When Homeland first came out, season one had me hooked. Season two still had me hooked, the storyline remained suspenseful and deciphering if Brodie was good or bad was thrilling.
When season three rolled around, the show was losing some obvious steam. We had already determined that Brodie was one of the good guys, he was just a little messed up. And after the end of season three when Brodie died, it freed up the shows director and writers to pursue any direction they wanted too.
Curious to see where they would take the show in season four which premiered October 5th, 2014 – I tuned in and after the two episode premiere, I knew what I had started to suspect in season three: Homeland had lost its way.
I pushed on and when it hit the latest episode where Carrie slept with that Pakistani kid, I knew the show had hit a new desperate low to shock and thrill viewers who have not had anything to really sink their time into since Brodie came back from being a prisoner of war.
The direction they have decided to take is the same direction we have already seen. Lead character Carrie Mathison is once again chasing the bad guy (a Taliban terrorist) and pushing aside and manipulating everyone in her life to get what she wants. Increasingly becoming unhinged and not seeing the aftermath she is leaving everywhere she goes.
It is a situation that will sound all too familiar to anyone who watched seasons one or two. We are seeing the same repeated storylines and predictable characters doing the same things.
Saul is once again Carrie’s lapdog, doing her dirty work (even though he works privately now), failing to ask proper questions and unrealistically looks into every person and bit of information that she gives him.
Homeland has lost its way and unless season four dramatically picks up its act, do not be surprised if it does not make it to season five and it does, consider season five to be the final season.
Regardless, I just cannot warrant the time investment in Homeland any more. Especially considering I already have enough TV shows to make time for and considering there are so many good TV shows out there, Homeland has a lot to compete with.