TV ends for this year

Yesterday saw the years end of blockbuster TV shows for me with both Dexter and Homeland coming to a seasons conclusion.  In the case of Dexter it was the penultimate season with the long running show ending next year after eight seasons. WARNING SPOILERS BELOW 

Season seven of Dexter was the least enjoyable and most bizarre to date from my point of view. Yes, it’s a black comedy and yes, there are huge plot holes that one could drive a bus through. But, there has always been that tiny bit of believability to each season as it unfolded.  Season six ended with Deb discovering that her half-brother (Dexter) was a killer in a very tense cliff hanger.

 I looked forward to season seven with Deb finally realising who her brother really was and how this would play out for the rest of the season.What I wasn’t expecting was Dexter to meet another serial killer turned gardener and fall in love. Nor was I expecting a gay Ukrainian gangster with an English accent to steal the show.  Both of these characters, Hannah (nice legs) and Isaac (Titus Pollo from HBO’s Rome) were far more interesting than any of the leads in this season.  In fact the back story of both these characters would make far more compelling viewing then watching Deb say “Dex, what the fuck”? Week in week out.

Each episode largely consisted of Deb uttering her catchphrase while suffering crises of guilt over her complicitness in it all. Dexter would then either kill or fix the issue and then we’d carry on again from where we left off.  It wasn’t great viewing but fans of the show would still be happy as it did provide the odd shock or twist here and there.  

Maybe I missed something but two questions popped up during the course of this season that made me wonder so. Firstly, the lap dancing club that didn’t appear to play any music but still made the girls dance in total silence. Secondly, how does a chap survive being thrown in the sea at night with his hands bound (see the end of episode 11) ?

Homeland season two was another disappointment as far as I’m concerned. The first season was a roller coaster ride with twists and turns a plenty. I blitzed through the first season in one sitting pretty much, such was the intensity and suspense. The second season started off in gripping fashion with the action moving to Beirut and some real spy action entailing.

What followed then for the rest of the season was another conscience filled morality play of sorts. Each episode did provide some entertainment though so the season didn’t exactly tread water like Dexter. The introduction of ‘Quinn’ was a masterstroke by the script writers and his character alone accounted for much of the intrigue throughout the season.

Homeland failed this season because it didn’t have the plot twists last season provided. Brody becoming a triple agent would have been far more interesting than watching him and Carrie getting it on time after time.  Such was the domestic monotony that this season provided; Dana Brody has now taken Skyler White’s title as the most annoying character on TV.

Both Dexter and Homeland have given us the chance to ask the question that is on everybody’s lips; Just who is TVs best Quinn?

In the red corner, we have Joey Quinn from Dexter. The guy who looks almost skeletal to the person who first appeared on our screen in Season 3. And who falls in love at the drop of a hat, usually with disastrous consequences.

In the blue corner, we have Homeland’s Peter Quinn. A dark and mysterious individual with more than a few secrets in his locker. As the season unfolds we learn that he’s a trained black ops killer for the CIA but he’s taken a liking to Carrie.

Just who is your best Quinn?

Vote now or simply don’t bother.