What We Want
After all the suspense, thrills, twists, and excruciating anxiety, the audience is left off in an area very similar to the beginning of the series: Mathison has a lingering suspicion on whether or not Brody has actually turned. The only big difference being the audience knowing that Brody has indeed turned, a piece of knowledge that could prove to be very dangerous to the show’s credibility and lifespan. In the best case scenario possible, Homeland would continue to surprise us with every episode, but with the premise of the show revealed, it would take a large deal of convincing to pull off another twist.
A huge part of what made the first season so successful was not the amount of twists, but the quality of them. In fact, there were only two real shockers: one being Brody’s true agenda and the other being Tom Walker. Both were pulled off so perfectly that it gave the audience not just an initial shock, but a lingering one (something that the creators need to desperately hang onto for the second season). At this point, the shock factor would be very difficult to top, but with Homeland, there’s always something amidst – especially with the addition of new characters.
In terms of character development, it would be very rewarding to have another main character know about Brody. Not necessarily through Mathison, but perhaps on their own accord – making their own puzzles and their own investigations. It would definitely set up suspense from all angles as the audience screams for said character and Mathison to finally meet up and team up. Imagine Brody’s daughter, Dana, taking this role. She would act on her suspicions, but keep things to herself so as to not harm her father’s trust. It would be magnificent.
With Mathison and Brody on the other hand, I’m more focused on what would be detrimental to them for character development purposes as will be explained next.
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