Here’s to Homeland! 

Two years ago, I gave a shoutout to Grey’s Anatomy for still rocking it out in its 12th season and now I had to give it to Homeland. I mean, what a show. The show just ended its 7th season a few weeks ago and it was such a tense (in a good way) season with a heart stopping finale. In a time where we are spoiled for choice on TV, still holding the attention of its audience after many years, is no easy feat.

It feels like a lifetime ago we were introduced to Carrie and Saul with Brody and his wife, Jessica in tow. Apparently, Brody was supposed to be killed off after season 1 but the show was so wildly successful and responded positively with awards in the bag and the character was kept – which led to the first slump of the show; you could clearly see that they did not know where to go with that story line. Brody left, we got Quinn and all was well. We had one or two bumpy seasons but overall Homeland has been an exciting show to watch.

It’s quite easy to not appreciate a show and its performances after a long time but Claire Danes completely bodies her role as Carrie. Carrie the black widow. Some man must die once he becomes entangled in her web. Her mental illness serves as her strength and her weakness but her job is her first love and I will never understand why the writers gave her a child because she just was not cut out to be a mother. I understand the sentimental factor of a Brody memory but I have seen Carrie do some brutal shit and I think it would have been more beleivable if she had not kept the child.

Mandy Pantikin as Saul, best understated performance on TV. Exhibit A – the scene this season when the cops come to bust Dante at his apartment. The look Saul gives a naked Carrie – gold. While Carrie and Saul are career soulmates, I’ve always thought that Max was the third piece to their triangle that keeps their mad operation going.

Overall, Homeland has been a solid and entertaining show and the writers have found different ways to keep its wheels turning in the right direction. They say to give roses to people while they are alive, so as the show enters its 8th and final season next years, here is a big ol’ cheers to 7 seasons of Homeland!