Entertainment
Extremely Adult Thriller Series Starring America’s Girl Next Door Just Added On Netflix
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Given the state of the country (not to mention the state of the world), politics are probably the last thing you want to engage with. But that might change when you check out Homeland, an Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning political thriller starring Claire Danes. The entire series is now on Netflix, and it remains one of the most compelling and politically resonant shows in television history.
The premise of Homeland is that a CIA operations officer becomes suspicious of a United States Marine who was recently released from captivity by al-Qaeda. He gets a hero’s homecoming from everyone else, but this government spook thinks that he was actually turned by the enemy and is planning a high-stakes attack on American soil. But considering that the CIA officer is on antipsychotic medication, there is always a question of whether she is really on the cusp of preventing the next 9/11 or if all of this is the paranoia of a brilliant mind slowly unraveling.
A Cast You Can’t Stop Staring At
The cast of Homeland includes some amazing actors like Mandy Patinkin (best known for The Princess Bride), whose gruff mentor quickly becomes this show’s emotional anchor. Morena Baccarin (best known for Deadpool), meanwhile, plays the sexy, supportive wife to a military husband who just isn’t himself after he returns from enemy captivity. That husband is played by Damian Lewis (best known for Band of Brothers), whose performance will keep you guessing about his loyalties long after the credits roll for each episode.
Arguably, the most impressive performance comes from Claire Danes (best known for My So-Called Life), whose portrayal of a broken, brilliant woman is nothing less than mesmerizing. You’ll find yourself rooting for her character even as you wonder if she’s lost her mind, and the nature of her job adds impossibly high stakes to Homeland’s constant paranoia. In the wake of 9/11 and the War on Terror, the show is filled with an electric tension as her character wonders if she is about to save the country or simply ruin an innocent man’s life.
A Sexy Series Goes For The Gold
When Homeland came out, it managed to impress reviewers with its combination of high-quality drama and crackling political commentary. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a rating of 85 percent, with critics dubbing this bombshell political thriller as downright addictive. They also praised the show for being a compelling character study and having absolutely brilliant performances from everyone involved.
On top of this high praise, Homeland took home some major prizes, including six Primetime Emmys. Those awards included Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series for Damian Lewis, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Claire Danes, and Outstanding Drama Series for the show as a whole. Additionally, Homeland earned five Golden Globes, with Lewis and Danes similarly earning Best Actor/Best Actress trophies, and the show taking home the award for Best Television Series–Drama.
The Most Intense TV Political Thriller Ever Made
Personally, I began streaming Homeland simply because I thought any show featuring both Claire Danes and Morena Baccarin would be one worth watching. I was very skeptical about how the show would approach geopolitics, and I wasn’t sure how well the writers could handle the constant tension regarding Brodie’s loyalties. Fortunately, the show fired on all cylinders: Danes and Baccarin gave killer performances along with Damian Lewis and Mandy Patinkin, and the show instantly sucked me into its world of schemes and the paranoid heroes and villains behind them.
At the risk of sounding like a shameless fanboy, Homeland has something for every kind of viewer. If you’re not typically a fan of spy stories, for example, you can enjoy the show for its sexy and surprisingly transgressive portrayal of modern relationships. If you don’t go in for romantic drama, meanwhile, you can enjoy the show as a psychological thriller in which the fate of countless people depends on a protagonist who may be mentally unwell.
You’d Be Crazy Not To Watch
Admittedly, Homeland goes on a bit too long, and some say that it never recaptures its old magic after Lewis leaves the show. There’s some truth to this, and I’ll be the first to admit that the show’s initial two seasons are probably the best ones. But Homeland is surprisingly good at reinventing itself, and the show continues to remain one of the sexiest, best-written political thrillers to the very end.
It’s a ride worth taking, and you can now stream Claire Danes’ finest work on Netflix. Will you find Homeland to be the sexiest political thriller in television history, or is this one show prestige drama you’d like to report to the CIA? The only way to find out where your TV-watching loyalties lie is to grab the remote and experience this show for yourself!
