Showtime's flailing Sunday night lineup

"Mathison? I heard rumors she's on her own planet. Not like lovable eccentric, hardcore chemical." — Dennis, "Homeland"

Four falls ago, when "Homeland" debuted, it was easily the most fascinating new show of the year. It was an incredible thriller with a great story and great performances. It rode a wave of critical and popular acclaim through awards season and a first season finale that didn't end the way most people thought.

That ending — with Brody (Damian Lewis) — was heavily influenced by Showtime's hopes for the future of the series. Ironically, that decision likely sealed the creative fate of the series. Sure, now in its fourth season, "Homeland"has finally shed the Brody storyline, but it turns out there's no where left to go.

The fourth season was supposed to be a creative re-boot for Carrie (Claire Danes) and the rest of the cast left. Instead, it's been a curious, and curiously unappealing, decent for a show that was once among the best on TV. Now, it's more like a punchline. There is half a season left to salvage something, but who knows what that something should be. The bones of the show are the problem now. Carrie doesn't seem like a brilliant but flawed analyst, she seems like a crazy woman.

The show's depiction of the CIA — while probably confirming the worst fears of the average American about its ineptitude — leave little room to grow,  either. At the midpoint in the season, the show blew up its storyline and characters, again. They've created another super terrorist that seems to have the upper hand, again. It's like they don't know what to do.

Executive producer Howard Gordon worked on "24," which consistently pushed the boundaries of credibility. But it was never a show taken seriously as an art house drama. "Homeland" once was, which is why it's decent into cartoonish measures is all the more unwatchable. With flagging ratings and storytelling, this might be the end of "Homeland," and a serious blow to Showtime.

Over the summer its two series launched last year — "Ray Donovan" and "Masters of Sex" — continued to do well with critics, but the ratings weren't great. Both were renewed, despite the fact "Masters of Sex" had an uneven creative season and a woefully rated one.

To accompany "Homeland" this fall Showtime trotted out "The Affair," a pedigreed drama with a great cast — including Dominic West, Joshua Jackson, Maura Tierney, and Ruth Wilson — that has seemingly flatlined. In fact, Showtime would have envied the ratings for the latest Hallmark Christmas movie in comparison to "The Affair."

The show has been met with uneven reception from critics, and has been developing at a glacial pace. There's been little reason to care about the titular affair, and even less reason to get excited about the murder mystery element that feels tacked on.

Both "Homeland" and "The Affair" have six weeks left in the season, but there's little reason to get excited about either. And this is despite the fact HBO didn't even broadcast and original show last Sunday.

While "The Walking Dead" keeps AMC afloat as they search for new blood,  Showtime has seemingly run out of time and good ideas. Their current Sunday night lineup might be depressing and underwhelming, but at least it's something. And clearly, that's all they've got right now.