Homeland Review, Season 1, Episode 2 – “Grace”
Air Date: Sunday, October 09, 2011, 10:00 pm ET/PT on Showtime
Rating:
Some shows with a lot of intrigue lose their way. I’m happy to say so far, Homeland isn’t one of them. As “Grace” opens, Sgt. Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis) is having an extremely difficult time dealing with his traumatic memories, having nightmare after nightmare. CIA Agent Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) is completely wrapped up with proving her theory that Brody was turned while in captivity, to the point where she’s becoming obsessive about it. She may be right, though, when she learns from an undercover operative that terrorist Abu Nazir (Navid Negahban) has resurfaced after years of lying low.
A very contemplative Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes)
One can only imagine what it must be like to be a prisoner of war but Homeland brings home the terror loud and clear with the nightmares Brody experiences of his imprisonment. It’s not only nightmares affecting him though; news reporters outside the Brody home are making him nervous. So much so, he appears to handle it the same way he dealt with his feelings while in captivity—spending the entire day alone huddled in a corner, in a fetal-like position. What I don’t understand is when Jessica (Morena Baccarin), daughter Dana (Morgan Saylor) and son Chris (Jackson Pace) return home, he tells Jessica he had a great day. Why doesn’t he confess the truth to her? Obviously, he is very guarded, not knowing who he can trust—apparently not even his wife.
Carrie’s obsession—as she sits riveted, watching the surveillance cameras in Brody’s house—is becoming worse. She sits in her messy house strewn with empty take-out containers, paying little attention to her personal hygiene, as evidenced by the lack of nail polish on one foot. She’s a woman with a purpose. No one and nothing is going to stop her. There’s some nice character development for Carrie this week as we learn not only is she flawed in her professional life, but her personal one as well. We are introduced to her sister Maggie (Amy Hargreaves) and her two daughters, one of whom had a birthday party Carrie missed. There’s also a mention of Maggie’s husband Bill, and their father who is living with Maggie and suffers from the same mental disorder as Carrie. Hopefully, we will get to explore the Mathison family dynamic in future episodes.
Claire Danes as a completely obsessed Carrie Mathison, watching the surveillance cameras in Brody's home
I find the conversation Carrie has with Saul (Mandy Patinkin), her mentor, when Carrie shows him a tape of Brody having a nightmare and explains Brody repeatedly asks someone to kill him in Arabic, quite interesting—especially when it turns out to be prophetic.
Carrie: “He’s too ashamed or scared or both to face the press outside his house or take calls from the TV news. So what does he do? He finds shelter in the corner of the bedroom where he hasn’t moved in over five hours.”
Saul: “All of which makes sense after eight years of captivity.”
Carrie: “What if it’s more than that?”
Saul: “If Brody had really been turned as you say, you know what he’d more than likely be doing by now? Talking to the press outside his house, doing TV interviews, playing the hero card for every penny it’s worth.”
Lynne, an undercover operative, despite being under close watch by the major domo for His Highness, succeeds in sending Carrie a “code red” message so they can meet. She shows Carrie a picture of Prince Farid meeting with Abu Nazir. Could it be mere coincidence that Nazir surfaces at the same time Brody returns home?
Brody loses it when a reporter attempts to question him in the back yard and after delivering a karate chop to the reporter’s throat, disappears into the woods. He surfaces at a mall hardware store and returns home with a bag he secretly places in the garage. We later see him partially open the garage door from the inside, lovingly spread out a small carpet, and proceed to pray to Allah. Could Brody be suffering with Stockholm Syndrome, or is this ritual merely comforting to him?
Jessica tries to talk to Brody, in an effort to start over, but Brody dodges her every attempt. Lewis plays the returning prisoner of war excellently with his aloof and distant demeanor towards her. The only one Brody appears to connect with is his son. Why does Jessica try to help Mike (Diego Klattenhoff) convince Brody to do the CBS News interview? Is it the fame she’s interested in? The money? Or is it that she really wants Brody to re-enlist so she can resume her affair with Mike?
Favorite lines:
Dana while playing a game of Hearts with Chris and Mike: “Hearts; which the Marines call Hunt the Cunt.”
***
Lynne to Stacy: “You need to wax that, sweetie. Hair down there isn’t an option for His Highness.”
***
Brody, after Mike tries to convince him to do the interview:
Brody: “I said stop! The brass sent you over here to turn me into some poster boy for their bullshit war. You know what? You can go right back there and tell them the days that I take orders from the United States military or the government are over. Done.”
The intrigue in “Grace” practically jumps off the TV screen, wrapping itself around your heart and soul. There are minutes, especially when Brody is reliving his captivity, when I swear I stopped breathing. As with the season premiere, the acting is superlative all around and the suspense gripping and fascinating. With 24 and Sleeper Cell no longer on the air, Homeland has become my favorite go-to counter-terrorism show. This is one political thriller I have no intention of missing.
Tune in to Homeland, Sundays at 10:00 pm ET/PT only on Showtime. Follow Homeland on Twitter @sho_homeland and Like the show on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/HomelandOnShowtime.
All photos © 2011 Showtime. All Rights Reserved.
Linda
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