Best: "Homeland" (Showtime)
It's not the sexiest new show of 2011, which might be why "Homeland" didn't
arrive with the buzz of, say, "The Playboy
Club." It is, however, the year's smartest, most suspenseful and most
crisply staged series. All of this probably explains why, ... moreunlike a lot of
trendier competition, "Homeland" isn't just still on the air, but thriving. Claire Danes is an absolute Emmy shoe-in as
psychologically troubled CIA anti-terror agent Carrie Mathison, who's positive
that recently rescued Marine POW Nicholas Brody has been turned by radical
al-Qaida forces. But oh, the places Season 1 goes from there. Every episode
is a game-changer, and each week delivers one more unforgettable scene of
unbearably tense negotiation, confrontation, breakthrough and breakdown. Danes
is an expressive wonder, but Damian Lewis and Mandy Patinkin are also both note-perfect.
"Homeland" on the whole is sexy, scary, thought-provoking and exciting (and
generally all at once), and only gets stronger as it flexes more storytelling
muscle. There's not much quite like it on mainstream American television right
now, and probably won't be again soon. Don't miss it. (Kenny Herzog)
Bing: More about Claire Danes | 'Homeland'
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(Showtime)
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