Homeland (1 Viewer)

[Raider Nation]

Spoiler

Carrie makes a weird face tonight.

Spoiler

The daughter crosses her arms (which are encased in overlong sweatshirt sleeves) and looks like she's trying to poop while doing algebra in her head.

Scroll back to the first couple of pages of this thread.Hated her since Day 1

 

[Raider Nation]

Was I the only one who didnt know who's apartment Virgil was checking out? If so what did I miss?

In the scene immediately after the apartment scene, Saul told the guys who'd checked it out: "When I told you to check out Quinn, I didn't mean to break into his apartment." (Or something like that.) Then they showed him the pics of what they'd found.

This show jumps around so much, it's important to watch the "Previously on" at the beginning of the show.They showed Carrie asking sideburns to check Quinn out.

 

[Officer Pete Malloy]

The son has to be the biggest dope on television, right? "Hey everybody! BIG SCREEN IN EVERY ROOM!"

I worry that this show has already gone on too long. Maybe it was meant to go 1-1.5 seasons. I don't think it can sustain for 4-5.

I love how he and the daughter seem to have no relationship whatsoever and that he's wholly uninterested in her demonstratively crumbling mental state. Nevermind the fact that the CIA has moved us to a safe house because very dangerous people might want us dead OMG DID YOU SEE THESE TVs DUDE??? You can show them trying to shelter him from the full weight of what's going on without making him look like a character from some altogether different show.And this show will go on for years past its shelf-life. See: Weeds, Californication, and Dexter. Showtime is the anti-HBO.

This reminds me of the relationship between the brother and the sister.

 

[sporthenry]

The son has to be the biggest dope on television, right? "Hey everybody! BIG SCREEN IN EVERY ROOM!"

I worry that this show has already gone on too long. Maybe it was meant to go 1-1.5 seasons. I don't think it can sustain for 4-5.

I love how he and the daughter seem to have no relationship whatsoever and that he's wholly uninterested in her demonstratively crumbling mental state. Nevermind the fact that the CIA has moved us to a safe house because very dangerous people might want us dead OMG DID YOU SEE THESE TVs DUDE??? You can show them trying to shelter him from the full weight of what's going on without making him look like a character from some altogether different show.And this show will go on for years past its shelf-life. See: Weeds, Californication, and Dexter. Showtime is the anti-HBO.

You are right, though I'm glad Dexter hung around this long. This season's worth it. Weeds actually finished strong too, I thought. Don't know if anybody watched it by then though.Californication can stay as long as they like, if Charlie Runkle is still around.

Don't know a ton about most HBO shows (other than Wire, Deadwood, 6FU), but didn't Entourage stick around way too long?

I also suspect The Wire and Deadwood might've ended up hanging around too long if people had actually watched them.

Very good point about Entourage but Californication is almost insufferable. They got rid of the boobs and once he started writing, it stopped becoming funny.

 

[Apple Jack]

Entourage is definitely the exception to the rule at HBO. It caught on with the Paris Hiltons and Jersey Shore contingent, so they'd have been foolish to cancel it. But the list of great shows they cancelled early is lengthy. Rome, Deadwood, Luck, In Treatment, and Carnivale, for starters.

 

[pollardsvision]

The son has to be the biggest dope on television, right? "Hey everybody! BIG SCREEN IN EVERY ROOM!"

I worry that this show has already gone on too long. Maybe it was meant to go 1-1.5 seasons. I don't think it can sustain for 4-5.

I love how he and the daughter seem to have no relationship whatsoever and that he's wholly uninterested in her demonstratively crumbling mental state. Nevermind the fact that the CIA has moved us to a safe house because very dangerous people might want us dead OMG DID YOU SEE THESE TVs DUDE??? You can show them trying to shelter him from the full weight of what's going on without making him look like a character from some altogether different show.And this show will go on for years past its shelf-life. See: Weeds, Californication, and Dexter. Showtime is the anti-HBO.

You are right, though I'm glad Dexter hung around this long. This season's worth it. Weeds actually finished strong too, I thought. Don't know if anybody watched it by then though.Californication can stay as long as they like, if Charlie Runkle is still around.

Don't know a ton about most HBO shows (other than Wire, Deadwood, 6FU), but didn't Entourage stick around way too long?

I also suspect The Wire and Deadwood might've ended up hanging around too long if people had actually watched them.

Very good point about Entourage but Californication is almost insufferable. They got rid of the boobs and once he started writing, it stopped becoming funny.

I certainly won't argue that. I'll always endure it for Charlie Runkle though. Marcy too.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

I will say this. F. Murray Abraham is the teats. I'd watch him do the Broadway version of "According to Jim".

if there are a lot of scenes with him and mandy patinkin, the next few episodes will be extra teats!

 

[shadyridr]

Agree on the son. Me and my wife call him Mr Oblivious. HEY DAD! UNCLE MIKE MADE OMLETS AND SHTUPPED MOMMY!

 

[Michael Brown]

This thread blows. Why are people watching and posting about a show that they think is terrible? Kinda ruins it for those of us who still like the TELEVISION SHOW and realize it's not a documentary about the CIA.

 

[Apple Jack]

This thread blows. Why are people watching and posting about a show that they think is terrible? Kinda ruins it for those of us who still like the TELEVISION SHOW and realize it's not a documentary about the CIA.

Because those of us who like shows with good writing and acting with producers who push good writing and acting were victims of a bait and switch? You should be alright to go full YAY next season without much resistance.

 

[biggamer3]

The show has gone a bit off the rails from season one, but it's still a damn good show

 

[EYLive]

This thread blows. Why are people watching and posting about a show that they think is terrible? Kinda ruins it for those of us who still like the TELEVISION SHOW and realize it's not a documentary about the CIA.

Because no one wants to talk about Mad Men, so certain trolls come here to fish people and pat themselves on the back for being so darn clever.

 

[EYLive]

This thread blows. Why are people watching and posting about a show that they think is terrible? Kinda ruins it for those of us who still like the TELEVISION SHOW and realize it's not a documentary about the CIA.

Because those of us who like shows with good writing and acting with producers who push good writing and acting were victims of a bait and switch? You should be alright to go full YAY next season without much resistance.

Victim. Poor you. Maybe if you cry loud enough your mom will pull her boob out for ya.

 

[CletiusMaximus]

The son has to be the biggest dope on television, right? "Hey everybody! BIG SCREEN IN EVERY ROOM!"

I worry that this show has already gone on too long. Maybe it was meant to go 1-1.5 seasons. I don't think it can sustain for 4-5.

I love how he and the daughter seem to have no relationship whatsoever and that he's wholly uninterested in her demonstratively crumbling mental state. Nevermind the fact that the CIA has moved us to a safe house because very dangerous people might want us dead OMG DID YOU SEE THESE TVs DUDE??? You can show them trying to shelter him from the full weight of what's going on without making him look like a character from some altogether different show.And this show will go on for years past its shelf-life. See: Weeds, Californication, and Dexter. Showtime is the anti-HBO.

HBO shows (other than Deadwood) are all guilty of the same. People forget how badly shows like Sopranos, 6-feet, Larry David, etc. all dragged us miserably through seasons and plot lines that went nowhere, with uninspired writing and acting. All the good ones reach to extend their story lines when they get successful, its the nature of the beast.

 

[fatguyinalittlecoat]

HBO shows (other than Deadwood) are all guilty of the same. People forget how badly shows like Sopranos, 6-feet, Larry David, etc. all dragged us miserably through seasons and plot lines that went nowhere, with uninspired writing and acting. All the good ones reach to extend their story lines when they get successful, its the nature of the beast.

Sure, no show is perfect, but some are less perfect than others. Homeland is only in the middle of Season 2. That's around when a lot of great shows hit their peak. Sopranos and Breaking Bad and Six Feet Under were all awesome in season 2. Even shows like Weeds and Lost that eventually became terrible were still good at this point in their run. If Homeland is already starting to suck at this point that's a really bad sign. I know not everyone agrees that the show sucks.

 

[Michael Brown]

HBO shows (other than Deadwood) are all guilty of the same. People forget how badly shows like Sopranos, 6-feet, Larry David, etc. all dragged us miserably through seasons and plot lines that went nowhere, with uninspired writing and acting. All the good ones reach to extend their story lines when they get successful, its the nature of the beast.

Sure, no show is perfect, but some are less perfect than others. Homeland is only in the middle of Season 2. That's around when a lot of great shows hit their peak. Sopranos and Breaking Bad and Six Feet Under were all awesome in season 2. Even shows like Weeds and Lost that eventually became terrible were still good at this point in their run. If Homeland is already starting to suck at this point that's a really bad sign. I know not everyone agrees that the show sucks.

The worst season of The Wire was arguably Season 2 and then recovered to have 2 of the best seasons of TV ever made, and Breaking Bad didn't really hit stride until S3 (though it can be argued that the worst of BB is better than the best of just about anything else).I just think a lot of the people commenting about the realism need to realize it's a show about a marine who became an al-qaeda holy warrior. You probably should've known what you were getting into from episode 1.

 

[Apple Jack]

The son has to be the biggest dope on television, right? "Hey everybody! BIG SCREEN IN EVERY ROOM!"

I worry that this show has already gone on too long. Maybe it was meant to go 1-1.5 seasons. I don't think it can sustain for 4-5.

I love how he and the daughter seem to have no relationship whatsoever and that he's wholly uninterested in her demonstratively crumbling mental state. Nevermind the fact that the CIA has moved us to a safe house because very dangerous people might want us dead OMG DID YOU SEE THESE TVs DUDE??? You can show them trying to shelter him from the full weight of what's going on without making him look like a character from some altogether different show.And this show will go on for years past its shelf-life. See: Weeds, Californication, and Dexter. Showtime is the anti-HBO.

HBO shows (other than Deadwood) are all guilty of the same. People forget how badly shows like Sopranos, 6-feet, Larry David, etc. all dragged us miserably through seasons and plot lines that went nowhere, with uninspired writing and acting. All the good ones reach to extend their story lines when they get successful, its the nature of the beast.

Have you even watched any HBO shows? Six Feet Under and Curb Your Enthusiasm's later seasons are arguably the best of the series. No show in history has wrapped better than SFU. And the last season of the Sopranos, both parts, are unfairly given a bad rap, due in part to the hype and wait. I think five is worse than six. Whatever the case, none of the shows you've mentioned have come anywhere near approaching the ridiculousness of the Showtime shows.And season two of the Wire is as good as any season of television.

 

[CletiusMaximus]

The son has to be the biggest dope on television, right? "Hey everybody! BIG SCREEN IN EVERY ROOM!"

I worry that this show has already gone on too long. Maybe it was meant to go 1-1.5 seasons. I don't think it can sustain for 4-5.

I love how he and the daughter seem to have no relationship whatsoever and that he's wholly uninterested in her demonstratively crumbling mental state. Nevermind the fact that the CIA has moved us to a safe house because very dangerous people might want us dead OMG DID YOU SEE THESE TVs DUDE??? You can show them trying to shelter him from the full weight of what's going on without making him look like a character from some altogether different show.And this show will go on for years past its shelf-life. See: Weeds, Californication, and Dexter. Showtime is the anti-HBO.

HBO shows (other than Deadwood) are all guilty of the same. People forget how badly shows like Sopranos, 6-feet, Larry David, etc. all dragged us miserably through seasons and plot lines that went nowhere, with uninspired writing and acting. All the good ones reach to extend their story lines when they get successful, its the nature of the beast.

Have you even watched any HBO shows? Six Feet Under and Curb Your Enthusiasm's later seasons are arguably the best of the series. No show in history has wrapped better than SFU. And the last season of the Sopranos, both parts, are unfairly given a bad rap, due in part to the hype and wait. I think five is worse than six. Whatever the case, none of the shows you've mentioned have come anywhere near approaching the ridiculousness of the Showtime shows.And season two of the Wire is as good as any season of television.

Sopranos, SFU and Curb all wrapped up nicely, but all three slogged through some aimless seasons before getting to the end. I'm not putting Homeland in the same ballpark as those shows by any means, just disagreeing with your statement that HBO is immune to this phenomenon. Even Sex/City was a very good show for 2 seasons before it became unwatchable, but they extended it for almost a decade, made some movies, made several careers for terrible actors and probably made a small fortune along the way. The Wire is an anomaly, maintaing consistently high quality over 5 or more seasons.

 

[Mario Kart]

Maybe it seems unreal because none of us have ever walked in the shoes of an American turned POW turned terrorist turned family man turned congressman turned (fill in blank here).

Then again, it seems like some nay sayers on the board would like to write something perfect with no holes and all the realism in the world. Whatever.

If it is not your cup of tea, then turn it off.

 

[fatguyinalittlecoat]

Even Sex/City was a very good show for 2 seasons

Oof.

 

[TobiasFunke]

HBO shows (other than Deadwood) are all guilty of the same. People forget how badly shows like Sopranos, 6-feet, Larry David, etc. all dragged us miserably through seasons and plot lines that went nowhere, with uninspired writing and acting. All the good ones reach to extend their story lines when they get successful, its the nature of the beast.

Sure, no show is perfect, but some are less perfect than others. Homeland is only in the middle of Season 2. That's around when a lot of great shows hit their peak. Sopranos and Breaking Bad and Six Feet Under were all awesome in season 2. Even shows like Weeds and Lost that eventually became terrible were still good at this point in their run. If Homeland is already starting to suck at this point that's a really bad sign. I know not everyone agrees that the show sucks.

The worst season of The Wire was arguably Season 2 and then recovered to have 2 of the best seasons of TV ever made, and Breaking Bad didn't really hit stride until S3 (though it can be argued that the worst of BB is better than the best of just about anything else).I just think a lot of the people commenting about the realism need to realize it's a show about a marine who became an al-qaeda holy warrior. You probably should've known what you were getting into from episode 1.

There are two different issues when it comes to the debate over the show being "realistic." There's things that are remarkable/bordering on unrealistic, and there is the impossible/impossibly convenient.Most people are willing to suspend disbelief, even with respect to the show's premise, to enjoy a show. After all if it wasn't about something unusual or incredible, why tell the story on TV in the first place? Nobody would watch a show that accurately depicts covert operations in real time. So that's cool, we're all willingly on board with telling a far-fetched story for entertainment purposes.But they're not willing to accept the impossible or the impossibly convenient or coincidental because that is mostly just the product of bad/lazy writing. That's a totally different thing. The text sent from a war room to save Abu Nazir's life is the first thing that comes to mind here, obviously. Or having the terrorist organization eagerly bring Brody back into the fray even though anyone in their shoes would be far more careful and suspicious, simply because they need him to convince the Vice-President to allow a particular camera crew to cover the event. That's not the writers telling an amazing, hard to believe story. It's the writers needing to get from A to B and not coming up with a good way to do it.I still enjoy the show, although not as much as before. It's a fun hour of TV. But the criticisms of the holes in the story are totally fair.

 

[(HULK)]

The son has to be the biggest dope on television, right? "Hey everybody! BIG SCREEN IN EVERY ROOM!"

I worry that this show has already gone on too long. Maybe it was meant to go 1-1.5 seasons. I don't think it can sustain for 4-5.

I love how he and the daughter seem to have no relationship whatsoever and that he's wholly uninterested in her demonstratively crumbling mental state. Nevermind the fact that the CIA has moved us to a safe house because very dangerous people might want us dead OMG DID YOU SEE THESE TVs DUDE??? You can show them trying to shelter him from the full weight of what's going on without making him look like a character from some altogether different show.And this show will go on for years past its shelf-life. See: Weeds, Californication, and Dexter. Showtime is the anti-HBO.

HBO shows (other than Deadwood) are all guilty of the same. People forget how badly shows like Sopranos, 6-feet, Larry David, etc. all dragged us miserably through seasons and plot lines that went nowhere, with uninspired writing and acting. All the good ones reach to extend their story lines when they get successful, its the nature of the beast.

Have you even watched any HBO shows? Six Feet Under and Curb Your Enthusiasm's later seasons are arguably the best of the series. No show in history has wrapped better than SFU. And the last season of the Sopranos, both parts, are unfairly given a bad rap, due in part to the hype and wait. I think five is worse than six. Whatever the case, none of the shows you've mentioned have come anywhere near approaching the ridiculousness of the Showtime shows.And season two of the Wire is as good as any season of television.

Sopranos, SFU and Curb all wrapped up nicely, but all three slogged through some aimless seasons before getting to the end. I'm not putting Homeland in the same ballpark as those shows by any means, just disagreeing with your statement that HBO is immune to this phenomenon. Even Sex/City was a very good show for 2 seasons before it became unwatchable, but they extended it for almost a decade, made some movies, made several careers for terrible actors and probably made a small fortune along the way. The Wire is an anomaly, maintaing consistently high quality over 5 or more seasons.

I thought Curb will be back. It better be. Show is awesome. Larry David is just capable of being funny in ways no one else manages to do well. There was an episode a season or two back where he spends 5 minutes trying to open the plastic wrapping on something, and I was dying laughing. He turns the mundane into mirth. Guy is awesome.

 

[Officer Pete Malloy]

This thread blows. Why are people watching and posting about a show that they think is terrible? Kinda ruins it for those of us who still like the TELEVISION SHOW and realize it's not a documentary about the CIA.

Because no one wants to talk about Mad Men, so certain trolls come here to fish people and pat themselves on the back for being so darn clever.

You think somebody who posts an honest and insightful critique of the show is a "troll" or is "fishing"? And I'll talk all day about Mad Men if you want.

 

[pollardsvision]

I think they are having a great season. Not perfect, but as good as S1, which is quite a feat.

I think there's some Emmy backlash going on. It didn't deserve Best Drama, but it's still great.

 

[Officer Pete Malloy]

HBO shows (other than Deadwood) are all guilty of the same. People forget how badly shows like Sopranos, 6-feet, Larry David, etc. all dragged us miserably through seasons and plot lines that went nowhere, with uninspired writing and acting. All the good ones reach to extend their story lines when they get successful, its the nature of the beast.

Sure, no show is perfect, but some are less perfect than others. Homeland is only in the middle of Season 2. That's around when a lot of great shows hit their peak. Sopranos and Breaking Bad and Six Feet Under were all awesome in season 2. Even shows like Weeds and Lost that eventually became terrible were still good at this point in their run. If Homeland is already starting to suck at this point that's a really bad sign. I know not everyone agrees that the show sucks.

The worst season of The Wire was arguably Season 2 and then recovered to have 2 of the best seasons of TV ever made, and Breaking Bad didn't really hit stride until S3 (though it can be argued that the worst of BB is better than the best of just about anything else).I just think a lot of the people commenting about the realism need to realize it's a show about a marine who became an al-qaeda holy warrior. You probably should've known what you were getting into from episode 1.

Just because the premise of the show is slightly unrealistic (which it really isn't) doesn't mean the writers can get sloppy.

"Did you see 'Breaking Bad' last night? Walt Jr can walk now thanks to some herbal medicine? What are the writers thinking?"

"You do realize that it's a show about a mild-mannered high school teacher who becomes a cold-blooded drug lord. You should have known what you were getting into from episode 1".

 

[YSR]

HBO shows (other than Deadwood) are all guilty of the same. People forget how badly shows like Sopranos, 6-feet, Larry David, etc. all dragged us miserably through seasons and plot lines that went nowhere, with uninspired writing and acting. All the good ones reach to extend their story lines when they get successful, its the nature of the beast.

Sure, no show is perfect, but some are less perfect than others. Homeland is only in the middle of Season 2. That's around when a lot of great shows hit their peak. Sopranos and Breaking Bad and Six Feet Under were all awesome in season 2. Even shows like Weeds and Lost that eventually became terrible were still good at this point in their run. If Homeland is already starting to suck at this point that's a really bad sign. I know not everyone agrees that the show sucks.

The worst season of The Wire was arguably Season 2 and then recovered to have 2 of the best seasons of TV ever made, and Breaking Bad didn't really hit stride until S3 (though it can be argued that the worst of BB is better than the best of just about anything else).I just think a lot of the people commenting about the realism need to realize it's a show about a marine who became an al-qaeda holy warrior. You probably should've known what you were getting into from episode 1.

Just because the premise of the show is slightly unrealistic (which it really isn't) doesn't mean the writers can get sloppy.

"Did you see 'Breaking Bad' last night? Walt Jr can walk now thanks to some herbal medicine? What are the writers thinking?"

"You do realize that it's a show about a mild-mannered high school teacher who becomes a cold-blooded drug lord. You should have known what you were getting into from episode 1".

SPOILER TAG, PLEASE.

 

[Gator Shawn]

Ever since I saw the SNL skit, it's hurt my enjoyment of the show.

 

[Sinn Fein]

HBO shows (other than Deadwood) are all guilty of the same. People forget how badly shows like Sopranos, 6-feet, Larry David, etc. all dragged us miserably through seasons and plot lines that went nowhere, with uninspired writing and acting. All the good ones reach to extend their story lines when they get successful, its the nature of the beast.

Sure, no show is perfect, but some are less perfect than others. Homeland is only in the middle of Season 2. That's around when a lot of great shows hit their peak. Sopranos and Breaking Bad and Six Feet Under were all awesome in season 2. Even shows like Weeds and Lost that eventually became terrible were still good at this point in their run. If Homeland is already starting to suck at this point that's a really bad sign. I know not everyone agrees that the show sucks.

The worst season of The Wire was arguably Season 2 and then recovered to have 2 of the best seasons of TV ever made, and Breaking Bad didn't really hit stride until S3 (though it can be argued that the worst of BB is better than the best of just about anything else).I just think a lot of the people commenting about the realism need to realize it's a show about a marine who became an al-qaeda holy warrior. You probably should've known what you were getting into from episode 1.

There are two different issues when it comes to the debate over the show being "realistic." There's things that are remarkable/bordering on unrealistic, and there is the impossible/impossibly convenient.Most people are willing to suspend disbelief, even with respect to the show's premise, to enjoy a show. After all if it wasn't about something unusual or incredible, why tell the story on TV in the first place? Nobody would watch a show that accurately depicts covert operations in real time. So that's cool, we're all willingly on board with telling a far-fetched story for entertainment purposes.

But they're not willing to accept the impossible or the impossibly convenient or coincidental because that is mostly just the product of bad/lazy writing. That's a totally different thing. The text sent from a war room to save Abu Nazir's life is the first thing that comes to mind here, obviously. Or having the terrorist organization eagerly bring Brody back into the fray even though anyone in their shoes would be far more careful and suspicious, simply because they need him to convince the Vice-President to allow a particular camera crew to cover the event. That's not the writers telling an amazing, hard to believe story. It's the writers needing to get from A to B and not coming up with a good way to do it.

I still enjoy the show, although not as much as before. It's a fun hour of TV. But the criticisms of the holes in the story are totally fair.

I agree with this - As I watched this week's episode I was expecting it to be a set-up and the bomb goes off when the cia closed in on the truck. I also have noticed what appears to be "sloppy" surveillance, which is why I was expecting the seasoned terrorists to be aware they were being watched, and spring the trap. Not sure how this season ends up, but I will be disappointed if Brody is still alive at the end. Seems like they are setting him up to die, one way or another. Nazir knows he is dangerous, CIA/Quinn wants him dead, bringing Mike back into the family - almost seemed like a good-bye scene when he was talking on the phone.

 

[fatguyinalittlecoat]

HBO shows (other than Deadwood) are all guilty of the same. People forget how badly shows like Sopranos, 6-feet, Larry David, etc. all dragged us miserably through seasons and plot lines that went nowhere, with uninspired writing and acting. All the good ones reach to extend their story lines when they get successful, its the nature of the beast.

Sure, no show is perfect, but some are less perfect than others. Homeland is only in the middle of Season 2. That's around when a lot of great shows hit their peak. Sopranos and Breaking Bad and Six Feet Under were all awesome in season 2. Even shows like Weeds and Lost that eventually became terrible were still good at this point in their run. If Homeland is already starting to suck at this point that's a really bad sign. I know not everyone agrees that the show sucks.

The worst season of The Wire was arguably Season 2 and then recovered to have 2 of the best seasons of TV ever made, and Breaking Bad didn't really hit stride until S3 (though it can be argued that the worst of BB is better than the best of just about anything else).I just think a lot of the people commenting about the realism need to realize it's a show about a marine who became an al-qaeda holy warrior. You probably should've known what you were getting into from episode 1.

There are two different issues when it comes to the debate over the show being "realistic." There's things that are remarkable/bordering on unrealistic, and there is the impossible/impossibly convenient.Most people are willing to suspend disbelief, even with respect to the show's premise, to enjoy a show. After all if it wasn't about something unusual or incredible, why tell the story on TV in the first place? Nobody would watch a show that accurately depicts covert operations in real time. So that's cool, we're all willingly on board with telling a far-fetched story for entertainment purposes.

But they're not willing to accept the impossible or the impossibly convenient or coincidental because that is mostly just the product of bad/lazy writing. That's a totally different thing. The text sent from a war room to save Abu Nazir's life is the first thing that comes to mind here, obviously. Or having the terrorist organization eagerly bring Brody back into the fray even though anyone in their shoes would be far more careful and suspicious, simply because they need him to convince the Vice-President to allow a particular camera crew to cover the event. That's not the writers telling an amazing, hard to believe story. It's the writers needing to get from A to B and not coming up with a good way to do it.

I still enjoy the show, although not as much as before. It's a fun hour of TV. But the criticisms of the holes in the story are totally fair.

I agree with this - As I watched this week's episode I was expecting it to be a set-up and the bomb goes off when the cia closed in on the truck. I also have noticed what appears to be "sloppy" surveillance, which is why I was expecting the seasoned terrorists to be aware they were being watched, and spring the trap. Not sure how this season ends up, but I will be disappointed if Brody is still alive at the end. Seems like they are setting him up to die, one way or another. Nazir knows he is dangerous, CIA/Quinn wants him dead, bringing Mike back into the family - almost seemed like a good-bye scene when he was talking on the phone.

Pretty sure crippled war guy is gonna zip by on a Segway and take Brody out in a hail of gunfire in the season finale.Next season will start with Brody waking up in the hospital.

 

[comfortably numb]

HBO shows (other than Deadwood) are all guilty of the same. People forget how badly shows like Sopranos, 6-feet, Larry David, etc. all dragged us miserably through seasons and plot lines that went nowhere, with uninspired writing and acting. All the good ones reach to extend their story lines when they get successful, its the nature of the beast.

Sure, no show is perfect, but some are less perfect than others. Homeland is only in the middle of Season 2. That's around when a lot of great shows hit their peak. Sopranos and Breaking Bad and Six Feet Under were all awesome in season 2. Even shows like Weeds and Lost that eventually became terrible were still good at this point in their run. If Homeland is already starting to suck at this point that's a really bad sign. I know not everyone agrees that the show sucks.

The worst season of The Wire was arguably Season 2 and then recovered to have 2 of the best seasons of TV ever made, and Breaking Bad didn't really hit stride until S3 (though it can be argued that the worst of BB is better than the best of just about anything else).I just think a lot of the people commenting about the realism need to realize it's a show about a marine who became an al-qaeda holy warrior. You probably should've known what you were getting into from episode 1.

There are two different issues when it comes to the debate over the show being "realistic." There's things that are remarkable/bordering on unrealistic, and there is the impossible/impossibly convenient.Most people are willing to suspend disbelief, even with respect to the show's premise, to enjoy a show. After all if it wasn't about something unusual or incredible, why tell the story on TV in the first place? Nobody would watch a show that accurately depicts covert operations in real time. So that's cool, we're all willingly on board with telling a far-fetched story for entertainment purposes.

But they're not willing to accept the impossible or the impossibly convenient or coincidental because that is mostly just the product of bad/lazy writing. That's a totally different thing. The text sent from a war room to save Abu Nazir's life is the first thing that comes to mind here, obviously. Or having the terrorist organization eagerly bring Brody back into the fray even though anyone in their shoes would be far more careful and suspicious, simply because they need him to convince the Vice-President to allow a particular camera crew to cover the event. That's not the writers telling an amazing, hard to believe story. It's the writers needing to get from A to B and not coming up with a good way to do it.

I still enjoy the show, although not as much as before. It's a fun hour of TV. But the criticisms of the holes in the story are totally fair.

I agree with this - As I watched this week's episode I was expecting it to be a set-up and the bomb goes off when the cia closed in on the truck. I also have noticed what appears to be "sloppy" surveillance, which is why I was expecting the seasoned terrorists to be aware they were being watched, and spring the trap. Not sure how this season ends up, but I will be disappointed if Brody is still alive at the end. Seems like they are setting him up to die, one way or another. Nazir knows he is dangerous, CIA/Quinn wants him dead, bringing Mike back into the family - almost seemed like a good-bye scene when he was talking on the phone.

Pretty sure crippled war guy is gonna zip by on a Segway and take Brody out in a hail of gunfire in the season finale.Next season will start with Brody waking up in the hospital.

and then the GREAT reveal, crippled war guy is actually Flynn's dad and they have breakfast ever after!!

 

[Officer Pete Malloy]

HBO shows (other than Deadwood) are all guilty of the same. People forget how badly shows like Sopranos, 6-feet, Larry David, etc. all dragged us miserably through seasons and plot lines that went nowhere, with uninspired writing and acting. All the good ones reach to extend their story lines when they get successful, its the nature of the beast.

Sure, no show is perfect, but some are less perfect than others. Homeland is only in the middle of Season 2. That's around when a lot of great shows hit their peak. Sopranos and Breaking Bad and Six Feet Under were all awesome in season 2. Even shows like Weeds and Lost that eventually became terrible were still good at this point in their run. If Homeland is already starting to suck at this point that's a really bad sign. I know not everyone agrees that the show sucks.

The worst season of The Wire was arguably Season 2 and then recovered to have 2 of the best seasons of TV ever made, and Breaking Bad didn't really hit stride until S3 (though it can be argued that the worst of BB is better than the best of just about anything else).I just think a lot of the people commenting about the realism need to realize it's a show about a marine who became an al-qaeda holy warrior. You probably should've known what you were getting into from episode 1.

Just because the premise of the show is slightly unrealistic (which it really isn't) doesn't mean the writers can get sloppy.

"Did you see 'Breaking Bad' last night? Walt Jr can walk now thanks to some herbal medicine? What are the writers thinking?"

"You do realize that it's a show about a mild-mannered high school teacher who becomes a cold-blooded drug lord. You should have known what you were getting into from episode 1".

SPOILER TAG, PLEASE.

Spoiler

My link

 

[YSR]

Spoiler

My link

holy ####

 

[Michael Brown]

HBO shows (other than Deadwood) are all guilty of the same. People forget how badly shows like Sopranos, 6-feet, Larry David, etc. all dragged us miserably through seasons and plot lines that went nowhere, with uninspired writing and acting. All the good ones reach to extend their story lines when they get successful, its the nature of the beast.

Sure, no show is perfect, but some are less perfect than others. Homeland is only in the middle of Season 2. That's around when a lot of great shows hit their peak. Sopranos and Breaking Bad and Six Feet Under were all awesome in season 2. Even shows like Weeds and Lost that eventually became terrible were still good at this point in their run. If Homeland is already starting to suck at this point that's a really bad sign. I know not everyone agrees that the show sucks.

The worst season of The Wire was arguably Season 2 and then recovered to have 2 of the best seasons of TV ever made, and Breaking Bad didn't really hit stride until S3 (though it can be argued that the worst of BB is better than the best of just about anything else).I just think a lot of the people commenting about the realism need to realize it's a show about a marine who became an al-qaeda holy warrior. You probably should've known what you were getting into from episode 1.

Just because the premise of the show is slightly unrealistic (which it really isn't) doesn't mean the writers can get sloppy.

"Did you see 'Breaking Bad' last night? Walt Jr can walk now thanks to some herbal medicine? What are the writers thinking?"

"You do realize that it's a show about a mild-mannered high school teacher who becomes a cold-blooded drug lord. You should have known what you were getting into from episode 1".

Fair point, bad job by me. I guess I just don't think the writing has been as sloppy as some others have. Maybe I'm not paying close enough attention because I'm not watching it as a critic, but it almost seems like some people are just actively looking for things to find unrealistic. Doesn't seem like a lot of fun to watch a show that way is all.

 

[Raider Nation]

The son has to be the biggest dope on television, right? "Hey everybody! BIG SCREEN IN EVERY ROOM!"

I worry that this show has already gone on too long. Maybe it was meant to go 1-1.5 seasons. I don't think it can sustain for 4-5.

I love how he and the daughter seem to have no relationship whatsoever and that he's wholly uninterested in her demonstratively crumbling mental state. Nevermind the fact that the CIA has moved us to a safe house because very dangerous people might want us dead OMG DID YOU SEE THESE TVs DUDE??? You can show them trying to shelter him from the full weight of what's going on without making him look like a character from some altogether different show.And this show will go on for years past its shelf-life. See: Weeds, Californication, and Dexter. Showtime is the anti-HBO.

HBO shows (other than Deadwood) are all guilty of the same. People forget how badly shows like Sopranos, 6-feet, Larry David, etc. all dragged us miserably through seasons and plot lines that went nowhere, with uninspired writing and acting. All the good ones reach to extend their story lines when they get successful, its the nature of the beast.

Have you even watched any HBO shows? Six Feet Under and Curb Your Enthusiasm's later seasons are arguably the best of the series. No show in history has wrapped better than SFU. And the last season of the Sopranos, both parts, are unfairly given a bad rap, due in part to the hype and wait. I think five is worse than six. Whatever the case, none of the shows you've mentioned have come anywhere near approaching the ridiculousness of the Showtime shows.And season two of the Wire is as good as any season of television.

Sopranos, SFU and Curb all wrapped up nicely, but all three slogged through some aimless seasons before getting to the end.

There was not one entire season of The Sopranos which was aimless. There were some bad episodes littered here and there within seasons ("D-Girl", "Christopher" aka The Columbus Day Parade) but you'll see that with any show. But some of the running story lines were mind-numbing, granted.Did you know Vito was gay?

 

[DA RAIDERS]

go play with each other's penii somewhere else please.

 

[Tuco]

I renewed my Showtime subscription 2 weeks into this season and they still haven't run the first two episodes again. So F'n mad that I have all these episodes saved on my DVR but can't watch them until the first couple air again.

Dexter did a re-run right away of all this seasons episodes.

 

[belljr]

I renewed my Showtime subscription 2 weeks into this season and they still haven't run the first two episodes again. So F'n mad that I have all these episodes saved on my DVR but can't watch them until the first couple air again.Dexter did a re-run right away of all this seasons episodes.

on demand?showtime app?

 

[Tuco]

I renewed my Showtime subscription 2 weeks into this season and they still haven't run the first two episodes again. So F'n mad that I have all these episodes saved on my DVR but can't watch them until the first couple air again.Dexter did a re-run right away of all this seasons episodes.

on demand?showtime app?

DirecTV

 

[Apple Jack]

I renewed my Showtime subscription 2 weeks into this season and they still haven't run the first two episodes again. So F'n mad that I have all these episodes saved on my DVR but can't watch them until the first couple air again.Dexter did a re-run right away of all this seasons episodes.

on demand?showtime app?

DirecTV

I don't know what the go to sites are now, but there are sites where you can stream episodes of currently running shows. I did it with Californication a few years ago. Used to get put up within an hour or two of airing.

 

[Officer Pete Malloy]

go play with each other's penii somewhere else please.

wat

 

[phishphan]

go play with each other's penii somewhere else please.

wat

he said it's ok for us to touch each other's dongs. no homo.

 

[sporthenry]

go play with each other's penii somewhere else please.

wat

he said it's ok for us to touch each other's dongs. no homo.

As long as the dongs don't touch each other.

 

[Good Posting Judge]

I only touch other people's dongs if we're in a hedge maze and if there's jazz music playing.

 

[Michael Brown]

I only touch other people's dongs if we're in a hedge maze and if there's jazz music playing.

www.hedgejazzguys.com has a SICK dongs for all forum

 

[DA RAIDERS]

Interesting eruption of the ####.

 

[TobiasFunke]

go play with each other's penii somewhere else please.

wat

he said it's ok for us to touch each other's dongs. no homo.

As long as the dongs don't touch each other.

 

[pollardsvision]

go play with each other's penii somewhere else please.

wat

he said it's ok for us to touch each other's dongs. no homo.

As long as the dongs don't touch each other.

I thought dong-to-dong was fine as long as there's no eye contact. It's hard to keep up anymore.

 

[prosopis]

New marker I am at page 9.

I am on the finale and had a hard time staying awake for it so I stopped it. I will try again soon. I have to say I hope he detonates the vest and kills everyone on the show. I have never seen a show start so good and plummet so fast. I will say I am digging the whole bi polar thing. that is

 

[JerseyToughGuys]

Spoiler

Carrie makes a weird face tonight.

Spoiler

The daughter crosses her arms (which are encased in overlong sweatshirt sleeves) and looks like she's trying to poop while doing algebra in her head.

 

[JerseyToughGuys]

I started watching the show about 3 weeks ago. Completely caught up.

Completely agree that this thing has a noticeable downward trajectory. Seeing it in an abbreviated time frame probably enhanced the effect.

And I don't think it is fixable. The premise just doesn't lend itself to a drawn out, long form series.

This will be horrible next season, unless they blow it up and start it over with new characters and a new story arc (novel approach that will never happen).