Homeland on Showtime

[pixie cut]

Think I could find previous seasons on Netflix? I'm in Seattle by the way not that it makes any difference.

Season one is on DVD, so it should also be on Netflix.

[kittyjake5]

I finished Season 1. Brody is something else, evil incarnate. Poor Carrie the last few episodes she got so beaten down not only by her disease but by Brody. I dislike his character here just as much as I did in the Forsyth Woman. lol.
Loving Saul hope he stays around.

Brody's daughter better be careful snooping around, we know how easily Brody kills.

I will watch the Season 2 episode 1 on demand tonight. Not sure where season 2 will take us because the story line for Brody being a suicide bomber can't go on forever.

[rfisher]

I don't think Brodie is evil. He was in a terrible place and was treated kindly by someone. He reacted to that kindness. Right now, I think he's confused. Sort of a Stockholm situation, but not an obvious one. He wants to do the right thing. He just doesn't know what "right" is. I think the show did a good job trying to portray him as conflicted as Carrie is with her mental problems. Now, if he kills his wife or his kids, that would be evil. Otherwise, I see him as a tortured soul. I don't think he killed the other captive easily.

[pixie cut]

I don't see Brody as evil at all. He's a tortured soul. He was physically tortured, mentally abused and then utterly manipulated. His personal pain is overwhelming and Damian Lewis plays it to perfection.

Carrie was dead-on in her instincts about him being a potential terrorist, but she did exceed all boundaries by sleeping with him. I think she's drawn to his inner torment because she's also tormented.

If Brody was just evil people wouldn't be so engrossed by the show. It's the complexity of the situations that makes it so compelling.

As for Saul, don't be so sure he's the good guy. There have been many indications that there's a traitor inside the CIA. Clues have been dropped several times that it could be Saul -- such as when he failed his first polygraph and attributed it to being emotionally charged due to a crisis. I don't know whether the writers will ultimately go down that path, but it's definitely been presented as a possibility.

None of the central characters are all good or all evil.

[smurfy]

I agree with pixiecut and r fisher - Brody is a product of what happened to him, is tortured. I don't think he can be all evil, as then his character would not last long.
One thought I had - maybe over time he will turn and then work with the CIA to reveal all of the network he meets? Just a thought after that reporter came to see him.
Interesting thought about Saul!

[Bostonfan]

It would be easy to justify Brody's actions as someone who is a victim that's being manipulated. But I don't see Brody as completely brainwashed and helpless against his conditioning. He's aware of what he's doing. But nor do I see him as a sociopath that can charm his way through life while carrying out some anti-U.S. agenda.

[pixie cut]

It would be easy to justify Brody's actions as someone who is a victim that's being manipulated. But I don't see Brody as completely brainwashed and helpless against his conditioning. He's aware of what he's doing. But nor do I see him as a sociopath that can charm his way through life while carrying out some anti-U.S. agenda.

He's clearly not completely brainwashed or he wouldn't have stopped short of blowing up the holding room with the VP and other government officials. Carrie was right on when she told the daughter to call him and talk him down.

If he was totally set in his focus he wouldn't be so conflicted. He's aware of what he's doing, but the more time he spends with his family he clearly feels a push back toward his old beliefs.

The whole point is to show that no one is all good or all bad. Let's not forget what a big liar the vice president is depicted as.

[rfisher]

And, Carrie's boss dismissed Brodie's comments about the drones and there being thousands of them which struck at the heart of the dead child. Every double agent is essentially a traitor to their country or people. They betray them for money or ideology. Brodie's ideology is conflicted. I agree that the show is so compelling because the audience doesn't know what he'll do. Will he kill his fellow country men? Will he take his finger off the trigger at the last minute? You just don't know. The acting is so good on Homeland. I just hope the writers continue to give them excellent material.

[kittyjake5]

I don't have any sympathy for Brody's actions. There were to many instances where he lies and manipulates. He does not want his wife to know he is a practicing Muslim, he asks his daughter to keep it a secret, he knows Carrie is on to him so he reports her not to Saul but to her boss. He uses people too, like when he asked Steve to talk to his wife about entering politics. When the bomb did not work he went into the bathroom and tried to get it working. The conversation he had with his daughter while he was in the safe room was telling to me also. Did he go home and realize what he almost done and have second thoughts about carrying out this plan, no he contacted Azir (sp) to hatch up a new plan for destruction. Maybe Azir is the evil one in this story but imo Brody is not far behind. His actions do not solicit sympathy from me even though he may be brainwashed.

But hey that is just my opinion. The writing is so excellent, the acting riveting and the storyline to me is very realistic, it is almost easy to forget that I am watching fiction.

[pixie cut]

Another good episode with a definite kaboom of an ending.

[oleada]

Holy shit at that ending. Very satisfying. Can't wait for next week.

[smurfy]

I think this show is just amazing. I am so intrigued by what will happen next. I think Damian Lewis is amazing, but I hope they don't jump the shark with his character to keep the actor around longer than necessary. Also I want to Mandy Patinkin to stay.
If they keep Brody around long term, it will be interesting if they do it well.

I am glad they actually showed Nazir and vindicate Carrie.
One route this show could go is bringing down Brody and the resurrection of Carrie's career at the CIA.

[Oreo]

Episode 2 had the best tension of any tv show I think I've ever seen, and that ending had my jaw dropping.

[Jimena]

I don't know. I think it's too soon to expose Brody, unless they want to end the season with his death. Because after this, I don't see how he can remain on the show for long.

[pinkhulk]

Season two is off to a great start with two episodes that kept me at the edge of my seat. Although, if there was one thing I would nitpick in episode two is Brody texting in that room. It seems highly unrealistic any texts or calls could go out of that room and if it did, it wouldn't go undetected or untraceable. Also, how did Brody's video end up in Beirut? Hopefully this will be answered in the next episode.

And speaking of the next episode...

Spoiler

nooooooo don't kill Saul!!!! I really hope the previews are misleading.

[Spazactaz]

I just finished episode 4 of season 1.... everyone raves about this show but I am struggling to get into it!

[Oreo]

And speaking of the next episode...

Spoiler

nooooooo don't kill Saul!!!! I really hope the previews are misleading.

Spoiler

I don't think so because IMDB has him listed for 24 episodes and a part of the plot in episode 4.

[pinkhulk]

Spoiler

Oh good, that's reassuring. Huh, you'd think someone on the show would catch an obvious spoiler like that floating on the web. :/ But at least it means he lives! At least until the end of the season!

[Eden]

The US Homeland version of the Israeli Hatufim/POW is a bit different, but has some similarities.
One of those similarities is that Brody is not working for the other side.
Don't want to spoil it for you, but prepare yourself for a huge surprise as far as who is working for who.

BTW, the original Israeli version with English subtitles is on Hulu.
I highly recommend it.
The biggest difference between the two versions is that in Hatufim the focus is on the soldiers, while in Homeland the focus is on Claire Dance.

Still both versions are a great material which makes you think about it long after you watched it.

[Oreo]

BTW, the original Israeli version with English subtitles is on Hulu.
I highly recommend it.
The biggest difference between the two versions is that in Hatufim the focus is on the soldiers, while in Homeland the focus is on Claire Dance.

Still both versions are a great material which makes you think about it long after you watched it.

Eden, thank you for this! I'm definitely going to watch it!!