Hot Off The Press - Homeland season 4 episode 1

Whether anyone wanted it or not, season four of Homeland was given the green light and here it is. I think it's safe to safe following Brody's death that the show had reached a point where it could wrap up as neatly as it could, given the producer's demands to keep the Carrie Brody relationship going, but never quite return to form. While the writers wanted him to die by season by season one, as only a minor character in a bigger picture, the relationship was dragged out further and further, damaging the end of season two and somewhat the entirety of season three.

Well it looks like the writers have finally been lifted from that burden and start afresh, all be it in the well-trodden Middle East. Working away from home where her child lives with her sister, Carrie seems relatively all-together and with a clearer conscience, but at the expense of her friends as seen towards this end of this episode.

Confident with her intel, but distracted by her child, Carrie makes a fatal move that sees an airstrike obliterate a wedding and all its guests causing severe problems for her and her team. With this, a lone survivor (Life of Pi's Suraj Sharma) was recording at the time of the attack and the video becomes uploaded. From here, chaos ensues and it was a genuinely strong return for the show.

With Brody's family life (for now) out of the show, episode one was focused and engaging. Sharma makes a welcome addition to the show, as does Midnight in Paris' (Hemingway) and House of Cards' (it's on my watchlist!) Corey Stoll as the sleazy, Sandy Bachman. Returning players; Claire Danes, Mandy Patinkin, Tracy Letts and Rupert Friend are also on fine form once again.

While I'd like to praise how I looked forward to this season, there's little evidence to get overly excited. Brody's storyline formed the arch of the show, and without him, there is a sense that Homeland might loose its compass and fade into the background as another drama trying to imitate Zero Dark Thirty. But given what season four has shown so far, the writing, direction and acting all seem on top form and maybe this time it will live up to the cracking first season.

As it stands though, this was a very solid outing and I will back to see where the show goes next.