The usage of the polygraph in "The Good Soldier" is very unsettling and leaves a multitude of questions that need to be answered. The first major, and perhaps most important, polygraph incident is Saul flubbing the first test when asked whether he slipped razor. This could indicate a lot of things. The most obvious would be Saul as the mole. But if he were truly this good of a mole, would he have failed so easily the first time and passed the second? Then again, if he was the mole, he did get away unscathed. Another thought is that the writers used Saul as a benchmark before Brody's test, to show that the test can go in any which direction depending on the disposition of the subject. If Saul can have different answers at different times with different results, then so can Brody.
Carrie and Brody hook up in the episode, and it's fairly interesting. They seem completely at ease with each other, and Brody certainly has no problem performing with Carrie as he does with Jessica. Carrie's behavior stays consistent, though. She's able to instantly disconnect from the sex, using it as a tool. It seems like she blew her cover at the end of the episode, asking about Brody cheating on his wife, leading to Brody telling her to get in his car at the end of the episode. Will he know?
Despite Brody passing the test, all signs still point to him being a sleeper. We're reminded during the service for Walker that Brody, in fact, beat Walker to death. Then, Brody gets through the polygraph--including the question about cheating on his wife which he obviously just did with Carrie.
The people outside of Carie's immediate life continue to have short lifespans. Faisel and Aileen have barely been introduced and now Faisel is dead, killed by their handlers. We get to see how scared Faisel is and how Aileen was the original terrorist, but not enough time was spent on them to really build anything. Still, I'm not sure I would like more time spent on these other plots. Carrie being the central pillar of the show works very, very well, and disruption to that may not beneficial.
Score: 8.9/10
Showing posts with label Homeland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Homeland. Show all posts
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Review - Homeland Season 1 Episode 5 Blind Spot
Wow, another impressive episode of Homeland. While The Walking Dead hasn't exactly lived up to be a worthy replacement for Breaking Bad on Sunday nights, Homeland has filled the role nicely. The show has also been renewed for a second season, so we'll be seeing a lot more episodes before it's all over.
"Blind Spot" takes a great focus on the intelligence world than the previous episodes, which maintained healthy splits between the Brody family and the intelligence, and it's thrilling from beginning to end. A prisoner, one of Brody's guards, arrives from Pakistan, and Carrie and Saul are given the opportunity to investigate themselves. Once again, it's fascinating to stare at the characters' faces, trying to see their reactions, trying to figure out what's going on behind the stoic faces.
Eventually, the shit hits the fan, and it's a wonderful moment. The prisoner is dead from suicide by razor and professor, whose email is the one provided by the prisoner, is nowhere to be found. The viewer--and Carrie--instantly realizes it was Brody.
But there's little Saul and Carrie can do about it. Brody was so meticulous that he transfered the razor in the blind spot of the camera. So Saul doesn't want to do anything and lets Carrie go on her own and make her wild claims. In the final act, Saul is dealt two devastating blows as firsthis wife tells him she wants to put down her own roots--go back to India to run her parents' slums project--and then Carrie shows up and after he tells her he doesn't want to make the Brody thing official, she berates him, calling him a pussy to his face.
While Saul and Carrie have proven to be competent with their jobs, David Estes has been mediocre and drops the ball in this episode. David plays the befuddled CIA superior, representative of those at the CIA who missed 9/11. He's not actively trying to hurt anyone, but he's just has other priorities--like appeasing a hero like Brody.
Score: 9.5/10
There seems to be some opinions floating around on the internet that Saul is the mole, opinions partially motivated by Saul "speaking in Arabic" while he was actually speaking Hebrew. And Saul hasn't shown any signs of being a mole yet. The writers haven't followed the 24 format at all and I don't think they'll do it in the future.
"Blind Spot" takes a great focus on the intelligence world than the previous episodes, which maintained healthy splits between the Brody family and the intelligence, and it's thrilling from beginning to end. A prisoner, one of Brody's guards, arrives from Pakistan, and Carrie and Saul are given the opportunity to investigate themselves. Once again, it's fascinating to stare at the characters' faces, trying to see their reactions, trying to figure out what's going on behind the stoic faces.
Eventually, the shit hits the fan, and it's a wonderful moment. The prisoner is dead from suicide by razor and professor, whose email is the one provided by the prisoner, is nowhere to be found. The viewer--and Carrie--instantly realizes it was Brody.
But there's little Saul and Carrie can do about it. Brody was so meticulous that he transfered the razor in the blind spot of the camera. So Saul doesn't want to do anything and lets Carrie go on her own and make her wild claims. In the final act, Saul is dealt two devastating blows as firsthis wife tells him she wants to put down her own roots--go back to India to run her parents' slums project--and then Carrie shows up and after he tells her he doesn't want to make the Brody thing official, she berates him, calling him a pussy to his face.
While Saul and Carrie have proven to be competent with their jobs, David Estes has been mediocre and drops the ball in this episode. David plays the befuddled CIA superior, representative of those at the CIA who missed 9/11. He's not actively trying to hurt anyone, but he's just has other priorities--like appeasing a hero like Brody.
Score: 9.5/10
There seems to be some opinions floating around on the internet that Saul is the mole, opinions partially motivated by Saul "speaking in Arabic" while he was actually speaking Hebrew. And Saul hasn't shown any signs of being a mole yet. The writers haven't followed the 24 format at all and I don't think they'll do it in the future.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Review - Homeland Season 1 Episode 4 Semper I
After four episodes, I'm ready to declare Homeland to be the best new show of the season--nothing even comes close. Carrie's scene with Brody at the end of the episode is quite fascinating. She spends the episode lamenting the loss of her surveillance after following Brody for weeks, and now she actively finds him out to insert herself into his life. Following with her history of sexual behavior with David and her advances on Saul, it's hard not to think something will happen between her and Brody. It brings into question her state of mind, whether she can control the crazy when with him.
Since her warrant on Brody expired, Carrie moves on and actually tails the professor for a while. When we think she's going to stumble on something big, however, there's an awesome twist in which the professor's wife gets a call telling her to ward the professor away from the house. She quickly puts an American flag outside the window and the prof drives past and to his listed address.
In the Brody household, the turmoil comes to the top when Brody shoots a deer with people at their home. After acting weird the entire episode, Brody really goes over the top and we have to wonder exactly how clearly he's thinking. If he has been turned, is it a conscience decision?
Score: 9.2/10
Since her warrant on Brody expired, Carrie moves on and actually tails the professor for a while. When we think she's going to stumble on something big, however, there's an awesome twist in which the professor's wife gets a call telling her to ward the professor away from the house. She quickly puts an American flag outside the window and the prof drives past and to his listed address.
In the Brody household, the turmoil comes to the top when Brody shoots a deer with people at their home. After acting weird the entire episode, Brody really goes over the top and we have to wonder exactly how clearly he's thinking. If he has been turned, is it a conscience decision?
Score: 9.2/10
Monday, October 17, 2011
Review - Homeland Season 1 Episode 3 Clear Skin
After last week's episode, most people could have expected Lynne to die at some time during the season, as she couldn't be undercover forever and not get caught/leave. The writers one-up this by killing her off before this week's episode is even over, a twist that showed what was at stakes and propelled then show forward narratively. Through the course of the episode, we actually get a good look at Lynne and Carrie, and Lynne's death isn't a flippant killing as one may expect. Carrie cares about her job and she cares about Lynne. For Lynne to die so abruptly is a big deal and the viewers can feel that.
Alongside the spy story, Brody and his family remain very interesting, with the normal home life punctuated by odd behavior from Brody. We can see that there is something off with Brody, but besides from the more explicit flashbacks, we don't really know what's up with him. On top of that, Jessica is now trapped between her past and present--what she had with Mike and now her husband being miraculously alive.
Score: 9.2/10
Alongside the spy story, Brody and his family remain very interesting, with the normal home life punctuated by odd behavior from Brody. We can see that there is something off with Brody, but besides from the more explicit flashbacks, we don't really know what's up with him. On top of that, Jessica is now trapped between her past and present--what she had with Mike and now her husband being miraculously alive.
Score: 9.2/10
Review - Pan Am Season 1 Episode 4 Eastern Exposure
The backstory of Colette in last week's episode worked great, because it fit with the context of the episode. They stopped in Berlin, giving her a flood of childhood memories, so the focus on her seems entirely appropriate in the context. And since she was already a likable character, it only reinforced our feelings about her.
The writers try to emulate this in "Clear Skin," but it's not the same situation and it ends up not being as good. For starters, Ted (and the other male characters, for that matter) hasn't been a very good character thus far, and "Clear Skin" doesn't really change that. We get his backstory--how he was a Navy pilot and wanted to be an astronaut, how his father allowed him to be booted out for a defense contract--proceeded on the fact that Ted is mad at Dean for being younger than he is. It's fine material, but nowhere near as compelling as Colette's story.
The other plots this week were very weak, with Kate trying to do her spy business while Laura almost ruins things. It leads to a big argument between them, but it's kind of meaningless since Kate is hiding so much from Laura. Kate can't say what she really wants to say, so their conversation isn't exactly what they're feeling. The traveling to Rangoon and Jarkarta plot was very generic--exotic locale, etc.
Score: 8./10
The writers try to emulate this in "Clear Skin," but it's not the same situation and it ends up not being as good. For starters, Ted (and the other male characters, for that matter) hasn't been a very good character thus far, and "Clear Skin" doesn't really change that. We get his backstory--how he was a Navy pilot and wanted to be an astronaut, how his father allowed him to be booted out for a defense contract--proceeded on the fact that Ted is mad at Dean for being younger than he is. It's fine material, but nowhere near as compelling as Colette's story.
The other plots this week were very weak, with Kate trying to do her spy business while Laura almost ruins things. It leads to a big argument between them, but it's kind of meaningless since Kate is hiding so much from Laura. Kate can't say what she really wants to say, so their conversation isn't exactly what they're feeling. The traveling to Rangoon and Jarkarta plot was very generic--exotic locale, etc.
Score: 8./10
Monday, October 10, 2011
Review - Homeland Season 1 Episode 2 Grace
There aren't any huge, game-changing developments in "Grace," but the episode proves that there doesn't really have to be any each week. The second episode maintains the same atmosphere of the pilot, that constricting feeling of each scene as the characters go about their business. We definitely know something is up with them--Carrie going to her sister for pills, Brody praying to Mecca and then going out in his uniform--but these events serve to reinforce the tone rather than hurriedly advance the story.
The biggest plot development was the introduction of Lynne, a member of a prince's harem who is also one of Carrie's assets. There's obviously something sheevy going on since it is a harem, but Lynne also takes a picture of the prince with Abu Nazir, the man Carrie's been looking for for years and the one who potentially turned Brody. As with most television asset-handler relationships, this one probably won't end well.
Score: 9.0/10
The biggest plot development was the introduction of Lynne, a member of a prince's harem who is also one of Carrie's assets. There's obviously something sheevy going on since it is a harem, but Lynne also takes a picture of the prince with Abu Nazir, the man Carrie's been looking for for years and the one who potentially turned Brody. As with most television asset-handler relationships, this one probably won't end well.
Score: 9.0/10
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Review - Homeland Season 1 Episode 1 Pilot
Of all the pilots this fall, Homeland is the most solid and well-rounded. That may be understating it a bit. Every aspect of the show is not only solid but also strong. Starting with the acting by Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison and Damian Lewis as Nicholas Brody, there are hardly any weaknesses to the pilot. Danes and Lewis are both superb in the numerous silent scenes, saying nothing but expressing plenty.
This idea of silence works brilliantly with the show's premise. People can say things, tell everyone how they are fine, but it may all be lies. In the silent moments, however, when no one is there, something comes out that cannot be obscured. Carrie bugs Brody's house and proceeds to examine what he says and does. Later, she interrogates him but gets nothing useful. After, she catches him in a series of lies only to realize he isn't up to anything--yet. What ultimately tips her off is what he's doing with his hands while on television, signaling something to the world. One need not express their intent to commit terrorism for terrorism to occur.
And as Carrie looks at Brody through hazy, illegal cameras, the audience sees Carrie in all her weaknesses through the lens of the television. Carrie is not the typical protagonist. She has many problems and she comes off a little devious as we see her jump to sex both with her boss (through his suggestion she broke his marriage) and with Saul. While Carrie is aware of her problems, her mood swings can quickly override her better judgment. Danes shines in these moments, and we immediately see Carrie on the edge, not quite right, but also trying to hang on.
The other side of Homeland is Brody's family, and while it's nowhere near exciting as Carrie digging into Brody's activities, Morena Baccarin plays her role as Brody's wife well. Love triangles are a well-worn television trope, but in the context of a soldier returning home after 8 years, it fits perfectly.
Built into Homeland's premise is an exploration into the post-9/11 intelligence world. There is overstep of civil liberties, of course, but also more ambiguous questions throughout the episode. This paranoia taken on by Carrie reflects the haziness of identity in this age. She questions who Brody is--whether he is still the same person he is--and at the same time, the viewer has to question who Carrie is--whether her psychological condition has thrown her off the edge and whether we can trust her judgment. These two different people--the man imprisoned for years and woman who missed the signs of 9/11--share the same murkiness that drives the show ahead.
Score: 9.4/10
This idea of silence works brilliantly with the show's premise. People can say things, tell everyone how they are fine, but it may all be lies. In the silent moments, however, when no one is there, something comes out that cannot be obscured. Carrie bugs Brody's house and proceeds to examine what he says and does. Later, she interrogates him but gets nothing useful. After, she catches him in a series of lies only to realize he isn't up to anything--yet. What ultimately tips her off is what he's doing with his hands while on television, signaling something to the world. One need not express their intent to commit terrorism for terrorism to occur.
And as Carrie looks at Brody through hazy, illegal cameras, the audience sees Carrie in all her weaknesses through the lens of the television. Carrie is not the typical protagonist. She has many problems and she comes off a little devious as we see her jump to sex both with her boss (through his suggestion she broke his marriage) and with Saul. While Carrie is aware of her problems, her mood swings can quickly override her better judgment. Danes shines in these moments, and we immediately see Carrie on the edge, not quite right, but also trying to hang on.
The other side of Homeland is Brody's family, and while it's nowhere near exciting as Carrie digging into Brody's activities, Morena Baccarin plays her role as Brody's wife well. Love triangles are a well-worn television trope, but in the context of a soldier returning home after 8 years, it fits perfectly.
Built into Homeland's premise is an exploration into the post-9/11 intelligence world. There is overstep of civil liberties, of course, but also more ambiguous questions throughout the episode. This paranoia taken on by Carrie reflects the haziness of identity in this age. She questions who Brody is--whether he is still the same person he is--and at the same time, the viewer has to question who Carrie is--whether her psychological condition has thrown her off the edge and whether we can trust her judgment. These two different people--the man imprisoned for years and woman who missed the signs of 9/11--share the same murkiness that drives the show ahead.
Score: 9.4/10
