TV review: Homeland

There, it is out of the way. But I take comfort in the fact that I know I'm not the only one that has an unhealthy obsession with the brilliant series.

There is an army of 'Homelanders' out there who find themselves looking nervously at their watches from the moment they have polished off the Sunday roast.

Season two of the thrilling hit series goes from strength to strength and as we move closer to the season climax, each episode ends with even more questions that can only be answered by watching the next.

Last night's episode, the eighth of 12, was no different.

The troubles of Brody, played by the fantastic Damian Lewis, were taking their toll as he battles to keep himself from spending the rest of his life in prison by assisting the CIA in helping to foil a terrorist attack on America.

Not only is his wife, Jessica, breathing down his neck to offer an explanation as to why he has been acting so strangely, but his daughter Dana seems desperate to spill the beans about a hit-and-run she was involved with with the son of America's vice president.

Brody's task is a fairly simple one; he has to continue to meet with Roya, the informant from the terrorist cell he was once a part of, to extract information from her.

But with the pressure of his troubles weighing on his mind, he decides to go AWOL during a meeting with Roya after declaring he wanted nothing more to do with what was being planned.

To make matters worse for Brody, Jessica discovers he had met with manic-depressive CIA agent Carrie, who is infatuated with the former US marine turned congressman, leaving their marriage on the brink of survival.

Convinced Brody is of no further use to the CIA, boss David Estes decides to call time on the covert operation and bring Brody in, but his operatives ignore the order, convinced Brody could still hold the key to preventing a terror attack.

Luckily for them, and for Brody, he comes to his senses and decides to carry on with the ruse and arranges another meeting with Roya.

But his actions the previous day have aroused her suspicion and she takes Brody's mobile phone from him, preventing the CIA from having the opportunity to listen to the conversation.

Roya forces Brody to drive to a secret location in order for him to prove his commitment to the cause, but unbeknown to her, they are being pursued by the CIA.

With agents hanging back so as not to blow the story out of the water, Brody ends up being kidnapped and forced into a helicopter by members of the terrorist organisation he was once a part of.

Moments later, the chopper lands at a secluded warehouse where Brody finds himself face to face with the head of that very organisation, Abu Nazir.

Homeland has all of the qualities of the truly great action-packed series that have graced our screens. 24, The Sopranos, The Wire, they all have one thing in common; an ability to suck the viewer in to ensuring they don't miss the next episode.

Homeland has that and more, and I, along with my fellow 'Homelanders', am already looking at my watch in anticipation of Sunday's offering.