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| A still image of co-stars Damien Lewis and Claire Danes is digitally blurred out on this poster for the first season of Alex Gansa and Howard Gordon's Homeland |
Homeland - season 1 is created by Alex Gansa (24 (2009-10), co-executive producer) and Howard Gordon (24 (2001-10), co-executive producer). It is inspired by Gideon Raff's (The Killing Floor (2007)) Israeli TV-series Hatufim (2010-12). An Indian and a Russian version have also been made.
The following contains SPOILERS:
CIA operative Carrie Mathison is a workaholic, recently sent back to the US from Baghdad, where she has learnt from a doomed local terrorist that an American soldier has been 'turned' by the al-Qaeda. Soon after US Marine Sergeant Nicholas Brody gets rescued from captivity in Iraq and brought home to a hero's welcome. Carrie is alone in suspecting that Brody is the 'turned' American soldier...
She establishes a covert surveillance of him, while learning about the whereabouts of terrorist Abu Nazir through a prostitute that caters to a Saudi prince. While Brody acts increasingly suspiciously, both alone and in front of his family, Matthison attempts to learn more of him by getting close to him at a meeting for veterans.
Carrie's involvement in the case, at her own initiative, is complicated by the fact that she has bipolar disorder, which she has to keep secret from her employers, obtaining medicine through her sister's assistance. Her covert engagement with Brody leads to them starting an affair, which is both helpful to her investigation and driven by sincere attraction. The situation soon becomes complicated, and Brody realizes that she is spying on him. During interrogation he divulges that he beat his military pal to death during capture, became a Muslim and found affection for the terrorist captor Abu Nazir, - but he maintains that he is not the 'turned' Jihadist.
Attention instead turns towards his co-captive Tom Walker, with collateral damage as a result, as the FBI raids a US mosque. A suicide bomb goes off in Washington DC in the hunt for Walker, injuring Carrie. Meanwhile Brody is talked into running for congress by the American Vice President. SPOILER Carrie is hospitalized in a manic episode and forced to reveal her disorder to her former CIA boss and mentor Saul, as Brody is given a suicide vest by a contact at a trip to Gettysburg with his family.
SPOILER At a grand political event in DC with the Vice President, Secretary of Defense and military brass, Brody is one part of a two-sided attack. But his vest malfunctions, and Carrie suffers a breakdown, checking herself into a hospital for electroshock therapy.
Homeland is captivating from the pilot on, fired up by an unusual, engrossing suspense plot and terrific performances: Claire Danes (Stardust (2007)) is outstanding as Carrie; Damian Lewis (Desire (2013, short)) is engrossing as Brody; and Mandy Patinkin (Ali and Nino (2016)) is great as Saul. And the supporting performances are uniformly solid.
Carrie's job is exciting, and the show effectively filters us into the grey zones of 10+ years of War on Terror, carried out by the Western countries following 9/11. It puts us into the calibrations of analysis going through intelligence work concerning fundamentalists, specifically Islamic fundamentalists. It is less action-packed and seems more real and layered than the ways that the similar themes where broached by the same showrunners on the great action-suspense show 24. One disturbing and gripping subplot includes a domestic Saudi-American terrorist couple. The central suspense mystery of the series is the question; Is Brody good or bad?
The narrative is imbued with depth due to Danes' intriguing character and the intricate complications in Brody's family, - his wife's infidelity while he was presumed dead; his own budding affair with Carrie, - and an anxiety-provoking tangent concerning his teenage daughter and her growing suspicions about him.
The photography (by Nelson Cragg (Elementary (2012, TV-series)) is terrific, the writing is crackerjack, and the first season is remarkable in every way. An enormously suspenseful piece of television history.
Best episodes:
1. Pilot - Written by Gansa, Gordon, Raff; directed by Michael Cuesta (L.I.E. (2001))
Carrie is introduced as a strongly independent CIA agent, who suspects that something is very wrong with the liberated American Marine hostage Brody, rescued home after eight years of terrorist captivity. Riveting start with tremendous Danes.
7. The Weekend - Written by Meredith Stiehm (The Bridge (2013-14)); directed by Cuesta
Brody and Carrie engages in their adulterous affair at her family's summerhouse, while Brody's daughter gets hurt under the influence. But truths come out, and Saul returns home from Mexico with an arrestee. Madly thrilling episode.
11. The Vest - Written by Chip Johannessen (Dexter (2010, TV-series)), Stiehm; directed by Clark Johnson (The Purge (2018, TV-series))
Carrie's mental affliction is expanded upon, as Brody's questionable loyalties continue to exert suspense.
12. Marine One - Written by Gansa, Johannessen; directed by Cuesta
The targeted DC event, the season's culmination. Carrie breaks down, unable to meet the demands of her mission.
Related posts:
Howard Gordon: 24: Redemption (2008, TV movie) or, Bauer in Africa! (writer/executive producer)
2008 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2008 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2008 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2008 in films - according to Film Excess
Reviewed 24 seasons: Top 10: The best action movies and TV-series reviewed by Film Excess to date
24 - season 3 (2003) - The virus-centered peak for the great action show
24 season 2 (2002-03) - The Bomb
24 season 1 (2001-02) - TV action milestone
Watch a trailer for season 1 here
Cost: Reportedly 3 mil. $ per episode, 36 mil. $ in total
Box office: None - TV-series
= Uncertain
[Homeland - season 1 premiered October (USA (Showtime), Thailand, Turkey) and runs 12 55-minute episodes, totaling approximately 660 minutes. Danes was reportedly paid 110k $ per episode, totaling 1.32 mil. $ for her performance. Shooting took place in North Carolina and Israel. The first season's US ratings varied from 0.94 mil. to 1.71 mil., becoming Showtime's highest-rated drama in 8 years. Its run on British Channel 4 garnered even more viewers, between 3-4 mil. The season won a Golden Globe and a Primetime Emmy, among other honors. The 2nd season was released in 2012 with returning showrunners and stars. Gansa and Gordon returned first with season 2. Danes first returned in season 2; Lewis in 2011 also acted in Your Highness, Stolen (TV movie) and Will; Patinkin in 2011 also gave voice performances in Jock the Hero Dog and Wonder Pets! (TV-series). Homeland - season 1 is fresh at 100 % at Rotten Tomatoes.]
What do you think of Homeland - season 1?
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