When you think of thrillers, you think of a secretly not-so-average guy; a man leading the soccer dad, carpool-driving life, with a hidden past. Someone, dare I say it, with-a-certain-set-of-skills. The hero will surprise you with his covert talent, his vast knowledge and inhuman skill, while the somewhat obvious plot goes by at rapid speed, punctuated with death-defying stunts.
But there’s another kind of thriller out there on television, one with a slow burn plot that threatens to explode every week, void of impossible stunts but full of life or death tension. And best of all, the hero isn’t a man with a secret but a woman who uncovers the truth.
Homeland is one of the most critically acclaimed television shows on air and there is a reason. The writing is superb, the acting is even better. At any given moment during the hourlong program the writers and actors are toying with the viewers. We don’t know who to cheer for, who or what to believe and most importantly, there’s no way to know how it will all turn out. And these twists and turns are curving around our central characters, Carrie Mathison and Nicholas Brody. But (spoiler alert) there is no doubt that of the two, Carrie is our hero.
Played to Emmy-winning perfection by Claire Danes, Carrie isn’t your stereotypical protagonist. Talented, knowledgeable with impeccable skill, Carrie isn’t just fighting the bad guy, she’s also fighting herself. Much like the antihero, Brody, isn’t all bad, Carrie isn’t all good. In fact, in many ways they are one another’s reflection; fighting with different sides of themselves. Brody’s fight comes from his soul’s struggle to do what he sees is just, while Carrie’s struggle comes from trusting what her mind is telling her is the truth. But just as Brody’s soul has been broken by his time as a prisoner, Carrie’s mind has been compromised by her disease.
Both Homeland’s hero and antihero are damaged; both waver from the line they have set themselves to walk upon. And while Brody’s wavering gives us a chance to like him, Carrie’s wavering does not make her any less likeable. She is not any less of a hero, and in many ways it makes her a much stronger character to watch. After all, what more dangerous opponent could there be than yourself?
Homeland makes no apologies in giving you characters that are not clearly fit for their roles. Were they not in the middle of a terrorist-themed thriller, they would still be intriguing to watch navigate through life’s everyday situations. But unfortunately for them, and fortunately for the viewer, they have to navigate every day through life and death situations.
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