homeland

Local Authority

Local Authority

bitch city
i haven't seen this series get that much love anywhere, or as much as breaking bad or the wire even though its arguably a lot better than breaking bad and maybe on a level with the wire.

has anyone been watching? we're almost half way through season 3 and for all the criticism season 2 attracted, it set the tone well. makes me believe the writers had a greater plan. most of the criticism is aimed at it not fulfilling the expectations of season 1 but season 3 is equal parts tense thriller and dramatic rollercoaster.
 
you

you

Well-known member
I've watched it from the start.... its a nice riff on mental illness/state populace control that you can mull over on a schizoanalysis tip....Saul basically plays her analyst and her father all in one.... anonymous agents often appear as adjustment bureau/men in black type flawless hugo bossed escalade agents... until they are welcomed in Carries world (and the viewers) and crop up in polo shirts.
 
owengriffiths

owengriffiths

Owen
For the first half of the first series I got it was good, but didn't see how people were tipping it as a premier league American show a la HBO's offerings. But when it has it's modular key change about 6 episodes in I started to see what the fuss was all about- much like the first series of the Wire it's a slow burner that eventually gets it's claws into you/ I'm half way through season 2 now so I'm behind the rest of everyone, suffice to say that it hasn't reached the level of the previous one. I'm reluctant to read any more of this thread in case youse spoil the plot for me.

Breaking Bad is terribly over-rated, I just can't see how anyone who loves the likes of the Wire can even begin to put it on the same pedestal. I was forced to rent out the second series at the moment because it was getting to the point where if I didn't love it people would assume I have undiagnosed mental disorder. It's getting better, but... come on it's not that good.

And "the thinking man's 24". Homeland was made by the same team- yep, it surprised me too. Who'd have thought people as juvenile as them lot could come up with the scriptwriting goods (as opposed to their stock in trade Dan Brown page turner type drama, which is enjoyable as well but not really the kind of thing that would warrant a Dissensus thread).
 
C

crackerjack

Well-known member
droid said:
Its the thinking mans 24. Gets sillier every season.
Click to expand...

S2 was certainly pretty silly, but S3 shaping up quite well, I think – I liked the slow pace of the first few episodes and after Sunday night's closing minutes it's ready to roll.

But it's not in the same ballpark as BB or The Wire. That's just crazy talk.
 
C

crackerjack

Well-known member
owengriffiths said:
Breaking Bad is terribly over-rated, I just can't see how anyone who loves the likes of the Wire can even begin to put it on the same pedestal. I was forced to rent out the second series at the moment because it was getting to the point where if I didn't love it people would assume I have undiagnosed mental disorder. It's getting better, but... come on it's not that good.
Click to expand...

Nah, BB is fantastic and the second series is when it really gets going, for me. Not as good as The Wire, mind, but nothing is.
 
owengriffiths

owengriffiths

Owen
Any time people try to talk up Breaking Bad I can't help but trot out a half dozen HBO shows as a counter argument. Oz, Sopranos, The Corner, Six Feet Under, The Wire, Treme, Boardwalk, etc. Breaking Bad in the same sentence? As Wiley would say it, "I'm not having it London, I'm not having it".

Besides we've had a great last 9 months with Boss, Top of the Lake and to a lesser extent Peaky Blinders on mostly primetime BBC slots- terrestrial TV- remember that. Time was when they would ghettoise shows of this calibre by dumping them on the lucrative 11pm weekday double bill slot, you know the one where there's a 15 minute interval in the middle for the news bulletin in episode one and the dramatic climax of episode two would be interrupted by a half hour of ceefax in Welsh. All those paper thin excuses they would use to justify not having to spend big bucks commissioning a second series.

Peaky Blinders is basically Boardwalk set in Brum, albeit with a smattering of Scouse accents. I was a little disappointed they couldn't find a cameo for Jasper Carrot or that bloke from Auf Wiedersehn Pet, but they make do with Benjamin Zephaniah. Worth watching for Cillian Murphy alone. If that's not arthouse enough for you then take comfort in the fact that it was written by the man behind the film Dirty Pretty Things. Anyway, with any luck Danny Dyer will be tipped to be the next James Bond.
 
C

crackerjack

Well-known member
owengriffiths said:
Any time people try to talk up Breaking Bad I can't help but trot out a half dozen HBO shows as a counter argument. Oz, Sopranos, The Corner, Six Feet Under, The Wire, Treme, Boardwalk, etc. Breaking Bad in the same sentence? As Wiley would say it, "I'm not having it London, I'm not having it".

Besides we've had a great last 9 months with Boss, Top of the Lake and to a lesser extent Peaky Blinders on mostly primetime BBC slots- terrestrial TV- remember that. Time was when they would ghettoise shows of this calibre by dumping them on the lucrative 11pm weekday double bill slot, you know the one where there's a 15 minute interval in the middle for the news bulletin in episode one and the dramatic climax of episode two would be interrupted by a half hour of ceefax in Welsh. All those paper thin excuses they would use to justify not having to spend big bucks commissioning a second series.

Peaky Blinders is basically Boardwalk set in Brum, albeit with a smattering of Scouse accents. I was a little disappointed they couldn't find a cameo for Jasper Carrot or that bloke from Auf Wiedersehn Pet, but they make do with Benjamin Zephaniah. Worth watching for Cillian Murphy alone. If that's not arthouse enough for you then take comfort in the fact that it was written by the man behind the film Dirty Pretty Things. Anyway, with any luck Danny Dyer will be tipped to be the next James Bond.
Click to expand...

Of the ones I've seen, none of those shows you mentioned can hold a candle to BB (apart from the Wire, again). While I like, Boardwalk Empire it's essentially an upscale American costume drama (although this series is shaping up promisingly after a shaky last) and Peaky Blinders is, as you say, a Brit (and therefore poor man's) knock-off of that. It's fun, well acted (other than the accents) and worth watching, but it's not even event TV, let alone epochal TV. (Ditto Homeland, to get back on topic).

Breaking Bad is. Its premise requires some suspension of disbelief, but other than that there's barely a bum note. It speaks to our times - the globalism, the creeping amorality, the corruption, the extended childhoods – even though the core that gives it its energy, the macho determination to be the very best at your job, is a timeless theme. And the acting and direction are fantastic.
 
droid

droid

Well-known member
And Oz, of course, went off the rails too. It's credibility was totally destroyed by that musical' episode.
 
owengriffiths

owengriffiths

Owen
Maybe I'm shallow but I didn't mind the last episode of Oz, the Shakespeare 'musical' thing I think you're referring to? For a show that was entirely filmed in one location it somehow managed to keep it going for all those years without getting (that) boring- Holby City should take note. I'm getting bored of Borgen's second series because I know none of the new crises they can come up with are going to really do it for me, they should quit while they're ahead. And shock horror- I sat down and realised that if this was an English language show I wouldn't have given it the time of day.

And they say Kelsey Grammer's Boss would've won the Emmy for that year if Homeland hadn't tipped it to the spot. Anyone seen the Israeli version of Homeland?
 
droid

droid

Well-known member
owengriffiths said:
Maybe I'm shallow but I didn't mind the last episode of Oz, the Shakespeare 'musical' thing I think you're referring to? For a show that was entirely filmed in one location it somehow managed to keep it going for all those years without getting (that) boring- Holby City should take note. I'm getting bored of Borgen's second series because I know none of the new crises they can come up with are going to really do it for me, they should quit while they're ahead. And shock horror- I sat down and realised that if this was an English language show I wouldn't have given it the time of day.

And they say Kelsey Grammer's Boss would've won the Emmy for that year if Homeland hadn't tipped it to the spot. Anyone seen the Israeli version of Homeland?
Click to expand...


Yeah, that was the last episode of a pretty shit final season IIRC. Its been a long time though.

Ive seen bits of the Israeli homeland, and it seems much more credible.
 
Alfons

Alfons

Way of the future
Haven't gotten started on S3 but I thought the ending to S2 jumped the shark a bit. Have heard mixed things about the first few episodes of S3, but I'll probably give it a go.

My opinion on Claire Danes' character swings back and forth, sometimes find her a likable complex strong lead female character (which is cool) but other times she's just plain annoying. I'm actually glad that this season sees her and Brody apart (Im assuming?) as I found the scenes with them together to be the worst (although the switches back and forth in their power dynamics were pretty well done a lot of times).

Actually thought how she was portrayed on SNL is pretty close to her character "No, David, no, David, no no..." (rest of the skit is a bit rubbish)

 
Z

zhao

there are no accidents
started watching this on account of this thread. i had glimpsed an article saying that it is the worst kind of jingoist islamophobic bullshit, but then saw another on guardian saying that after all it really isn't. so will just see for myself i guess.

but from everything i've heard i was under the impression that the entire thing is based on ambiguity of whether this guy really is working for the other side or not, is he??? or isn't he??? but after the first episode it seems very clear that he is. :slanted:
 
C

crackerjack

Well-known member
zhao said:
started watching this on account of this thread. i had glimpsed an article saying that it is the worst kind of jingoist islamophobic bullshit, but then saw another on guardian saying that after all it really isn't. so will just see for myself i guess.

but from everything i've heard i was under the impression that the entire thing is based on ambiguity of whether this guy really is working for the other side or not, is he??? or isn't he??? but after the first episode it seems very clear that he is. :slanted:
Click to expand...

No, it's based on whether or not the CIA know he is. Later it's based on.... OK, won't give anything away.
 
sufi

sufi

lala
For me the suspense was about whether the story would paint muslims and terrorism in the same old reductive picture of good vs. evil, infidels and heroes.
It kept me going for the whole series and then <SPOILERS?> disappointed me with a highly unimaginative denouement, i skipped series 2
 
C

crackerjack

Well-known member
sufi said:
For me the suspense was about whether the story would paint muslims and terrorism in the same old reductive picture of good vs. evil, infidels and heroes.
It kept me going for the whole series and then <SPOILERS?> disappointed me with a highly unimaginative denouement, i skipped series 2
Click to expand...

I don't think you'd like the new one, then, unless the new CIA chief turns out to be even more of an arsehole than he already seems.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top