Homeland: In Defense of Season 3

We want to talk about how the Showtime drama series has us obsessed with it all over again

By Jenna Mullins Dec 02, 2013 8:14 PMTags
Mandy Patinkin,  Claire Danes, Rupert Friend, Damian Lewis, HomelandFrank Ockenfels 3/SHOWTIME

Homeland's third season, we are sooo into you right now.

Ever since the episode featuring Brody's (Damian Lewis) heroin withdrawal, arguably one of the best episodes of the season, our obsession with the Showtime drama has been dialed up to 11. And it wasn't a sudden happenstance; we've been on board (again) with Homeland ever since the episode it was revealed that Carrie (Claire Danes) was pregnant and Javadi (Shaun Toub) went all crazy and killed his daughter-in-law and ex-wife.

But we weren't exactly offboard with Homeland this season, despite a wide array of fans and critics rolling their eyes at recent twists (Carrie planned her mental breakdown with Saul) and huffing over the lack of Brody. What some people called "slow episodes" in the beginning of the season, we called a "slow burn" that is leading up to the final run, which will no doubt bring us back to that season-one finale feeling of "Omigod, I'm overcome with anxiety, what the hell is going to happen?!"

Let's talk about the reasons why we have been loving the third season of Homeland:

1. Saul, the Boss: He's been hovering around (and plummeting toward) losing his director status all season long, but Saul (Mandy Patinkin) has never been more badass. From the ballsy missions he's come up with to punching Javadi right in the face, he's been kicking ass and taking names in an effort to get to the bottom of the Langley bombing. Sure, it's put his protégé Carrie constantly in harm's way, but who will ever forget when he trapped Lockhart (Tracy Letts) in a conference room? One of our favorite Homeland scenes ever. Papa Bear Saul, you keep doin' you.

2. Carrie and Brody Chemistry: "But they've barely been in the same country all season!" is what you are probably yelling right now. True. But didn't that make their eventual reunion (which we honestly weren't sure was ever going to come) all the more satisfying? And not in the romantic, embracing each other satisfying kind of way, which would have been such a cliché. Nope, they barely tolerated each other, which meant the little moments where we saw some of that old spark (like Brody telling Carrie he would come back) felt like a shipper's paradise. And there's still so many unanswered questions between them, so Brody has to survive…right? Which brings us to our next point…

3. High Stakes: Not since the season-one finale have we been so worried for our characters. The chances of Brody making it out of this season alive are very slim, but we're still rooting for it, which means we legitimately believe he could be killed off. That makes every scene, every line, every moment with him all the more electric. 

4. Buying Into It: Look, we could write pages and pages about how Homeland could be considered far-fetched or its plotlines too hard to believe, but if you just take the show for what it is, and buy into all the drama, action and pivotal storylines, you just might find yourself as entertained as we are. There are only two episodes left and Homeland is better than ever. If you gave up on season three, we know without a doubt you'll be awfully sorry come the season finale. We've been paying our dues all season, and we know the reward will be more than worth it. 

So what are your thoughts on season three? Are you as into it as we are or not so much? Let's talk it out below.