The best new series of the fall, Showtime's terrorism thriller came along just in time for the 10th anniversary of 9/11. A decade after the attacks, we've stayed safe. We've become more alert. But as this intense psychological drama asks of its characters what have been the trade-offs? Are we wounded? Are we traumatized? Are we, maybe, a little crazy? Homeland sets out these questions through two damaged characters who start out as adversaries but find themselves deeply linked. Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes), a CIA analyst, learns from a source that a U.S. soldier imprisoned in Iraq has been "turned" by terrorists. This leads her to suspect Sergeant Nick Brody (Damian Lewis), a freed POW and national hero. Is Carrie on to the perfect sleeper agent, or is she influenced by post-9/11 guilt as well as a mood disorder she's been hiding? Brody is behaving suspiciously, but is it proof of guilt or the scars of eight years in hell? The performances are fantastic Carrie is a throbbing nerve, Brody thrums with repressed pain and the show is both thrilling as a mystery and an acute study of how people mourn for lost time they can never get back. (Showtime)
The Top 10 Everything of 2011
- Top 10 Albums
- Top 10 Animal Stories
- Top 10 Apologies
- Top 10 Business Blunders
- Top 10 Buzzwords
- Top 10 Comebacks
- Top 10 Consumer-Spending Trends
- Top 10 Crime Stories
- Top 10 Campaign-Debate Moments
- Top 10 Best Fashion Moments
- Top 10 Worst Fashion Moments
- Top 10 Feuds
- Top 10 Fiction Books
- Top 10 Fleeting Celebrities
- Top 10 Food Trends
- Top 10 Gadgets
- Top 10 Green Trends
- Top 10 Marriage Stories
- Top 10 Medical Breakthroughs
- Top 10 Memes
- Top 10 Movie Performances
- Top 10 Worst Movies
- Top 10 Best Movies
- Top 10 New Findings in Parenting
- Top 10 New Species
- Top 10 Nonfiction Books
- Top 10 Numbers
- Top 10 Oddball-News Stories
- Top 10 Overreported Stories
- Top 10 People Not Running for President
- Top 10 Plays and Musicals
- Top 10 Political Gaffes
- Top 10 Protest Signs
- Top 10 Quotes
- Top 10 Religion Stories
- Top 10 Ridiculously Obvious Study Findings
- Top 10 Scandals
- Top 10 Smart-Phone Apps
- Top 10 Songs
- Top 10 Space Moments
- Top 10 Sports Moments
- Top 10 Toys
- Top 10 TV Ads
- Top 10 TV Episodes
- Top 10 TV Series
- Top 10 Best Tweets
- Top 10 Worst Tweets
- Top 10 U.S.-News Stories
- Top 10 Underreported Stories
- Top 10 Video Games
- Top 10 Creative Videos
- Top 10 Viral Videos
- Top 10 World-News Stories
- Top 10 Photos of the Year
In 54 wide-ranging lists, TIME surveys the highs and lows, the good and the bad, of the past 12 months