“Homeland”: What I Thought
I didn’t watch Showtime’s new series “Homeland” last night in real time; there was too much else going on. But I did see “Homeland” earlier in the weekend, thanks to Showtime making the entire episode available as a come-on to subscribing. For the most part, I liked what I saw. The series centers on Marine Sgt. Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis), missing for eight years and presumed dead. He turns up in the rubble of an al-Qaida compound just lit up by U.S. bombs after a tip that one of the most wanted terrorists was going to be there. Brody is pulled out and returned home as a national hero. CIA agent Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes), an expert in Middle East terrorism, has immediate suspicions, but she’s being marginalized at the agency because one of her recent missions in Iraq went sideways — and, besides, nobody wants to ruin the feel-good story that’s making the agency look so good. Carrie’s intel is that Brody had actually “been turned” and could be plotting an attack on America from the inside. It’s a strong premise, but I wonder if it will be sufficient for 10 or 12 episodes. We’ll see. The show also has Mandy Patinkin, as Claire’s character’s CIA mentor, and Mandy doesn’t chew the scenery. Yet.