‘Homeland’ season 4: Series boss on dealing with critical reception

There are few dramas on TV these days that are scrutinized more than “Homeland,” and there is probably a concrete reason for it: Things started out so wonderfully for the show! When you have the sort of start that this series did on Showtime, everyone expects near perfection to happen on a regular basis. When there are some bumps in the road, it is inevitable that some are going to be a little bit disappointed.

Luckily, it feels like some other there are already getting a little bit used to handling the outside perspective on the show, and that includes showrunner Alex Gansa, who had to deal with some widespread criticism of the Brody family in season 3. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter recently, Gansa reflected somewhat on the story of the past few years, and also commented about how he feels that this season is turning things around somewhat:

“Pretty much the same team that did season one has done two, three and four. Our job is to put our heads down and work. That’s not to say not getting an Emmy nomination didn’t hurt — it did. But you can never predict how people are going to respond to something. People seem to like this season more than last season. It’s not something you can plan for. It’s hard to believe that we were idiots last year and geniuses this year.”

We feel like this season has done a good job of really establishing a new sense of place and a mission for Carrie, and has improved by good leaps and bounds as it went along. We did have some worries for a while that Carrie was getting into the “seduce the target” formula a little too much, but we’re glad to see that there is some depth beyond that.

We’ve got some more “Homeland” scoop right now moving into the final three episodes of the season, and it starts over at the link here. Be sure to check that out! Also, you can sign up if you want to get some further TV updates on all we cover via our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: Showtime.)