Courtesy warmingglow.com
By Ari Howorth
Staff Writer
The majority of current psychological or political thriller series attempt to encompass large and pertinent subjects, a task commonly too large to be pulled- off effectively; however, this is not the case with Showtime’s new drama, “Homeland.”
“Homeland” proves to be intelligent and compelling through its grueling depiction of the repercussions of war, its chilling portrayal of mental instability and its heartwarming representation of love between a reunited family.
“Homeland” follows Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes), a stubborn and hardworking Central Intelligence Agency analyst on the outs with her co-workers. Mathison suspects Marine Sergeant Nicholas Brody (Damien Lewis) of being an operative of Al Qaeda upon his rescue after eight years as a prisoner of war.
The show is reminiscent of a less action-packed but smarter version of Fox’s hit, “24.” The pilot contains explicit language, violence, and nudity, as warranted by the freedoms of premium cable channel Showtime. “Homeland” is Showtime’s highest rated pilot in eight years.
Danes’ performance is the strongest aspect of the show. Her character handles her extremely stressful job with stubbornness and determination. On top of this, she deals with a mental health disorder similar to depression. Danes gives the character an interesting new depth as it is slowly revealed that Mathison may be mentally unstable.
Lewis compliments Danes’ excellence with his own stellar performance. Though pre-war Brody is not seen by the viewer, it is heavily implied how much he has changed and how war extremely affected him. Lewis portrays him as almost evil, yet adds a tragically remorseful feeling to the character, successfully gaining sympathy from the audiences.
Because it is not on network television, “Homeland” features more adult content, a privilege that the network uses to its distinct benefit.
The freedom of pay-cable allows it to make the atrocities of war more realistic and terrifying. It contains a few shocking scenes of Brody’s violent torture while being held prisoner that show the horrors of captivity, allowing viewers to fully empathize with Lewis’ experiences.
Morena Baccarin is excellent as Brody’s wife, who has attempted to move on from Brody in his absence and has started a romantic relationship with his best friend. Baccarin oozes emotion at her seems, as the viewer realizes it is only a matter of time before the character cracks.
Baccarin brings forth this varied array of emotions in an uncomfortable but truly hard-hitting scene in which she sees her husband’s torture scars for the first time.
Homeland’s script is anything but predictable. Each plot point adds an unsuspected twist and intense advance into the story. The dialogue is clever, especially in regards to the witty banter between Mathison and her former boss and friend, Saul Berenson (Mandy Patinkin).
“Homeland” has so far proven to be an engaging treat for fans of psychological or political thrillers with strong performances. “Homeland” airs on Showtime on Sunday nights at 10 p.m.
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