Homeland

The uncomfortability's meant to be part of the show. I guess "show, don't tell" means we get shown everything.

You could leave the room during those bits, or cover your eyes. :P

I did like Carrie's reaction to the whole creepiness of it, that was pretty funny

edited 5th Feb '12 4:20:57 AM by joeyjojo

This week's episodes were a hell of a lot better. More of that please.

edited 14th Feb '12 2:59:54 AM by Medicus

Just started watching this. Three episodes in, am liking it so far. Treating the subject matter without jingoism certainly helps convey the serious tone well (The Unit did this excellently too).

I'm nearly at the last episode, I want to talk about it but I don't want to spoil things for you. Lets just say there is more twists and turns then a twisty turny thing.

edited 19th Mar '12 4:01:48 PM by joeyjojo

Won't be long! I'm watching a couple episodes a day. It's definitely one of the better series in recent times (IMO, of course).

Just fair warming the early episodes have a few sex scenes you might find... uncomfortable to watch around friends and family.

edited 20th Mar '12 2:15:39 PM by joeyjojo

Nothing about Morena Baccarin's boobies makes me uncomfortable.

Nothing.

The sex scenes are no worse than Game Of Thrones, and I've watched that with my friends' parents.

EDIT: Episode 4; I'm getting the feeling that Brody hasn't turned, he's just a different person than he was before captivity, who may be a little unstable, and may have converted to Islam while captive in order to preserve what was left of his sanity. But, you know, two-thirds of the series to go. And I don't see much subtext to Carrie beyond zomg!affairwithboss, very much to the writer's credit thatm despite this, she (in my opinion) isn't bland in the least.

edited 20th Mar '12 1:29:52 PM by disruptorfe404

Hail to the king.

edited 20th Mar '12 2:17:31 PM by joeyjojo

Up to episode 6 now. Half way!

Am not completely surprised she seduced him. She's very dedicated. I am SO INTRIGUED by the engineer and his wife. I really don't like David, but I understand where he's coming from for every action he takes. Again, good writing.

Done!

I like how it ended, the good guys half-win, but I'm not looking forward to another season of the show very much, if only because I don't really want to see them spinning it out as long as possible.

Not many modern shows have made me go "Did not see that coming!" as much as Homeland has though, and that makes it excellent.

Before I decide to watch this, I just want to know if this series has an over-saturation of U.S. jingoism and evil Muslims. I hope not.

edited 15th Apr '12 3:20:44 PM by Stevron

Fear not. It is a very intelligent show and completely gray.

Agreed, I watched the whole series primarily because there was no jingoism.

Well, except for "I love cock! Yummy yummy yummy!"

Oh dear. Do I even want to know?

It was kind of out-of-place, but kind-of-not. It's just really memorable for how hilarious it is.

It's hilarious.

Our heroes are trying to use a suspect's sexuality against him for the purpose of intimidation. So he says that.

Kinda a reverse of what happened in 24 that one time.

No stereotypes? Good. I think I'll watch this after I'm done with Season 2 of Boardwalk Empire.

It doesn't shy away from political issues, but it doesn't take a 'HURRAH AMEMICA!' attitude so I think you would like it.

@medicus: did you ever finish it? Or did all the sex scenes turn you off? 

No, it's particularly critical of the US (or at least the hyper real TV US) at times. The central character's a particularly good metaphor for a certain kind of post-911 sociological attitude, and is fairly heavily critiqued at points.

Though does the fact that she and her methods are ultimately vindicated by the narrative contradictory to reading the character critically? Or is it a function of her being the protagonist? Or, is it an acknowledgement that these methods are useful but ultimately harmful to the transgressing body, whether that's an individual or a government?

edited 17th Apr '12 2:00:17 AM by Nicknacks

I feel it's the third option, made possible by the second.

I gave up after the big revelation that Tom Holland (I think? Brody's sniper buddy) was still alive.

Also, regarding the ending, are we left with any doubt that Brody is a terrorist? My reading of the summaries I've read was that it was still a bit ambiguous.

Weeel he's most definitely a terrorist.

I'd say, up until the point where his daughter called him, he was. Meeting his boss and killing his former partner can definitely at first glance look like he's keeping with it, but one can also see the potential for him to turn after that (I personally feel it's pretty unlikely, but we've been shown that his daughter is his heart and seems capable of bringing him back, so to speak).

edited 18th Apr '12 8:47:47 PM by disruptorfe404

Okay, qualification: he's definitely working for terrorists. But perhaps the finale demonstrated that he's not in himself a terrorist. While he was willing to commit an act of terror to support his cause, both he himself and Nazir seem to have realised that he's an asset more suitable to another task.

So he is, and he isn't. Whatever he is, he's certainly not on Carrie's side. What he did to her was brutal.

edited 18th Apr '12 8:56:47 PM by Nicknacks