Inside Television with Alan Sepinwall

Showtime renews 'Homeland' for season 2

Claire Danes/Damian Lewis drama has been fall's best new show

By Alan Sepinwall Wednesday, Oct 26, 2011 12:15 PM

Claire Danes and "Homeland" will be back for a second season.

Credit: Showtime

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Showtime's "Homeland" has easily been the best new show of the fall season, comedy or drama. The only concern anybody seems to have with it is whether it can sustain its quality and keep its story - which to this point is a cat-and-mouse game between damaged CIA agent Claire Danes and potential terrorist Damian Lewis - going in an interesting, plausible manner for multiple seasons.

"Homeland" producers Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa insist they have a long-term plan for the series, and we're going to get a chance to see some of it, now that Showtime has renewed "Homeland" for a second season.

“'Homeland' is just getting started,” Showtime president David Nevins said in a statement. “Clearly, the overall audience growth from week one to week four demonstrates that this show is hitting a nerve in the cultural zeitgeist. Alex and Howard have created a psychological thriller that holds special relevance in the post 9/11 world. I’m quite confident that its passionate audience will be riveted as the season unfolds and people discover where this story is going.”

"Homeland" is the first Showtime drama developed under the Nevins regime since he replaced Robert Greenblatt at the network. Given his personal stake, and the uniform rave reviews, renewal wasnt in much doubt. Now it's official, and now we'll see how much life there really is in the concept.

Alan Sepinwall
Sr. Editor, What's Alan Watching

Alan Sepinwall has been reviewing television since the mid-'90s, first for Tony Soprano's hometown paper, The Star-Ledger, and now for HitFix. His new book, "The Revolution Was Televised," about the last 15 years of TV drama, is for sale at Amazon. He can be reached at sepinwall@hitfix.com

Related Searches: Homeland, Claire Danes, Damian Lewis, Mandy Patinkin, Morena Baccarin, Alan Sepinwall

chip_christian

And any more casting news than that would count as spoilers...
October 26, 2011 at 12:38PM EST Reply to Comment
- sepinwall I could see various scenarios that would bring Lewis back, whether Brody has turned or not.
  
  But, yeah, I would say Danes is the only one we can bank on returning for sure.
  October 26, 2011 at 12:43PM EST
- Jobin Alan...will she be returning next season for...REVENGE!?!
  October 26, 2011 at 2:12PM EST
conrad

So stoked to hear this.

After big let downs last year [Rubicon & Terriers especially] this really makes my day.
October 26, 2011 at 12:50PM EST Reply to Comment
- Zarko indeed
  October 26, 2011 at 1:54PM EST
- Tammy I'm still upset that Rubicon and Terriers aren't available on Blu-ray, or even plain DVD. Or Netflix. Or Hulu. At least with Terriers there is an active effort to find a distributor. I'm not sure even iTunes or Amazon has the full season of Rubicon.
  October 26, 2011 at 4:39PM EST
- Dave I Terriers will forever be a bit of a sore spot for me. The cancellation (and crazy not-helping-things advertising campaign) that is. Not the show. That was one of the my all time favorite things on television. I still want another season(s) of that. Heck, I'd even settle for a sit-down with the producers about their plans for the next season(s), before they got cancelled. I actually cared about where they were going with Hank & Britt and their personal lives.
  
  It's depressing that it's been a year since that show was on and I'm still angry it got cancelled and still remember the plots, jokes, and gut-checks. That and that stupid Terrier that was not in the show that that I will forever believe doomed the show. Not because of the dog, but the stupid image they projected about the show that just happened to have a dog and a very inaccurate portrayal of what the show was about.
  
  -Cheers
  October 26, 2011 at 11:39PM EST
Dave I

On the one hand, I'm glad to have the chance to see the show develop. On the other hand, I hope they are able to maintain tension and plausibility for a long-term series. There is something to be said about mini-series and the pro's of keeping things finite.

-Cheers
October 26, 2011 at 1:55PM EST Reply to Comment
Biggamer3

Awesome news, hopefully season two has Brody as a major politician and Carrie trying to bring him down

October 26, 2011 at 2:02PM EST Reply to Comment
- Ah, eventually rising to become our first Muslim president while Carrie's still on his tail!
  October 26, 2011 at 2:09PM EST
- Susan Reply to comment...
  October 26, 2011 at 2:29PM EST
- susan Excellent idea biggamer3
  October 26, 2011 at 2:31PM EST
- Dave I I wonder about that. I'm guessing, but wondering if they will wrap up the Brody arc since they were not sure if they were going to get more than one season (although they probably banked on multiple seasons). I just wonder if they can have Brody as a long-term storyline. For some reason I just presumed (perhaps wrongly) they would keep that storyline self-contained to this season, weed out that plot, and probably (total guess) have Brody have some redemption. Brody is not the bad guy, he's a guy who's been brainwashed and tortured over eight years. I just see them making him conflicted and his daughter being the thread that ties him back to who he was. For some strange reason it did not occur to me that could be sustained long-term. Brody is kind of the phantom menace. I'd almost have to guess (again, possibly wrongly) they will end the season wrapping up the threat of Brody and then plant the seeds for a new threat (since Abu Nazir and Al-Qaeda doubtlessly have multiple coals in the fire) to take place next season.
  
  But again, I could be dead wrong and the situation with Brody and everyone around him is interesting enough that I'm curious to see what they do with that for as long as it takes to tell that story.
  
  -Cheers
  October 26, 2011 at 2:32PM EST
- conrad if this show now longer has damian lewis it will no longer have me as a viewer.
  
  i'm not worried, though. brody's in it for the long haul whether he's the manchurian candidate or becomes a cia operative who teams up with carrie.
  
  i'd actually like to see the latter. lewis and danes had A LOT of chemistry in the last ep...similar to lewis and shahi in life.
  
  but don't get me started on life!
  October 26, 2011 at 2:38PM EST
- Dave I Whatever happens, I'd have to think Brody will be pretty integral to the show unless he gets killed or something drastic happens. I would not stop watching if something happened where Lewis was not on the show. However, yes, he DID have a lot of chemistry in that last scene with Danes, and he is a very complex and interesting part of the plot so I cannot imagine they would write him or his character out of the show anytime soon.
  
  -Cheers
  October 26, 2011 at 2:46PM EST
- Jobin If you think about it, Season 2 could mirror, The Wire Season 2 deviation from Season 1's main characters.
  
  You could still have Claire Danes be the main character in some sort of thriller only with a new target, while also keeping tabs on whatever Brody would currently be up to post Season 1.
  October 26, 2011 at 3:06PM EST
- Biggamer3 About the wire comparison, that show was always an ensemble cast and Avon and Stringer were just part of large story. Here its two stars and supporting actors around them
  October 26, 2011 at 5:03PM EST
- Remy I could do without Brody. There is something really creepy about the actor. I haven't had the chance to see him in anything else. It would be great if season 2 could explore more of Carrie's backstory, especially her own problems with mental illness.
  October 27, 2011 at 3:15AM EST
- Jill Remy .. If you are able, you should watch Band of Brothers. It's 10 parts but well worth it. Damian Lewis is in that plays Captain Dick Winters of Easy Company, and he's anything but creepy in that role. Those of us who know him well from that and when he was on the short-run show "Life" on NBC really like him.
  October 27, 2011 at 9:56AM EST
Aaron

I just hope this doesn't turn into a "The Killing" type thing, where it should've ended up they keep it on the air to keep ratings.
October 26, 2011 at 4:15PM EST Reply to Comment
- conrad YOU SHUT YOUR WHORE MOUTH!!
  
  i'm sorry, aaron. please forgive me. it's not you. it's the killing...that show is dead to me.
  
  homeland turning into a string of red herrings one ep after the other is a very real fear of mine.
  October 26, 2011 at 5:21PM EST
- Jeffrey just watch den Danish original of the Killing. Both the first and second season are great; a third one is coming next year. (and the first one is already available in the UK on DVD)
  October 27, 2011 at 6:10AM EST
Aaron

I just hope that they don't string it along for a second season ala The Killing just for viewers.
October 26, 2011 at 4:18PM EST Reply to Comment
Lee

Anything that keeps Morena Baccarin on public view is fine with me! :-)
October 27, 2011 at 5:12PM EST Reply to Comment
RU Serious

This isn't surprising, nor is it encouraging. Showtime is known for taking premises with a limited shelf life in the design and turning them into lumbering shells of what used to make them interesting. See Dexter, seasons 3,5,6, Weeds 4,5,6,7 for evidence. I wish more networks had the balls to say "We're going to do three seasons, win lose or draw."

Just writing that Dexter is in its sixth season somehow, but we only got three seasons of Deadwood, actually makes me a little mad.
October 28, 2011 at 8:54AM EST Reply to Comment
Jacob

I despise Carrie with a passion, despite how she's a very interesting character.

Great show otherwise.
January 26, 2012 at 7:40PM EST Reply to Comment

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Showtime renews 'Homeland' for season 2

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Comments

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

chip_christian And any more casting news than that would count as spoilers...

sepinwall I could see various scenarios that would bring Lewis back, whether Brody has turned or not. But, yeah, I would say Danes is the only one we can bank on returning for sure.

Jobin Alan...will she be returning next season for...REVENGE!?!

conrad So stoked to hear this. After big let downs last year [Rubicon & Terriers especially] this really makes my day.

Zarko indeed

Tammy I'm still upset that Rubicon and Terriers aren't available on Blu-ray, or even plain DVD. Or Netflix. Or Hulu. At least with Terriers there is an active effort to find a distributor. I'm not sure even iTunes or Amazon has the full season of Rubicon.

Dave I On the one hand, I'm glad to have the chance to see the show develop. On the other hand, I hope they are able to maintain tension and plausibility for a long-term series. There is something to be said about mini-series and the pro's of keeping things finite.-Cheers

Biggamer3 Awesome news, hopefully season two has Brody as a major politician and Carrie trying to bring him down

Ah, eventually rising to become our first Muslim president while Carrie's still on his tail!

Susan Reply to comment...

susan Excellent idea biggamer3

Jobin If you think about it, Season 2 could mirror, The Wire Season 2 deviation from Season 1's main characters. You could still have Claire Danes be the main character in some sort of thriller only with a new target, while also keeping tabs on whatever Brody would currently be up to post Season 1.

Biggamer3 About the wire comparison, that show was always an ensemble cast and Avon and Stringer were just part of large story. Here its two stars and supporting actors around them

Remy I could do without Brody. There is something really creepy about the actor. I haven't had the chance to see him in anything else. It would be great if season 2 could explore more of Carrie's backstory, especially her own problems with mental illness.

Aaron I just hope this doesn't turn into a "The Killing" type thing, where it should've ended up they keep it on the air to keep ratings.

conrad YOU SHUT YOUR WHORE MOUTH!!i'm sorry, aaron. please forgive me. it's not you. it's the killing...that show is dead to me. homeland turning into a string of red herrings one ep after the other is a very real fear of mine.

Jeffrey just watch den Danish original of the Killing. Both the first and second season are great; a third one is coming next year. (and the first one is already available in the UK on DVD)

Aaron I just hope that they don't string it along for a second season ala The Killing just for viewers.

Lee Anything that keeps Morena Baccarin on public view is fine with me! :-)

Jacob I despise Carrie with a passion, despite how she's a very interesting character.Great show otherwise.

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Homeland is updated

chip_christian

And any more casting news than that would count as spoilers...

sepinwall I could see various scenarios that would bring Lewis back, whether Brody has turned or not.

But, yeah, I would say Danes is the only one we can bank on returning for sure.

conrad

So stoked to hear this.

After big let downs last year [Rubicon & Terriers especially] this really makes my day.

Dave I

On the one hand, I'm glad to have the chance to see the show develop. On the other hand, I hope they are able to maintain tension and plausibility for a long-term series. There is something to be said about mini-series and the pro's of keeping things finite.

-Cheers

Biggamer3

Awesome news, hopefully season two has Brody as a major politician and Carrie trying to bring him down

Aaron

I just hope this doesn't turn into a "The Killing" type thing, where it should've ended up they keep it on the air to keep ratings.

conrad YOU SHUT YOUR WHORE MOUTH!!

i'm sorry, aaron. please forgive me. it's not you. it's the killing...that show is dead to me.

homeland turning into a string of red herrings one ep after the other is a very real fear of mine.

Aaron

I just hope that they don't string it along for a second season ala The Killing just for viewers.

Lee

Anything that keeps Morena Baccarin on public view is fine with me! :-)

Jacob

I despise Carrie with a passion, despite how she's a very interesting character.

Great show otherwise.

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