Full disclosure: President Obama and myself have three things in common- four if you realize that he's just a year older than I am- we're both black men and we're both confirmed fans of "Homeland", which returns to Channel Four this coming Sunday( Obama even admits that he watches reruns of "Homeland" when he should be concentrating on matters of state; since only two of his predecessors- James K.Polk and FDR- have arguably died from overwork and JFK once asked famously "What am I supposed to DO all day?"as President, I'd say let him kick back occasionally)

Still, there ARE issues that trouble me about the series-namely the implicit suggestion that being a practising Muslim is somehow incompatible with a serving US Marine(and by implication a loyal American) in the case of Nicholas Brody( ironically played by British actor Damian Lewis- couldn't they find an American actor???)-similar charges of disloyalty have been made against first Catholics and then Jews in American history, pace the "Know Nothings" in the 19th century, the whole business of "waterboarding" and other "enhanced interrogation techniques" (ie torture) by the CIA during the Bush Administration

(which are not dwelt with) and Carrie(Claire Danes)'s bipolar disorder- in reality the "Company" would have discreetly fired her on medical grounds due to her condition or at least restricted her to desk duty in real life rather than promoting her to being CIA Station Chief in Islamabad( a female station Chief- now THAT seems improbable to me!)

Critics also draw attention to the pervasive anti-Arab bias of the series(hardly surprising since it is based on an Israeli dram "Hatufim") as well as the thinly veiled "Islamophobia"

My advice is to enjoy the series but shame about the politics!

Terry