Homeland's Big Move

"By the grace of God, I am here to seek asylum. This is the only place in the world where I can find peace." — Brody, "Homeland"

Redemption is hard. It's hard for people. It's hard for characters. And it can be especially hard for TV shows. Once you lose the plot, the goodwill of fans, and any sense of clarity, it is often too late. Whether that's true of "Homeland" remains to be seen when it reconvenes in the fall for its fourth season. But what's not up for debate is that the show entered Sunday's third season finale in a bit of a crisis.

When "Homeland" premiered three years ago, it was easily the best show on television. It had a fantastic premise, great performances, and a gripping story. There was a natural ending to that first season — Brody (Damien Lewis) was a terrorist who needed to follow through on his plan. But higher powers — viewers, Showtime executives, and show producers — who intervened. Brody lived, but his shadow overwhelmed everything the show was about.

"Homeland" went through an uneven second season, but it's been the third season where the Brody shadow has been overwhelming. The first half of the season was confusing. The second half has built toward something, but no one could be quite sure what that something would be.

Sunday, we got the answer. The point of this season was the redemption of Brody as a character, and if it's to be believed, the show as a whole. Brody bottomed out early in the season, slipping into addiction and a sense of loss in Central America.

Then he was recovered by Saul (Mandy Patinkin) and the CIA, to be used for a shot-in-the-dark assassination attempt in Iran. He pulled off the mission, but didn't survive the attempt. Brody's death came two seasons too late, but seemed to bring a sense of peace to the character and to the storyline. Carrie (Claire Danes) could do nothing to stop it, and their mis-guided romance received the doomed end they were destined for all along.

The sequence lacked the emotional relevance and punch it would have had in a bunker at the end of season one, but it brought a sense of closure. It also brought a chance for "Homeland" to hit the reset button. Carrie can go back to what we've always been told she's best at — being a world-class CIA analyst. Saul is now adrift in the private sector, and there is a new mission, focus, and possibility for the world of "Homeland."

"Homeland" isn't the first pay cable show to stumble. "Dexter" had an incredible first season, an uneven second season, and a woeful third season. But it hit the reset button and had, arguably, its best season of the series during its fourth year. So "Homeland," with the deck clear and plenty of possibility, there is a chance to step it up in season four.

"Homeland," despite its flaws, still has a core audience and has still delivered great ratings. Here's to hoping that it starts delivering a quality story, too.