The thing about the first season of Homeland is that in addition to being a white-knuckled rollercoaster that left you gasping for air, it also felt plausible enough to suspend disbelief. The narrative of how a POW was turned into a weapon of war in the U.S. may have been melodramatic, but the verisimilitude brought it very close to home: Claire Danes’ Emmy winning performance, as well as Damien Lewis’ as Nicholas Brody, was imbued with a striking authenticity that overcame the fact that she was able to hide her extensive history with bipolar disorder from Langley, or that he would be able to actually sneak a suicide vest into Foggy Bottom. However, as entertaining as season four has so far been—which is a great step up from season three—I have trouble investing in the high stakes drama like I could during those earliest seasons. And now it’s most intriguing subplot, the Aayan variable, has been clouded by the same plot twist used in season one that was meant to cause viewers to first question Carrie’s original professionalism. When Carrie seduced Brody in season one, it was because it was the best way to insinuate herself into his life and keep him monitored after Saul told her to tear down her operation. However, her cover story as a London-based news editor trying to enlist Aayan into a web that includes a host of other resources, including Langley’s funding, makes her snap judgment decision to seduce the kid all the more confounding in season four. A way out of Pakistan is the prize Aayan seeks, and Homeland, nor Carrie, have convinced me this week that the seduction was necessary. Worse still, I have a strong inclination to guess where this is going. While she fell hard for Brody, the series could very well attempt to “subvert” expectations with Carrie leaving Aayan out to dry in a situation that ends in his death or imprisonment. The question is do I care? For example, I care very little that the secretary’s husband is stupid enough to commit egregious levels of treason because his wife called him a loser. “You think I suck? I’ll show you by leaking CIA secrets to the intelligence community that ignored Osama bin Laden!” At least, he has already put Carrie’s frenemy on the case (albeit, the more salicious twist would be he abuses this knowledge for job advancement in some nutty way). However, the week’s biggest development is Saul has fallen into a rather obvious trap at the Islamabad airport and is now in the hands of an intelligence community that seems to think kidnapping former CIA directors is cunning protocol. But again, I am left wondering should I care? In the first season, when Saul was so much as insulted by Carrie or his ever-indecisive wife, I was left aghast on Mr. Berenson’s behalf. But this season, the grizzled spook, who is played with perfect poise by Mandy Patinkin, might be killed off, and I’m not sure if it even matters. For this writer, that’s a red flag for the whole mission charter of the series. Still, Fara Sherazi is really developing into an intriguing and astute player this season. At least someone is. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for all news updates related to the world of geek. And Google+, if that’s your thing!
