'Homeland's' Redemption

“This is not who we are. This is not who you are. Please. Please. Please, Saul. Get up. Get up. Get up, get up. Please, please. No more dying. I wanna go home.” – Carrie, “Homeland”

“Homeland” was the hottest show on TV in its first season, sweeping the Emmys. It was compelling, engrossing, and wildly entertaining. But a funny thing happened, it was a victim of its own success. Rather than follow the logical conclusion it was building towards, the network interceded. A character who should have died lived, and instead it was the creativity of the show that died.

“Homeland,” a shell of its former self, limped through a weaker second season and a ridiculous third season that killed any remaining audience good will. But the show was finally able to clear the decks and remove some of the dead wood. That led to a wide open fourth season, at least in theory.

The first few episodes of this renaissance weren’t all they were cracked up to be. Stories were confusing, as were character actions and motives. It felt more like a bad telenovella than the cream of the television crop it had once been. So it felt odd to see Showtime renew “Homeland” for a fifth season in the middle of that mire of mediocrity.

But as the show has hit the home stretch, a funny thing happened. It found it’s mojo again. Much like Stella, “Homeland” appears to have gotten its groove back. At the close of Sunday’s episode, the season’s ninth episode, I had a couple thoughts. First, I was sad the episode was over. Second, I couldn’t wait to see how it would resolve over the next three episodes.

While it’s a bit too early to say the show is completely back, the pieces are falling into place and “Homeland” is again resembling the show we once fell in love with. If this season holds, it could be that the series is back on track, and I might not be alone in looking forward to seeing that fifth season.

I also can’t help but wonder if “Homeland” would be better served by shorter seasons. This season started rough and went through a lot of fallow territory before landing on the right track. When you have 12 hours to fill, that tends to happen. What if “Homeland” was eight episodes? What if Carrie’s seduction of a young college student never happened – because so far it doesn’t seem to matter that much for the crux of the action right now? Would this be a better show?

I can’t help but think it might be.