In an interview with the Guardian, “Homeland” star Claire Danes discussed bringing bipolar disorder to the drama series without using it as a gimmick:
“They’ve been mostly appreciative, which I feel great relief about and gratitude for. That condition is not dramatised all that often so I think any conversation that’s stimulated by it is welcome. I never wanted her being bipolar to be a gimmick or just a convenient plot device, and I tried to be as specific and informed as possible. It’s a really fascinating human condition. I developed such respect for people who work as diligently as they do to just make it through a day.“
For the better part of the Showtime series, Carrie was shown dealing with her bipolar disorder as she conducted her professional business. In fact, Carrie would at times stop taking the medication prescribed to her because she thought the condition made her mind even sharper. But her bipolar disorder spread into other aspects of her life as well. Carrie struggled to become a mother to her child Frannie, which she had with her deceased lover Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis).
Those closely associated with the aforementioned mental illness have every right to critique its representation in “Homeland.” That said, Danes went knee-deep researching the symptoms of bipolar disorder before playing the role.