An American POW is spied on by an anti-terrorist agency.
It’s clear from the very beginning of Homeland that this is a pretty serious drama. The kind of drama that I usually take no interest in. However, Homeland wastes no time as it sucks me in with an engaging story of espionage, betrayal, and paranoia.
Right from the beginning, the show has a lot going for it. The cast includes Claire Danes, Mandy Patinkin, and Damian Lewis who has been a favorite of mine since Life. Add in the fact that being on Showtime gives the producers almost no limitations on what they can show and there’s little doubt that something interesting will happen.
As if it isn’t strange enough to be a POW returning to home after being locked in a closet for eight years, Nicholas Brody (Lewis) has a wife and two kids who were convinced he was dead and have moved on with their lives. Awkward.
The true brilliance of Homeland begins when the Brody family leaves their home to meet Nick. It’s then that Carrie (Danes) immediately enters the house with a couple of guys to plant cameras and listening devices in every room. The scene gave me such a strong feeling of conflicting emotion that I honestly questioned whether or not I wanted to continue watching.
The show quickly switches back and forth between scenes of the Brody family being celebrated while trying very hard to come to terms with such a major life change and Carrie literally watching their every move. When Nicks’s wife, Jessica (Morena Baccarin) attempts to welcome Nick home with genuine affection and love, it’s difficult enough to watch how awkwardly it plays out but the fact that Carrie is seeing everything as well in hopes of proving that Brody is the enemy is so uncomfortable that it gave me goosebumps.
The show is a constellation of back story, personal agendas, and jingoistic overtones all topped off by the fact that Carrie is clearly nuts in a very literal way. In short, start watching now because this is the show everyone will be talking about.
Some stats and info about Homeland, “Pilot”
TV SHOW – Homeland
SEASON/EPISODE – Season 1, Episode 1
AIRED ON – October 2nd, 2011
NETWORK/STREAMING SERVICE – Showtime/Paramount+
GENRE – Drama, Spy Shows, Thrillers
CREATED BY – Alex Gansa, Howard Gordon
CAST – Claire Daines, Mandy Patinkin, Rupert Friend, Maury Sterling, F. Murray Abraham, Damian Lewis, Morena Baccarin
This review originally appeared on TV Geek Army.