One of my favorite things to talk about is all the TV shows I watch.

The list is probably too long, and it has never included a Showtime series.  When I’d run through my line up, people would often tell me that “you HAVE to watch Homeland.”  They thought I’d like it because I watch almost all of the HBO dramas, and I faithfully watched every episode of 24 when that show was on.  People said 24 was like Homeland on speed and Homeland is written better – won a bunch of Emmys + Golden Globes, etc.  I resisted for a while because Kevin and I didn’t have Showtime, and I honestly just felt like I couldn’t fit another show into my enormous line up.

Then, Atlanta experienced some nasty weather during Christmas.  There wasn’t a whole lot for Kevin and I to do besides eat, drink, and watch movies/ TV.  We decided it was time to check out the first season of Homeland and see what everyone was getting so worked up about.

A week later, we’d watched all of seasons 1 and 2 and we bought Showtime.  We are ADDICTED.  It’s been days since I watched the season 2 finale and it’s still all I can think about.

There are many reasons why I’m obsessed with this show.  I am totally into CIA dramas, so it had that going for it already.  Here are two other major reasons.

1 – Claire Danes is the (wo)man.

I wasn’t really into My So-Called Life, but I’ve been a pretty big Claire Danes fan since Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet, which I’ve watched approximately 3,000 times.

She’s a phenomenal actress.  And, she’s a great on-screen crier, which is convenient because the character she plays in Homeland, CIA officer Carrie Mathison, is highly emotional and cries in every. single. scene.

I’m not kidding.  There is a Claire Danes Cry Face Project on Pinterest mostly from Homeland episodes.

Anne Hathaway recently spoofed her constant crying on SNL.

You can even buy a Claire Danes “Cry Face” Mask.

But the real reason I love Homeland so much is because of…

2 – Saul Berenson’s beard.

Saul is Carrie’s boss at the CIA, and he can grow a beard like no other.  Just look at it!  Such nice shape – so many colors.  I can’t take my eyes away.

After examining Saul’s beard in the first few Homeland episodes, I couldn’t shake something really familiar about him.  I felt like I knew him.  Like he was part of my childhood or something.  So I took to IMDB and did some research.

As it turns out, Saul WAS in fact a part of my childhood.  I did know him!  Saul – played by Mandy Patinkin – was the great Inigo Montoya in The Princess Bride! 

Best movie EVER.  It’s a fact.  I’ve watched that movie more times than I could possibly count and can recite almost every line.  This was just the most exciting revelation!

Apparently, he’s excelled in the facial-hair-growing department for quite a while!

Excessive crying and ombre beard aside, Homeland is simply where it’s at folks.  You can get seasons 1 and 2 On Demand, and season 3 will air on Showtime later this year.

Get yourself hooked.

xx, L

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