(Warning: this review will include spoilers from earlier seasons of Homeland).
Coming into this fourth season of Homeland, my expectations really couldn't have been any lower. After a rollercoaster third season where the finale really felt like a series finale rather than a season finale, I didn't know what to expect from a show that seemed like it was starting back from square one. After a few episodes of finding its way, however, this season really kicks into high gear and proves that (though rare) a show can sometimes re-invent itself on the fly.
For a basic plot summary (only minor spoilers here), this season begins with Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) trying to come to terms with the absence of Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis), what with the daughter she now has that is his. She decides to run from that particular responsibility by taking an assignment overseas in Islamabad, where she investigates a terrorist bombing. A young man named Aayan Ibrahim (Suraj Sharma) is the best asset to solving that mystery, but that investigation leads down a completely new path involving figures of the foreign government, a restless Saul Berenson (Mandy Patinkin), and a Peter Quinn (Rupert Friend) who is about as unstable as the mission itself.
The first few episodes of this season are truly pretty bad. Just a couple of episodes in, I almost questioned whether I wanted to continue with this show. It was that much of a struggle for me to get through. The absence of Brody is glaring, and the writers don't quite seem to know yet how to move on. Even when Carrie arrives in Islamabad and begins an investigation, the show seems like just another run-of-the-mill procedural drama.
But then, about 4-5 episodes in, a few events transpire that really set the action into motion. I don't want to spoil everything, but suffice it to say that there is a scene with Damien Lewis, as well as a shocking event that will completely change the direction the show takes. From there, the show kicks into high gear and I couldn't wait for each Sunday night.
Basically, what happened in this fourth season of Homeland was that the show was able to completely re-invent itself on the fly. For the first two seasons, the show is an intense character drama revolving around Carrie & Brody, with the political landscape of international terrorism in the background. That arc stutter-steps to a close in the third season, and the door is slammed shut when Brody is hanging from a rope in the finale. What happens in this fourth season, though, is that the political drama comes from and center while the characters slide to the background just a bit. Not to say that there isn't intense character drama at times, but the "front lines" of the war on terrorism are showcased more during this campaign.
One HUGE reason why this season impressed me so much, specifically, was the growth of Peter Quinn's character. Carrie & Saul are such good characters that they practically write themselves, but Quinn was a breath of fresh air into the character storylines.
Overall, then, I was very surprised that I enjoyed this season as much as I did. I even thoroughly enjoyed a rather strange finale that many viewers did not like, but to me really set up the stage for a Season Five that could potentially be just as interesting as this one. Bottom line: I came into Season Four expecting absolutely nothing. I came out with my interest in Homeland totally revived.
Coming into this fourth season of Homeland, my expectations really couldn't have been any lower. After a rollercoaster third season where the finale really felt like a series finale rather than a season finale, I didn't know what to expect from a show that seemed like it was starting back from square one. After a few episodes of finding its way, however, this season really kicks into high gear and proves that (though rare) a show can sometimes re-invent itself on the fly.
For a basic plot summary (only minor spoilers here), this season begins with Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) trying to come to terms with the absence of Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis), what with the daughter she now has that is his. She decides to run from that particular responsibility by taking an assignment overseas in Islamabad, where she investigates a terrorist bombing. A young man named Aayan Ibrahim (Suraj Sharma) is the best asset to solving that mystery, but that investigation leads down a completely new path involving figures of the foreign government, a restless Saul Berenson (Mandy Patinkin), and a Peter Quinn (Rupert Friend) who is about as unstable as the mission itself.
The first few episodes of this season are truly pretty bad. Just a couple of episodes in, I almost questioned whether I wanted to continue with this show. It was that much of a struggle for me to get through. The absence of Brody is glaring, and the writers don't quite seem to know yet how to move on. Even when Carrie arrives in Islamabad and begins an investigation, the show seems like just another run-of-the-mill procedural drama.
But then, about 4-5 episodes in, a few events transpire that really set the action into motion. I don't want to spoil everything, but suffice it to say that there is a scene with Damien Lewis, as well as a shocking event that will completely change the direction the show takes. From there, the show kicks into high gear and I couldn't wait for each Sunday night.
Basically, what happened in this fourth season of Homeland was that the show was able to completely re-invent itself on the fly. For the first two seasons, the show is an intense character drama revolving around Carrie & Brody, with the political landscape of international terrorism in the background. That arc stutter-steps to a close in the third season, and the door is slammed shut when Brody is hanging from a rope in the finale. What happens in this fourth season, though, is that the political drama comes from and center while the characters slide to the background just a bit. Not to say that there isn't intense character drama at times, but the "front lines" of the war on terrorism are showcased more during this campaign.
One HUGE reason why this season impressed me so much, specifically, was the growth of Peter Quinn's character. Carrie & Saul are such good characters that they practically write themselves, but Quinn was a breath of fresh air into the character storylines.
Overall, then, I was very surprised that I enjoyed this season as much as I did. I even thoroughly enjoyed a rather strange finale that many viewers did not like, but to me really set up the stage for a Season Five that could potentially be just as interesting as this one. Bottom line: I came into Season Four expecting absolutely nothing. I came out with my interest in Homeland totally revived.