Homeland Season 2: Thoughts On Q&A And A Look At Episode 6, A Gettysburg Address

The last episode of Homeland, aptly titled "Q&A," was a masterclass in acting. There is no doubt that Damian Lewis and Claire Danes not only proved their Emmy wins were no fluke but also that they will likely be repeat winners next year. However, even the pair's stunning work as well as the great performances from the rest of the cast could not completely cover up some of the increasing story problems.

That's right, I'm not as in love with the second season of Homeland as a lot of others, and believability is the main reason why. A perfect example, before getting to the main thread that was admittedly mesmerizing, was the Dana storyline in "Q&A" which feels so trumped-up and extraneous to the real narrative that I was actually snickering. Not enough drama has already happened to the Brodys? And think about it this way, those were secret service agents Finn ditched moments before (and less than like 100 yards away from) the accident meaning they will have a detailed account of when and where they lost him. That's probably recorded and passed along the chain of command, someone will have heard about the unsolved hit-and-run in the exact spot at the exact time.

Maybe I'm being too hard on the show because I've come to expect so much after the stellar first season? But I'm also still having trouble believing that Carrie would continue to be included in the CIA operations, since she had to hide her mental illness in the first place. Now they not only know about her condition, but she keeps disobeying orders and yet Saul keeps grandfathering her back into the case. It just seems crazy to me even though every single scene between her and Brody was absolutely riveting. I'm torn. It's a great series to watch but I can't help but feel it staying from Homeland and into 24 territory. Quinn did have his own Jack Bauer moment last night.

Forgetting all those qualms and going purely on entertainment value, the series is still one of the best on television and, like I said before, Lewis and Danes alone make it a mandatory viewing. "Q&A" featured Lewis at his finest, delivering a great performance as Brody begins to break-back. The moments when he was still denying the vest after admitting all else were phenomenal, almost to the point where I thought he was going to beat them again. Then Carrie came in with the I love yous. Finally, as a lot of people had guessed, the installment ended with him being brought into the CIA fold but who knows what team he's really on? Remember, they don't think he's killed anyone but that might come to light in "A Gettysburg Address" since that's where the tailor was from. Take a look.

Next week looks pretty intense. While there is little mention of Gettysburg or the tailor (perhaps I'm way off base), we do get to see how the I Know What You Did Last Summer situation is playing out for our young teens. Dana wants to come clean, Finn not so much. The main thread has Quinn still questioning Brody's loyalty (and rightfully so) as Carrie throws all her support behind him. That is, until something happens (a minor attack?) which once again pits the two against each other. Who do you think Brody is playing? Maybe he's trying to keep alliances on both sides?

Homeland airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on Showtime. It stars Claire Danes, Damian Lewis, Mandy Patinkin and Morena Baccarin. It was adapted for American television by Alex Gansa and Howard Gordon from the Israeli series Prisoners of War (or Hatufim) by Gideon Raff.