Homeland: The Problem with Season 3

***SPOILERS BELOW**** (obviously you guys)

I had a lot of trouble sleeping last night. This is most likely due to three reasons: 1. My cat decided that clawing the blinds to death was only fun if she did it every 30 minutes. 2. My socks were too hot (foiled again by the lure of wearing socks to bed *shakes fist) and 3. Feeling strangely hollow after watching the season finale of Homeland. As such, the entire episode kind of felt like a really bad dream which I guess impacted my actual dreams.

Now for the record: I thought the vast majority of this season was excellent. I totally applauded the show for fooling us into thinking Carrie had finally gone AWOL, I loved the double agent aspect--the new characters, and the new locations. But after watching the final episode last night I can't help but feel extremely let down. Not so much by what happened as how it happened. It felt like the entire season finale was just giving up.

The HUGE event that takes place in the first half of the finale was suddenly dissolved into the ominous '4 Months Later' title---the kind of instant flash into the future that sent me into PTSD land thinking back to the embarrassing Harry Potter epilogue. Suddenly, it was like the show took on a whole new level of stagnation. I felt like I was trapped in a bizarro Homeland. Saul was spending time with Mira. Carrie received a startling new promotion and was 'playing nice' with the new asshat director. Saul and Dar were eating waffles together and laughing. What was this place? Everything just felt so forced----and..... neat. Like the little insane ends of Brody's legacy were tied up neatly like little bows on packages. Overall, it just felt like a very lazy way to end the season.

As my sister and I later discussed--it's like they got trapped with Brody, decided he sucked, freaked out, killed him and then tried to hide all the evidence. I'm not sad that Brody is gone. If anything I'm glad that the show finally stopped feeding into Carrie's irrational thinking. By all accounts however sad it may be or 'wrong feeling,' the right path to take was the one that was taken. For once, the show stopped bluffing. It was a moment now looking back that was perfectly foreshadowed by when Carrie gets shot after disobeying orders. There was this whole feeling of, 'Yeah right, they won't really shoot Carrie.......oh.....they shot Carrie" that really speaks to the finale the more I think about it. Did I think that they should kill Brody? Yes. Did I think that they would kill Brody? No.

Anyways here is my ultimate diagnosis of the problem with Season 3  (again, for the most part I liked it).

Brody's legacy should only have lasted till the end of Season 2. Unfortunately due probably to Carrie's obsessed love affair, they decided to keep him in Season 3 at least to tie up loose ends. The problem though was that they put way too much weight on his shoulders. Calling him in for such an important task could only spell doom. Now there was no easy and clean way to get rid of him. They were stuck.

If I had it my way--- Carrie would have discovered that Brody WAS actually responsible for the Langley bombing and then took matters into her own hands by eventually killing him in a dramatic stand off. That way--the truth is out. Carrie is at least assured that 'oh hey he was a terrorist after all, nuts!' and the decision to part ways with the baby in her womb wouldn't have been as difficult to make. Because really who wants a half terrorist baby? Just kidding. But in all honesty this is what I would have liked. Reaffirming the fact that Carrie's life and her decisions remain in her hands.

If you really sit down and think about it though--Brody was hardly in any episodes this season. In fact for a while there I thought they were going to reduce him to a 'Special Guest Star'. And I was fine with it. Long live the spy-filled life of Carrie sans Brody! Viva independence! And luckily now I think that's where the show is probably headed. Carrie takes Istanbul. That is---if the vast majority of  the 'Carrie loves Brody' fan club put their guns down. So anyways, C'est la vie Brods. Here are the 10 things I'll miss most about the Brody family.

1. Jessica's bad haircuts
2. Dana's floppy boots.
3. The uselessness of Chris
4. Chris' 'My Dad doesn't like me face'
5. Damien Lewis' tiny mouth
6. Their Subaru
7. Praying to Allah in the garage
8. Shooting deer at cook outs
9. Awkward sexual tension
10. The regret of never getting to see Chris try dating.

Sigh.

An Announcement Plus Stuff I've Been Watching

So probably I'm going to switch the name of my blog to "The Horror Digest (and other stuff)" because I've decided over the past 7 months that horror is no longer my main squeeze. Sure, I still love it but lately I've become much more enamored with everything--hence the reason why I basically ceased all blogging. Does this make me an interest slut? Probably. Whatever, I practice safe interests so it's OK.

If you're upset about this, I'm very sorry. Let me console you by patting you on the back... which is typically the extent that my ability to comfort other people reaches.

Now, over the past 7 months I have successfully become obsessed with several TV shows. I also finally got rid of Comcast (or as I like to call it SUCKCAST) and switched to Verizon Fios. As you can imagine my soul has been deeply healed because of this. And now for your reading pleasure, here is what I am currently obsessed with.

Mad Men

If you can believe it, I did not step onto the Mad Men train of love until very recently. It's not that I was against it, or unwilling to accept its mysterious charms but I simply was intimidated by how much everyone loved it and I felt like I just wasn't ready yet. Then a few months or so ago I decided I was totally ready. This is not unlike the way I felt about finally wearing pants.

Over the course of about 2 weeks, I watched the entire season (this was sometime right before the newest season aired). There was one weekend where I watched the entirety of Season 3 and 4 in one sitting and emerged from my couch looking like this.

Except a little less attractive.

Obviously I am now hooked and ready to talk all about it if you want to. So far, here is what I've decided.

1. Bob Benson is a serial killer.

2. Glen keeps getting creepier and is probably also a serial killer.

3. Peggy and Stan should just do it already and get it over with.

4. Peggy and Ted should not.

5. All these references to Rosemary's Baby and Sharon Tate can only mean one thing....

The Castevets are moving in. Yeah!

And also probably Megan is pregnant and will be murdered either by Glen or Bob Benson.

6. Pete is still the worst.

And there you have it. Stay tuned for a full episode recap after the finale airs. Yeehaw.


Hannibal

After watching the first episode of NBCs Hannibal, I was very dubious. I felt like they made Will Graham a little too mentally unstable and that they made Hannibal just a little too uncomfortably foreign.

 By the second episode however, I was able to separate the show from Red Dragon in my mind and take in all the good stuff. Especially how freaking gorgeous everything is in this show. This is like.....verging on Suspiria style horrific beauty people.

And the surrealism factor mirrors everything I like about The Cell. It's art. It's scary. And I love it.

I still think Mads Mikkelsen is a little too exotic to be considered a viable substitute for Dr. Lecter but Hugh Dancy is slowly making his way into poster in my bedroom territory.

Sure, Will Graham is definitely crazy. But at least now that we know his craziness has an underlying and actual medical cause, I feel a little better about the future.

Oh and also fuck that episode about scary girls who think they are dead hiding under beds.

Now I'll never be able to sleep again. I think out of all the episodes, that one especially scared the Jesus juice out of me. That is how you build suspense and then terrify people. Current horror movies take note.

Anywho, I think out of all the new shows that have peeked their heads out--Hannibal wins best new show hands down. I'm excited to see where it will go--though of course I have my suspicions. What are yours?


Other Stuff

While Mad Men and Hannibal are probably my two favorite new obsessions, there are a handful of other shows I've become acquainted with that I would certainly like to get to know better. Second base at least.

The Following withheld my interest throughout its season despite the hilarious game I had with myself called, who else is in the cult? My right foot.

My cat.

And a cheeseburger

were all possible things I figured were in the cult since everyone else on the planet evidently is.

It's a little cookie cutter at times but ultimately I found The Following to be a solid way to spend Monday nights. Kevin Bacon chugs vodka out of water bottles and that guy who got killed in Dexter got killed again. Poor guy can't catch a break.

The finale felt odd and kind of a little too 'final' if you know what I mean. My prediction is that The Following will have one more season and then die because you can only have one black character per major network show. Or wait, I mean........you can only take the crazy cult plot so far you know?

Reality TV

I'm not afraid to admit my passion for reality TV. Yeah it's stupid and everything that's wrong with the world but you know what? It's also very entertaining. However my two favorite reality TV shows really have made me angry and have apparently been overtaken by country music fans all over the world. Fuck that shit man.

The Voice and Celebrity Apprentice have both wounded my heart and soul. First, Trace Adkins Mr. I'm Grumpy All the Time and I Don't Really Have Good Ideas Just a Lot of Money wins beating out Penn Jillette THEN Adam Levine's entire team gets voted off the Voice despite the fact that all three of them had better voices then the rest of the people in the competition. Leaving the Swon brothers or as I like to call them, One Swon Brother and a Backup Singer

 and Danielle Bradbury who is cute but dangerously close to becoming Taylor Swift's bratty little sister. Great. My true feelings have officially been unleashed. Apologies to everyone who thought I was cool.

Looking Forward To....

For many people, Homeland became the new "it" show. Count me in as one of those people. I can't get enough of crazy Claire Danes and tiny mouthed Damian Lewis and their stupid love affair and the twists and the turns and and and MANDY PATINKIN.

Gah. Is it Fall yet? Also who thinks they would be an awesome CIA Agent? Everyone obviously.

But seriously I think I would be the best. CIA, I'm guessing you know where to find me.

Breaking Bad's final hours have arrived.

I'm sad to find out that many avid watchers of the show slowly started to lose interest. This is most likely due to the fact that the show is so fucking depressing and bleak that people are worried they will spontaneously combust into a black hole of death.

Or maybe there just isn't enough Walt Jr. to go around? I'm torn.

I however, am totally ready to spontaneously combust and see what exactly is going to happen. Let's all hold hands when it starts OK?

Wow I live an awesome life huh? Don't worry though, I also read books.