Homeland (season 2)

Claire Danes, Damian Lewis and Mandy Patinkin (left to right) portray lead roles Carrie Mathison, Nicholas Brody and Saul Berenson, respectively.

Morena Baccarin, David Harewood and Diego Klattenhoff (left to right) portray Jessica Brody, David Estes and Mike Faber, respectively.

• Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison, a CIA intelligence officer assigned to the Counterterrorism Center
• Damian Lewis as Nicholas Brody, a U.S. Marine Sergeant and a Marine Scout Sniper who was rescued by Delta Force after being held by al-Qaeda as a prisoner of war for eight years
• Morena Baccarin as Jessica Brody, Nicholas Brody's wife
• David Harewood as David Estes, the Director of the CIA's Counterterrorism Center and Carrie's boss
• Diego Klattenhoff as Mike Faber, a U.S. Marine Major (formerly Captain). He was Nicholas' best friend who, assuming Nicholas was dead, began an affair with his wife, Jessica Brody.
• Jamey Sheridan as William Walden, Vice President of the United States and former director of the CIA
• David Marciano as Virgil, Carrie's contact aiding in the surveillance of Brody
• Navid Negahban as Abu Nazir, a high-ranking member of al-Qaeda
• Jackson Pace as Chris Brody, Nicholas Brody's son
• Morgan Saylor as Dana Brody, Nicholas Brody's daughter
• Mandy Patinkin as Saul Berenson, the CIA's Middle-East Division Chief and Carrie's old boss and mentor

• Hrach Titizian as Danny Galvez, a CIA agent of Guatemalan and Lebanese origin
• Zuleikha Robinson as Roya Hammad, a journalist and Nazir's contact
• Valerie Cruz as Major Joy Mendez
• Timothée Chalamet as Finn Walden, son of the Vice President and Dana's romantic interest
• Talia Balsam as Cynthia Walden, wife of the Vice President
• Marc Menchaca as Lauder Wakefield, a former Marine
• Maury Sterling as Max Piotrowski, Virgil's brother who also aids in the surveillance of Brody
• Rupert Friend as Peter Quinn, a CIA analyst
• Mido Hamada as M.M.

• Amy Hargreaves as Maggie Mathison, Carrie's sister and a psychiatrist
• James Rebhorn as Frank Mathison, Carrie's father
• Clara Khoury as Fatima Ali
• Tim Guinee as Scott Ryan
• Larry Pine as Richard Halsted
• Nasser Faris as Bassel "The Tailor"
• Seth Gilliam as Chapman
• Marin Ireland as Aileen Morgan, an imprisoned anti-American terrorist
• John Finn as Rex Henning
• Victor Slezak as Warden Jack Prithard
• F. Murray Abraham as Dar Adal, a retired black ops specialist
• Daniella Pineda as Julia Diaz
• James Urbaniak as Larry
• Chance Kelly as Mitchell Clawson
• Sarita Choudhury as Mira Berenson, Saul's wife who is often out of the country.
• Billy Smith as Special Agent Hall
• John Cariani as Jeff Ricker

The second season of Homeland scored a Metacritic rating of 96 out of 100 based on 21 reviews.[19] Based on aggregation of television critics' top-ten lists, the season was ranked as the second best television show of 2012 by HitFix, and third best by Metacritic.[20][21] TV Guide named it the best television show of 2012.[22]

Dorothy Rabinowitz of The Wall Street Journal observed that the show is more relevant than ever given recent world events, and proclaimed that "Television's best drama series is, in short, back with all that was delectable about season one on vivid display again—first-class writing, sterling performances, rocketing suspense".[23]

David Wiegand of the San Francisco Chronicle felt that Season 2 delivered on extremely high expectations and maintained the show's level of writing, acting, and tension.[24]

TV Guide's Matt Roush praised the "powerhouse performances" by Claire Danes and Damian Lewis, as well as the relentless pace of the writing.[25]

USA Today's Robert Bianco gave the season a 4/4 score, calling it "unmissable TV", and said that even with the expertly crafted plot, Homeland's biggest strength is in its characters.[26]

Brian Lowry of Variety wrote a positive review, noting that there are some plot points that strain plausibility, but that "once the narrative begins hitting its stride in the second episode, it's clear the program remains on a rarefied creative tier".[27]

Homeland won three awards at the 70th Golden Globe Awards, including for Best Drama Series, which it won the previous year. Claire Danes and Damian Lewis each won for Best Performance in a Television Series – Drama, with Mandy Patinkin receiving a nomination for Best Supporting Performance in a Series, Miniseries, or Television Film.[28]

At the 19th Screen Actors Guild Awards, the cast was nominated for Best Cast in a Drama Series. Claire Danes and Damian Lewis were also nominated for Best Female Actor and Best Male Actor in a Drama Series respectively. Danes won to claim her second career SAG award.[29]

For the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards, the series received 11 nominations, with two wins. Claire Danes won her second consecutive award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, and Henry Bromell posthumously won for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series. Nominations included Outstanding Drama Series, Damian Lewis for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, Morena Baccarin for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, Mandy Patinkin for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, Rupert Friend for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, and Lesli Linka Glatter for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for the episode "Q&A". It also received nominations or Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series, Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour), and Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-camera Series.[30]

For the 2013 Writers Guild of America Awards, it was nominated for Best Drama Series and Meredith Stiehm received a nomination for Best Episodic Drama for "New Car Smell".[31]