Hating Homeland Haters

     Let me begin by saying that I am not a TV gal. As a whole, I find sitting in front of a black box watching fake people do fake things for hours on end to be a waste of mass proportions. So many of us are more in tune with what is going on in the land of sitcoms and dramas than within the walls of our own homes. And this is a travesty. Now, as I've said before, I will proceed to put on my hypocrite hat if only for a few moments.
     Within the last year or so, I have gone from impartial citizen to adoring fan in one particular realm -- Homeland.  Coming off of last night's Season 2 finale, I am certain that anyone who claims to be a Homeland fan should agree that last night was utterly epic. It was by far and away the best episode of the season. From the opening scene where Carrie and Brody gaze lovingly into each other's eyes in the woodsy cabin where they first consummated their terrorism-meets central-intelligence love affair, to Saul watching Abu Nazir's white-sheet-wrapped dead body dumped into the ocean...to the BONE CHILLING final scene...a veritable governmental graveyard up in flames. My soul was enthralled, horrified and in love. In love with Homeland itself.
     In recent weeks (until last night's earth-shattering episode really), I had been privy to quite a few hate-filled articles, social media posts and (gasp) live conversations, all of which conveyed the supposed "downward spiral" of the show since its freshman season. "How predictable." "What a joke of a plot." "#hatinghomeland". I actually was witness to all of these tweets and snippets in the virtual sphere. I don't make a habit of imposing my own judgment onto others' opinions, particularly in the realm of television, however I must make an exception here. To all those who claim that they personally could have "written a stronger plot" or "spent the night laughing at the absurdity", I would say this. I dare all of you to create an original series that inches anywhere close to being a quarter as brilliant as Homeland. Hats off to you, Alex Gansa, last night and always.