Homeland Season 3 *Spoilers*

seligehgit

The Black Oil wrote: »

3.01

Solid enough opener, if fairly Hollywood in some respects. A couple of points that'll springboard things to come. Don't recall any memorable lines.

I think these type of congressional hearings can be a bit tedious in TVland, and the chairman seems like a bit of a tool, but it picked up with the immunity thing. Congress close the CIA? Not bloody likely.

So, Dana goes off the deep end, eh? Figures. A bit cheap, perhaps. You just know those pictures and the boy are for a big fight with Jess later on. Saul's still Saul, and there's the burden of command... Carrie got burned a couple of times in this one, she'll be back, though. The Quinn twist was a little cruel.

Excellent post,never heard anything so ridiculous as Congress shutting down the CIA.
Definitely think I'm in the minority of about one but I really enjoyed this opener.I found the congressional hearing toing and froing excellent,thought chairman Lockhart was the real deal if one follows congressional hearing,obviously yawn yawn for lots of viewers.
Character development is an essential component of any show and may offer clues to the possible insider in the CIA.Saul's relationship issues and moral dilemnas re spies carrying out assassinations I suspect may reveal alternative motives as the ultimate finale of Homeland is revealed.
Having said that clueless as the point of Dana's role other than sowing conflict with the incredibly hot Jessie.
Anybody miss Brody,can't say I did?!

Cork boy 55

So far so good!

Rosy Posy

Shiraz 4.99 wrote: »

Wonder why Saul hung Carrie out to dry, her outburst in the restaurant didn't help her.

My take on it was that he didn't have much choice once the fact that she was sleeping with Brody became public. It looks like the whole mole in the CIA subplot that's been running through it from the start is going to become more prominent.

I'm interested to see how they're going to deal with so many characters being killed off in the last season, and with no big bad wolf (Abu Nazir) to be afraid of. Dar Adal (? Black Ops guy with the beard) seems to be getting more screen time.

Agreed that the whole 'we can't kill a child' thing was ridiculous since the majority of the hits were drone strikes which probably killed countless children and innocents. I'm glad Quinn was back- the assassin with a conscience.

Tbh to enjoy this show you need to suspend your disbelief and go with it. At least Brody is far away so we'll be spared the sight of himself and Carrie grinding their faces and privates off each other, although she made do with the random ginger substitute!

Dana's nudie pics will undoubtedly end up in the press when Zac Hamilton's phone gets confiscated by the men in white coats.

The Black Oil

Yeah, what's the story with Dar Adal? Was he semi-retired last season, or just very off the books since he's Quinn's mentor/contact?

I presume the Dana storyline is being kept alive (not just for a row with Jessica) as there will be something with Brody later, iirc, that's how things have tended to work in previous seasons.

dfbemt

The summary for tonights episode

Saul attempts to track down those responsible for the Langley attack and recruits an unlikely expert to follow the money trail. Meanwhile, Quinn takes matters into his own hands; Carrie learns who is really on her side; and the Brody family turn to therapy to mend their broken household.

Have watched Homeland since the very start. It is not an all action show. It takes time with all the plots and sub plots running alongside each other. The sub plot of most interest to me at the moment is Dana and her possible conversion to Islam. The clips of her on Brodys mat and the hands outstretched have me most intrigued. Will she or won't she and if she does, what next?

Am hoping the nudity / soft porn doesn't take over. Carrie wasted and ending up with a ginger lad and Dana showing me her bare back is not what i watch Homeland for.

So far so good. Roll on tonight

Rosy Posy

The Black Oil wrote: »

Yeah, what's the story with Dar Adal? Was he semi-retired last season, or just very off the books since he's Quinn's mentor/contact?

My impression was that he was head of black ops, the super secret CIA? I guess with so many top brass gone they've had to cobble together leadership from who they have left.

dfbemt

Since when did

Quinn become a friend of Carries. I thought he was against her. Certainly seemed so last series but now he's turning up at her committal hearing to speak in her favour ??

Also, I thought there would be a lot more from

Dana and the mat but I guess the mere fact that she stretched out on it (after thinking about it for all of 5 seconds) has set things up for this story

Worst piece of acting ever was at the end when

Saul came to visit Carrie. F**k you Saul was terrible however she does play the nutcase very well in what must be a difficult part

TBH, the best part of last nights episode was the trailer for next week when it looks like we

will be seeing the return of Brody. Looked like there is a breakout from the nuthouse by Carrie but is it the CIA who get her out ??

Being a Homeland fan though I'll watch it again on NET2 tomorrow. I find that I notice more subtle plotlines the 2nd time around.

serfboard

Rosy Posy wrote: »

Agreed that the whole 'we can't kill a child' thing was ridiculous since the majority of the hits were drone strikes which probably killed countless children and innocents. I'm glad Quinn was back- the assassin with a conscience.

You're kind of arguing against yourself there - Quinn is a killer with a conscience, as we saw when he could have killed Brody (and we never found out why he didn't), so it's entirely logical that he wouldn't have killed a child.

Secondly, it's one thing to push a button in a warehouse in Wisconsin and "hit your target" and choose not to inform yourself about whether there were children present, it's another to actually see the child that you're about to blow into pieces.

Dandelion6 wrote: »

And I haven't laughed so much at a foiled assassination attempt since "Munich". As if they'd really call it off just because there was a kid there.

Interesting you mention Munich. This episode "borrowed" heavily from Munich, with the twist that they all had to be killed at the same time.

Wasn't really a great first episode for me. And I'm betting that this seanson's mastermind turns out to be ... Mrs. Berenson.

clairefontaine

It is sooooooo boring. Every single woman cried last night. The show has become a mental health looney asylum show. I want the espionage back. If it doesn't step up next week I quit. And if Dana gets any more screen time ill slit my wrists.

MagicMarker

Brody better be in the next episode FFS! I'm curious as to how they're going to introduce him.

Mick Murdock

This show would be so much better without Claire Danes. How she won awards for her performance is a mystery to me.

Was always a 3 out of 5 show imo, but I Think I've all but given up.. Very soap opera-ish as someone else said, except I could care less about most of the characters personal problems and relationships.

If Brody's return gets good reviews, I'll catch up.

miralize

My God Claire Danes needs to be killed off or be told to turn it down. Every scene she's in is horrendous.

MagicMarker

Do people not realize that she's supposed to be playing a crazy person? She plays it perfectly IMO, annoying it may be, nonetheless.

Dempsey

Anytime Carrie does anything questionable, the men in the white coats grab her. Claire Danes may play the part of someone with a mental illness well but its a plot device to slow the pace of the story and it turns into a yawn fest

Rosy Posy

serfboard wrote: »

You're kind of arguing against yourself there - Quinn is a killer with a conscience, as we saw when he could have killed Brody (and we never found out why he didn't), so it's entirely logical that he wouldn't have killed a child.

Secondly, it's one thing to push a button in a warehouse in Wisconsin and "hit your target" and choose not to inform yourself about whether there were children present, it's another to actually see the child that you're about to blow into pieces.

I think that there's a big difference between the morality of Quinn as an individual and that of the CIA as an organisation. We saw that last season when he threatened Estes (I think...can't quite remember, I haven't bothered to do a rewatch this year), and when he threatened the banker with no neck in this episode. For me he's the most compelling character in the show atm.

The whole concept of drone strikes to me is so disgustingly immoral (coming from the organisation who ordered a strike on a madrassa ffs) that them calling off a hit because a child would be caught in the crossfire seems hypocritical to me, but that's just the tip of the iceberg of my issues with America's foreign policy in general. I did get the impression that the moral qualms were more on behalf of Quinn rather than the ones in charge, as you said, it's easy to sit in a room half a world away and press a button.

Rosy Posy

dfbemt wrote: »

Worst piece of acting ever was at the end when Saul came to visit Carrie. F**k you Saul was terrible however she does play the nutcase very well.

Afaics she was supposed to be suffering from tardive dyskinesia, which is a side effect of some neuroleptics. From my hazy recollections, it only presents that quickly when 1st generation (ie cheap) drugs are used. It certainly didn't look like she was in a private facility, and I doubt that when her family wanted her to take her meds they meant antipsychotics. If her instincts weren't dulled before they certainly will be now

miralize

MagicMarker wrote: »

Do people not realize that she's supposed to be playing a crazy person? She plays it perfectly IMO, annoying it may be, nonetheless.

No I get it. I just dont believe it.

Cork boy 55

I am out.
Going stop watching should have stopped in Season 2.

Homeland is going to be an expectant study of a TV show which would have made a great Mini-series but the execs dragged the crap out of it to breaking point.
Future students will learn about it in on their "media/drama" courses.

Paully D

Poor episode IMO. This really needs to pick up over the next couple of episodes.

Mr.Prodston

The end reminded me of a really poor version of (Breaking Bad spoiler-ish, with obviously a different context)

Gus visiting Hector, or well at least Claire Danes giving her best Hector evil stare. If only she had a bell

:pac:

PropJoe10

Thought that second episode was fairly awful and a complete snoozefest. I've been considering giving up on Homeland since pretty much the start of season 2. If it continues in this vein, it wont be long before I quit. The daughter is incredibly boring.

pickarooney

http://world.time.com/2013/10/07/report-navy-seals-aborted-somalian-raid-because-children-were-present/

ben.schlomo

This show is really grating at times, the Saul, CIA, banks, Iran and potential Brody stuff should be good but the daughter, Brodys wife and Carrie are mind numbingly awful, every scene the daughter is in just makes the show feel like a teen drama of sorts, really detracts from the good parts.

biko

Indeed, the family story into the season so far is crap. The daughter story is just not interesting (although I liked the "alive" bit).

It's an ok start to the season but I hope it picks up soon (more action and intrigue)..

Radio5

Just a question from the last series, were all the Walden family killed in the explosion at Langley?

vepyewwo

Way too much Dana. These first 2 episodes have felt like she is the lead character and the CIA stuff is a small subplot. I realise they want to keep the Brody family in the show but a couple of minutes checking in with them is more than enough. The Carrie is a nutcase stuff has been done to death as well. I would have preferred to see more of Saul, Quinn and the new analyst girl actually trying to sort out the bombing and the mess at the CIA - that should be the focus of the show. The Dana stuff is tedious.

dfbemt

Radio5 wrote: »

Just a question from the last series, were all the Walden family killed in the explosion at Langley?

VP Walden was killed after Brody broke into his office and his pacemaker was operated remotely while Brody watched on.

Remember that the explosion was during VP Waldens memorial service so it is likely that the family were there and killed.

this is confirmed to Saul be some official as he stands in the triage tent. He tells him how many are dead and names a few, including Estes and the Waldens.

Cork boy 55

Cork boy 55 wrote: »

I am out.
Going stop watching should have stopped in Season 2.

Homeland is going to be an expectant study of a TV show which would have made a great Mini-series but the execs dragged the crap out of it to breaking point.
Future students will learn about it in on their "media/drama" courses.

Prison break defined the example here way before Homeland. i.e. a show that worked in its original premise but although it shouldn't have gone beyond that premise it was popular and hence ratings dictated that it continue and it turned into a mess.

miralize

And Heroes after that.

pickarooney

The original premise was intriguing and the characters new enough that it didn't matter that most of them had no depth (although Dana was a far more interesting character in Season One, Jess has never been anything more than tut-tutting eye-candy). Season Two was good, ridiculous fun with the insane plot twists and pace but by this stage we're all sick to death of Carrie's manic personality and there's no real intrigue left. I can't see it picking back up but hope to be surprised.

toodleytoo

Quinn is the best thing about the show at the moment, his character is intriguing.
Definitely a big step down in quality over the seasons though.

dfbemt

pickarooney wrote: »

I can't see it picking back up but hope to be surprised.

I think it will, once Brody comes back into it.

The difficulty for the writers is twofold

1. The credibility of Carrie vis a vis her continuing as a CIA agent, especially after her latest committal
2. How Brody is going to come back into it, especially on US soil where he is the most wanted man

The trailers for next week show Brody alright but it does not look like he is in America. How can he operate from overseas? Through Dana? She has already expressed her hatred for him but then we see her outstretched on the mat? Hmmm !

Excellent writing will be required to work through the various plots and keep people interested. Most discussion in the US about Series 3 so far is very negative, similar to here.

Anita Blow

Think they've also written themselves into a corner killing so many characters off last season

genericguy

Christ this show has gone to the dogs. It really doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Brody's family have no purpose, and really need killing off. I'd nearly offer to kill the daughter myself. She and carrie have to be the two most irritating characters on TV at the minute. The only thing this has going for it now is your man Quinn.

Basq

Watched the first episode of Season 3, and found it all very drab!

Don't think I'll bother continuing.

CptMackey

If Dana finds religion after calling her dad crazy then I'm done.

Far too much of brodys family. Not enough CIA

Harry Angstrom

This show has run out of steam. It happens with a lot of American shows - Prison Break, 24, Lost etc. There's an interesting idea and then the arse gets dragged out of it. Looks as if Homeland has gone the same way.

Basq

Indeed.. there's a lot to be said for something that's proposed as a one season show, and sticks to it!

But ratings, success and the almighty dollar trumps creativity everytime!

The Black Oil

3.02 Stronger episode, seemed firmer about what it wanted to do.

The question of Carrie's stability has been sown since day one and falling back on it could become a trick they use too often each season. But, given it has 24 DNA, it wouldn't be what it is without at least one character going through ringer, and Danes walks a pretty fine line with the depiction she goes for. Overall, I'd say the mental health stuff (Carrie and now Dana) can drift between being the show's most and least effective moments. I thought the catch up with the psychiatrist was a little flat, tbh. I've often had misgivings about how the depiction of mental health is handled in TVland, particularly with showing the effects on family. Sometimes the execution is too predictable. The better scenes were Dana running her hand along the bath before going AWOL and then dragging Jessica to the bathroom (much more affecting, though perhaps signposted when they discussed the bathroom with the doc) seemed like a genuine breakthrough moment. Now Carrie's on the path to stability again, so what does that open up professionally, if anything?

So, the CIA can just call up a bunch of bankers, then? I liked Saul's interaction with the newbie analyst - how he remarked on her headscarf. In a way, that's a bit of a shut up to people who constantly bark 'oh sure, criticise America but you wouldn't say that about Islam!!!!11111!!!!' However, I'm sure the critics will be on board with 'oh look, they're only doing this to show Muslims are good!'

Quinn's sort of quasi assassin/field agent/ inputting into or at least questioning some decisions, but not really one who does intel grunt work, which is in a way, one of the show's strengths and something we need to see more of. Interested in seeing where his character goes, anyway.

Tipsy McSwagger

I'm done with this turd of a show. You can forgive a tv show one bad season but two episodes into Season 3 of Boreland and I'm out.

murpho999

Just watched it.

I normally don't mind a bit of back story or character development but do we need any more personal anguish with Carrie's mental state and Brody's family.

I assume next week well learn more about Saul's marriage.

Show should be renamed "Home & Away".

EKRIUQ

Tipsy McSwagger wrote: »

Season 2 was crap. Season 3 started out fairly well but if 30% of each episode is dedicated to the boring daughter then I'm out.

NO,NO,NO you people don't get it, this show isn't about the CIA and and a terrorist, its about a troubled teenager that has now found true love and a fight with her battle of depression.

The other stuff is just filler

rubberdiddies

I found myself fast forwarding through every scene that involved Brodys daughter last night.

It seemed to cut about 10 mins off the episode.

I enjoyed the first 2 series but I'm finding this a bit tedious

copperhead

the writers of this show will have to speed things up, im bloody fed up looking at daina she's really getting on my nervres.
i also have a feeling that saul is dodgey out and that he's the terriost kingpin

clairefontaine

rubberdiddies wrote: »

I found myself fast forwarding through every scene that involved Brodys daughter last night.

It seemed to cut about 10 mins off the episode.

I enjoyed the first 2 series but I'm finding this a bit tedious

I was hoping shed kill herself so I don't have to watch her anymore. Every time she was on I got up to make a sand which or get a drink or do something else.

8mv

I'm enjoying the slower pace this season. Good script and for the first time I really liked Daina's story line. Some people just want instant gratification - back story is important.

Tipsy McSwagger

8mv wrote: »

I'm enjoying the slower pace this season. Good script and for the first time I really liked Daina's story line. Some people just want instant gratification - back story is important.

Some people just want the show to go back to the first few intriguing episoses with its slow burning plot about surveillance and Carrie putting all the pieces together. Some people just want terrorists being hunted down in the middle east. Some people just want a sense of danger in each episode. What most people don't want is a cross between Dawson's Creek & One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

golfball37

Last nights episode was dreadful.

vitani

I must be one of the few people that actually like Dana, and her storyline. I think it's interesting seeing the affect that Brody's presumed actions had on her, but I agree that a little too much time is given to it.

Carrie's story, on the other hand, is not interesting me as much. We seem to go through the dilemma of whether she should take her meds or not every season, with her changing her mind frequently. I can absolutely understand why she doesn't want to be on them now, but when the chances of her staying off them for the entire season are so unlikely, it feels like we're just marking time until she changes her mind again.

For now, there's a couple of things that will keep me watching. Saul's outburst to the analyst, for one. He's somebody who never seemed to have a personal problem with Islam in general, but something has changed in him following the explosion and I wonder are we going to see him go down a darker path this season. The fact that he wants Fara to keep some of the details of the investigation quiet also indicates that the mole story might be a big part of the season. Scott survived the explosion, didn't he? I'm nearly sure he was in last week's episode.

Quinn, as well, is an excellent character. And quite easy on the eye...

fitz

Tbh, in any credible scenario, the Brody family and Carrrie are both done as ongoing main characters in terms of story arcs. They should be written out. The show should shift to focusing on the hunt for Brody and those involved in the bombings.