Originally Posted by Andy-B:
“I think Dana is a very clever character - the only remotely sane, undamaged, even moral person, yet her age and experience makes her uncertain.”
I agree completely. She was vital in the first series as only she could talk her father down from detonating the bomb - even though she only sensed what was going on and didn't really believe it.
She was the sane, practical voice that cut through all the family mess in both series pointing out that life for everyone was simpler before her dad reappeared. She was the adult in the family. She even accepted her father's conversion to Islam.
And I assume the purpose of the hit and run, far from being pointless, gave Brody a reason for his temporary breakdown and highlighted the sins of the father being visited on the daughter as her moral stance - that she had to take responsibility for her part in leaving the scene of the accident - was corrupted by the CIA's demands of her father. And then the final letdown - seeing the video.
I think she had a complex part and played a well-written role extremely well. Any angst and "whining" was entirely justified. Imo.
Unlike Jack Bauer's daughter in 24 - a character I just wanted to slap. Repeatedly.