'Homeland,' Brody trapped in 'Tower of David'

"You're like a cock roach...still there after the last nuclear bombs go off." — Dr. Graham, "Homeland"

The third season of "Homeland" has been uneven at best. It was hard to see where the show was going and, worse yet, hard to care through two episodes. Of course, through the first two episodes, a big part of the show was missing — Sgt. Nick Brody (Damien Lewis).

There are two schools of thought here. By now most people know the original plan was for Brody to die in season one. The show became a hit, Lewis won an Emmy, and plans changed. Now, even though it stretches credibility, Brody remains a part of the story the show is trying to tell. Some wish he wouldn't. Others think his return will help.

I haven't had a strong opinion one way or the other. So when Brody returned to season three in the third episode — titled "Tower of David" — I wanted to see what would happen. Turned out nothing happened, which is a big part of the problem.

I have read a few reviews that suggested the third episode introduced a wide world of possibilities for the show, but I don't see it. Sunday's episode was slow, difficult to watch, and dower. It's hard to see how this is a step in the right direction.

One of the key problems for "Homeland" this season has been a lack of purpose and direction. That wasn't improved by bringing in Brody. While his situation seems fitting — he's a wanted man, a terrorist, who escaped to a grimy dump in Central America — it does little to add purpose to the show.

"Homeland" began as a series about CIA operatives trying to prevent an attack on America and the (potential) terrorists seeking to damage America. Somewhere along the line that changed. For it to become the show we all loved in season one, at some point it needs to get back there.