memorable scenes but at the same time seeing Claire Danes go mental in every scene is a little tedious and unnecessarily over-the-top (and I do understand the fact that she has mental health issues, before you mention it). I don't think the roles - for the most part - are as difficult as plenty of others. They're not exactly understated or subtle.

there is plenty of subtlety in the two leads, saul, and the daughter.  there is a lot more to danes's performance than just the breakdowns, just like there's more to lewis's than that dreadful accent.

i agree though that other than those characters, its just standard issue TV fare.

Spoiler

nothing of any real interest in that episode, other than the shootout.  pretty dull again.  not even particularly silly.  100% pure mid-season filler.

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[Mr Dilkington]

It's criticised when it's dull, and it's criticised when it's toning things down.

Think people are being way, way too harsh on this season. Didn't like the episode with the tailor, but apart from that the standard has been very high.

It's brilliant TV.

[Kashinoda]

Classic American TV, everyone moans at the pacing in the first season. So it goes far too much the other direction in the following seasons and just turns into an average show.

Same thing happened with Heroes, I blame American audiences.

[Craigeth]

Classic American TV, everyone moans at the pacing in the first season. So it goes far too much the other direction in the following seasons and just turns into an average show.

Same thing happened with Heroes, I blame American audiences.

Couldn't agree more and the Heroes comparison is spot on!

[SamAteTheRedAcid]

I'm still really enjoying it personally, but it's kind of become a show I'd no longer eagerly recommend to someone as in the top league of shows.

It's become really obvious what is happening, the plot is telegraphed all the time and the acting and fond memories of the first season are carrying the show.

Even his wife doesn't seem as fit any more.

Spoiler

Is the thing at the tailors some kind of bomb? SO 24. And I hated 24 after the first series. Let's hope it's not the same with Homeland...

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[Rusty Oysterburger]

Heroes was shite from the first episode and then mega shite in the second season.

I think the show has lost a little of its magic from season one, everything about it seems much more... standard? Probably not the right word, but it has become much more of a conventional thriller rather than the very enthralling psychological drama of the first season. The very rushed nature of the story so far doesn't help either.

That scene towards the end was a real surprise and nicely done, very brutal.

Still, it's really enjoyable to watch.

[Giovanni]

Did not fucking see that coming.

Boss

[sideshowme]

Heroes was shite from the first episode and then mega shite in the second season.

I think the show has lost a little of its magic from season one, everything about it seems much more... standard? Probably not the right word, but it has become much more of a conventional thriller rather than the very enthralling psychological drama of the first season. The very rushed nature of the story so far doesn't help either.

That scene towards the end was a real surprise and nicely done, very brutal.

Still, it's really enjoyable to watch.

the bolded bit is a fair summary.  i'd add that the show has also lost it's moral ambiguity.  it's now just the good guys (the CIA) against the bad guys (the nasty muslamicalists), and the story is exclusively from the good guys' perspective (whereas the more interesting parts of the first series were about brody coming to terms with everything he's been through).  much more formulaic, much more mundane.  the writing sucks more often than not, but it's still worth watching because the leads are so good.

i actually liked the first season of heroes, but i curse every second of the time i wasted watching any episode after that.

[OOS]

Spoiler

I still think Brody is gonna fuck the CIA over despite him working for them. The two kids in the car plot is gonna be interesting, I think it is going to have serious repercussions on others.

Also surprised at the gettenburg scene.  Didn't expect that.

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[Alphaville]

Heroes was shite from the first episode and then mega shite in the second season.

I think the show has lost a little of its magic from season one, everything about it seems much more... standard? Probably not the right word, but it has become much more of a conventional thriller rather than the very enthralling psychological drama of the first season. The very rushed nature of the story so far doesn't help either.

That scene towards the end was a real surprise and nicely done, very brutal.

Still, it's really enjoyable to watch.

Spot on, from the shittiness of Heroes, to my overall dampened enthusiasm about the current season of Homeland, to the shock introduced by that final scene and to the fact that it's still a show worth watching, albeit with some reservations.

The series started really strongly, and I think it's probably down to the fact that there were questions regarding Brody's allegiance. Once the cat was out of the bag on that one, they had to frame what we know about his character within a realistic setting and I don't think they have managed that.  The plotlines are confused, which would be ok if I was convinced that Brody was confused, but I'm not.  I just think he's being dragged from one end of the spectrum to the other to serve the whim of the writers, not the other way around.

[Col]

Spoiler

Did anyone notice that during the scene where Roya was being tracked meeting the new guy, the younger of Carrie's two surveillance analyst friends seemed to purposefully place his mic in an area with high sound interference?

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[libby_lfc]

Yeah I noticed that, and it seemed to focus on that, so definitely suspicious...

[DangerScouse]

Yeah I noticed that, and it seemed to focus on that, so definitely suspicious...

He was "asleep" at one stage too.

[astowell1]

Hmm wonder where they are going with that...

[John C]

It's compelling, how many episodes are left in this series?

[OOS]

It's compelling, how many episodes are left in this series?

6 more episodes. 12 in total this series.

[Macphisto80]

Well, that was excellent. I just hope they don't mess the pacing up with that ending.

This is what I was afraid of. It's more than gone mental with the pacing, but it's lost it's main draw in that all the uncertainty of Brody being or not being a terrorist has been exposed, and as such the consequence of that means that it's lost all the tension and intrigue and a lot of the drama that made the first season so good. That's out the window now. The cat is out of the bag and the writers didn't know what to do with it. I'm fairly certain now that Homeland has jumped the shark.

[FernandoSusoLFC]

Brody won the seat in congress for 2012 election

[sinnermichael]

Brody won the seat in congress for 2012 election

The good news is that Obama is back in. The bad news is that it probably means Damian Lewis is still mad.

[Yiannis]

I get some people don't like it like in the first season cause all the tense and ambiguity is gone.What exactly did you want though?All that we saw in the first one to continue in the second?I am sure some would say in that case that it drags too long etc.

[Macphisto80]

I get some people don't like it like in the first season cause all the tense and ambiguity is gone.What exactly did you want though?All that we saw in the first one to continue in the second?I am sure some would say in that case that it drags too long etc.

It's not just that. The plausibility is going down the tubes. Sure, it may have been a bit of a stretch that the plot in the first film was a little far fetched, even contrived in places, but at least you could think about it for a few seconds and your brain would accept that it could be believable. The second season is starting to add in ridiculous twists and turns that you know are straight from fantasy rather than a believable fiction, and what's more, it can only get more ridiculous.

[Chakan]

It's not just that. The plausibility is going down the tubes. Sure, it may have been a bit of a stretch that the plot in the first film was a little far fetched, even contrived in places, but at least you could think about it for a few seconds and your brain would accept that it could be believable. The second season is starting to add in ridiculous twists and turns that you know are straight from fantasy rather than a believable fiction, and what's more, it can only get more ridiculous.

The first season was never believable. No matter how much you think about it the mere fact that she has a debilitating disease and no-one picks up on it doesn't wash anyway you look at it. From there the whole thing just falls down.

Not that it's not an exciting show or anything. Its fun to watch but I treat it the same way I do Supernatural.

[Macphisto80]

The first season was never believable. No matter how much you think about it the mere fact that she has a debilitating disease and no-one picks up on it doesn't wash anyway you look at it. From there the whole thing just falls down.

Not that it's not an exciting show or anything. Its fun to watch but I treat it the same way I do Supernatural.

The fact that a US marine could turn terrorist against America is believable. It's happened.

Supernatural is a completely different kettle of fish. It's pure fantasy. There's no realistic backdrop to it at all, so you can just go with it for what it is. Homeland set up some ground rules for itself with the first series and into the second of the current one, then it became unrealistic and farcical to the point where you just start to question things and that is what spoils the enjoyment for me: the questioning of the characters actions and the writing.

[Chakan]

The fact that a US marine could turn terrorist against America is believable. It's happened.

Wasn't debating that part.

[Mr Dilkington]

If you're comparing Supernatural to Homeland, you don't really get Homeland.

[Chakan]

If you're comparing Supernatural to Homeland, you don't really get Homeland.

What I am saying is I treat both shows as "Unbelievable"

[Mr Dilkington]

What I am saying is I treat both shows as "Unbelievable"

I think it's grossly unfair to lump it in with something like Supernatural, but that's just me.

[Chakan]

I think it's grossly unfair to lump it in with something like Supernatural, but that's just me.

I enjoy both shows. But Season 1 of Homeland became completely unbelievable for me. Could the US POW turn terrorist plot happen sure, but the story had holes you could fly spaceships through. So I now treat it as a show rather than "something that happened", if you understand what I am saying.

Doesn't mean I enjoy it less, I just view it as a show.

[7777]

I thought it was a show?

[Chakan]

I thought it was a show?

I'm not explaining it very well. When I starting watching I had a one perception of the show until the holes started in the plot. Then my perception of the show changed and now I view it as something "unbelievable" like supernatural.