Homeland

S1: 3 / S2: 7 / S3: 4 / S4: 7 / S5: 5 /// Homeland tries very hard to be taken seriously, straining to be counterterrorism's equivalent of The Wire, but I like it best when it discards its pretensions and goes into full-blown 24 mode as it does in seasons 2 and 4. I'm clearly in the minority but I thought season 1 was boring as shit and only kept watching because of the amazing performances of the lead trio.

This is a great modern-day spy show that does a great job developing it's characters. The plots are over-the-top, but it works most of the time. The first and second seasons were incredible. Season three went off the rails, they changed the focus of the show in an odd way. Luckily, they pulled it back for season 4, and it's been great ever since. The most recent season (Germany) might have been my favorite. (reviewed after season 5)

In this show you basically watch people who watch a guy who watches his life go by and who may possibly decide to do something some day. Or not. Do you feel the suspense?

Season 3 completely fell apart with ludicrous writing that struggled to find a reason why the show still existed and didn't end after two seasons.

I find the comedic smallness of Damian Lewis' mouth far to distracting to take this show seriously.

Season 1 was a flawless piece of television. The performances were bold, the script was tight, the tension and pacing were all impeccably realized. Season 2 and 3 were certainly where the series began to falter, and the exact point where I wished that Homeland had really been a mini-series. However, now that season 4 has reached its conclusion and Carrie and co. have been presented with a whole new batch of problems, I think that Homeland is beginning to find its voice post-Brodie.

1x; Stopped watching after S1.

The way it develops its characters is excellent; Danes might have managed the ultimate demonstration of "mania" which is not an easy thing to do. Each and every character is so three-dimensional, not just props to make the story work. I don't know how they would keep this up for 8 seasons, but for one season, it is one of the best spy-genre films has to offer. I'm finding out that I have a soft spot for this kind of story. The jazz link and how it is used in the sounds of the series is applaudab

Really good TV show pertaining to the CIA and counterterrorism that isn’t a documentary or limited series.

S1-5