This acclaimed Showtime original series—winner of four 2012 Emmys, including Best Drama—stars Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison, a troubled CIA analyst, and Damian Lewis as Sgt. Nicholas Brody, a Marine captured by Al-Qaeda who was later discovered in captivity—eight years after being presumed dead. Carrie has reason to believe he's become a sleeper agent for the terrorists, while Brody struggles to reconnect with his family, his community, and a society that has moved on during his absence. While the perceptive but obsessive Carrie is convinced that Brody's secrets will lead back to Al-Qaeda, she has her own secret—an illness she conceals from the agency until events force it into the open. Adapted from an Israeli drama, the series is wrapped around the War on Terror and the American intelligence culture, but behind this realpolitik thriller lies the deeper story of the human toll of war. The twists suggest a 21st-century take on The Manchurian Candidate, but this smart series also touches on patriotism, faith, and responsibility. Morena Baccarin costars as Brody's wife, Jessica, with Mandy Patinkin as Carrie's boss, Saul. Compiling all 12 episodes from the 2012 debut, extras include an audio commentary, deleted scenes, a behind-the-scenes featurette, and a prologue to the second season. A dense, challenging, intelligent series, this is highly recommended. (S. Axmaker)
Homeland: The Complete First Season
Fox, 664 min., not rated, DVD: 4 discs, $59.98; Blu-ray: 3 discs, $69.98 Volume 27, Issue 6
Homeland: The Complete First Season
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