Homeland is back - in a good way

After an incredibly frustrating third season, I feel that after Sunday night's two-hour fourth season premiere, Homeland is back - at least the Homeland that got under our skin and made us scratch for more.

While Brody may be gone, his ghost definitely lingers. Without giving anything away, Carrie has a new post in Islamabad and she's as aggressive and determined as ever - and possibly just as nearsighted. The fourth season opener gives us a lot to enjoy and doesn't waste any of our time. A judgment call goes horribly wrong, Corey Stoll (may you never wear another galling toupee) joins the participants in a very effective bit of casting, and we're knee-deep in a Middle East plot that not only reflects real world U.S. involvement, but thankfully seems to be taking steps towards making its Muslim characters into well-rounded, stereotype-confounding people.

Immersing Carrie - and us - into the front line gamesmanship of overseas intelligence gathering bodes well for the direction this season is pointing. We're seeing fan favorite Quinn (Peter Friend) get a much more high profile (and conflicted) role, and in one of the more fascinating moves, the showrunners are taking the situation involving Carrie's child and instead of succumbing to the "oops" pitfalls of suddenly appearing offspring that torpedoed the dynamics of Dexter and Breaking Bad, Homeland is dealing with Carrie's new role in a frankly audacious and disturbing way that serves not only the plot, but Carrie as a character.

A premiere is only the tip of an iceberg, but from the evidence on hand, it really feels like the creators of Homeland have not only listened to their fans, but also looked keenly at the world at large, as well as taking the time to look within.