Don’t read if you haven’t seen the season two finale of Homeland, “The Choice.”
This has been a polarizing second season for the Emmy-winning Showtime series. After praising the season’s early episodes, it took a turn for the worse as the show put too much stock in the relationship between Brody and Carrie and “suspension of disbelief” became a weekly occurrence. Like many, I was hoping the finale would salvage all the faith and praise Homeland was given. So how did that work out?
Without spoiling the first four episodes of season two of Homeland, I just wanted to take a moment to praise the fearlessness of the writers and producers.
Years of watching television has trained the viewer to expect events to occur at a slower pace than they would naturally. A show must stretch its drama out over the season so, while it can be frustrating, sometimes you have to accept that all the major events won’t happen until the finale. This season of Homeland has thrown those expectations out the window.
The ends of the last three episodes could have served as season finales and everyone would have been satisfied, anticipating season three. The creators of Homeland, Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa, are throwing caution to the wind. Everything is happening at an unusual and unexpected pace for a U.S. television series.
This could turn out to be a huge mistake. The show could fall apart like a marathoner who uses all their energy early in the race. I have no idea what’s going to happen next but I can’t wait to find out which is the most exciting feeling a television viewer can have.
I’m going to try something different and break my annual TV post by day. This way, it might be easier to digest
8:30 pm: Bob’s Burgers (FOX; 9/30)
The only Fox animated show I enjoy. It’s not always laugh out loud funny but it’s always interesting. This is one of those shows I wish were more popular. Maybe Seth McFarlane can attach his name to it.
9:00 pm: The Good Wife (CBS; 9/30)
I’ve been trying to take advantage of my “free time” and catch up on this show. I’m halfway through season two and think I’ll be able to finish (if this pesky wedding doesn’t get in the way). I’ve never been a big fan of Julianna Margulies but I’m warming up to her. She’s almost shows emotion in this show.
The fall television season of 2011 will be remembered for Homeland. It was easily one of the best first season of a show I’ve watched from start to finish. I debated doing a post about my top ten TV shows of 2011 but got lazy. I couldn’t decide whether Homeland or Breaking Bad would take the top spot. I thought nothing could top the fourth season of Breaking Bad but some of Homeland’s individual episodes (particularly “The Weekend” and “The Vest”) are up there with the best episodes of the year (another post I was too lazy to write).
Ultimately, my top ten TV shows of 2011 without any elaboration are:
Why can't I find a date?
Since I’ve moved to Los Angeles, the way I watch television has changed. I no longer have cable and rely mainly on the Internet (some means more legal than others). I’ve been fairly successful in keeping up with my shows without a DVR but the hassle of shows building up on my hard drive has made me quick to drop shows.
As I started contemplating this post, I bragged to myself that I could cut my viewing hours down to maybe 15 hours. The new crop of shows are not that appealing and most of the shows I currently watch I’m not completely enamored with. I’ll also admit that shows that Cindy and I aren’t both into are less likely to be watched regularly. Fall TV hours are 22.5 right now but by November, I think I can get to the 15 hours I so desire.
Since I don’t watch these shows when they air on TV, no point in listing times. New shows in bold.
