Claire Danes returns to series television in the fantastic new thriller Homeland. She stars as Carrie Mathison - a CIA officer who suspects a recently freed POW Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis) is in fact now working as a terrorist.
The pilot is great. It's a fluid, dynamic first episode geared towards the Call of Duty generation. Lots of violence, Iraqi war sequences and inexplicably long sex scenes. In fact it was a touch too overboard for me; all of it kind of seemed to be put in the episode to disguise the fact that the show's protagonist is a complex female character.
The worst part of the pilot is Nicholas' wife played by some random new actress. You see, since her man went missing for 8 years home girl began sleeping with one of his friends. Now her husband's back from Iraq, she is torn. Good grief, I hope the producers get rid of this ridiculous Bold & Beautiful plot as soon as they can. The fact that I had to watch this woman get banged by two different men in just one hour was enough to hate her.
Homeland also stars Mandy Patinkin. Wonder how long he lasts on this show before he walks, like he did on Chicago Hope and Criminal Minds.
Real Housewives of Atlanta castmember Sheree Whitfield follows in the footsteps of Kim Zolciak andCountess LuAnnwith the release of her debut single Who Gon' Check Me Boo?
If you could sum up 2011 in pop music, you could use one word: Adele. But screw that overrated. over-saturated singer. Her moaning and wailing on each song bored me.
I was going to compile a list of "my favourite songs" but that they keep on changing. Instead, here's the top five artists I've most enjoyed listening to this year.
5. LADY GAGA'S QUEEN OF POP COMPLEX DEEPENS
I was in New York when Born This Way was officially released and I was faced with the hardest decision ever -- should I purchase the physical album for US$20 at Macy's or spend that money on food. I chose the latter.
Three weeks later, I'm home in Australia and I find out that Interscope was hawking the album for 99c online. For all your fuckers who say that was a horribly tacky move - how many more MILLION people illegally downloaded Born This Way in that first week for free?
Yeah, shut the fuck up.
The album campaign was a mess though. Her self-indulgent ego destroyed any momentum she had from the Born this Way single. All music videos from this era have been absolutely atrocious, reeking of narcissism and a God-complex.
Nevertheless, the standout tracks from BTW (The Edge of Glory, Bad Kids, Marry the Night, Hair and Schiebe) are still on my iPhone playlists.
4. THE RETURN OF SUPERSTAR J-LO
Jennifer Lopez was so far deep in irrelevancy her management team thought her starring in The Back Up Plan was a good career move.
Thankfully, JLo re-hired her old manager Benny Medina and orchestrated her way back in the spotlight thanks to American Idol and Lady Gaga producer RedOne. The latter collaboration was the worldwide hit, On the Floor featuring the omnipresent pesticide known as Pitbull.
Unfortunately for La Lopez, On the Floor was ignored by the Grammys committee. I'm sure she thought that she would've swept next year's Grammys just like she thought she was robbed of an Oscar.
PS I happened to love her album LOVE?
3. GOTYE - AUSTRALIA'S ANSWER TO MERLIN
Why? Because on Australia's weekly ARIA Top 50 single chart countdown, he was able to keep Adele off the number 1 spot FOR WEEKS.
This is not Gotye, but former Australian Idol contestant Anthony Callea. I thought someone other than Tim Campbell could show him some love this year. His "comeback" single had a horrible, shortlived reception.
2. NICOLE SCHERZINGER FINALLY BECOMES A STAR
Nicole Scherzinger was basically the Pussycat Dolls yet the world never took to her as a solo artist until 2011.
She deservedly scored her first number one hit single - Don't Hold Your Breath in the UK this year.
Right There, Say Yes, Tomorrow Never Dies. Killer Love was a great pop album.
1. WE FOUND LOVE / RIHANNA & CALVIN HARRIS
Both released some fucking tunes this year (Cheers, Feel So Close, Bounce) but We Found Love is my favourite song and video of the year.
Every Saturday night in my flat before heading out, it's this:
You are never here
Yet you terrorise me everyday
I can smell your pungent hate
Seeping through the walls that divide us
Gone are the days of frivolity
Welcome the time of darkness
But hope 'tis round the corner
Of gay Christmas yonder
Alas I have but lost my mind
My sanity methinks I cannot find
And in the shadows thou shall see
My eyes stalking over thee
-A Poem by the crackpot formerly known as Francis Fares
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