TRUE LIES! 'HOMELAND' SEASON THREE BECKONS...

Fugitive hearts and minds. The main troika of HOMELAND Season Three. Images: SHOWTIME.

Having been the surprise hit of the previous year, and becoming seriously addictive television for both critics and fans, it was a shame that the following Season Two of the SHOWTIME terrorist thriller HOMELAND didn't win quite as much acclaim or respect-perhaps because the original premiere run was so satisfying and could basically have been told in one compete story that it didn't really need an actual continuation- but, hey, if you're an American TV series and its a hit, then the show, and the advertising profits, have gotta go on! Fortunately, the series would be blessed with two of modern televisions best and enterprising creator producers- Alex Gansa and Howard Gordon- finding a clever way to do just that for their TV superiors, and delivering, by year two's last episode, a very satisfying and disturbing finale that lends itself to an overall much better and more organic linkage with the upcoming, highly anticipated new third season, beginning at the end of this month in the US.

▶ Homeland Season 3: Official Trailer - YouTube
▶ Homeland Season 3: Tease - Haunted - YouTube
Homeland Season 3: Behind the Scenes - YouTube
▶ Homeland Season 3: From The Beginning - YouTube

Caught in a maelstrom of press attention, and having to testify about her difficult prior actions and decision-making to a tense senate sub-committee, CIA agent Carrie Mathison (an impressive Claire Danes) had seemingly regained her purpose in life, along with her senses and sanity, despite the pain of frustrations of her mental illness, but now has to deal with the incredible fall-out from the horrific terrorist car-bomb explosion that has wiped out half of her friends and workmates-some of "The Company"s finest, including her former lover David Estes (David Harewood). With her former lover -ex-marine and former terrorist Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis, getting the chance to add more complex layers of tensions and fractured loyalty to the role) well and truly framed for the heinous act by the murderous bedfellows he once pledged allegiance to, he had no choice but to desert his wife (oh-so-sexy Morena Baccarin) and two children and go overseas where, as a fugitive with few options open to him, soon becomes inexorably linked to new troublesome scenarios, many not of his making. Trying to find and shield him where possible, Carrie is also immersed in another kind of warfare- internal politics and rising ambitions with her superiors at Langley - her only friend Saul Berenson (the always watchable Mandy Patinkin), now risen up the office ranks to the challenging and difficult role of Director-ship- most of whom don't share her views about the set-up of Brody, eventually realising that he didn't die in the car bomb after all, and soon dispatching their special forces teams (including assassin Peter Quinn (Rupert Friend- now a series regular), already out securing other targets linked to the deaths, to quickly find and eliminate the homegrown threat once and for all, the once patriot and friend of America, now world enemy number one and still causing a stink in the political corridors of power- the man who almost became their president!

The steps of power. The Brodys (Morena Baccarin and Damian Lewis), Carrie (Claire Danes) and Saul (Mandy Patinkin) return for more drama and intrigue.

As big in scope as the previous season (with filming in Puerto Rico and a return to Israel for some highly charged finale episode scenes) drawn from the tense times we now live in, there are also promises of some smaller scale, but hopefully no less riveting, character drama- with the Brody family fallout being a key spotlight, alongside the producers hints that they want a John le Carre-esque feel to the new series spy-dom machinations. Meanwhile, the simmeringly unconventional, in many ways tragic, love story between Carrie and Brody, the true underpinnings to the shows success, certainly isn't over, surely evolving and intensifying-with lots more physical and psychological pain along the way for our separated lovers to endure...

Seasons One and Two of HOMELAND on Blu-ray: Homeland - Season 1-2 [Blu-ray]: Amazon.co.uk: Damian Lewis, Claire Danes, Morena Baccarin, Mandy Patinkin, David Harewood: Film & TV

THE GAMES THEY PLAY... 'HOMELAND' SEASON TWO

Opposing forces: Claire Danes and Damian Lewis return for more dark drama in HOMELAND. Images: SHOWTIME.

At the end of its first stellar, critically acclaimed, award-winning season, the emotionally spiky but intuitively brilliant and determined heroine of HOMELAND, CIA agent Carrie Mathison (skillfully played by Claire Danes) was having a very bad time of things: her emotional/ sexual involvement and investigation into charismatic solider and former Iraqi prisoner of war Nicholas Brody (a powerfully complex Damian Lewis), a hot political figure on the rise within the upper echelons of American power, had now been revealed to her unhappy superiors, whilst her strong beliefs in his being a traitor to an America she's sworn her life to protect have now been deemed compromised, her once thought talents seemingly on the brink of self-destruction: her credibility as an agent blown ever wider after almost being killed in an unexpected terrorist explosion. As the walls of madness and frightening unpredictability were closing in around her, Carrie, in a closing tragic sequence never to be forgotten by viewers, had to face her personal, inner demons and a true edge of darkness as the frightening final moments of her former life seemingly disappeared with a shocking but necessary electro-convulsive shock therapy, so as to curb her aggressive and manic bipolar disorder.

A life not ordinary. Claire Danes as CIA agent Carrie Mathison.

Vote Brody! Soldier turned politician Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis) has never been more dangerous.

Meanwhile, Brody, having critically removed Mathison from the picture, has no hang-ups and problems in his life now, despite his own failed attempt to detonate a bomb in Washington, as he continues his sworn pact of dedication to both Al-Qaeda and his extremist Muslim faith conversion, aided by equally dangerous helpers/conspirators behind the scenes in American society and inadvertently by the protective outer circle of his loving but often troubled family and friends, ready to forgive and forget any further quirky occasional character and emotional fallibility's that might show through his normally calm exterior (blaming such problems on the stresses and anxieties of his previous eight years of incarceration). Brody seems invincible now, with the luck of the devil on his side, as his hidden dark side agenda, against his once US military and political paymasters for the death of the young child to his terrorist cell leader/guru Abu Nazir (a chilling Navid Negahban), stays silently true to his personal convictions despite occasional doubts, whilst his terrorist brothers enjoy their key converts rise to power: his clean cut and heroic looks as the true all-American hero poster boy, whose path to the White House centre seat looks unstoppable...

In bed with power. Brody makes his presence felt in politics and with the CIA.

Fortunately, for us and the series (surely one of the best and most innovative American shows of recent years with its high quality, silently compulsive storytelling and fine acting), Carrie isn't a quitter and will surely be back in some shape or form to trail and discover Brody's plans. Recovering from her treatment, with the protection and support of her family around her, she may thinks she's lost her abilities and edge, feeling out of her depth in handling any job within the CIA, a place of which she was once so dedicated and loved being a part of, but a critical series of events emerging from Beirut will soon put her back on the right path, awakened for action and duty alongside her old friend and mentor Saul Berenson (Mandy Patinkin) and former lover turned antagonist superior, David Estes  (David Harewood). Whether an earlier and vital clue she discovered about Brody's conversion, which Carrie was on the brink of losing from her mind in last seasons finale, will return to her consciousness is an important plot element from series creators Alex Gansa and Howard Gordon that must surely and intriguingly be revealed soon, as the maelstrom drama of her emotionally charged, but also chilling, opposing forces reunion between her and Brody begins anew...

Trailer: Homeland - Homeland Season 2 Trailer - YouTube

Order and chaos. The brilliant sexual chemistry between the actors/characters continues...

HOMELAND Season Two airs in the US on the SHOWTIME channel. It begins its UK run exclusively on CHANNEL 4, weekly from tonight...

Previews: 'Homeland' Season 2 Spoilers: Executive Producer On Where Carrie And Brody Will Be, Plus Obama And More

Carrie Gets Her Mojo Back and 6 More Homeland Insights - Today's News: Our Take | TVGuide.com

Check out the official FACEBOOK page: Homeland

KOOL TV BABE OF THE WEEK: 'HOMELAND's ZULEIKHA ROBINSON

Exotic delight: the lovely Zuleikha Robinson poses for the camera. Image: ULIKE.

From being a mysterious female James Bond industrial spy figure in Chris Carter's comedy drama series spin-off to THE X-FILES, THE LONE GUNMEN, to an ambitious prostitute with her sights on being a mistress of ancient ROME's dark and deadly streets in the adult and high quality HBO mini-series of the same name, making her mark as one of the better supporting characters stranded in island purgatory on LOST-another mysterious femme fatale/bounty hunter action heroine, to now being a middle Eastern journalist with a fiery agenda on the upcoming second season of the hit SHOWTIME suspense drama HOMELAND, lovely British actress Zuleikha Robinson, with her striking and exotic dark looks and admired busty, statuesque physique, has become a popular name in Hollywood, and deservedly so, in her playing of numerous intriguing roles over the last twelve years.

Making a fine entrance with the cast of THE LONE GUNMEN. Image: FOX.

Acquiring the next target: Zuleikha as Yves Adele Harlow in THE LONE GUNMEN. Image: FOX.

Making a striking first impression on viewers as the black leather clad weapons expert, the tough, no nonsense character of 'Yves Adele Harlow" (an anagram of JFK 'assassin' Lee Harvey Oswald-her real name would never be known through the series run), who often acted against her own commercial judgements to help out the three geeky and full of heart Lone Gunmen of the title (played with their own inimitable charm by Bruce Harwood, Tom Braidwood and Dean Haglund) out to expose the truth behind the various cover ups, conspiracies and technological dangers the modern world is facing, the show may not ultimately have lasted very long-a mere thirteen episodes- as a spin-off to such a popular show like THE X-FILES (perhaps a victim of audiences not quite knowing what to make of it overall)- alongside a wrap-up in it's brother shows  ninth and final season, but other feature film roles were soon around the corner for Robinson such as the mildly successful Joe Johnston directed desert horse racing adventure HIDALGO, and working alongside the iconic Al Pacino in the starry and well-made adaptation of Shakespeare's THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, before a return to popular TV in the second and final season of HBO's made for good notices critically and on her career CV, giving an excellent and highly charged performance in the equally excellent and highly charged historical saga that was HBO's ROME, playing another dangerous character-at first a tart with a heart and then going on to become Gaia (a real misinterpretation of the word's meaning: Mother Earth!): an ambitious, sex as a weapon manipulating figure doing her utmost best to control our central heroes Kevin McKidd and Ray Stevenson. Going from history to fantasy, Robinson would play gutsy and instinctive Eva Marquez alongside GAME OF THRONES star to be Nikolal Coster-Waldau's immortal New York detective John Amsterdam in another short running but liked FOX series, the HIGHLANDER-esque NEW AMSTERDAM, and then onto a much more memorable role in another equally iconic series now approaching its final two seasons: the hit JJ Abrams/ABC TV sci-fi/fantasy that captured and beguiled audiences hearts in equal measure: LOST, and making another exciting impression as the resourceful Ilana Verdansky, who first appeared in the show trapping and then beating into the middle of next Wednesday, our favourite Iraqi hero Sayid (Naveen Andrews) on the orders of the mysterious father-figure like Jacob (Mark Pellegrino), before being just as trapped as the rest of the core players on the constantly moving island as they took on the Black Smoke creature, and certainly coming to an unexpected and literally explosive end!

As the life hardened Gaia in ROME. Image: HBO.

Alongside Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in the short-lived NEW AMSTERDAM. Image: FOX.

And back in fantasy as battle hardened Ilana in the final days of LOST. Image: ABC TV.

Miss Robinson's streak for playing know what they want independent women characters continues apace within the next season of the eagerly anticipated and addictive new TV hit, the terrorist thriller/character drama from Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa, HOMELAND, where she'll be playing the middle eastern role of Roya Hammad, a journalist who has a connection to the mysterious Al-Qaeda-esque figure of Abu Nazir (Navid Negaban) and whom goes on to deliver an ultimatum to Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis), the turned ex-American military man now intent on delivering a terrible death blow to his country's security and its people. How all the new seasons twists and turns will be revealed, and what further involvement Roya will play in the shape of things, remains to be seen, but Miss Robinson's expected presence in the show will certainly be enough to boost male viewers blood pressure a fair few points over the coming months.