By Aaron Sanders, Diversion Editor
Coming off an unexpected Emmy win for Best TV Drama three weeks ago, Homeland returns in full swing. Taking place five months after the events of the first season, Homeland depicts America crippled by the threat of another major terrorist attack.
Ex-C.I.A. agent Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes), recovering from her bipolar breakdown last season, has been stripped of her title and demoted to teaching English to Arabic immigrants at a community college while also being held under intensive supervision by her sister and father.
American prisoner of war and “turned” soldier Nicholas Brody (Damien Lewis) has been promoted to senator in the wake of his foiled suicide bomb attempt last season. While Brody has been influencing middle-eastern policy from Washington D.C., a deal was made with his boss Abu Nazir (Navid Negahban), a fictional Osama Bin Laden-esque figure, to peacefully aid the “cause.”
Mathison’s mentor Saul Berenson (Mandy Patinkin) has been stationed at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut investigating a rumor that Abu Nazir is planning an attack on U.S. soil.
The Season Two premiere of Homeland is a great start to what is sure to be another successful season. Each character has evolved appropriately, as if they show never ended since last season. The tone of the series is ultimately preserved; however, there is a disturbing aura about it not originally present there.
There is an inherent danger and mystery being toyed with by the writers. The viewer does not know the extent of which Brody, an American patriot in the truest sense, is willing to obey the will of his Al-Qaeda master. The viewer does not know the details of the mysterious mission Carrie Mathison is sent on by the C.I.A. The viewer does not know the intelligence Saul obtained from Carrie’s unsanctioned informant. All there is is speculation, which is what won the first season an Emmy. Homeland is a show that refuses to blatantly spell out anything. It forces the viewer to think and decipher the narrative the way he or she best sees fit.
Showtime subscribers are in for a real treat this fall. With a new episode of Dexter preceding Homeland every Sunday, TV surfers will have no shortage of good programming this fall.
Courtesy of www.boston.com