Homeland Series 2

Homeland was one of those programmes on my 'to do' list, one that I'd missed the first time round but was determined to catch up on, much like Breaking Bad (managed 1 1/2 series), Game of Thrones or Mad Men. Shows that are so often talked about that I almost feel I don't need to watch them. Therefore, I met the second series of Homeland with more apathy than enthusiasm. Often with new TV shows I either convince myself I hate them before actually watching a single episode, such is my inability to break out of my comfort zone, or I do the opposite and force myself to enjoy them because I feel I ought to.

Having seen nothing more than the trailer for series one, naturally I spent the first ten minutes pausing to ask "Who's that guy? Why are they there? Who do they work for? What is really the point of all this?!". Fortunately, for a show that dresses itself as 'complex', it was fairly easy to grasp the storyline, especially thanks to the classic US drama formula of signposting anything important that you'll need to remember in the future.

I did enjoy the episode, it had a good mixture of thrills and suspense without being too much like an action movie. Claire Danes is a fairly decent actor, much less Damien Lewis who's dodgy accent began to grate on me slightly. I found the handling of mental illness a bit disappointing with Carrie's bipolar mania seeming almost a comical add-on at times rather than an important aspect of her personality. And the scene in which school children attempted to discuss politics was too corny for me, (no doubt exacerbated by my cynicism after being witness to far too many tired political debates between middle-class liberals at University.)

However, after discussing with a friend I have been convinced to keep going. She felt the show was entirely more anti-American than I did, with more depth and credibility, and that series one cleverly convinces you to sympathise with Brody's motives and does well to address many issues in US politics. I was also surprised to discover the programme was based on an Israeli series centred on conflict in the Lebanon. This sheds light on some of Homeland's more tenuous moments as it attempts to update the original storyline. The news that the show has been commissioned for seven series makes me concerned that this is to be another money-spinning 'Lost' style saga with no resolution, but I look forward to being proven wrong.