Homeland - Season 3

[dsallupinyaarea]

Re: Homeland - Season 3

My biggest problem is that I just have no idea what this season is about and we're halfway through it.

[daflyboys]

Re: Homeland - Season 3

Maybe the bar was set so high in season one, a lot of you aren't liking that it's reaching that level.

This is where this show and BB differ.

[dsallupinyaarea]

Re: Homeland - Season 3

Maybe the bar was set so high in season one, a lot of you aren't liking that it's reaching that level.

This is where this show and BB differ.

Ya know, I was thinking about this. This shows suffers a bit from its time slot. Primetime Sunday night is a time slot we usually associate with ELITE TV (Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire). That's not this show. It's not elite TV. If this was on Tuesday night, I'd probably view it like I view Hostages or Criminal Minds. Just a mindless, fun, unrealistic show that I DVR and watch when I have some free time. S1 was top notch, but it's clear that was the outlier.

[jeremym480]

Re: Homeland - Season 3

Maybe the bar was set so high in season one, a lot of you aren't liking that it's reaching that level.

This is where this show and BB differ.

Agreed. S1 was fantastic. Most of S2 was pretty good and this season has just been okay for me. The sad thing is that the premise of the show was great, but in S1 things just happened too fast. Which was actually part of the reason I loved it, but they ended up writing themselves into a corner; especially with Brodie.

I do still enjoy the show, but I kind of have to suspend belief when I watch it. I pretty much had to do the same thing with 24 and I still found that enjoyable.

Ya know, I was thinking about this. This shows suffers a bit from its time slot. Primetime Sunday night is a time slot we usually associate with ELITE TV (Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire). That's not this show. It's not elite TV. If this was on Tuesday night, I'd probably view it like I view Hostages or Criminal Minds. Just a mindless, fun, unrealistic show that I DVR and watch when I have some free time. S1 was top notch, but it's clear that was the outlier.

Maybe you can subconsciously change your view on the show by DVRing it and watching it on Tuesday instead?

That's what I do with The Walking Dead, BWE, football on Sunday night. Then MNF on Monday, I don't have time to catch-up on Homeland until Tuesday or Wednesday. Sometimes longer...

[Chip Douglass]

Re: Homeland - Season 3

Agreed. S1 was fantastic. Most of S2 was pretty good and this season has just been okay for me. The sad thing is that the premise of the show was great, but in S1 things just happened too fast. Which was actually part of the reason I loved it, but they ended up writing themselves into a corner; especially with Brodie.

I do still enjoy the show, but I kind of have to suspend belief when I watch it. I pretty much had to do the same thing with 24 and I still found that enjoyable.

Exactly how I see it.

Homeland starting off with a massive bang has definitely hurt people's perceptions of the seasons following it. If the critical reviews for this show unfolded in the reverse, with the show getting progressively better reviews, you wouldn't have the "the show is getting worse, I'm out of here" attitude. Comments like "The show has just been unwatchable since the Season 1 finale" are a bit much. Season 2 had some high points (the interrogation scene between Brody and Mathison, for example) and was generally pretty good overall.

However, Season 3 has been legitimately rudderless and the show is increasingly turning into 24 with the outlandish plots/irrelevant subplots about family members.

I'm not exactly sure how Brody blowing himself up at the end of Season 1 would have made the show better anyways. It would have deprived the show of its main axis (Marine turned terrorist engaging in a cat-and-mouse game with the CIA) after 12 episodes. I'm not sure where the show would have gone from there. Make Abu Nazir the main antagonist for Season 2 and beyond? Meh.

[JayBee74]

Re: Homeland - Season 3

Pretty sure I'm done with the show for good. I hope you all enjoy it going forward.

Wow, surprised you of all people would give up on the show. Is part of the problem no Brodie?

I see where you're coming from. I did think this was the best episode of this season.

[TheMatrix31]

Re: Homeland - Season 3

Comparing this show to 24 is an insult to 24. 24 didn't tail off after 2 seasons like this crap did. In fact, every season of 24 was awesome, with Season 6 being the least awesome.

The developments in the last episode were the last straw. From Carrie's news to changing names for people I don't give even the slightest of ****s about to scenes with Saul's wife as if we care about her too to no Brody AGAIN. Just one big pile of who cares.

I've never seen a show dovetail like this.

[Bruins]

Re: Homeland - Season 3

Comparing this show to 24 is an insult to 24. 24 didn't tail off after 2 seasons like this crap did. In fact, every season of 24 was awesome, with Season 6 being the least awesome.

The developments in the last episode were the last straw. From Carrie's news to changing names for people I don't give even the slightest of ****s about to scenes with Saul's wife as if we care about her too to no Brody AGAIN. Just one big pile of who cares.

I've never seen a show dovetail like this.

Shows can't be 100% full-throttle, focused on a single plotline. That just doesn't work. There have to be multiple story arcs going on at once.

It's a character drama. Getting to know these characters and their motivations is what makes the show work.

[Chip Douglass]

Re: Homeland - Season 3

Comparing this show to 24 is an insult to 24. 24 didn't tail off after 2 seasons like this crap did. In fact, every season of 24 was awesome, with Season 6 being the least awesome.

24 didn't tail off after 2 seasons. It tailed off after 1 season (Season 1), rebounded somewhat in Seasons 3 and 4, and became high-quality television again in Season 5 before falling off the map again.

I compared this show to 24 because it was the king of stupid subplots (Terri's amnesia, Kim getting lost in the jungle in Season 2), an element the writers of 24 have apparently carried over to Homeland, and eventually wore out my suspension-of-disbelief muscles. This show is heading in that direction.

[NYJets]

Re: Homeland - Season 3

I think maybe season 2 suffered from the bar being set too high after season 1. But on the flip side the only reason I'm still watching season 3 is because of how awesome season 1 was. Still holding out a sliver of hope they can turn things around, but season 3 has been a trainwreck imo.

[PVarck31]

Re: Homeland - Season 3

I'm excited to see how the handle the upcoming interrogation/questioning.

I also hope we see Brody again soon. They either need to bring him back into the main picture or kill him off.

[Chaos81]

Re: Homeland - Season 3

It's interesting to me that people who enjoyed Breaking Bad, are talking about how they have to suspend belief when watching Homeland. Did you guys have to do that with BB?

Anyway, I'm still enjoying things. Sorry to those of you aren't.

[jeremym480]

Re: Homeland - Season 3

Shows can't be 100% full-throttle, focused on a single plotline. That just doesn't work. There have to be multiple story arcs going on at once.

It's a character drama. Getting to know these characters and their motivations is what makes the show work.

Look at a show like Boardwalk Empire where there are multiple great characters. Homeland just doesn't have that. The only great characters are Carrie, Brody and Saul. I do like Quinn too, but I can't call him a great character yet. Interesting and mysterious? To me, yes. But great? Not yet.

I'm not sure how they rectify that without getting into what most would consider silly subplots. Surely, that can't get any worse than this Dana story-line though... I hope not anyway.

I think maybe season 2 suffered from the bar being set too high after season 1. But on the flip side the only reason I'm still watching season 3 is because of how awesome season 1 was. Still holding out a sliver of hope they can turn things around, but season 3 has been a trainwreck imo.

I agree with your take on Season 1. I watch a decent amount of shows and what set Homeland apart was this: In some shows you can kind of foresee where the writers are taking you, but it would takes several episodes for things to finally get there. In Homeland S1, I thought I could see where they were going and expected it to pan out in a few episodes. However, the writers didn't play. What I thought would happen down the road happened way faster and ended up being turned on it's head. The pacing was fantastic, almost too fast, it was awesome.

I didn't dislike S2 as much as some of you, but I though the "Brody becoming a Congressman was a bit far fetched. It was entertaining enough to keep me interested though.

S3 has been very average. I've hated everything with Dana and I didn't really care for the way the "twist" played out. Like, what was that? So many questions about that, but I'm just going to let it go. I have enjoyed the episodes since the reveal though.

I'm excited to see how the handle the upcoming interrogation/questioning.

I also hope we see Brody again soon. They either need to bring him back into the main picture or kill him off.

Like I said earlier they've basically written Brody into a corner at this point and I don't how they can really bring him back now.

Basically, he's either going to have to be
a) kill him off
b) kept on the run for a really long time (but that would get old imo)
c) bring him back and give him immunity somehow
d) he makes a total heel turn and becomes the new Al Jazeera

It's interesting to me that people who enjoyed Breaking Bad, are talking about how they have to suspend belief when watching Homeland. Did you guys have to do that with BB?

Anyway, I'm still enjoying things. Sorry to those of you aren't.

Pretty much every show I've watched I've had to suspend belief at some point. With some you just have to do it more than others.

[PVarck31]

Re: Homeland - Season 3

I thought it was good tonight. NO DANA! yay!!

[dsallupinyaarea]

Re: Homeland - Season 3

Tonight's episode was solid.

I liked

Spoiler

how they addressed the crime scene, but didn't dwell on it. Wrapped it up neatly.

CHEERS TO NO BRODY FAMILY!!!!

One thing I'm worried about:

Spoiler

I know it's coming, but I REALLY hope Carrie isn't pregnant with Brody's baby. That's just ugh to me. I want to watch a spy thriller, not a family drama.