Hot Off The Press - Homeland season 4 episode 2

Well it looks like Corey Stoll's stint wasn't to last as his funeral takes place in the background while Carrie struggles to come to terms with motherhood and Quinn as he hits the bottle hard in episode two of Homeland.

Once again this was a focused, but more sombre, episode harking back to the realism of the first season. And the result was gripping and quietly immersive, which might disappoint action fans, but this worked effectively when developing Quinn's (and Carrie's) decaying mental state as we first started to notice last season. That said, we've seen this before in other shows, but Homeland succeeds in keeping a balance before falling into gratuitous shock factor.

Speaking of shock, Homeland entered new levels of discomfort as Carrie made a pivotal decision whether to continue being a mother. It certainly pushed the boat out and touched on tricky subject matters, but was supported by Claire Danes' ever strong performance.

Back in the old office, things were certainly interesting as Carrie explored Sandy's mysterious contact, and came across that British guy from Suits with a story to tell. It managed to keep the pace up, but there was a strong sense of familiarity here. However, Suraj Sharma's scenes managed to keep things moving as he picked up what remains of his life while the media, and other forces, stalk him at every turn.

The only problem with this show at the moment is wandering where it will go next and for how long. I think there'll be a few more episodes before it justifies itself for this fourth season as it still feels like it's getting back into gear. That said, there are still many neat touches, including Carrie's visit to the Brody family home with her child as she watched from her car.

Overall this was a well crafted second episode that has the potential for something great, but it is still too early to tell in this first act. Hopefully things will gain momentum and a stronger sense of direction will start to develop.