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ENTITY celebrates Clair Danes.

The Paris attacks, the Boston marathon bombing, and the Orlando nightclub shooting are all horrific examples of terrors which make the world such a dangerous place.

Efforts to prevent the next such atrocity drive the storylines of hit series “Homeland,” which returns to Showtime on Jan. 15.

Fighting that war on terror are these female characters who bring at least as much strength and smarts to the screen as their male colleagues.

1 Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes)

Since “Homeland’s” debut in 2011, Claire Danes has portrayed Carrie Mathison, a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Princeton University where she was recruited to work for the CIA. 

Carrie is a dynamic character juggling the pressures of a high-stress job along with the unpredictable nature of bipolar disorder. She’s incredibly brave, willing to risk her own life for the sake of her country.

In past seasons, Carrie’s mental illness has spun her on whirlwind paths of destruction from alcohol and drug abuse. However, this trait has also allowed her to anticipate any upcoming behavioral episodes. As a result, she’s acquired an impeccable intuition that lets her know when trouble is coming. Viewers can watch this play out in the season five finale, when Carrie puts her own life at risk to prevent a suspected terrorist attack on a train in Berlin.

This season, Carrie resides in Brooklyn and works at a foundation that supports Muslims living in the United States. The series will take place between Election Day and inauguration Day. And although she’s no longer with the CIA, Carrie’s sharp brilliance will be an asset in the most extreme situations expected to occur during this transitional period when the nation faces great uncertainty and change. Viewers may even get to see a more maternal side to Carrie develop while she raises her daughter as a single mom in New York.

2 Elizabeth Keane (Elizabeth Marvel)

Entity reports on the women of homeland - Elizabeth Marvel.

This season kicks off with Elizabeth Keane as the President-elect of the United States. As a former senator from New York, Keane is a no-nonsense type who’s shaking up the political scene as a Washington outsider.

While taking on this ultimate job, Keane is also mourning the loss of her son who died in combat in Iraq. Now, her first order of business as the President-elect includes advocating to send troops back to the States. Although she has no executive power at this time, she is not shy to share her opinions and objectives during her CIA briefings. No matter what obstacles or objections are put in front of her, it’s clear she’s determined to carry out her personal mission to bring the troops home.

3 Jessica Brody (Morena Baccarin)

ENTITY celebrates 'Morena Baccarin' from Homeland.

Jessica, the wife of ex-Marine Nicholas Brody, experiences an emotional roller coaster with the shock of her husband’s return after he’s held a prisoner-at-war for eight years in Iraq. Season one depicts the struggles that war has had on her marriage and how she deals with the aftermath of her husbands trauma.

During a fundraiser speech, Jessica bravely addresses for the first time in public how the war has changed her husband. She states, “If someone had warned me how he’d look at me as if he didn’t know me anymore… how violent his nightmares would be… how he wouldn’t know what to say to the kids those first few weeks… how hard intimacy would be for him… If someone had actually warned me, in plain English, how hard coming home would be for him—”

Her heartbreaking confession signifies the end of their relationship, but it’s also the first time we see Jessica confront her troubles with true sincerity, and speak up about the hardships that war has on military families.

Although Jessica’s character has been absent for the past few seasons, showrunner, Alex Gansa confirmed in a TV Guide interview, “Carrie’s going to have old acquaintances to reconnect with and establish a new life for herself, so we’re going to see some familiar faces.” This could very well mark a return for Jessica and the rest of the Brody clan!

4 Mira Berenson (Sarita Choudhury)

ENTITY celebrates Sarita Choudhury from 'Homeland.'

Mira Berenson is first introduced to viewers as the wife of CIA Chief, Saul.

Mira’s character definitely raises some questions about her own intentions in the spy world. She made the decision to leave Saul after years of feeling secondary to his job.  Her storyline thickens when a CIA bombing prompts her return, only now she’s with a new lover named Alain, who ironically also has a background in espionage. After their relationship ends, Alain uses Mira to plant a bug in Saul’s computer.

When asked about the role she plays, Sarita Choudhury tells Indiewire, “I knew there was no way they were going to leave me in a kitchen,” commenting on her character’s arc developing from a “domestic figure to one entangled in a mess of spy intrigues.

5 Allison Carr (Miranda Otto)

Entity explores the women of Homeland.

Last season, viewers said goodbye to Allison Carr, the intelligent and cunning CIA Chief of Station in Berlin who embodied the show’s most powerful role as a double agent for the Russians.

Allison’s scheming and manipulative ways made her the perfect spy as she went  to great lengths to cover her tracks. This included turning against a CIA colleague and committing a double-homicide. Aside from her villainous actions, she still managed to dodge federal prison on more than one occasion, proving to be one of the show’s most cunning characters.

In an interview with Deadline, Miranda Otto mentions that, “It felt like a male role, in that so often, women’s roles, we get kind of typecast as we’re people who are emotional all the time or we’re dealing with issues that are more domestic.”

This is one way “Homeland” breaks the traditional boundaries of women on television by representing them in an environment thriving with threats of fear and terror.  And in these surroundings, the women posses incredible wit, strength, and resilience to fight for their cause with fierce ambition.

 

 

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