Homeland 202 Review - Via Text Message

After only two episodes of its second season, it is crystal clear that Homeland is going to keep coming at viewers with non-stop pulse-pounding and surprising television.

Between the meet-gone-bad with Abu Nazir, Carrie running for her life through the streets, the Marines questioning what happened with Tom Walker and that final video clip Saul started watching, "Beirut is Back" was a perfect example of this show at its Emmy-winning best.

Let us begin with the fact Carrie was indeed right about her intel. Her instincts were correct, which means she's even closer to her old self. That certainly isn't to say that she's back at the top of her game. As she noted, being wrong about Brody f*cked her up.

Listening to her talk about that, and then watching her go up on the roof during a major freak out, was disconcerting. In just one short season, it has been incredibly easy to let Carrie Mathison into our lives. Witnessing her struggle so much shouldn't be easy on us.

To read the rest of my review of last night's Homeland, head over to TV Fanatic.

Homeland 201 Review - Locations, Locations, Locations

Between the critical acclaim, its abundance of fans and one of the most impressive nights at the Emmys ever*, Homeland is coming off of one of the best seasons in television history. That's a lot to live up to.

"The Smile" did an astounding job, not only at returning with the excitement, suspense and heart we were used to from last fall, but also at sidelining some of my worries that the idea of season one was so good that the writers might not be able to re-imagine the magic a second time around.

* Homeland was the first show since Cagney & Lacey in 1985 to win four out the big five drama awards (Garnering series, actor, actress and writing, but failing to earn directing honors). There have been a lot of great series over the last 25 years or so that failed to accomplish what Homeland did at last Sunday's Emmys.

The season premiere wasn't in-your-face impressive in the way most pilots have to be in order to grab our attentions. Rather, it dropped us back into this world with characters that we grew to know, love and/or hate last season. Most of them were in new situations, but because all of them were strongly written and acted, everything felt very familiar.

To read the rest of my review of last night's season premiere of Homeland, head over to TV Fanatic.

Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- Top Ten

Although it has been three months since the last installment of The Quiet Pool Perspective Power Rankings, they will keep the Bi-Monthly moniker, because I am simply shifting everything back one month.  August, October, December, February, April, and June works better anyway.  There's that, and there's the fact that I was way too busy moving and starting a new job to post anything at the start of July.  I still don't have time to say a lot, but I do have some new rankings for y'all so take a look...

Rank. Show (Last Time, Highest Ranking) green=moving up, red=moving down

10. Fringe (10, 10) Fridays on FOX
They get one final season to wrap things up in a pretty little bow.  I have no doubt that half the viewers will love the ending, and half will hate it.

9. Sons of Anarchy (9, 3) Tuesdays on FX
Last season was an improvement on season three's hiccup, but not a huge one.  It seems they may never return to the greatness of season two.

8. Curb Your Enthusiasm (5, 1) Sundays on HBO
The former number one takes a big dip after the most recent lackluster season had some time to settle in.  With no new season in the near future, it should stay here for a while.

7. Game of Thrones (4, 2) Sundays on HBO
There was just a lot of clunky story telling in season two.  They need to cut characters and storylines, or add episodes.  There was much too much glancing over arcs.

6. Happy Endings (8, 6) Tuesdays on ABC
The best comedy you aren't watching.  The male actors are hilarious but that's to be expected.  It's the fact that there are three funny ladies in the main cast that sets it apart from the rest.

5. It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (7, 5) Thursdays on FX
It's going to be tough to compete with its most recent season, but I have a feeling these guys are just in a bit of a zone.  How will they make Mac being skinny again funny?

4. Breaking Bad (6, 2) Sundays on AMC
The start to this season has probably been the best ever.  With a ton of Walt/Jesse action, we have been lucky.  Hopefully they can continue the excitement throughout the eight eps.

3. Homeland (3, 3) Sundays on Showtime
I have the season two premiered queued up on my computer, and I couldn't be more excited about it.  Bring on the suspense!

2. Community (2, 2) Thursdays on NBC
It's probably going to go downhill fast without Dan Harmon at the helm, but with the cast that they have, I have no doubt it will still be funny.

1. Justified (1, 1) Tuesdays on FX
It's been a while now since Justified hasn't been the best show on television.  Somewhere in the middle of season two Justified became the gold standard.

The Samantha Marquez Award- Female in Action

Named For: Samantha Marquez (Las Vegas)
Awarded To: The best female character in an action series
2009 Winner: Sarah Walker (Chuck)
2010 Winner: Sarah Walker (Chuck)
2011 Winner: Mags Bennett (Justified)

10. Regina Mills (Once Upon a Time) 0 points

9. Jessica Hamby (True Blood) 5 points
3rd by Matt

8. Ava Crowder (Justified) 7 points
2nd by Tyson

7. Sarah Walker (Chuck) 9 points
3rd by Jack, 2nd by Me

6. Fauxlivia (Fringe) 12 points
1st by Jaydon, 3rd by Me

5. Dany Targaryen (Game of Thrones) 14 points
1st by Tyson

4. Olivia Dunham (Fringe) 14 points
1st by Jack, 1st by Me

3. Cersei Lannister (Game of Thrones) 15 points
2nd by Matt and Jack, 5th by Me

2. Arya Stark (Game of Thrones) 20 points
1st by T-time

and the Poolie goes to...

1. Carrie Mathison (Homeland) 26 points
1st by Cecil, Larry, Matt, Mags, and Bonz, 4th by Me

This is Carrie Mathison's first nomination and win for the best female character in an action series.  Here to discuss her talents this year is Poolie voter Larry.

________________________

Homeland came into our lives this past Poolies season, and given I haven’t heard a person say they couldn’t get into it, I would say it has been a pretty big hit for Showtime. How rare is it that a show with a definitive woman lead has been this well-liked by Poolie voters? Of the shows nominated in Action and Drama, only a couple even qualify (and Revenge is not even good).  Claire Danes does such a good job portraying an emotional, bipolar CIA analyst that it seems like she is cheating, and you know what, she is. Being a woman is like taking HGH and being bitten by a werewolf when playing a character like Carrie. My guess is she just plays herself, making sure to respond to “Carrie” instead of “Claire” and she is good to go. No man could play this role, it just wouldn’t be believable. The award is well deserved, but when we look back in ten years this will most likely have an asterisk next to it.

by Larry Avitabile

Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- Top Ten

It is that time again, and with the Fourth Annual Poolies only a month away, the most recent installment of the Quiet Pool Bi-Monthly Television Power Rankings could not be any more relevant.  As always, these rankings take into account current success or failure, as well as those achievements or defeats that occurred far in the past.  We now move onto those ranked 10 through 1.

Rank. Show (Last Time, Highest Ranking) green=moving up, red=moving down

10. Fringe (12, 10) Fridays on FOX
The show may have lost a bit of steam with the story starting season four, but things have more than picked up as of late, including a fantastic guest performance by Henry Ian Cusick a couple weeks ago.  The fact that Fringe got picked up for a fifth and final season next year makes me very excited that they are going to be able to end things the way they want to.

9. Sons of Anarchy (8, 3) Tuesdays on FX
The gang won't return until this fall, but the news that Jimmy Smits is going to be on as a guest star only has me more excited than usual for Sons of Anarchy to come back.  Smits was fantastic in his run on Dexter, so I have no doubt he will bring some major entertainment to this FX staple.

8. Happy Endings (9, 8) Wednesdays on ABC
Now that the gang has finished up their second season, I can't stress enough the fact that you need to catch up on Happy Endings.  It seriously has something for everyone, and for me, every single one of those somethings is gold.

Come get some with Jane, Max, and Brad on Happy Endings

7. It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (7, 7) Thursdays on FX
The more I think back on this past season of It's Always Sunny, the more I realize how great it was.  All three of the main dudes had fantastic years, and even Dee, who I normally don't enjoy all that much, had some great moments in her.  The finale alone kept this show in the top ten.

6. Breaking Bad (6, 2) Sundays on AMC
How much longer can this series go on?  It has to be coming to an end sooner rather than later, and I can't wait to see how they decide to carve out the finality of this epic tale.  Will there be a new big bad in the mix, or will the Walt/Hank showdown finally come to the forefront?

5. Curb Your Enthusiasm (5, 1) Sundays on HBO
A sub-par season overall, with a number of fantastic individual efforts, Curb stays put based on its great legacy in the comedy world.  When will LD decide to make another season?  And will it compare to the best that this series has had to offer?

4. Game of Thrones (2, 2) Sundays on HBO
Thrones takes a slight dip, because unlike what I heard about the beginning of season two, this is starting slower than season one did.  I honestly think that this show would greatly benefit from a 14-17 episode season.  Sometimes it feels like they are just glancing over moments instead of digging deep.  Why not take advantage of the source material, and make each book two seasons of 10 episodes even?

3. Homeland (3, 3) Sundays on Showtime
September 30, that is when Homeland returns, and we can't wait.  The trailer is out, and it has me all excited.  How will Carrie get things done after all that happened at the end of the first season?  What about Brody?  Nazir?  The mole?  There are a lot of questions to be answered.

2. Community (4, 2) Thursdays on NBC
The NBC comedy jumps up to its highest ranking ever at the Quiet Pool.  A number of great episodes in a row will do that for a series, and between the war ep, the Blade ep, the Law & Order ep, and more, Community has had that in spades.

1. Justified (1, 1) Tuesdays on FX
The champ remains.  Justified has been number one for a long time now, and a season that backed up its stellar sophomore campaign should keep it here for a good while longer.  The question now becomes, "can they do it again?"  And "will they ever run out of steam?"

Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- Top Ten

It's time for the March Power Rankings Top 10...

Place. Show (Last Time) red=moving down, green=moving up

10. Mad Men (9) Sundays on AMC
The long wait is almost over.  Mad Men returns in March.

9. Happy Endings (11) Wednesdays on ABC
If this show keeps climbing the way it has, Happy Endings might find its way into the top five by the end of the year.

8. Sons of Anarchy (8) Tuesdays on FX
Kurt Sutter is announcing new characters.  I wish one of them was replacing a dead Clay Morrow. Oh well.

7. It's Always Sunny (7) Thursdays on FX
Can the next season compete with the genius they put forth this fall?

6. Breaking Bad (5) Sundays on AMC
If you only count the second half of the season, Breaking Bad would be a top three show.  Don't forget the boring first half of the season.

5. Curb Your Enthusiasm (3) Sundays on HBO
The weaker episodes of the season are starting to make their way into my memory.

4. Community (6) Thursdays on NBC
Who's excited to see Troy and Abed back togetherrrrrrr?

3. Homeland (4) Sundays on Showtime
Will season two be able to build on the greatness of the first?

2. Game of Thrones (2) Sundays on HBO
Less than a month away until Game of Thrones is back!  Winter is still coming!  It's always coming!

1. Justified (1) Tuesdays on FX
Has this season disappointed?  Nope.

Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- Top Ten

I recently finished listing all of my favorite shows of the year, but what about now? What shows that are still on the air are the series you all should be watching? Well that's what the Quiet Pool Bi-Monthly Power Rankings are for. In the first rankings of 2012, we will recognize the shows that have been succeeding as of late, and some that will be returning to our screens for the first time in a while this winter. Next up are spots 10 through one on my list.

Rank. Show (Last Time) green=moving up, red=moving down

10. Chuck (10) Fridays on NBC
After a hilarious start to the finale season with Intersect Morgan stealing the show, Chuck has had a couple of episodes of late that have been less funny but epic in scale. The most recent chapter with Sarah and her mom was one of my favorite, emotionally, of the series. If they continue to hit on all of these cylinders down the stretch, we should be in for a nice ride.

9. Mad Men (7) Sundays on AMC
Is this show ever going to come back? The longer the hiatus, the further and further down the power rankings it goes. Mad Men needs to be on the air to hang on to its elite status for me. It doesn't leave the same last impression that something like Game of Thrones or Breaking Bad does.

8. Sons of Anarchy (5) Tuesdays on FX
Sons drops a few spots after leaving such a sour taste in my mouth with that season finale. As good as the entire season was, they almost ruined it all at the end. All of the action, the turmoil, and the consequences the characters were facing leading up to the finale seemed to mean nothing as the final reveal wiped the slate clean. It didn't feel organic at all. Combining the facts that Clay lived, Jax stayed put, and Juice got out of trouble, made it all feel contrived.

7. It's Always Sunny (8) Thursdays on FX
It was a truly fantastic season for Always Sunny this year. Like Seinfeld before it, these characters have been on a momentous transformation from strange to effing out of their minds. The more I watched the season finale (which is now in the double digits), the more I laughed at almost every single line of dialogue.

6. Community (6) Thursdays on NBC
Community has hit on so many of its risks as of late that it's almost too easy to forget how risky some of those decisions are. Will people find this multiple timeline episode funny? Who cares? We're doing it because it's funny to us. And it was to me as well. One of the funniest episodes on television this year.

5. Breaking Bad (4) Sundays on AMC
As great as Breaking Bad is - see me ranking it at number five here - it is still frustratingly slow at times. The first half of this past season was excruciatingly so at times. The end was great though, and as we are all usually prisoners of the moment, Breaking Bad remains at the top of everyone's list.

4. Homeland (16) Sundays on Showtime
This is a gigantic leap, but Homeland was my second favorite show for all of 2011, so I have to give it some love up at the top. Through 12 episodes I have complete faith in the writers to keep telling good story, while there is no doubt that Claire Danes and Damian Lewis will make sure that there is something interesting on screen during almost every second of air time.

3. Curb Your Enthusiasm (2) Sundays on HBO
This past year wasn't one of Curb's finer seasons, but its track record allows the show to stay up near the top for the time being. If it has another less than stellar sample next time around, and Always Sunny brings the heat again, we may have a change at the top of the comedy hierarchy.

2. Game of Thrones (3) Sundays on HBO
Winter is coming back, but we still don't have a premiere date. Game of Thrones should return in April, and I am as excited as can be. If Justified had my favorite season of 2011, Game of Thrones is my most anticipated season of 2012. I can't wait to see where this story goes.

1. Justified (1) Tuesdays on FX
Returning in just a couple of weeks, Justified has topped a number of my lists as of late. I'm hoping that the show can match the magical season two it put forth last year, unlike its FX partner Sons of Anarchy, which followed a fantastic season two with a horrid third installment.

Homeland Season One Report Card

Now that many of our favorite shows are either on hiatus or have just finished up a season, TV Fanatic is handing out grades to various shows the way Santa hands out presents to good kids...in bunches.

On the heels of Matt Richenthal's report on The Good Wife's first half of season three, Dan Forcella now steps up to the plate in handing out what might be the easiest grade of the year. It's time for a TV Fanatic Report Card on the first season of Homeland...

Quick Out of the Gate: Critics and fans alike noted early and often that the Homeland pilot was the most promising of the fall. The compelling story of a prisoner of war returning home, and the CIA agent tasked with finding proof that he had been turned by terrorists, made that evident from the start. The Showtime drama became appointment viewing from the word go.

Best Episode: "The Weekend" was not only the best episode of Homeland's first season; it may have been the best hour of television that aired in 2011. At the midpoint of the season, this was when Carrie Mathison and Nick Brody maybe got a bit too comfortable with each over a weekend at a cabin. It was incredible watching their chemistry together just before Carrie spilled the beans about spying on Brody and thinking he had been turned. Brody's anger in the aftermath - which we now know was because Carrie was correct in her assumption - was equally exciting and scary.

To read the rest of my report card on Homeland's first season, head over to TV Fanatic.

Homeland 112 Review- Bomb In A Bunker

Carrie- "The world is about to end and we're standing around talking!"

With an extended Homeland season finale comes an extended Homeland season finale review here at TV Fanatic. I will attempt to keep my thoughts contained, but since "Marine One" was such a tremendous end to this almost perfect first season, I make no promises.

No show in recent memory has combined such interesting character studies with such amazing storytelling as well as Homeland has done over its first 12 episodes.

This season finale had me on the edge of my seat for the entire 90 minutes. A number of series can pull that off on finale night, but Homeland managed to do it every single hour over the course of an entire season. Bravo.

It started with Dana walking in on her dad praying in the garage, a moment I was so glad that Brody was somewhat upfront about. For obvious reasons he couldn't be honest with his daughter when she almost walked in on him again, this time with a bomb strapped to his chest.

To read the rest of my review of last night's Homeland season finale, head over to TV Fanatic.

Homeland 112 - "Marine One"
Review
Recap
Quotes

Homeland 111 Review- Come To Life

Carrie- "You wait, you lay low and then you come to life."

Those words, uttered by Carrie Mathison in her fit of manic insanity during "The Vest," like most of what she said during that stretch, were absolutely brilliant.

Yes, the plants in the garden are definitely going to live by Carrie's law, but she was also correct in metaphorically comparing said plants to Abu Nazir and his terrorism plot. Ironically, and unfortunately, it also worked to explain Carrie's bi-polar disorder and its effect on her job with the CIA.

As sad as it was to watch Carrie spiral out of control, it was just as entertaining to watch her work (mostly the demand for the green pen), and just as interesting to realize that she was nailing Abu Nazir's plan down to a "t."

What she was missing, however, was the "i," as in Issa. The only missing ingredient from Carrie's timeline, which Saul so perfectly organized on the wall, was the period of mourning after Nazir had lost his son. If she could have only put the pieces together that Brody was just as heart-broken as Nazir, maybe this whole thing could have been solved.

To read the rest of my review of last night's Homeland, head over to TV Fanatic.

Homeland 111 - "The Vest"
Review
Recap
Quotes

Homeland 110 Review- The Briefcase Bomb

Al Zahari- "So I'm bait?"

Saul- "You're bait."

What makes both Abu Nazir's plan of attack against the United States and Homeland's story of deception so successful is that they are both constructed from a number of intricate layers. The thought process that has gone into each has been incredible, and that was never more apparent than in "Representative Brody."

It seems as though Nazir has three Americans working for him that we know of: Tom Walker, Sergeant Brody and the apparent mole inside the government.

Walker is the short-term guy, the one who has been given violent tasks to perform in the States. We witnessed his efforts at their finest when he hired the homeless guy to deliver the briefcase bomb to Al-Zahari this week. His attack was smart, it was destructive and it caught the CIA by surprise. His time is going to run out quickly, I'm sure, but all Abu Nazir seemingly needs him for is to be the shooter at Marine One.

Because Walker knew that the CIA was following said rendezvous with the Saudi diplomat, it became more obvious that there is a mole within the American government. It's another layer to Abu Nazir's plot, and another way for him to complete his tasks.

To read the rest of my review of last night's Homeland, head over to TV Fanatic.

Homeland 110 - "Representative Brody"
Review
Recap
Quotes

Homeland 109 Review- You Got To Win It In The Fire

Nazir- "Why not trust a man who would rather die than give information to his enemy?"

Would you feel sympathy for an American traitor doing what he can to help the leader of a terrorist organization? I wouldn't think so, but Homeland pulled that emotion out of me during "Crossfire."

The end of last week's hour delivered yet another twist in the story, as we realized that Brody was in fact working with Abu Nazir. When it was revealed that he was indeed the individual sitting in that chair, I was a bit surprised - and excited - but after pondering it a bit more over the course of the week, I came into this episode hoping that it was the final turn in the who is/who isn't saga.

Fortunately, we seem to be out of those metaphorical woods, as "Crossfire" focused mainly on Brody's thoughts and emotions now that the audience knows he is definitely helping Nazir. What exactly happened to him to make him want to turn against his beloved country? We learned that, too.

Like everything else that Homeland has done up to this point in the series, it was extremely captivating. As I noted above, it would seem difficult to feel for a man that is betraying his people, but with the way the show has built Brody as a character, and the number of layers they have given him, it was easy to do so here.

To read the rest of my review of last night's Homeland, head over to TV Fanatic.

Homeland 109 - "Crossfire"
Review
Recap
Quotes

Homeland 108 Review- The Storage Sniper

Carrie- "I'm gonna be alone my whole life, aren't I?"

Anyone who thought the game would change after Homeland's big reveal last week, was probably a bit surprised to be turned upside down and inside out as "Achilles Heel" continued to make twist and turn until another shocker came in the final minute of action.

Tom Walker is most definitely still alive. They made that clear from the opening seconds. He is also pretty clearly helping the terrorists, as the sniper rifle in that storage center showcased. He also has an achilles heel, that may or may not save America from another terrorist catastrophe.

He loves his family, and is probably suffering from the same inner turmoil we all thought was going through Brody at the start of the season. Hopefully, some time down the road, the CIA can use Walker's wife and son to help stop him from doing something he may regret for the rest of his life...that is unless he is 100% for this cause, which is a huge possibility.

The question will be whether or not the government can trust Walker's wife again, after she unsurprisingly warned her husband that they were tracing the call. It was pretty obvious that they weren't going to catch him right then and there, but it was still impressive watching him scale walls, take out FBI agents, and finally lure them into a crowded building in order to get away.

To read the rest of my review of last night's Homeland, head over to TV Fanatic.

Homeland 108 - "Achilles Heel"
Review
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Homeland 107 Review- Cabin Fever

Brody- "How do you know what tea I drink?"

That was when Carrie and Brody's lovely weekend, filled with drunken billiards, drunken sex, and romantic hikes, took a turn for the worse. However, our viewing pleasure of "The Weekend" only increased following Carrie's slip up in the cabin.

Brody looked sincerely shocked when Carrie told him she thought he had been turned by Nazir, so I wasn't surprised in the least when he told her to ask him anything she wanted. Nor was I surprised at all of his admissions to her about what had gone on over there, as well as what he had been up to since coming back.

Many of us conjectured that he could have killed Walker in order to survive, and that he turned to Islam as a way of surviving the terrible conditions of his captivity over there. What I didn't expect him to say though, was that he loved Nazir for comforting him when nobody else had. All of these explanations could mean absolutely nothing though, since we know he can lie about anything after last week's polygraph.

Because of the way Homeland has progressed through its first seven episodes, I don't think we can take anyone's word for it that Tom Walker is indeed the POW we're looking for. It's a clever twist, though. I definitely did not see that one coming.

To read the rest of my review of last night's Homeland, head over to TV Fanatic.

Homeland 107 - "The Weekend"
Review
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Homeland 106 Review- The Lie Detector

After many insightful theories in the comment section of last week's review, I came into "The Good Soldier" on board with the idea that Brody could still be innocent and Saul might in fact be the turned prisoner of war mentioned in the premiere.

Homeland changed my mind in regards to that theory, then changed it back, and then turned things around once more... all within the hour. That is what has been so good about this show thus far. You are never quite sure what to think about any situation, and I don't know about you, but I still could be convinced that either Brody or Saul have been turned, both have, or neither have. It is just THAT complicated.

I began watching "The Good Soldier" on the prowl for clues that Saul was indeed the culprit in this whole mess. I came to terms with the fact that being in a prison camp, making things difficult for Carrie, and chatting with the terrorist - where he could have slipped him the razor blade - was enough to put him on our watch list.

The idea that Brody did what he could to survive while a prisoner, and then turned to Muslim prayer as a way of getting through such a tragic time of his life, started to make more sense.

To read the rest of my review of last night's Homeland, head over to TV Fanatic.

Homeland 106 - "The Good Soldier"
Review
Recap

Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- 20 Through 11

It's that time again. The Quiet Pool Perspective's Bi-Monthly Power Rankings are back, and a lot has happened since early September here at the Pool. The Weekly Comedy Rankings have been working so well at helping gauge what shows are doing well on a week by week basis, that I might try to start doing the same thing with the other categories. For now, here are the November Power Rankings. Remember these take into account past and present performances, and the Honorable Mentions are not necessarily numbers 21 through 30 on my list. Enjoy.

Rank. Show (Last) red=moving down, green=moving up

20. Survivor (17) Wednesdays on CBS
The quality of scripted television severely outweighs that of reality competitions that Survivor is the only one holding it down for the latter, hanging on to the number 20 spot this time around. This season has been interesting so far. It's nice to see Coach back in the mix, I've really enjoyed the introduction of Cochran, and there a few contestants I love to hate already. All in all, it's a good mix.

19. Modern Family (15) Wednesdays on ABC
Things started out well in this third season, making me think that the second season slump was just that, a slump. Recently, though, Modern Family has reverted back to some of its season two habits that had me wondering where the first year magic had gone. Luke and Phil Dunphy are the only ones holding it down these days. They are both hilarious, but no one else really is all that great anymore.

18. Wilfred (HM) Thursdays on FX
It took the descent of a number of other comedies to move Wilfred up the rankings. Jason Gann's title character has been the funniest thing on television this season. The rest of the show had its ups and downs, but they were mostly up, which is why Wilfred makes it way into the Top 20. Not many comedies can make you laugh out loud consistently while also making you question what in the world you're doing with you life. Wilfred does.

17. Boardwalk Empire (14) Sundays on HBO
The HBO drama has been moving slowly in its second season, but it's still very interesting. Jaydon told me earlier this year that I need shows to be entertaining more than interesting. I think the combination of both makes a show fantastic. It's what Lost was best at. It's what the second half of this most recent season of Breaking Bad was great at. Boardwalk has yet to find the right balance.

16. Homeland (-) Sundays on Showtime
Talk about a great start to a series! Only five episodes have aired thus far and it is already at number 16 in the rankings! I question how well they will be able to succeed in a second season, but the ride in the early going has been one of the best I've seen in a while. Homeland is basically a trillionaire's Rubicon. Rubicon wishes that on its best day it could have been a dead homeless man's worst episode of Homeland.

15. Parenthood (19) Tuesdays on NBC
Parenthood has been on a good run as of late (yet to watch this week's episode) mostly because Haddie and Amber have had much less screen time than a year ago. When they continue to highlight Adam, Zeek, Max, and Joel, Parenthood is doing its best work.

14. Happy Endings (HM) Wednesdays on ABC
At this very moment...11:24 p.m. Tuesday, November 1, 2011...Happy Endings may be the show I most look forward to watching every week. I enjoyed it when it first aired last season to an extent, it continued to grow on me as the season went on, and by the time the second season came around I was sold. It has been between Always Sunny and Happy Endings for the best comedy of the fall thus far, and I might go with the latter by a slight margin.

13. The Vampire Diaries (18) Thursdays on The CW
Before the last episode with all the ghosts I would have been shouting from a rooftop for you to watch Vampire Diaries. Even with that most recent dud, this show is still fantastic. It's non-stop excitement, as they are never afraid to change the game or throw eight cliff hangers into one hour long episode. The addition of Joseph Morgan's Klaus has only added to the stellar cast of characters on this show.

12. The Office (4) Thursdays on NBC
When you lose the funniest character on television from last year (proven by Michael Scott's Poolie in June), you are sure to take a hit. If this was solely on current performance, The Office wouldn't make the Top 20, but being in the Top 10 for so long, and rising as high as fourth at the end of last year, will make it difficult to knock this long time favorite from its perch. Ed Helms is failing miserably in the lead role, and James Spader has brought almost nothing to the cast. Thankfully, Dwight, Jim and a number of the supporting players have kept their performances high.

11. The Walking Dead (11) Sundays on AMC
Those who complained about The Walking Dead's first season being too quick and action packed (notable critics) are probably loving this season of Walking Dead. I, on the other hand, loved the first season, and am therefore having issues with season two. It's just going at a much slower pace, with a whole lot less happening in each episode. It also doesn't help that I don't enjoy any of the characters. Give me someone to root for. Even Rick, who I want to like, does absolutely nothing for me.

Homeland 105 Review- The Razor's Edge

Estes- "Let's go close that door, Sergeant."

"Blind Spot" proved to be a wonderful piece of Homeland's first season, importantly moving around a few of pieces of the story while delving deeper into the character of someone we knew so well already - Carrie - and one we didn't, Saul.

Because it spent so much time performing the aforementioned tasks, it lost the smallest bit of the giant ball of steam it had going from its first four episodes. But were there still a couple of fantastic scenes that had me itching for more? Absolutely.

As soon as Carrie asked Brody to come into the interrogation of the terrorist, I knew we were in for something good. The way they set up the question was just so interesting to watch. Couple that with the intermittent flashbacks to what actually happened between Brody and the terrorist, and we had one awesome scene on our hands.

Do you know this man? Brody was asked. After witnessing his memory of one of the days he was tortured, I'm surprised he didn't respond with Yeah, he pissed in my face.

To read the rest of my review of last night's Homeland, head over to TV Fanatic.

Homeland 105 - "Blind Spot"
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Homeland 104 Review- Smartly Selfish

Brody- "There's nothing wrong with me."

It wasn't that much more evident than in the first three episodes of Homeland, but Carrie Matheson was certainly out for her own self interest this week, which was why the clever title of "Semper I" made so much sense.

Our favorite CIA analyst was finally starting to gain some steam on Abu Nazir and the case of the stolen necklace, picking up what seemed like trust and confidence from her team in Washington, but she just couldn't help herself.

The warrant on her surveillance ran out so she was relegated to the old stake-out technique, which is what forced her into the precarious situation of following Brody into the Veterans' support meeting.

Is she completely self-serving? Maybe. Does she act this way in an effort to hurt those around her? Absolutely not. She thinks what she is doing is the best for both herself and the country. Is there a mix of psychosis in there as well? Most likely yes, which makes it all the more interesting as we watch it unfold.

To read the rest of my review of this week's Homeland, head over to TV Fanatic.

Homeland 104 - "Semper I"
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Homeland 103 Review- Managing Assets

Carrie- "This is a f**ked up business."

It was a good run for Lynn Reed with two E's. Briana Brown's arc on Homeland only lasted two episodes, but Lynn's story in last week's "Grace" and in tonight's "Clean Skin" was so emotional - and impactful on Carrie - that it will surely linger throughout the season.

Between her suspenseful and successful attempt at recovering the Prince's phone logs, her parents' awkward interaction with Carrie following Lynn's death, and, of course the murder sequence itself, Lynn helped move a lot of the puzzle pieces around in the early stages of Homeland. For that, we should be thankful.

In terms of suspense, the only thing on television this fall that matched the gut-wrenching moments leading up to Lynn's murder was the last few episodes of Breaking Bad. I know many predicated she'd meet her demise, but I didn't expect it to take place when it did.

The show's ability to create those moments of fright and surprise is what has made it so good here in the early going. I noticed that Lynn might have been spotted playing with the Prince's phone, and I realized the Prince's henchman was giving her the stink eye, but it was still a punch to the stomach when the unnamed assassin put Lynn down like she was a nobody.

To read the rest of my review of last night's Homeland, head over to TV Fanatic.

Homeland 103 - "Clean Skin"
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Homeland 102 Review- A Hero Comes Along

Carrie- "No one said becoming a terrorist would be easy."

It definitely wasn't simple for Sergeant Nicholas Brody, but by the end of "Grace" it seems rather clear that he has come out of his PTSD funk just enough to be the terrorist the Abu Nazir wanted him to be.

Figuring out Brody's deal came much quicker than I thought it would have, as we are now only two episodes into the series, but it was so intriguing watching the man become standoffish with his family and finally play the hero card to the American public that it's easy to forgive the speed at which this development occurred.

While many of the stories in "Grace" were so exciting to watch unfold, it is this character development of Nicholas Brody that has been so fun to grab onto.

I originally thought that the fact that both Carrie and the audience weren't able to see inside the garage was going to make for some very interesting reactions from Claire Danes and everyone watching as this series moved forward. However, after showing the former POW in the garage, with his newly acquired prayer rug, it seems that the dramatic irony involved gives way to a much more exciting viewing experience.

To read the rest of my review of last night's Homeland, head over to TV Fanatic.

Homeland 102 - "Grace"
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