Carrie Mathison Claire Danes (a CIA Agent battling her own demons) becomes convinced that the intelligence that led to the rescue of Sgt. Nicholas Brody Damian Lewis (a US soldier who had been missing and presumed dead for eight years) was a set-up, and may be connected to an al-Qaeda plot to be carried out on American soil. Already on thin ice with the CIA, and now assigned to a desk job after an incident in Iraq, Carrie is forced to break protocol in order to prove her theory that Brody was turned during his many years in captivity (and is now working for al-Qaeda).... Meanwhile, Brody receives a hero's welcome at home, and attempts to reconnect with his family whom he hasn't seen in eight years. Episode Listing: Pilot Grace Clean Skin Semper I Blind Spot The Good Soldier The Weekend Achilles Heel Crossfire Representative Brody The Vest Marine One [show more]
When Life (starring Damian Lewis and Sarah Shahi) was cancelled back in 2009, it was a big disappointment as Lewis was fantastic as Detective Charlie Crews, someone who had been in prison for many years for a crime he did not commit. Eclectic, crazy or loveable, Crews was a truly fascinating character worth tuning in for every week. Fast forward to 2011 and I finally get over the loss of Life because of a debuting show called Homeland.
Adapted from an Israeli television drama Prisoners of War/Hatufim, Homeland is one of the most gripping shows on TV since 24 - unsurprisingly as Howard Gordon, former showrunner for 24, developed Homeland alongside writer/producer Alex Gansa and Hatufim's Gideon Raff. The talent behind the scenes is certainly top notch, and matched by those appearing on-screen - the aforementioned Damian Lewis, Claire Danes from My So Called Life and Romeo & Juliet, and Mandy Patinkin, best known for Criminal Minds, Dead Like Me and Chicago Hope. Other familiar faces fill the cast, from Morena Baccarin (Firefly) to David Harewood (Doctor Who, Robin Hood, The Vice, and much more!).
It would be lazy to compare Homeland to 24 beyond two top quality dramas that burst onto the scene with a freshness and gripping nature. They are two very different entities but certainly ones that work best watched on home media - simply because you won't want to wait a week in between episodes. Homeland is very much a show that will hook you in every episode and leave you with a thirst for more. The twists and turns of the story and the ambiguous nature of the characters is so captivating that you'll struggle with only having 12 episodes in a season. Yet much like Dexter, Game of Thrones and similar, the shorter season allows for a much tighter and close knit storyline to run through a single season, with no room to breathe and no unnecessary stopgaps like longer series may have.
As the former prisoner of war Sergeant Nicholas Brody, Lewis shows why he is one of Britain's best exports. Brody is a complex character with many sides, from a tortured soul to a family man, and Lewis has a strong range that very few could pull off with such
conviction. The chemistry between Brody and CIA officer Carrie Mathison (Danes) is amongst the best on television, not just now but in the past decade. Danes is very much the equal of Lewis, matching his range step by step, albeit in a slightly crazier and more
unstable way. Or is she? That's what is so fascinating about Homeland - you have no idea of anyone's genuine motives and emotions, and you second guess every move. Just when you think you've got it figured out, another curveball is thrown. It's the best kind of
frustration you could imagine.
Mathison and her mentor Saul Berenson (Patinkin) have a complex yet heart-warming relationship, perhaps the only one fully based on trust and respect. Berenson is a very intelligent man who seeks the truth in everything he does, and there's no one better to pull off such a character than Patinkin, very much echoing the leadership and strong morals of Jason Gideon in Criminal Minds. As the season goes on, we see this relationship tested under great pressure, as Mathison's opinions on Sergeant Brody develop and change. For a story so elaborate, it's surprisingly believable, and this is down to the performances of the main cast. You can believe every word that comes out of Brody's mouth, yet you also support Mathison. It's easy to see how people can be tricked and confused at each turn. Another highlight is the struggle between Brody and his family - Baccarin as the loving wife who has lived without her husband for years, and her children Chris (Jackson Pace) and Dana (Morgan Saylor) who really never knew their father. You sympathise with everyone involved.
In terms of the home release, it's no surprise that the show looks fantastic on Blu-ray. Series such as Homeland pride themselves on beautiful locations fitting for the story - from Iraq to the United States, we see everywhere that we need to, just like we are
right there in the action. It's a show that doesn't rely on set pieces or gratuitous shots, but if they need to take the storyline somewhere then they do. Whether it's two people talking in an interrogation room, or a wide open space in the middle of Iraq, the acting is always at the forefront. The quality of the picture and the audio simply adds to the believability and situation. And of course, seeing Claire Danes in HD every episode is almost worth the money itself.
Homeland is everything you expect, and nothing like it. You might be able to guess where they end up from time to time, but it's the twists and turns along the way that keep you on the edge of your seat. From the get go, you'll get sucked in to the world of war and
politics, never knowing who to trust or believe in, much like real life. The extras might be lacking but the episodes speak for themselves and are certainly worth the price. Do yourself a favour and buy this set - you'll soon see why it won six Emmy awards
including Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Lead Actress and Actor. After you've watched, there's no way you'll disagree with the decisions.
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Please note this is a Region B Blu-ray and will require either a Region B or Multi-Region Blu-ray player From Alex Gansa and Howard Gordon, executive producers of 24, comes Homeland. Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes), a CIA Agent battling her own demons becomes convinced that the intelligence that led to the rescue of Sgt. Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis), a US soldier who had been missing and presumed dead for eight years was a set-up, and may be connected to an al-Qaeda plot to be carried out on American soil. Already on thin ice with the CIA, and now assigned to a desk job after an incident in Iraq, Carrie is forced to break protocol in order to prove her theory that Brody was “turned” during his many years in captivity and is now working for al-Qaeda. Meanwhile, Brody receives a hero’s welcome at home, and attempts to reconnect with his family whom he hasn’t seen in eight years. Episodes Pilot Grace Clean Skin Semper I Blind Spot The Good Soldier The Weekend Achilles Heel Crossfire Representative Brody The Vest
All 12 episodes from the first season of the Golden Globe-winning US drama about a CIA officer determined to prove that a returned hero is actually an al-Qaeda mole. Out of favour with her superiors after returning home from an unauthorised operation in Iraq, CIA officer Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) is warned by one of her contacts that an American prisoner has been turned by his terrorist captors. When she subsequently learns of the rescue of US Marine sergeant Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis) after eight years in captivity, Carrie's suspicions are immediately raised. But with the returning Brody hailed a hero, and her concerns falling on deaf ears, she's soon forced to break ranks to prove her theory. The episodes are: 'Pilot', 'Grace', 'Clean Skin', 'Semper', 'Blind Spot', 'The Good Soldier', 'The Weekend', 'Achilles Heel', 'Crossfire', 'Representative Brody', 'The Vest' and 'Marine One'.
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