10 TV Shows That RECOVERED From Jumping The Shark

4. Homeland

Homeland's first season was one of the most acclaimed of the last decade, cementing the show as a timelier, more complex version of 24, topped by fantastic performances from Claire Danes and Damian Lewis.

Now, there's a lot of debate about precisely when Homeland jumped the shark: some say it's when the CIA was bombed at the end of season two, others say it's the show's third-season melodrama involving Brody's (Lewis) daughter Dana (Morgan Saylor), and many feel it was Brody's subsequent execution at the end of season three.

But with Brody boldly gone and season four able to focus squarely on Carrie (Claire Danes), the show found itself a renewed sense of urgency, doubling down on the spy games and tradecraft fans loved about season one, while pushing the iffy melodrama to the periphery.

Subsequent seasons similarly took a less-soapy, more self-contained approach, and though it never quite got back to the brilliance of season one, it's a far cry away from the mounting silliness of seasons two and three.