When a series as iconic as "Homeland" is winding down, the feeling is like what a high school senior feels about his/her last assignments. Grades might still matter to over-achievers, but the sense of gloom and pointlessness matters more. "Threnody(s)" had so many faults, but that's because Season 8 introduced new characters that, like graduating seniors, will never stick around. Of the eight episodes of this season so far, this was by far the most disappointing. A brand new character is introduced out of left field, tasked with not one, but *three* dig-up-the-dirt assignments... to be completed in under twenty-four hours. Kind of emblematic of Season 8 as a whole.
Without spoilers, the only thing to say is that certain significant characters are out of play when, possibly, they should never have appeared in Season 8 to begin with. Other characters, newer characters, who never should have appeared in a season with any pretensions to be meaningful, had no emotional impact, because we don't know them. Season 8 has been characterized by cardboard characters; this will almost certainly be regarded as "Homeland's" disappointing conclusion.
Even the most dramatic event in "Threnody(s)" is relegated to, "Well, we wrapped up *that.*" And this event, if it was necessary at all, deserved much more attention and care. It left me feeling like a high school senior who just got a principal's warning not to cut classes the week before graduation. Indifferent.
Without spoilers, the only thing to say is that certain significant characters are out of play when, possibly, they should never have appeared in Season 8 to begin with. Other characters, newer characters, who never should have appeared in a season with any pretensions to be meaningful, had no emotional impact, because we don't know them. Season 8 has been characterized by cardboard characters; this will almost certainly be regarded as "Homeland's" disappointing conclusion.
Even the most dramatic event in "Threnody(s)" is relegated to, "Well, we wrapped up *that.*" And this event, if it was necessary at all, deserved much more attention and care. It left me feeling like a high school senior who just got a principal's warning not to cut classes the week before graduation. Indifferent.