The first season of this show worked really well by playing with the constant unknown factor of whether Brody had become a terrorist or not, it worked this constantly right up to the end of the season, delivering in a patient and surprisingly adult fashion. The question over the second season for me was where it went from there, what it would do once we knew where we stood and one of the big attractions was taken out of play and would it be as good now the cat was out of the bag? Well the answer turned out to be "mostly as good" because the show manages to capture a different type of uncertainity – this time within Brody himself. In the first season we didn't know who he was or what he was going to do, in this season he doesn't seem too sure of either of those things himself. This is matched by Carrie slowly returning from her period of losing it and starting to believe in herself again (albeit in a rather creepy obsessive way); but at the same time the sense of doubt around her remains via her colleagues and of course the viewer themselves. As a device the doubt and the uncertainity still being around works well, just not as well as it did in the first season.
It was a big ask to keep it going though – a lot of people (myself included) seemed to think that one season with an impacting conclusion (Brody's death, one way or the other) would have been the way to go and I was surprised by how many people I know who watch the show seemed to be wary of the second season. However the writers mostly manage to do it, although the quality is lower. The plot contrivances and conveniences are much more evident here and, although it regularly pleases by being subdued and downbeat, it does have more moments in this season that would have fitted in easily in a show like 24 – which the first season was clearly not. Indeed we even a few "Kim trapped by cougar" moments in here regarding some of the supporting characters, one or two of which are really quite clunky in terms of how they come about and what they are used for.
The cast remain pretty good. Lewis in particular is convincing in regard the effect the pressure has on him and because he sells this side of his character, it allows the doubt to come back to the viewer as well, because we don't know where he is going all the time. OK he relies a bit too much on the tight-jawed stare technique but mostly he is good. Danes continues to be engaging in her own wild-eyed way, she has a bit less subtly this season but that is perhaps more to do with the material that her performance. Patinkin remains stoic and wise while Harewood is slippery and corporate in nature. The rest of the supporting cast are mostly good, even if some of them do have weaker material to work with.
Not as strong as the first season then, but it is still solidly good and manages to play with the viewer to a certain extent. My worry about "how do they keep this going" is somewhat reduced for the third season by the way that the writers have worked to reintroduce the doubt over Brody by way of the season finale. How it plays out we'll have to wait and see but the "is he/isn't he" aspect is back sort of as it was in the first season.
It was a big ask to keep it going though – a lot of people (myself included) seemed to think that one season with an impacting conclusion (Brody's death, one way or the other) would have been the way to go and I was surprised by how many people I know who watch the show seemed to be wary of the second season. However the writers mostly manage to do it, although the quality is lower. The plot contrivances and conveniences are much more evident here and, although it regularly pleases by being subdued and downbeat, it does have more moments in this season that would have fitted in easily in a show like 24 – which the first season was clearly not. Indeed we even a few "Kim trapped by cougar" moments in here regarding some of the supporting characters, one or two of which are really quite clunky in terms of how they come about and what they are used for.
The cast remain pretty good. Lewis in particular is convincing in regard the effect the pressure has on him and because he sells this side of his character, it allows the doubt to come back to the viewer as well, because we don't know where he is going all the time. OK he relies a bit too much on the tight-jawed stare technique but mostly he is good. Danes continues to be engaging in her own wild-eyed way, she has a bit less subtly this season but that is perhaps more to do with the material that her performance. Patinkin remains stoic and wise while Harewood is slippery and corporate in nature. The rest of the supporting cast are mostly good, even if some of them do have weaker material to work with.
Not as strong as the first season then, but it is still solidly good and manages to play with the viewer to a certain extent. My worry about "how do they keep this going" is somewhat reduced for the third season by the way that the writers have worked to reintroduce the doubt over Brody by way of the season finale. How it plays out we'll have to wait and see but the "is he/isn't he" aspect is back sort of as it was in the first season.