Here's the thing about Homeland: Brody should have died (blown himself up, or blown himself and the vice president up, or blown himself and his daughter up, or been caught and killed by Carrie and/or Saul) at the end of Season 1. Yes, we love Damian Lewis, but Brody needed to go; Carrie (Claire Danes) and Saul (Mandy Patinkin) would then move onto another challenge in Season 2. Yay, Homeland.

That is not what happened. And – stop reading now if you have not watched Sunday's finale – Brody is still with us going into Season 3.

As it turns out, Homeland is a love story instead of a spy thriller. I was looking for Brody to double-cross Carrie, and force them into a situation in which she would have to take him out; I was wrong. Instead, in a twist that truly did surprise me, a car bomb – presumably orchestrated by Abu Nazir's organization – laid waste to a significant portion of the main cast. Brody is now exposed to the world as the terrorist he was (or possibly is), and though Carrie could have disappeared with him, she is going back inside: "I'm going to clear your name, Brody," she vows. It sets up a third season that could have Brody in it, but really should not.

Saul, meanwhile, provided the spine of the finale; he is bereft, but also empowered.

I found this season meandering, maddening, and unintentionally funny. While I never thought of Homeland as a document of realism, it has filled its hours with such nonsense that I've been stupefied by the decision-making. Worse, though, it has made me dislike the lead characters: Carrie is awful (selfish, pigheaded, terrible at her job), and Saul is useless. While I very much look forward to liking Homeland again, can I like these people again? God, I hope so.

I'm hardly alone; it's difficult to measure real viewer feelings through social media, but both critics and ordinary viewers seem, at the very least, less enamored of the show than during its superlative, Emmy-winning first season.

I have attempted to trace the problem in a list of moments during which Homeland fell apart for me. I've spoiled the finale already, but I'll reiterate: if you care about spoilers and are not caught up, read no further. I'm starting with the two-part finale from Season 1 — when I got a sinking feeling! — and going through every episode of the second season. And since what drives me crazy is subjective, please offer your best and worst Homeland moments in the comments section! Off we go…

This introduction was updated after the finale.