105 replies to this topic

[TWoP Lockley]

TV Guide description

In the season 2 premiere, Brody learns he is the political "future of the party" and receives a tantalizing offer from the vice president, while a recovering Carrie receives a disturbing request from a surprising source. In Beirut, Saul gets involved in some cloak-and-dagger doings.

[aprilgirl]

Well, we finally know the identity of the mole. And we got it without any of the heavy-handedness that other shows would have thrown at us. Great to have Homeland back!

[Oni]

Great episode!

I really liked the Brody family exchanges.

[btp]

And somewhere between seasons 1 and 2, Jess grew a spine. Who woulda thunk it?

[VioletMarx]

Still great, thanks goodness. I found myself rooting against Brody as a villian tonight, wanting him to get caught going through the documents. I hate that Carrie still thinks she was so wrong when she was exactly right and she (no one, really) will probably ever know. I loved her smile when she realized she still has her mojo somewhere inside. I'll enjoy watching Carrie find her way back to herself while Brody spirals more and more out of control.

Well, we finally know the identity of the mole. And we got it without any of the heavy-handedness that other shows would have thrown at us

Maybe I'm being obtuse, but did you mean the reporter? I don't think she's the mole. She's not the person inside the government, she's in touch with the person inside the government. I think the mole has yet to be revealed, unless I'm misreading...

[Inquisitionist]

I loved Carrie trying to suppress a smile at the exhilaration of dropping (literally) her pursuer in that bazaar. She really thrives on this stuff. Also love the relationship between Brody and his daughter -- it echoes Carrie's relationship with her father. I was more impressed with Morena Baccarin's acting tonight than I was most of last season.

Maybe I'm being obtuse, but did you mean the reporter?

I assume the reference was to the CIA guy who pulled Estes away to that interview. Not sure that makes him the mole, but it's possible.

[VioletMarx]

I assume the reference was to the CIA guy who pulled Estes away to that interview. Not sure that makes him the mole, but it's possible.

I thought that too for a moment, but didn't he say that so-and-so is insisting you speak to her? Some other guy who presumably is his superior?

[Lilac4381]

Interesting parallel to see Carrie teaching a course on speaking/writing English as we saw Brody teaching Isa last season. Cannot wait to see Carrie and Brody interact.

Dana and Zander having sex. Not surprised but wasn't expecting something like that to come out during the fight between Jess and Brody over his religion.

[aprilgirl]

I assume the reference was to the CIA guy who pulled Estes away to that interview. Not sure that makes him the mole, but it's possible.

I thought that too for a moment, but didn't he say that so-and-so is insisting you speak to her? Some other guy who presumably is his superior?

I was referring to the guy who pulled Estes out, but you're right, it very well may be someone above him. I missed that part. I just assumed it was the guy who pulled Estes since we know him, and I believe there was some speculation that he was the mole last season even though he has had a smallish role to date.

[Harry Corvair]

I really like Zuleikha Robinson, the actress portraying journalist Roya Hammad. I remember her as Alana from the series "Lost".

[toogoodtobetrue]

Watching Carrie smile there toward the end was the best part of the whole episode. Last season was so cruel to her. I hope this season isn't about watching her freak out like we saw in the previews.

[btp]

I was more impressed with Morena Baccarin's acting tonight than I was most of last season.

Yes. I think the writing was part of it as well, though; hence my comment above about Jess growing a spine. I think Jess spent a lot of last year playing victim, which is a pretty tiresome thing after a while. Watching her really stand up to Brody in this episode (misguided though her objections may have been) was a revelation. I think a lot of the credit for that goes to Baccarin, but I also think she had much better dialog written for her tonight than she did in most of last season.

I do really like the Brody family dynamic, and Morgan Saylor's Dana continues to impress me. Like many real teenagers, she is alternatingly (or maybe simultaneously) grown up and childish, and has a depth to her character that is sometimes belied by her obligatory eye rolls and sarcastic remarks. Behind all that girlish posturing is an emotionally complex, thoughtful, and surprisingly grown up woman who wants (maybe even needs) to understand her father exactly as he is (not as she remembers him from before, which is what Jessica continues to cling to). The whole family dynamic between Dana, Jess, and Brody feels exactly right to me. Well done, cast & crew.

Edited by btp, Sep 30, 2012 @ 11:12 PM.

[bluepencil]

A couple of nitpicks in an otherwise interesting episode:

The office of a member of the House of Representatives is not "down the hall" from a senator's office. The House and Senate office buildings are several blocks from each other.

Why did the Brody kids change schools, other than as a plot contrivance to set up the conflict with the VP's son? It's not like Brody was representing a distant state and was moving his family to the DC area and the kids had to find new schools; he was already living there. (I realize I have probably answered my own question, but still found that a bit ridiculous).

[VioletMarx]

I thought the kids changed schools because the new school seemed like a place where a lot of high profile political parents send their kids. The publicity around Brody's return as a POW, his new position and future potential may have made them think they'd need a school that knows how to handle kids with their own secret service and the like. The VPs wife doesn't cozy up to just any Congressman's wife. I think they all knew where this might go.

Edited by VioletMarx, Sep 30, 2012 @ 11:41 PM.

[Mars477]

Why did the Brody kids change schools, other than as a plot contrivance to set up the conflict with the VP's son? It's not like Brody was representing a distant state and was moving his family to the DC area and the kids had to find new schools; he was already living there. (I realize I have probably answered my own question, but still found that a bit ridiculous).

Because a Congressman's children, especially those of a war hero who happens to be a favorite of the Vice President, go to elite D.C. private schools? Because as a member of the D.C. elite it would be worthy of notice if his family didn't live that same lifestyle? I guess.

Wow, I actually like Jess this episode. Never expected that to happen.

Hey! It's Valerie Cruz! I hope we see her again, if only so we could have a second member of the CIA (besides Saul) who actually knows what they are doing.

Edited by Mars477, Oct 1, 2012 @ 12:04 AM.

[Numb Nut]

Yay! So glad the show is back. And I'm really happy to see Carrie back in the field so soon. Nice to see Saul out of the office too. I enjoyed the ep overall. I like that Dana is still driving her mom nuts. I actually said "Yay! Danny!" when he showed up at Carrie's classroom. I hope his role is bigger this season. (I don't think Danny is the mole.) My only issue was with the Nazir contact meeting Brody in his office, and Brody blurting out "I killed Walker." How does he know for sure that his office isn't bugged? That was hella sloppy (and not believable).

[MightyMac63]

It can only be guessed that Season 2 takes place one year later? Or does anyone know the time frame? And interesting to see the show start with an air strike by the Israeli's on the Iranian nuclear sites. I guess in the show the so called "red line" has been crossed now.

Edited by MightyMac63, Oct 1, 2012 @ 6:33 AM.

[Tandemonium]

Overall I enjoyed it, but sometimes I feel that the writers slip back into '24' mode and add unnecessary exposition that comes across unnatural, e.g., Saul and Estes recapping last season Carrie to each other.

I still don't think Danny is the mole, even though I have nothing to go by except gut. I'm still pulling for Lie Detector guy.

Edited by Tandemonium, Oct 1, 2012 @ 6:50 AM.

[fashionista79]

I am so glad this show is back! I was speaking with a cousin Saturday night, and I kept telling him that he needs to watch, it's so good.

Well, we finally know the identity of the mole. And we got it without any of the heavy-handedness that other shows would have thrown at us. Great to have Homeland back!

I thought I read, perhaps in the old, catch all thread, that the show was doing away with the mole portion of the story, which would probably mean dropping it like a bad habit and never referring to it again. I really hope that's the case as I found it one of the weaker elements of season one.

It can only be guessed that Season 2 takes place one year later? Or does anyone know the time frame? And interesting to see the show start with an air strike by the Israeli's on the Iranian nuclear sites. I guess in the show the so called "red line" has been crossed now.

I don't know in which month season one was supposed to have ended, but when I was watching last night's episode this morning, I paused at the part when Carrie got her passport stamped in Lebanon. The date stamp read 12 May 2012.

I really liked seeing the struggle that Carrie had trying to get back into the swing of "here's my temporary identity that I need to know backward and forward" and wondering if she was still cut out for it. To have it followed by her quick thinking in the marketplace along with her satisfied smile gave me hope that Carrie hasn't completely lost her mojo.

Regarding Dana, I had some trouble with her last season because I thought she was so sullen that it became annoying to watch her be a smart ass to Jess all the time. That said, I really did like her at her new school and when she helped Brody bury the Quran.

[Inquisitionist]

It can only be guessed that Season 2 takes place one year later?

Articles have said 6 months later, but that doesn't seem to jive with the May, 2012 passport date stamp.

[Princess Louie]

Some thoughts:

Loved the episode, even though it was written and directed by the Contrivance Fairy, particularly when it comes to the Brody family. For example:

1. There's just no way that a first-term congressman would be on the short list for the vice-president slot in the upcoming election. Politicians are a jealous bunch, and Brody's lack of actual POLICY experience (both foreign and domestic policy) is a liability. From what he said last night, Brody was not a good student in high school. This storyline needs a longer arc.

2. I was surprised - but gratified - that Brody didn't lie to Jessica about his conversion to Islam.

3. And I was also glad that she blew up at him over it.

4. Is anyone else surprised that, in addition to having his kids placed in exclusive private schools (Dana's is obviously modeled on Sidwell Friends), that they don't have a new house in a better neighborhood?

5. I really liked post-shock treatment Carrie and I don't think it was appropriate to bring her back in to the spy game - too much risk. But, of course, that is the basis of the show. But IRL, the CIA would never bring back an agent who a) embarrassed the agency; and b) had been recently (6 months) treated for mental illness. I can't recall if Estes knows Carrie is bi-polar, but even if he doesn't know.....I just can't see it. I would have preferred a more slower path to get Carrie back in the spy game.

[Empress1]

I thought the kids changed schools because the new school seemed like a place where a lot of high profile political parents send their kids.

Yeah, I missed if they said Sidwell Friends or if it's just modeled after it, but Sidwell is where Malia and Sasha Obama go, and where Chelsea Clinton went. I think they changed schools for the image and for the networking opportunities. I went to Quaker school for 13 years (not Sidwell) so it's always a trip to see Meeting for Worship on TV. The teachers at my school would have just dragged Dana out, rather than arguing back and forth with her or trying to explain Meeting protocol while Meeting was still going on.

There's just no way that a first-term congressman would be on the short list for the vice-president slot in the upcoming election. Politicians are a jealous bunch, and Brody's lack of actual POLICY experience (both foreign and domestic policy) is a liability. From what he said last night, Brody was not a good student in high school. This storyline needs a longer arc.

Word. I was thinking "Not after Palin!"

I'm still catching up on season 1, but I'm very excited about the show. The Smile was amazing - you could tell Carrie lives for this shit, but was smiling in spite of herself.

[Numb Nut]

Sometimes I feel that the writers slip back into '24' mode and add unnecessary exposition that comes across unnatural, e.g., Saul and Estes recapping last season Carrie to each other.

I kind of expected clunky expo for the first ep (so the show can pull in new viewers and maybe get them to watch Season 1), but, for me, the worst of it was in Brody's office with that Nazir contact woman (name?). Gah. Plus, it was too obvious that she was the contact before she even opened her mouth.

I thought I read, perhaps in the old, catch all thread, that the show was doing away with the mole portion of the story, which would probably mean dropping it like a bad habit and never referring to it again. I really hope that's the case as I found it one of the weaker elements of season one.

I remember reading "and you'll find out who the mole is" in an interview about Season 2, though I can't recall which showrunner said this.

Edited by Numb Nut, Oct 1, 2012 @ 9:11 AM.

[xyzzy]

There's just no way that a first-term congressman would be on the short list for the vice-president slot in the upcoming election. Politicians are a jealous bunch, and Brody's lack of actual POLICY experience (both foreign and domestic policy) is a liability.

I don't think that it's totally unrealistic--the U.S. did elect a president with only one senate term under his belt recently. However, in Brody's particular case, I do agree that he doesn't have enough policy experience to do the job--the party is banking entirely on his rock star status to prop up the campaign.

I was pretty pissed at Jess' ignorant statements about Islam and the throwing of the Qur'an on the floor. I think her reaction and statements were in-character and realistic, but it's a bit disappointing to me that most of the Muslims on the show are terrorists. I'll be interested to see if the "My dad's a Muslim" thing will get back to the VP and how Brody will handle it--will he deny it? I should think so, but his actions aren't always predictable. At least, not to me.

[kiki38]

Regarding the School Change thing: I didn't find it odd, necessarily. I remember reading that the Obama's wanted to send their kids to a public school, but the security it would require would be too disruptive to the other students, and require enhancements not currently in place. Made sense that a congressman, who was once a prisoner, would have some security concerns over his kids when his profile was elevated due to his new job.

The Carrie smile was cherry on the cake.

Brody: Gotta give credit to Lewis on this one - I want to hate Brody, but just can't.

[attica finch]

Once again, I glanced at the clock and was shocked to see three-quarters of the hour had zipped by. Such good pacing.

I'm not sure I'm on board with Jess being The Nagging Wife. All she got to do was preen about being besties with Mrs. VPOTUS, shrew about Dana getting in trouble, and shrew about Brody's religion, with really no space in between. If it were me, I'd need some time to process finding out my hubby had converted without telling me before I could launch into my 'they'd stone my daughter in the stadium' arguments. I'm willing to see what develops, but it's striking me that the writers use Jess as a Mcguffin more than an actual character -- something they're so great at with Brody, Carrie, Carrie's Dad, Saul, and Dana.

I encounter a fair number of women in headscarves in the course of my day, and I always wonder how they get them to 1)stay up; 2)lay flat. And now, after seeing the green number Carrie bought, it makes perfect sense -- many of them are one piece stretchy hoodie-types! Learning something new here, am I.

I remember Zuleikha as Pullo's* second wife in Rome. She's awfully pretty.

I felt bad for Carrie waking up with her brown contacts still in. Ouch! (Do they make colored contact lenses you can sleep in? I don't even know.)

*Speaking of whom, Pullo's on Dexter this year! Whee!

[plunker]

Well, we finally know the identity of the mole. And we got it without any of the heavy-handedness that other shows would have thrown at us. Great to have Homeland back!

Refresh my memory...what is the mole we're looking for?

I don't think it is the guy who pulled Estes out. I think that guy was sincerely reacting to the situation created by the reporter, who is a mole, but maybe not the one we're looking for?

It can only be guessed that Season 2 takes place one year later? Or does anyone know the time frame?

I don't know in which month season one was supposed to have ended, but when I was watching last night's episode this morning, I paused at the part when Carrie got her passport stamped in Lebanon. The date stamp read 12 May 2012.

I figured six months to a year because that is the time I'd guess it would take to fill that Virginia House seat. I can't find the rules in VA to do so. Some states have a 180 day timeframe for a special election.

There's just no way that a first-term congressman would be on the short list for the vice-president slot in the upcoming election. Politicians are a jealous bunch, and Brody's lack of actual POLICY experience (both foreign and domestic policy) is a liability. From what he said last night, Brody was not a good student in high school. This storyline needs a longer arc.

I'm curious if he is dyslexic or something. But never say never about the nomination. Politics makes strange bedfellows. Lots of people with relatively little experience at that level are in the hunt for the VP.

Is anyone else surprised that, in addition to having his kids placed in exclusive private schools (Dana's is obviously modeled on Sidwell Friends), that they don't have a new house in a better neighborhood?

No, because schools can be about connections and placement. Getting up and moving is a whole different thing. Plus it wouldn't look good from a political standpoint for the Congressman. And he probably wants to stay in the district anyways.

My guess is the VP nomination and the "my dad is a Muslim" will intersect later in the year.

[Mars477]

I don't think that it's totally unrealistic--the U.S. did elect a president with only one senate term under his belt recently. However, in Brody's particular case, I do agree that he doesn't have enough policy experience to do the job--the party is banking entirely on his rock star status to prop up the campaign.

Didn't they all but explicitly say this? Brody mentions that his being put on the shortlist is just a PR stunt to get people excited about the VP's campaign.

[CaseStudy]

I think people get too caught up in realism when it comes to this show. It's just as innately ridiculous as a 24 or Breaking Bad. What's important is that the contrivances don't overwhelm the plot, and that the show keeps it real when it comes to the character drama. The reason the Issa backstory didn't ring true was because I didn't buy that Brody would be willing to leave his family with so much shame based purely on a kid that he hung out with for a few years got killed. That was a problem with the character drama. Ultimately, this is a thriller, and things will be contrived and things will be sped up. That's the nature of the genre. It just can't get too silly or overly coincidental. The writers also have to be smart with how long they drag out certain story points.

Overall, it was a passable premiere. The confrontation between Brody and Jessica, Dana and Brody burying the koran and Carrie's smile are some of the best moments from the series. There was a bit of a 24 vibe, which worked here, but I hope we don't see much of it.

Edited by CaseStudy, Oct 1, 2012 @ 10:48 AM.

[Scrb]

It's still a stretch that the informant would only talk to Carrie. And it's someone in Lebanon who knows about the plans of some jihadist group?

Also in this parallel universe, Israel is bombing with impunity? Oil prices would be going crazy and while Iran and Abu Nazir may want to hit the US, it would be much easier for them to target Israeli interests. But they wouldn't have to commit any terrorism to make global markets panic.

Of course, in this world, the terrorists have highly-placed moles in the CIA and in Congress, so why not?

No matter how well the drama is enacted (did Homeland win a writing Emmy?), the plot is stretching credulity again. 24 started out well-received too, but as they went on, they seemed to have to raise the stakes more and more, to try to hold the viewers, so there were terrorist nukes and biological weapons unleashed on the US.