CHANNEL SURFING: Premieres show potential

Thriller: “Homeland”
Showtime, Sundays
10 p.m.

Sundays have a whole new meaning now that I watch this show religiously. “Homeland” is one of those shows that will be more than a hit — but legendary like “Dexter.” It has a modern-day plot with a fusion of CIA detective work, compliments of Claire Danes’s character, Carrie Mathison. After eight years of captivity, U.S. Marine Nicholas Brody is free from the clutches of al-Qaida. While Nick is seen as a hero, Carrie thinks he may be a terrorist after a tip she got from a Baghdad prisoner destined for execution. She goes to great lengths to reveal the man beneath the Marine uniform.

Wit acts as comic relief within the abyss of solemnity and pressing seriousness when discovering the truth: which side the troop has currently taken — the U.S.’s or al-Qaida’s. Because the plot intertwines with the current political atmosphere, and the show has an audience that believes that an ongoing war with the Middle East will hopefully come to an end soon, the show is relevant to our lives in some way, even if we are not directly connected with the Marine Corps or to the CIA.

Comedy: “Awkward”
MTV, Tuesdays
(Previously aired)

This season’s finale could not have been any more revealing — from who wrote the suicide letter to the unveiling of what fate had in store for Jenna Hamilton’s love life. With Jake Rosati, it is more natural and easygoing rather than, well, awkward. The finale was a revelation for Jenna as she finally accepted herself as a person, a daughter and a girlfriend, which she has been struggling with accepting as a whole throughout.

On a bigger scale, “Awkward” is able to address touchy subjects like suicide or bullying without fully condemning it or verbally lecturing about it. With this structure, who knows what subjects may be addressed next season in 2012? In Jenna’s wise words, “It was time to put my past where it belonged: in the past.” I am looking forward to her future and the future of this show. It is an 8 out of 10.

Drama: “The Lying Game”
ABC Family, Mondays
9 p.m.

I catch myself thinking that the “The Lying Game” has actually stepped up their drama factor. Whatever the motive is, it is catching my attention, especially since the season finale is right around the corner. Stemming from the show’s title, the web of lies is increasingly expanding to the point that everyone involved just might get tangled; forget that curiosity killed the cat, a spider’s poison is dramatically fatal (and makes great TV).

With the search for her biological mother, and an identity crisis, the past few episodes have not been a picnic for Sutton Mercer, but it has also been a drag for viewers to watch. Thank God the show’s writers have incorporated some humor throughout. In the beginning of the series, it was more of a drama-oriented show with tidbits of humor squeezed in, but now, there have been more comebacks of wit. It is a good improvement, making the show more well rounded than the usual “who, what, when, where, why” responses.

While Emma Becker, Sutton’s twin, is dealing with her foster brother coming back to haunt her, Sutton, back in Las Vegas, is fending off the demons from Emma’s past, as well as conjuring up a way to leave the Vegas hellhole to get back to Fendi handbags, luxurious yacht parties, Ethan Whitehorse and reconnecting with her mother in the loony bin.

I never suspected “The Lying Game” to be such a success like its parent series, “Pretty Little Liars.” And to be quite honest, it is not there as of yet. But with the plot it has been sticking to, I am still unsure as to how far the show will go in the future. But for now, though, it will do.