As Sixth Season Approaches, Homeland Seeks to “Reinvent the Wheel”

At a panel hosted by the Paley Center for Media in Manhattan, the cast and creative crew of the multiple Emmy-winning series Homeland discussed the various storylines, themes, and goals presented by the show’s first five seasons. The panel, hosted by CBS News anchor Josh Elliot, and which consisted of series co-creator and showrunner Alex Gansa, director and executive producer Lesli Linka Glatter, and series lead stars Claire Danes, Mandy Patinkin, and F. Murray Abraham, also touched on its increasingly striking connection to real-world events. While Gansa professed during the panel, the conscious choice of not dramatizing events or concepts he sees as unrealistic, he and the others present also spoke of their surprise at how such depictions have seemed to predate rather than emulates such events. In particular, they recalled how news of the November 2015 attacks in Paris broke to them just as they finished filming a pivotal scene in season five. “The minute, the minute we handed in the tape for editing, all our phones started vibrating in concert!” Patinkin recalled of first hearing of the attacks.

The panel also commented on the show’s continual depiction of the increased intensity within the intelligence community as a result of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, which have also served as a narrative shadow of sorts hanging over the characters’s heads throughout the series. Gansa spoke of a societal culture of fear, citing the large amounts of spending in counterterrorism which he states will be a major focal point of the upcoming season. “We have engendered fear in our population,” he stated. But considering the contrary view, citing the bureaucratic missteps that had led to 9/11, he also spoke of a sort of cyclical irony. “When we’re afraid, there’s not a threat, but when we’re not afraid, there is a threat. The wheel is always turning” he said during the panel. Patinkin also commented on what he sees as the division that permeates human culture and questioned why it seems to take a catastrophic event like 9/11 to unite them.

The personal aspects and themes of the show were also brought up. Regarding the topic of gender, Elliot spoke of how he sees Carrie as an example of a working woman for his young daughters to emulate. When asked however, Claire Danes, who serves as one of the show’s producers and who plays series lead Carrie Mathison, did not seem keen on citing a focus on gender on the part of the series. Instead, she commented on the kind of personal toll her character’s line of work can take. She and the panel spoke of how it has been established that Carrie, who suffers from bipolar disorder and whose at times excessive immersion with her work has been a continued source of conflict, will never be able to attain a work-life balance (with references to an on-set joke of how Carrie’s sling bag is her “best friend” being made). Danes and Patinkin as well briefly touched on the continued complex relationship between Carrie and the latter’s character Saul Berenson, while the former also alluded to the developments to be undergone by fan favorite character Peter Quinn, whom she confirmed to be alive, much to the delight to the audience present.

Throughout its five seasons, Homeland has received praise for its suspense, complexity, political insights, and characters. It has, at the same time however, fielded criticism simultaneously for apologizing for Islam and for Islamophobia (as well as a perceived dip in quality during its third season). Regarding the show’s presentation, F. Murray Abraham, who portrays supporting character Dar Adal, took from his motivation to translate his experiences into his acting. “Art is the best medium of truth and balance.” he professed. Gansa reiterated the series’ commitment to continue shining a light on the complexity of its matter, to once again, as he says, “reinvent the wheel”.

The panel was overall received well. It was praised for increasing hype and excitement for the upcoming season, and for its providing insight into the show’s craft. It was also well received for continuing its discussion of how complex and complicated its subject matter is, which some fans think will be the series’ lasting legacy once it finishes its run.

The Paley Center for Media seeks to lead the discussion on the significance of TV, radio, and emerging entertainment platforms.

Homeland season 6 premieres on January 15, 2017.