Genres

Visitors Review

sacredheartband 2013-04-13 01:19:55

I don't understand the hype

First, let me say that the acting is of an incredibly high degree, butI can't for the life of me understand the other reviews.I don't find it edgy, overly-compelling or even that well written,there are plot holes everywhere. So much is written that is convenient- I've just not found it anything like I expected (from other reviewshere).I like everything from The West Wing to NCIS, and it could have beensomething in-between - but it lacks the intelligence of the former, andthe entertainment of the latter.Shame. But as a series it is watchable, even if - like me - it's from acomfy position, and not at the edge of ones seat.....

Gregg Elliot 2013-04-12 12:37:42

Excellent show except one pretty massive element!

I am really quit pained by this series. The story line and concept havekept me going back to watch another episode. However, this is indespite of the terrible acting from Claire Danes (who was excellent inRomeo + Juliet). I have no complaints about anything else, but ClaireDanes seems to have only one complex reaction to every single actor:Make big eyes, shift head from left to right in a quasi state of 'Ican't believe it's not butter' and 'Poor me, I wish it WAS real butter'wooden, predictable quirkiness. Her characters premise is potentiallyvery interesting, possible mental health problems etc. But she overactsthe quirkiness (in fact she just overacts full one of these.)that wouldbe fine if you were at the back end of a theatre but up close on camerait just looks theatrically amateur(but yet it's on TV). I am enjoying the show but every time I see her performance I cringeand a little bit of my acting soul dies inside...Big eyes, look left,look right 'I can't believe...' Auch you get the picture, just watchagain and tell me how many times she does that maneuver!

Andix CastielFX 2013-03-30 07:50:00

Incredible thrilling show with a brilliant and exciting action!

I've found out about this TV show from a friend of mine. He told meonly one thing : it's a masterpiece. When I saw the plot, I had mydoubts that I was going to like it very much. But happily, I was wrong.This show exceeded my expectations since the first episodes and itproves that it's not necessary to have a bunch of top rated actors anda well known director to make a great-catchy show. Better than everydrama series that you ever seen : this breath-taking show deserves alot more appreciations than it was granted.First of all , the performance of Claire Danes is a Oscar-worth one.She is playing the role of an CIA analyst who believes the newlyrecovered prisoner of war is a terrorist and it represents a main rolein Abu Nazir's plan to attack America . Her high quality acting keeps asteady pace from the first episodes to the last one. Testament to thatis her completely deserved Golden Globe for Best Performance by anActress in a Television Series - Drama.So far, so good - but there's more . Damian Lewis a.k.a. SergeantNicholas Brody is playing the role of his life in this show. Theycouldn't get anyone who could fit better in his character. As a soldierwho was far from home for over 8 years, his homecoming is disturbingfor him, as well as for his family. Soon he comes home, the realizationthat he doesn't fit in his own family makes him look for his happinesssomewhere else. The story complicates even more with every episode,maintaining a permanent pulse of excitement and intense emotions whichwill keep you addicted and waiting for the next episode.I won't tell more than this : this show deserves an Oscar . An Oscarfor every little thing that is on the show: the cast, the writers ,themain characters ,the story and so on .It keeps you waiting for more, itleaves you thinking what could happen next .And right when you expectless - Boom ! It hits you with a thing that you never thought it wouldhappen.For me, this is by far the best drama TV show and I won't give it lessthan 10/10.

Adam K. 2013-03-29 19:59:18

Entertaining... soap opera

First of all, why oh why was there no big boom at the end of theseason? This show could hit much more better if they stretch it out for a fewepisodes more and ended. We should really think that all it takes todisable a revengeful American believer is a stereotypical 16year' oldgirl rebel? OK, she was his daughter but AAA come on! he was in thetoilet to repair it and then this! ...That's one thing.Acting is all about relationships, (like the whole show) Claire Danesis brilliant, from the first episode I didn't like her character, it'sone of those people you just wanna slap in the face and say "shut upalready!" so it's a very interesting role, the rest of the cast -nothing special, not worth golden globe for best series.In my opinion this series is overrated, I will definitely not wait forseason 2, I will definitely not think that this show will have a badinfluence on American society, (don't want to explain that, too much towrite) I will definitely switch to the masters of TV-series HBO and Iwill definitely hope that the bad guys will win at the end of thisseries in probably... 11 seasons, plus minus 3 seasons! :P

lagrabavana 2013-03-29 00:58:09

Excellent season 1 finale

Generally people write review after watching pilot episode but i amwriting after season 1 finale because i think just by watching oneepisode a show cant be judged properly.This is an amazing TV series and all episodes are very well written andacted. All the actors are very convincing. Every episode has somethingnew to offer. It is full of thrill and surprises. The last episode of season 1 may be one of the most well craftedepisode. The moments are so tensed that they are sometime unbearable towatch.Hats off to everybody who was involved in creating such a TV series.

Smhasnb 2013-03-28 12:33:34

Elder sister of 24

Title: Homeland on Showtime Summary: Homeland is the latest chapter inthe endless list of CIA vs Terrorist shows/movies that pour it indozens from USA. A truly talented CIA agent with a mental disorder, isthe chief protagonist, who suspects a returning POW of being aterrorist. The show takes the viewers into the workings of CIA andterrorist group based out in Middle East. Based on the first 3 episode,here's the result: 3 Episode Test:  Plot: There's absolutely nothing new about the plot. It's the muchused and abused terrorist theme show. Of course CIA is shown to the bethe savior of the world and Muslims are portrayed as terrorist. Itmight be hard for the ill-informed average American to grasp the ideathat it could be the other way around as well. It would have beeninteresting to see the roles reversed for once. Now I don't know maybelater in the show, we get insight into why and how these terroristfunction. But, based on the first 3 episodes, it was text bookPro-American drama. People behind the show are from a mixed background;some of the writers have worked in the previous big name terroristdrama a.k.a. 24. While some others have Dexter experience on theirC.Vs. Together, they bring a little bit extra when compared to 24, but,not enough to get the Emmy. I didn't particularly enjoy how easily andobviously the story rolled in the first 3 episodes. They could've takenmore time to connect the dots. Carrie and Saul would have a lot ofhunches and viewers would be taken right to that story. Surprisinglynone of those hunches have been wrong so far. A little far-fetched. Iwould like to believe that there's a lot of human error and error injudgment involved in the workings of even the best intelligenceagencies in the world. The first scene was a bit implausible as well.That prisoner in Iraq would so easily believe and tell Carrie such abig secret about an American POW turning? I mean really? And Carriewould so easily walk in and out of the facilities. I believe they needto pay a LOT of attention to detail if Homeland has to become a greatshow rather than being just a good show, which it is right now.  Cast-ography: The cast is generally above average. None of them is ahousehold name, to be honest but almost all of them of have deliveredvery decent portrayals of their respective characters. The front runneris Claire Danes, who is playing a bi-polar CIA agent, Carrie, also theprotagonist for much of the show. She's done a fine job so far. But sheneeds to add a new range of emotions to her character. It's a caffeineoverdosed hyper active right now. We need to see a lot more of thatbi-polar disorder that she has. Also, when she was sitting at homespying, I found it hard to believe she needed to be so dressed up forit. Attention to detail. Damian Lewis plays the returning prisoner ofwar, Nicholas Brody. He's also given us a composed and concealedcharacter so far. Although his speech right after landing in USA wasquestionable. Again one would think that coming home after a decade oftorture, he would find it extremely difficult to communicate withanyone, let alone a large crowd. Attention to detail. Rest of the castis reasonably solid so far. No stand out performers per say, but, mostof them have just about pulled their characters' weight. MorenaBaccarin, David Harewood, Diego Klattenhoff and Mandy Patinkin areother major characters on the show. Generality: (Soundtrack, Music, overall look and feel): The openingtheme/sequence is pretty good. It gives us a nice military- ish feel toit. Soundtrack, background music and cinematography have all beengenerally good. A few of The Wire alumni are involved in the backroom,so it's the least we can expect from them. Final Grade: All in all, it's a good show to watch. It's nothing extraordinary so far. It seems like the elder sister of 24 who is a littlemore mature and a lot more into revealing skin. Some of thenudity/sexual content seemed vital to the story, unlike some otherShowtime series (Yes, you House of lies). The relation between NicholasBrody and his wife was handled with detail and seemed real. Watch thisshow, but, I would be really surprised if it gets the Emmy with showslike Breaking Bad, Boardwalk and Game of Thrones in the running. Anomination even would be a remarkable achievement. Overall Grade: B-

Emily Karmel 2013-03-25 17:56:15

Law and Order, SVU

Recently, Dick Wolf has produced yet another season of the notedtelevision series, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. SVU, as it isoften referred to, began its fourteenth season on September 26th with atwo-part premiere. Like all the other seasons of Law and Order, seasonfourteen's plot lines are usually taken from events that have been inthe news, only intensified. The action yet again takes place infamouslyin New York City, just like in every previous season. Recently added tothe show however, are detectives Amaro and Rollins. They add to theintensity of the show, providing a fresh new perspective to the scene.However, that does not come without some cost. Detective Stabler, whohas been such a central character to the series from the beginning, isnow gone. Many people may not be able to conceive of the show withouthim on it, but is yet to be seen whether that will affect viewer ship.It is definitely a different show without the character of DetectiveStabler, and for many long time viewers, that difference may be hard todeal with. For many people, the show is just not as good withoutDetective Stabler there.Although this TV series is a suspenseful thriller that will keep you onthe edge of your seat, there are only so many episodes about rapistsand homicides that can be produced. After the first thirteen seasons, Iwould argue that most of them have been covered. It is certainly achallenge to come up with new story lines. In this most recent season,the quality of the shows has been uneven, with certain episodes havingbeen more entertaining than others. The third episode of the season,which was based on the book Fifty Shades of Grey, was actually quiteentertaining. However, this season most of the plots have beenpredictable and used before. Another way in which the series seems to have changed is that thedetectives seem to have a higher pay scale than in seasons past. Theyall have iphones and wear what appears to be expensive jewelry. Did allof these detectives suddenly get promoted and get massive pay raises?New York City cops are not known to be the highest paid in thebusiness, so the show doesn't seem as realistic as in the past. Thesquad room also seems to have gotten a big technology upgrade, with thearchaic equipment of the past now gone.What hasn't changed is that the series still keeps up with the mostrecent headlines. Because of that, you might have to watch it duringthe day in order to not get nightmares. Since it takes place right inour backyard, it is easy to believe that something that is beingportrayed in a particular episode could happen here. Major issuescovered in the fourteenth season so far include prostitution, drugcartels, and terrorists, with a higher frequency than in prior years.There were very high expectations for this fourteenth season,especially based on the show's previous seasons, but to be honest, theshow has not quite lived up to these expectations. Yes, the episodesare good and keep you biting your nails, but they are no different thanin previous seasons.The fourteenth season of Law and Order: SVU has been nothing special,not living up to the reputation built up over previous seasons. WithoutDetective Stabler, even with the new younger characters, the show isnot up to the previous quality. It is still a nail biter and still acan't miss Wednesday night show, but it has lost something fromprevious seasons. The fact also is that you can only cover the sameissue so many ways. Eventually, and we may have reached this point, youcan accurately predict what will come next. That takes away some of thesuspense which was the trademark of the show, and makes you wonderwhether they are reaching the end of the road for the series.

simply-ajith 2013-03-25 13:25:21

What a waste

Homeland had a great scope of being one of the best TV show but itutterly failed. The whole Carrie and Brody thing made me not to watchthe show anymore. I wish no bipolar crap had come which spoiled theessence of the series. Series should be named as "Power of love" thanHomeland. I cannot take anymore of Carrie's overacting. Damien Lewisand Mandy were impressive. Carrie is the only reason I stopped watchingthis show in the middle of season 2. Lot of unnecessary fillers and badsub- plots. I was very disappointed as this show had a bigger scopethan they shown.One last thing "How can you have a nut case in CIA?"

moonyx2002 2013-03-24 16:58:59

Could have been better...

I found this TV show offencive in many occasion, specially againstArabs and Muslims, I think some of the movie plots were written by some"half idiots", for example what's the point of portraying an Arabdiplomat as gay!! He was also threaten by the CIA to cooperateotherwise his daughter who studies at Yale university will be sent backhome to live a miserable life in BURKA. Is that true? Some reviewerscompared this show to "24"? You must be joking? 24 is moresophisticated, fast, and highly entertaining, without stereotypingmambo jumbo , also in 24 bad guy can be anyone including the presidentof united state , a drug cartels from Mexico or Russian arms dealers Ialso think Homeland TV show is the "porn version" of 24, I mean what'sthe point of the scene where Broody and Carrie are having loud sexwhilst the surveillance team listening! The capture of Abu Nazir wasridiculous, he was one of the most wanted terrorist, he managed toenter the US after shaving his beard to be captured hidden inside someindustrial plant!!! nuff saidCheers

iGlad 2013-03-24 05:29:47

Much better than 24

people have tried to compare it to 24 but its much better than thateven i loved the show, why? because it's much more believable andconvincing. The scripting is great the dating is great the sub plotsare great and the main plot is something we cannot put our finger onit, is he or isn't he? I love the way it's going and i have my views onwhich i'll keep to myself. I think Claire Danesas being slightlyunhinged and manic is brilliant as that actually helps her to get thejob done in a strange kind of way. Excellent show, which the main networks couldn't or wouldn't be able toproduce..........

gravenholt60 2013-03-24 00:28:35

Brilliant Mixture

One of the most interesting mixtures of characters and plot lines thatI have seen. The main story is well developed, with interesting sidestories that twist the main concept into a convoluted and emotionaldrama. It isn't until the season develops that you become convincedthat the Sargent is in fact a terrorist, and yet, in this latestepisode he fails to blow himself up! The actors are excellent, thewriting is great, and the pacing is perfect... what happens next?I lovethe fact that the show plays upon the two-sided nature of the bipolarcondition, the 'manic' side of which is often accompanied by intenseemotions and mental clarity. Very interesting and ground breakingtelevision in my opinion. I am looking forward to every episode.

ani-for-prez 2013-03-23 06:03:56

Deserving of all the accolades

If you ask me why I love this show I would not know where to begin. Butbecause of the large number of parallels to its polar opposite, theshow "24", let me clear the air on how Homeland is everything "24"never was. Homeland is the mature older sister to the hyperactive, immature andschizophrenic brother that was "24". "24" was a farce, posing as arealistic representation of espionage and tension when clearly, all itwanted to be was a showcase of how excellently America's reputedcounter-terrorism forces can fumble a plan and how one man comes to therescue. It was about this man, running about on a single day, trying toprotect an immaculate and inconscientious President and the devastationand rampage he left in his wake. It was about how all foreign countriesare the devil and are constantly plotting to turn the "great US and A"into a smoking crater and how this one man cuts a swathe of bodies inhis adventure to stop said crater from happening. It was a massive egoboost to right-wing propagandists about how right they are to advocatethe massacre of foreign lands and their evil, maniacal peoples. It wasabout how no person ever needs to visit the bathroom in a day and howthey survive on 0 calories and how nothing seems to happen at threepoints every hour in their action-packed days, these peaceful periodslasting exactly 5 minutes. Just enough for us to be reminded ofcapitalism and its delights.Homeland is no such buffoonery. It deals with very real subjects suchas PTSD, inner conflict, terrorism and why they do it, imprisonment,true espionage and finally, the quest of a flawed and desperate womantrying to find answers. Terrorists are humans who have grievances andwant to be heard but go about the wrong means of doing it. The man whoreturns home after 8 years of imprisonment has real problems one ofwhich is connecting with his family who thought him dead. Spies doresearch, communicate and don't spout meaningless jargon to lookintelligent.Don't compare this to something as worthless as "24". Homeland is aserious that deserves recognition for its intelligence and originalityand anyone who is a fan of television needs to watch this.

SirBreeze 2013-03-20 03:07:24

Subversive.

I can see where this series pisses off Americans and especially thoseof right-wing political views, or ex-Marines or extremist patriots. Theidea of a war hero becoming a sleeper for the other side is deeplyunsettling and controversial: coming from a country still feeling theeffects of a war ended almost 2 decades ago, I can tell you it's auniversal feeling. That's the main point that makes this showsubversive. But there's much more.The CIA agent bordering on rogue, the family drama of faith andfaithfulness, cynical politicians and heartless agents – it all makesfor great drama and heated discussions from all sides of the politicalspectrum – because this show is impossible to watch without consideringpolitical undertones. And the actors deliver, giving very humanperformances amid this flurry of potentially controversial topics. Myfavorite here is definitely Mandy Patinkin, who is very convincing as aman who is in the process of realizing that his work has entirely takenover his life and marriage without him really noticing and is gettingto grips with it. I really hope that season two will give us more ofthis fine actor.Claire Danes has come a long way and she is surprisingly good in hercomplex and emotional role. Damian Lewis delivers as well, while MorenaBaccarin seems to be struggling with her role, just as her character isstruggling with the situation she is in.The show is excellently written and apart from the military-relatedinaccuracies, there really are no plot holes some reviewers are quickto point out. Yes, a psychotic CIA agent would be an outrage in reallife, but so would veteran terrorists and FBI SWAT killing two prayingMuslims. That's what makes drama and art. The final episode was a realcliffhanger that leaves you wanting more and thinking about all theways the story can go. If you have a problem with the ending or theplot, then this show is not your problem, but some other issues.I'm giving this show 8/10, just for the hope that they will deliver thegreat expectations we have for season 2.

ccollins1982 2013-03-19 20:15:57

finally a decent series lets hope it doesn't get cancelled

even though i have only seen 1 episode i think its good so far alsolike that danes character is a little bit unstable it gets boringhaving a perfect good character with no flaws but am curious to see ifits got enough going to last more than one series after all it will endwith him being a sleeper or not and if he is how can it carry on itsalso still undetermined whos good or bad danes character looks like shewill destroy him if she feels its necessary she seems to have aruthless streak maybe my new replacement for 24 know its early day sofar but i like it so far....... .............. ........................ .............. ........... ... ........... ..... ......

biker451 2013-03-04 19:51:06

Disappointing! Should be a Daytime Soap.

There was so much wrong with this show that it all couldn't easily bedescribed in less than a few thousand words, so I'll leave it to othersto point out the USMC errors and plot holes. I expected a thriller,maybe with a touch of humor; as Damian Lewis does wry humor as good asthe best. I'd hoped for something more likened to his character in"Life" but come on: an affair, a manic/schizoid CIA agent, every clichéin the Lazy Director's Handbook, and absolutely brimming with soap. Itis not my cup of tea. I was looking forward to a good thriller when Iheard that Damian Lewis and Mandy Patinkin were in it but was sorelylet down. I won't be watching more than the first episode.

Philip Jones 2013-03-04 12:02:55

12 hours of my life I'll never get back...

You know, by the time I got to the end of this series (which Ibelatedly just finished) I was pretty tired of terrorists and bi-polarwomen and unbelievable plot scenarios and what was, simply put, a badrip off from the Israeli original which you should try to see.And I wondered, as I always do, what could have been done to make thisseries better.A moment later a brilliant flash of light in my mind led me to whatthis series really needed in order to transcend your typical terrorist/homeland security/ unrequited love/ mental illness type TV drivel.What if we had a bi-polar terrorist? What an awesome plot device thatwould be!!! Just imagine - one minute our villain wants to killeveryone using a suicide bomb and the next thing you know our villainplunges into emotional crisis about what colour to wear to the event!...You know I think I may be a genius.Or perhaps bi-polar.Either way I should be pitching my ideas in Hollywood rather thangiving them away for free here.Your life will suffer none for missing this. It's well-acted thoughaverage. The end was not just a disappointment - it smacked way toomuch of a belated and contrived segue into a second series - a cheapdeux ex machina.

GiaOnlyKnows 2013-03-02 05:25:53

Flawless TV

This series is truly great television. On every single level it worksand the judgemental aspect of my brain can only give up findingsomething to criticise. First of all the show deals with the subject ofterrorism in a very mature way, there is no ideology behind the scriptand every perspective is treated fairly. The characters have a realdepth rarely seen on screen which is backed up by a lot of very solidacting. Indeed, the conflicting elements to the central characterswhich makes the show so great would unlikely be pulled off withoutactors of the calibre of Claire Danes, Damian Lewis, Mandy Patinkin andMorena Baccarin (also particular kudos to the daughter played by MorganSaylor - one to watch out for in the future). Not only do you watchthese characters go through some truly weird and strainedcircumstances, you really feel it too. The story also has a depth andcomplexity to it that has only been seen in shows such as The Wire,Lost, The Sopranos and Generation Kill. There are no plot holes thatdistract from the often quite tense narrative and despite what youthink of the overall subject I would be surprised if this show didn'ttotally suck you in. This is a very real, well thought out and wellexecuted show. Two big thumbs up to everyone involved. For everybodyelse - go watch it.

aphra-1 2013-03-01 09:22:29

needs a better star

This series could be stronger with a more mature, engaged actor asCarrie Matheson. Claire Danes continually flips her scraggly hair anddigs in it as though frenzied rather than well chosen for the job. Shebehaves more like an egotistical teenager than like a professional CIAoperative with an emergency puzzle to solve. Her interaction with thecast is dubious, too spacey and me-centered to seem trained anddedicated. A real agent who was that insubordinate, argumentative, andlate for meetings would have been sacked long before. How can homelandsecurity be safe in the hands of so ditsy a character? The flashbacksto Beirut and prison are believable and well photographed. Much of the"are you all right?" directed at Brody is too repetitive, toogratuitous to seem like actual family and buddy concern for a lovedone. Also, the resurrection of Tom Walker seems contrived, as does theuse of utility trucks for listening posts. That ploy was old duringMission Impossible.

danielcheah 2013-01-22 06:02:06

Excellent Pilot, but Series?

I'm a big fan of a good pilot, that usually lets you picture what aseries might turn out to be. I am skeptical as to whether such"terrorist-psycho-thriller" will make it in a TV series (drama). Intruth, it is much more difficult to make it in a 2-3 season drama thanto spin it as a 2hours movie. There is a tendency for such stories toend up being overly ludicrous. A little bit of controversy excites theaudience, but when it is overly done, it becomes difficult for thewriter to contain - and end it on a high note. Just ask Lost.However with that skepticism in tact, I believe the pilot shows a lotof promise of what a good series this can turn out to be. From thepilot: I believe the script is brilliant, the acting is as good as itgets, and the premise of what the series is/will be centered on is topclass. This is merely derived from the first episode. I wouldn't wantto overrate this series, but it has the potential to be the first best"terrorist-psycho-thriller" series, or a nothing worth talking about.Fingers crossed, and I for one, truly hope this ends well. Breaking badis my favorite series of all time, and I for one hope this can comeclose.

jkingsnorth 2013-01-21 20:23:27

Overrated

A greatly overrated series. There is nothing wrong with it per se butjust not especially interesting or worthy. Certainly not worthy of allthe hype it has received. Fairly predictable and naive as far as I can tell so far; havingwatched more than half of the first season and honestly I am finding ithard to continue watching to find out what happens (or rather doesn'thappen).The way that mental health is dealt with is bordering on pureignorance, and this is one of the few series that seems to use sex forthe sake of it, in a way which doesn't appear to aid plot development.I say this even with the knowledge of the large number of programmessuch as the Spartacus franchise, and Game of Thrones, etc, which havefar more examples of far more explicit sex; it just seems like theproducers of this series felt the need to throw it in for the sake ofit. Maybe more sex would have made it more interesting...Overall it's OK, just don't believe the hype.