Homeland (TV Series) The Drone Queen (2014) User Reviews

A Solid Return

[hugh_17 · 7/10 · 7 October 2014]

I wasn't sure what to expect from the continuation of Homeland, after series 3 seemed to drive the story away from the original themes of the show. Series three was ambitious and perhaps not as well executed as the excellent first and second series', However the conclusion of series did leave room for Homeland to perhaps move in a different direction and this certainly seems to be the case in the first episode.

We see new locations,fresh characters and are brought up to speed with how the main characters lives have progressed since the dramatic ending of season 3. By the end of the episode the themes and story-lines introduced suggest a return to form for one of TV's best series'.

'Homeland' after Brody

[Tweekums · 9/10 · 13 October 2014]

Some time has passed since Brody's death; Carrie has had his daughter and is now Station Chief in Kabul. When her counterpart in Islamabad informs her that he has solid intelligence about a high level target she has little time to consider the options but as the undisclosed source has been reliable before she orders a pair of F-15s to cross the border and take out the target. Not long afterwards it becomes apparent that they have struck a wedding party; the target may be dead but so are a lot of innocent people and it isn't long before feelings are running very high in Pakistan. She is ordered to fly there to brief the ambassador. Things go from bad to worse when the identity of the Station Chief in Islamabad is released to the press; Carrie and Quinn head to pick him up but he has been recognised putting them all in danger.

I was a little unsure what to expect as the fourth season opened; on the one hand I thought it would have been better if Brody had been written out at the end of series two and on the other I wondered how the story would progress without him… thankfully this season got off to a great start; indeed if you've never seen 'Homeland' before you could probably jump in here without much difficulty. We are quickly shown Carrie's new situation and then thrown into the drama. The action is both sudden and frenetic; the sense of danger is very real when the car carrying the protagonists is surrounded by an angry mob. Claire Danes continues to impress as the manic Carrie and Rupert Friend makes a welcome return as Quinn. It is hard to judge where the series intends to go with this story but I suspect finding out will be highly entertaining!

Good start

[Abdulxoxo · 7/10 · 19 September 2020]

Wow good episode actually, I like the plot alot. it seems like this show is going to be fine without Brody after all.

We were introduced to a boy who lost his family in the attack and it seems like he's going to play a major role in the season. I can't wait to see direction this season will take.

Excellent

[cliffmacdev · 8/10 · 7 October 2014]

I really hope the govt doesn't employ people like Carrie? This is great acting. She is completely insane! In all of the previous series she has been insane and continues the trait in this episode. She's on mood stabilizers,drinks alcohol,has little remorse or compassion for her deeds and takes scandalous risks. I really hope more thought goes into her decisions than is proffered by the writers. Her eyes are such a barometer of her insanity, that it belies her position as chief and who would employ her. She reeks of selfishness and subjectivity. I really hope it's just a show and excellent acting, otherwise if her personality is truly on display, then woe betides anyone in her sphere! Anyway great first show!

Securely focused, politically apt, and technically savvy

[RyanCShowers · 12 October 2014]

Everyone can take a sigh of relief in knowing that "Homeland" slipped comfortably into the post-Brody portion of the show. In "Drone Queen", "Homeland" decided to put the spy action in a position of prominence over the emotional story lines, which is something I'm in favor of in this particular instance. They have seemed to figure out how to build a meaty plot from a leaner starting product. Carrie Mathison is still one of the most fascinating characters on television, and she's anchored by Danes' fearless performance. The episode's finale was a zapping turn that affected the shock and thrill fans needed to feel at home again. "Drone Queen" was a securely focused, politically apt, and technically savvy transition into the next phase of Carrie Mathison's saga of Homeland Security.

Grade: A-

Its NICE and now it also has an Indian touch of Characters

[vikaskrsharma31 · 8/10 · 22 October 2014]

Its good to see a show changing directions from particular story to another. The location in this new story is Kabul and Islamabad which has been shown very critically and detailed. It also contains some new brilliant characters like SURAJ SHARMA from LIFE OF PI. The characters from previous season are solid as well.The background sound is AMAZING and gives you a real feel of operation of a control room and other Places. The Look of Kabul and Islamabad is Amazing.There is a Tense situation throughout the whole episode which has been in every last season episodes and which makes you to watch the whole episode with a sense of Curiosity.It Looks Pretty good now and hope it will get better and interesting in upcoming episodes.

Crazy show!

[fuad_tarin_58 · 8/10 · 6 April 2023]

They made this show so good and close to reality that its actually insane.

As an example Saul saying they shouldnt withdrawal from Afghanistan becasue the afghan troops arent ready to take over. And what happened when US took their troops out last year? Taliban took over again in couple of weeks.

And its also funny how CIA bomb sivil afghan people and murder countless of children, women, men and right after they celebrate Birthday and drink beer. As if nothing happened. And just like in season one with Abu Nazir its Haqqanis fault to put the life of the sivilians in danger by beaing there.

But if they hit US back they are terrorists. The western propaganda is insane. Yes taliban, alqaida all are terrorists, but so are the entire US government.

They can murder children men and women and they can easly cover it up with propaganda and we all buy into it. Its sad how we the people are so easy to fool.

Great episode and show as allways.

Horrible after Brody

[henrycoles9 · 4/10 · 6 June 2020]

Ten minutes into the season 4 premiere you start asking yourself who on earth this woman is. It is clear Carrie has lost her emotional side and empathy after losing Brody to the machinations of the CIA and the new regime in Iran in such a macabre manner. Not even her baby daughter could make up for it. Damian Lewis was the bedrock of this show. The whole show was solidly grounded in him, and I doubt they will ever find a dashing actor like him or a captivating character like Sergeant Nicholas Brody, or the breathtaking relationship he had with Carrie Mathison. And then in episode 4 they have her sleep on the spur of the moment with the Pakistani boy she is using to get to a terrorist. You've got to be kidding me.

Competent enough, but wow, those accents

[RogerBorg · 4/10 · 6 April 2022]

Casting painfully obviously Indian actors as Pakistanis or Afghans is like Shaun Connery in The Untouchables playing an Irishman with a Scotch accent, or Shaun Connery in the Hunt for Red October playing a Russian with a Scotch accent, or Shaun Connery in Highlander playing a Spaniard with a Scotch accent...

You get the drift. It's pure aural cringe, and shows contempt for the subjects. "Asia" is not one big monoculture, and Hollywood needs to do better if it wants to live up to its woke rhetoric.

Poor

[francogrex · 2/10 · 24 March 2021]

There are some biased positive reviews here I see, and it's sad and makes me sick. The new actors are very bad at acting. This episode which sets the tone for the rest of this show, is very bad. The intensity and excitement of the first three seasons are thrown down the drain. I will not continue watching this show. It's unfortunate