“Homeland” vs. “24”: Obama’s America Against Bush Junior’s

From George Bush to Barack Obama, the United States has changed its image. The fighting spirit of an America prepared to battle it out after Sept. 11 has sunk into depression. This phenomenon is reflected in TV series, as analyzed by amateur critic Etienne de Haas.

America is at war against terrorism, and has been since Sept. 11. This “war on terror” has had many twists and turns up until the recent death of Osama bin Laden. Though this is evident in cinemas, a slow but inexorable feeling has also been developing in TV series.

A Strong and Determined America

The hit series of the Bush years (2000-2008), which dealt with this subject, was “24,” a violent and rather Manichean detective series.

Those were the days when America was as strong and determined as an injured animal. The terrorist is here, easy and identifiable. He immediately appears on a video screen, and we know his life, his work and his goal, which is to destroy America. Nothing more, nothing less. The few “local” traitors are greedy or vengeful against Uncle Sam, but always for the wrong reasons.

This is Bush’s America: worried, but never doubting the identity of the enemy for a second. Money is always flowing, resulting in considerable technological resources for efficiently combating small phantom networks. Everyone is on file, but this does not matter, as it allows you to find the dangerous terrorists in time.

The stories are marked by the shadow of Sept. 11, but as a motivation for revenge. This in no way detracts from the value of a series whose first two seasons will remain a reference in terms of action and suspense.

But today this no longer seems possible. It has been years since Obama succeeded Bush, and this can be felt in television production. America has fallen from its pedestal; it has been hit hard by the economic crisis and is unable to wrap-up the two wars that it initiated abroad.

Total Depression

However, all is not so dark on the small screen. One just has to see the happy-go-lucky “Glee,” “How I Met Your Mother,” “The Big Bang Theory,” or “Modern Family.” And, of course, there are the cop shows that do not require too much thinking, which remain at the top audience ratings…

But outside of action and serious TV series, it is depression that is the most disastrous: the living dead in “The Walking Dead,” the dying kingdoms that are collapsing in “Game of Thrones,” and even a serial killer who becomes a preacher of the apocalypse in “Dexter.” Even in “The Good Wife,” the economy is going very badly, layoffs are increasing and social insecurity is everywhere … not to mention corruption.

This is no longer a triumphant or vengeful America. While this may be read as a subheading within cop shows, drama or science fiction, it is in the genre of espionage where the shift is strongest. While “24” would be the TV series of the Bush years, two striking examples of series from the years of his successor Obama would be “Homeland” and “Rubicon.”

The shadow of Sept. 11 is still present in both series, but those from Abu Ghraib and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are at the front of the stage. The enemy is vague, rarely identified, often American, and even his motives seem unclear. After the time of unabashed patriotism comes that of doubt: had all this been for nothing?

In “Homeland,” the enemy comes from within and takes the form of an American soldier. The poor guy almost seems less dangerous than the switched-on employees from the CIA. The secret service have all the powers; they set about listening, spying and lying … America questions the Patriot Act and the power given to those who are supposed to protect.

And by incarnating the spy played by Claire Danes, America wonders if it has not gone mad itself. In any case, everyone seems to understand that the impact of the two wars during the Bush administration is devastating to the national security and, indeed, to American soldiers.

And by awarding it two Golden Globes, the profession is applauded.

The Age of Analysis

In “Rubicon,” say goodbye to multiple screens, facial recognition, and drones. Welcome to a world of analysis and cross-checking. As if to exorcise a war in Iraq built upon false information, the intelligence services are looking to verify all data with a thoroughness that at times is not far from madness.

To make matters worse, nobody seems to know whom they work for. With confusion, interrogation, seized power lobbies, and organizations in the shadows, “Rubicon” slides into a wonderful paranoia really in tune with the times (reminding us of “The Falsifiers,” the excellent book by Antoine Bello).

Ironically, it’s James Badge Dale, formerly of “24,” who plays the hero. An indestructible spy in the style of Superman, in Season 2 of “24” he became a fearful and sensible analyst in “Rubicon.” What a symbol.

But looking back into a similarly ugly mirror does not always pay off. Though the first season of “Homeland” was a great success, “Rubicon,” with only an average audience [size], was canceled after one season. Is that enough to anticipate the triumphant return of America in the coming years?