Inside Television with Alan Sepinwall

‹

'Boardwalk Empire' - 'Battle of the Century': This is spinal tap

›

Firewall & Iceberg Podcast, episode 103: Comedy catch-up

Review: 'Homeland' - 'Achilles Heel': The good wives

The hunt is on for Tom Walker, and the Brodys enjoy a party

By Alan SepinwallSunday, Nov 20, 2011 11:00 PM

Jessica (Morena Baccarin) and Brody (Damian Lewis) enjoy a night out on "Homeland."

Credit: Showtime

Are you a fan of Homeland?

Sign up to get the latest updates instantly.

A review of tonight's "Homeland" coming up just as soon as I replace a solid gold bust of Saddam Hussein with a Mr. Potato Head...

"You know, for somebody who lies all the time, I think you'd be better at it." -Brody

Okay, they get one of these. After that, I worry.

Much of the power of last week's closing moments came from what we assumed to be an honest conversation between Carrie and Brody about what happened to him during his captivity and what he was up to back here. Obviously, we had to take his word for it, because we're almost as in the dark about his time as a POW as Carrie is, but it seemed fair to assume that the show was committing to Brody being candid, and not at all the terrorist we took him for.

Then came the closing moments of "Achilles Heel," which was mainly a reminder that when you assume, you make an ass out of u and me.

This shouldn't have surprised me. Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa spent years on "24," a show where half the storylines were driven by Everything You Know Is Wrong! revelations about characters we had all grown to like (or, on occasion, hate). And that kind of improvisational, surprising plotting worked well for a very long time for that series.

But I don't particularly want "Homeland" to go there, because "Homeland" is a different kind of show from "24." It's much, much more character-driven, even as it has this strong thriller plotline going, and a lot of the things we learn about Carrie and Brody and Saul and the rest become meaningless if we get conditioned to assume that both the characters and the show are lying to us.

Not that we're at that point yet, or close to it. The show didn't lie to us about Brody; Brody just lied to Carrie. It may seem like semantics, it's an important distinction, I think. Nothing that happened in the previous episodes was contradicted by what we saw in tonight's final scene, and if Brody told Carrie he wasn't working with Nazir(*)... well, what else would someone working with Nazir tell a suspicious CIA operative? And it's not like the show dragged this period where we thought of Brody as an innocent victim out for very long; it was in the very next episode where we found out (some of) what he's really up to.

(*) And, again, we have to assume certain things here. Is he working with Nazir, or is it something more complicated than that? Is he a triple agent? Being blackmailed? Is he Nicholas Brody at all? Once you start opening these doors, it becomes very easy to stop paying attention to the show itself and start paying attention to the wild speculation in your head.

So I'll go with this one, even as I was just starting to adjust my brain to the idea of a long-term version of the show where Brody reluctantly teams up with Carrie and Saul to go hunting for Nazir. But if we find out two episodes from now that it was Saul or David who slipped Hamid the razorblade, or that Galvez is secretly funneling intel to Nazir, or that Carrie (the one character we can seemingly trust, even though she's unstable) has been a double-agent all along... well, then at that point "Homeland" goes from one of the best dramas on television to a fun diversion that features a bunch of great performances in service of a plot that can't be trusted.

Some other thoughts on "Achilles Heel":

* This is the second episode of the season written by former "Dexter" boss Chip Johannessen, and it occurs to me that every episode so far has been credited to a past or present TV drama showrunner: Gordon and Gansa, obviously, but also Henry Bromell ("Rubicon" and "Brotherhood")), Meredith Stiehm ("Cold Case") and Alexander Cary ("Lie to Me"). Sometimes, when you put that many former Indian chiefs together, it doesn't work; here, it clearly has, and maybe contributes to the mature vibe of the series.

* That said, I think Johannessen pushed a little too hard on the titular parallel between Tom Walker and Saul (and, to an extent, with Brody). This is a show for smart people; we can get things without needing Mandy Patinkin to spell it out 3 or 4 times.

* Thought that ran through my head when Carrie was confessing her indiscretion to Saul: "You do not want Mandy Patinkin to be whispering at you, ever."

* One of the few downsides to all the Brody/Carrie interaction of the last few weeks is that it really marginalized Jessica, which is a shame given how good Morena Baccarin has been. With Brody feeling betrayed by Carrie (and/or with his guard up, given what we know now about him), he recommits himself to being a good husband and father, and it was almost a relief to see them enjoying each other's company so much at the party, and then laughing at the misfortune of the Anthony Weiner-esque Dick Johnson.

What did everybody else think?

Alan Sepinwall may be reached at sepinwall@hitfix.com

Alan Sepinwall
Sr. Editor, What's Alan Watching

Alan Sepinwall has been reviewing television since the mid-'90s, first for Tony Soprano's hometown paper, The Star-Ledger, and now for HitFix. His new book, "The Revolution Was Televised," about the last 15 years of TV drama, is for sale at Amazon. He can be reached at sepinwall@hitfix.com

Related Searches: Homeland, Claire Danes, Damian Lewis, Mandy Patinkin, Morena Baccarin, Alan Sepinwall

Alan Sepinwall Recaps & Reviews

View By Show »

Next 91 Comments

srpad

I dismissed the whole "Brody really *is* a bad guy" idea because that seemed too cartoony for this show but I guess they can't help themselves.

It was strange, it almost seemed to me like the action scenes were intruding on the show I liked to watch and soured my opinion of the episode I think which is probably not fair given the quality so far. So, as you said, they get there one indulgence. I hope they make the best of it.
November 21, 2011 at 12:15AM EST Reply to Comment
- Adam I felt the same way, and the more time passes after the episode I find I like the ending even less. Twists for the sake of twists is a bad idea, and doesn't Brody's recent revelation (to the audience) undermine a lot of the private moments he's had with Carrie and his family?
  
  What's the point of reconciling with his family, what's the point of the heartfelt conversation with Carrie? What's the point of the sexual frustrations with his wife and his release with Carrie? What's the point of the fight with Mike. If he's working for Nazir then he wants the world to burn anyway, so what's his motivation? I thought I understood his character better when I thought he was either a conflicted hero or a turned POW. And after his confession/conversation with Carrie I felt good about how it was resolved. Now? A character that was well defined has been undermined. Still love the show, but it's starting to feel like it could go off the rails.
  November 22, 2011 at 10:09AM EST
Jan

During this episode I was complaining to my husband that they were going all '24,' and my interest was waning. I'll still check it out but perhaps just wait till I can catch it On Demand. Oh, nothing against Claire Danes but I fear for our CIA if they'd really continue to employ such a troubled person. Also yes, I thought Baccarin really shone in her scenes tonight. Hope she gets meatier roles elsewhere.

Jan in Wellesley
November 21, 2011 at 12:22AM EST Reply to Comment
Paul

Really nice analysis of this episode and its holy sh*t moment! I felt both relieved about Brody and his family, but admittedly a bit bored by the whole family-drama turn this episode took...only to be delightfully broad-sided once again. As much as I love "Dexter," this season, it's really "Homeland" that's got me jazzed. Happy viewing.
November 21, 2011 at 12:34AM EST Reply to Comment
Ellen M.

I really loved "The Weekend" episode and was hoping that Brody had been a pawn, played by his captors. Seeing the last scene in tonight's episode bothered me. I hope they can justify what seemed to be sincere moments from Brody with Carrie in the previous episode. Otherwise, the story will mechanical to me - and disappointing.
November 21, 2011 at 12:41AM EST Reply to Comment
- Dave I I would argue they have already justified last week's sincere moments between Brody & Carrie. Brody is/was a turned soldier, yet is struggling with it and his actions (public and private) bear witness to that. I believe he genuinely had some connection with Carrie, but was still playing along with Nazir's plans. He may be torn, but has not formally broken relations with his longtime captors until this episode. Based on their reactions together, and afterward, I think Carrie & Brody's interactions together were ~90% genuine. Sure, Brody knew he was a sleeper agent and Carrie knew she was really spying on him and their premise was based on a lie, however despite that I believe they really did find a connection. That was something that I do not believe was faked. Brody's been telling half-truths since he's been back, so most of the time he is telling the truth or as close as he can so I have to believe this is no exception.
  
  -Cheers
  November 21, 2011 at 4:18PM EST
dmick89

This was the last episode I'll watch of the show, which is unfortunate because I really liked it before tonight. This show has wanted to be believable, which set it apart from 24. I understood the need to compare it to that show, but 24, as good as it was early on, was always unbelievable. There were few moments in the entire series that could were plausible.

This show is now equally unbelievable. With Brody set to run for office and Walker, from the same unit as Brody, now known as a terrorist, Brody stands as much chance of being elected as a tree. Whoever once backed the idea would back out immediately. Imagine trying to convince the electorate that although Brody and Walker went missing on the same day, reappeared in the US eight years later, and one of them is a known terrorist that the other is not.

Plus, the show did lie to us. It clearly wanted us to believe last week that Brody was not involved, which was difficult enough since it spent half the season wanting us to believe he was. So after telling us he is turned, they tell us he isn't and then tell us he is. Nobody can believe anything, which makes it, for once in my opinion, a show that should be compared to 24. Before tonight I thought the comparisons were unfair.
November 21, 2011 at 12:46AM EST Reply to Comment
- Brett Ya, I'm pretty sure Brody may not need to be elected. The seat could just be filled.
  November 21, 2011 at 2:17AM EST
- Wescovington Dick Johnson was shown as a Representative, not a Senator, so there would have to be a special election to fill his seat.
  November 21, 2011 at 3:18AM EST
- alynch I think Brody getting elected is fairly plausible if he ends up playing a crucial role in foiling Walker's terror plot, which I suspect is the grand plan of Brody & Walker's handlers.
  
  And the show didn't lie. Wanting the audience to believe something is not the same thing as lying to the audience.
  November 21, 2011 at 4:35AM EST
- Nick Here's the thing - people lie. And we've still only gotten very brief snippets of Brody's imprisonment. So it seems unfair to me to accuse the show of lying. If you chose to take his conversation with Carrie (immediately after finding out she was lying to him, mind you) at face value, that's on you.
  
  You know, I'm pretty sure everyone was upfront in referring to the show as a thriller. You've got to come in fully aware that this is what they do - twists and turns. That's part of the fun of it. Granted, there's absolutely a point at which it's overkill but I definitely don't see how this latest turn would qualify.
  November 21, 2011 at 5:13AM EST
- Ben Kabak If you want believable tv you shouldn't be watching shows like this in the first place. It doesn't exist.
  November 21, 2011 at 10:56AM EST
- Well, you haven't given the show a chance to address the fact that Brody was in the same unit as a now known terrorist.
  
  How does Brody's conversation with Carrie last week not make total sense? Of course he is going to lie in that situation, and it's been already proven at the polygraph test he can lie with the best of them. I really don't know where you're coming from here.
  November 21, 2011 at 1:02PM EST
- joel I think he's saying that Brody breaking down in tears after his (now apparent) triumph in spoofing Carrie makes no sense. And he's right. It was a cheap moment designed to throw the audience off the trail.
  November 22, 2011 at 6:24PM EST
- joel @BEN: That's a total copout. TV can be incredibly realistic, believable, and true, yet still be a complete fiction as far as the who/what/when/where. You're setting the bar on the ground. Try expecting a little more from TV.
  November 22, 2011 at 6:26PM EST
- SlackerInc Exactly right. I have been hearing about this show for a year now and when I finally get to see it it seemed good at first but then quickly devolved into an overly twisty soap opera, complete with characters being good then bad then good then bad, or the old reliable dead then alive. Pfffft....most overrated show ever?
  December 28, 2012 at 5:49AM EST
btp

You know, Brody did admit in last week's episode that Abu Nazir had been kind to him and that he had come to love him. That was not exactly an insignificant statement -- I mean, Abu Nazir is basically this show's Bin Laden. So while I was pretty convinced after last week that Brody wasn't "the terrorist" (or even a terrorist), I was expecting that statement to lead somewhere eventually. So the reveal at the end did not surprise me, not really. And I don't think it means that everything Brody has said was a lie -- we don't know who this guy is whose house Brody broke into. Obviously he's associated in some way with Abu Nazir, but we don't know how. He could be his lawyer. He could be his accountant. He could be his secret CIA handler, even. Who knows?

I didn't feel cheated. At least not yet. And I didn't find it a gratuitous plot twist, which (Alan) you seem to be saying it is. I'm still quite pleased with this story and where it's going.
November 21, 2011 at 12:50AM EST Reply to Comment
- Neil I agree completely, I did not feel deceived and still believe everything Brody said in the Weekend episode can still be taken sincerely.
  November 21, 2011 at 5:16AM EST
- Jimmbo It's the same guy with the diplomatic plates who slipped the storage locker keys to Walker.
  November 21, 2011 at 12:38PM EST
- consideract Whoever he is, he has diplomatic license plates (D). The country code on that plate (KV) seems to be fictional.
  November 21, 2011 at 3:59PM EST
- Berry BTP brings up an important point. Brody didn't mention his love for Nazir casually, there was emotion in his voice: "I loved him." Maybe they were lovers, and thus he was spared.
  November 21, 2011 at 8:22PM EST
- Detie I agree completely. There will be twists and turns but in the end we will find that Brody was not turned. I believe he 'loved' Nazir for reason given -'he comforted me.' I believe the terrorist may 'think' he has turned. He could have been told to wait for an assignment. It was obvious that he really believed Walker was dead and was upset that they lied to him.
  December 6, 2011 at 5:55PM EST
virginia

Yeah, not great but last week was exceptionally good so tough act to follow. Happy to see Mira take off -- nothing against the actress but that storyline was tedious and trite. And so very not Washington, DC -- Lack of personal satisfaction in one's homelife due to overwork is considered sexy around these parts. Best part of the episode: "You don't want Mandy Patinkin whispering to you, ever." True! We'll see how the Manchurian candidate thing works out. Damian Lewis looked splendid in full regalia. Lovely man. I liked Carrie's epiphany--don't need to work at the CIA to have that particular moment of insight and her line reading was perfect.
November 21, 2011 at 12:55AM EST Reply to Comment
Michael

I feel there's no reason to worry yet. We still have no real clue what exactly is going on and what Brody's motivations are. Maybe we'll look back at this episode as the moment the wheels came off, but there's no way to know until the season finale. It was a very absorbing hour of television yet again, and like you said Alan, the show hasn't lied to us. In fact, the show's central premise is based around whether or not Brody's a terrorist, so if he ends up being a terrorist, that's not a cheat at all. And even if he is a terrorist, he'll still be a very complex character and not a mustache twirling villain. I personally think Brody has been turned, but his relationship with his family, his relationship with Carrie, etc. are all real and will draw him back from the brink. Saul, Carrie, or any other CIA member being moles would be another story entirely, but I have faith the show won't go down that road. It's been so much more mature and well thought out than 24 so far (I'm not knocking 24 which I love), so it shows the writers can do things differently and aren't necessarily falling back into their old habits.
November 21, 2011 at 1:11AM EST Reply to Comment
- Lily I agree Michael. I also assumed Brody had been turned from the beginning. But, his ties to his family would bring him back from the dark side. Maybe he just agreed to whatever his mission is so he could return to his family. I can't wait to find out. I love this show.
  November 21, 2011 at 7:44AM EST
- amylavi These seem to be two of the more reasonable posts so far. It is hard for me to understand all of the people who want to stop watching Homeland after this one episode. This is my favorite show on TV this season: it is complex and shows some truly remarkable aspects of human nature. Whether Brody has "turned" is more of a question of what we think of human nature. I absolutely agree that it seem perfectly plausible that he would say & do almost anything to return to his country & his family. Once here, and ensconced both in his family and his country (hello, multiple visits to Langley), it seems equally plausible that the pull of his past, his values, etc. could "turn" him back. The comments here seem to have a somewhat simplistic idea of what being "turned" might mean/look like. Let's all take a deep breath and give this show a chance to unfurl its messages, its nuanced portrayal of complicated human beings not to mention its perspective on where this country is in terms of traitors and patriots.
  November 22, 2011 at 12:34PM EST
Julius

The Brody is evil is a dumb turn especially given the point DMICK89 made about his chances of running for political office.

However, I was really let down by what they did to Walker's wife. First they give her motivation to believe the CIA that her husband is a "monster" then she warns him that they're chasing him. I get that she might be conflicted but is she so stupid or a typical "wife" driven only by emotions that she can't see what consequences warning her previous husband might have. Not only did the FBI and CIA just publicly call him a terrorist, which her son gets to see, hear, and live with but even if the FBI hadn't called him a terrorist there's a chance he commits an act of terrorism and she's apart of that. There was plenty of time for anyone including Carrie to mention that those consequences so there's really know reason for Walker's wife not to know about them.

The episode had too much of everyone but Carrie and Saul being stupid or doing things that advance the plot but because they're not the protagonist. 1. Wife warns previous husband giving him time to run 2. FBI tactical can't track or detain a suspect 3. FBI against Carrie's recommendation (and apparent tactical expertise as well as DC geographic knowledge -which the local feds apparently are unaware of) enters unlit building and kills unarmed people 4. FBI wants/does goes public against Carrie's recommendation
November 21, 2011 at 1:20AM EST Reply to Comment
- consideract Many people put family first, even when faced with this level of issue. It is more rare for someone to turn against their family, and it takes intense internal pressure to bring that about. Especially in the case of such a strong bond as she had with her husband. It is more unbelievable that she would just blithely and unreservedly turn in her husband. The pressures of publicity or possible crime are just one internal pressure. She also has guilt of giving up on him. She also has her desire and fierce happiness that he is back (no matter what the reason, as she says). When she hears his voice, she breaks. It may not be smart, but it is realistically not smart.
  November 21, 2011 at 4:06PM EST
- MadlyMild I agree with Julius about the wife. I always hate plot developments that inspire people to think (or in some cases, say) "That dumb bitch!"
  I don't know if tv is hard on emotional women or society is but that happens a lot and is very ugly to me.
  But I disagree that the CIA/FBI's inability catch Tom Walker was bad. I thought it made him look like a very well trained, fit badass, which I enjoyed.
  Sorry for all the swearing, if that's not appropriate here!
  November 22, 2011 at 3:44PM EST
Chimpotle

Last week, I pretty much assumed that just because Walker was the agent for this move, Brody was still likely in play. There's no point in having your two best assets knowing about each other and potentially giving the other up. Brody gets upset, Nazir can just say he put Walker in motion at first as a decoy to keep Brody's play intact.

Like DMICK89 says though, the chance of Brody being put up for election after he and Walker surface so close together after being POWs for years is ridiculous.
November 21, 2011 at 1:23AM EST Reply to Comment
Joe m

Did anyone else think that the fbi swat team or whatever they were running around DC with actual weapons instead of tasers or rubber bullets was way less believable then the revolation about brody at the end. Killing walker would have searved no purpose if the ultimate goal was to figure out what nazir was planning. And these guys are supposed to be professionals on a confidential mission. How is it possible that they were so clueless about there surroundings that they would run guns up into a mosque? Andvthey killed two people? The marines and what not i have seen train on shows like surviving the cut would hold there fire if they had ONE target and two people emerged from the shadows. Ugh.

November 21, 2011 at 1:28AM EST Reply to Comment
Ian

The show is far more interesting to me with Brody as an antagonist, and its hardly a u turn, its in the shows premise. Its just some moments have caused us to question that. It would be far worse to have Saul as a mole. Now that would be 24esque.
November 21, 2011 at 1:52AM EST Reply to Comment
- Nick I'm in complete agreement with the sentiment that it's way more intriguing if Brody is indeed the adversary. The idea that he's completely good and would team up with Carrie and Saul going forward is pretty darn uninspired and dull to me.
  November 21, 2011 at 5:20AM EST
Sam

Does anyone want to share any predictions based on what we have seen thus far? I'm not sure what it means, but I've become increasingly convinced that Carrie is a Muslim, particularly based on several things we saw in tonight's episode. Also, does anyone have an explanation for (1) why Walker was talking to his wife on speaker phone (they seemed to make a point of showing you the screen of his phone while he was talking) and (2) why one of the two people killed inside the mosque was on his cell phone. Would be interested to hear anyone's thoughts.
November 21, 2011 at 2:10AM EST Reply to Comment
- consideract Why not be talking to her on a speaker phone? People do. I do this myself from time to time. Sometimes it is more freeing. And in this case it looks better for the scene, fits the character's moment better. He is listening. He is not intending to talk. No special twist to it.
  November 21, 2011 at 4:09PM EST
- amylavi I do not think Carrie is a Muslim, I see no evidence whatsoever, nor any contact with anyone influential in Islam to explain this sort of thing. I like that the show may be starting to explore this idea of how people become traitors to their country. Of course, the circumstances of Walker & Brody being prisoners of war for EIGHT years is quite exceptional. I think it is plausible that Nazir turned both of them, especially through kindness, love and compassion over YEARS, interspersed, I imagine, with episodes of unimaginable torture. The question, to me, is: what is stronger: that kind of treatment in the most dire of circumstances or the pull of one's past, one's history, one's family and one's country. Now, mind you, I would say that the country angle is not playing out very well, i.e. nobody who represents the United States seems to be working to help Brody acclimate to his country, his society, the many changes that have taken place over 8 years, etc. This could be an argument for Nazir's methods being more effective in garnering loyalty than anything the U.S. could be doing. In fact, now that I think about it, why is there no official government office that is dedicated to helping acclimate POWs back into society? Am I just missing something obvious? Is that support group supposed to be so powerful as to possibly counter any negative influences Brody might have experienced while he was "away"?
  November 22, 2011 at 12:44PM EST
Jeremy

NOBODY whispers "Previously on Homeland" like Mandy Patinkin does.
November 21, 2011 at 2:55AM EST Reply to Comment
Kendra

With so many episodes to go, I suspected there would be a twist. If it was simply Tom as the turned agent, I'd wonder how they'd fill up the rest of the season.

So the only thing about the twist that surprised me was that it was, again, revealed so soon. I suspect there will be another twist showing that all is not what it seems before the end.

I'm just focused on enjoying this season, which I am. It may all fizzle out and if I don't feel the urge to watch it next season, I won't.

I survived The Killing, I'll survive this if it gets too out there. Then again, as long as it's well put together, I do like 'out there' stuff.
November 21, 2011 at 3:08AM EST Reply to Comment
asarael

I'm amazed that so many people (including Alan) really bought the misdirection from last week's reveal that all of a sudden Brody was a "good guy". When you have a reveal like that in the middle of the season, combined with general confusion as to how the show can continue beyond season 1 if Brody ends up having nothing to do with terrorism -- and it becomes pretty obvious that Brody isn't what we think it was.

I wasn't bothered by the 24-ness of this episode's reveal for the simple fact that the show given us any reason to believe that Brody isn't a 'terrorist'. Walker being one has no bearing on whether Brody is or isn't. I still have confidence in this show.
November 21, 2011 at 3:39AM EST Reply to Comment
- Lily I just said the same thing. I was shocked at how many people bought the misdirection in the previous episode. If it happened in episode 12 fine, but not episode 7. There was obviously much more to come.
  November 21, 2011 at 7:49AM EST
- unruly Why we 'bought the misdirection' in episode 7 was due to a collective relief to see two characters actually talking to each other- laying it all out, as it were. After a lifetime of scripted entertainment plot lines based on misunderstandings which could easily be avoided if only these characters might open up a little, this was a relief. And it was exciting. I was reminded of the narrative structure of some of my favorite fiction. I was proud of the Homeland show-runners for what I took to be great courage. I assumed the reason they could cast aside our initial assumptions because they had a larger story to tell - at once more dangerous and more intimate - and I want larger stories.
  But I don't want to be jerked around. All this 24 talk has me worried, quite frankly. I didn't sign up for another 24. I'll give Homeland another week or two - mostly for the great acting. But if I can't trust the plot, I am done with what portends to be another disappointment.
  November 21, 2011 at 11:56AM EST
- Kujo I posted last week that I wouldn't be surprised if Brody was working with Walker, though I was wrong on that count, he does "appear" to be working for Nazir. We'll find out soon enough.
  
  It does make sense for Nazir to groom two POWs as terrorist, and for one think the other is dead.
  
  I'm with Alan, and many other peeps that hope they keep Brody a good guy.
  
  November 22, 2011 at 10:21PM EST
John

I don’t believe they were talking down to the audience with the Achilles’ heel parallel. It was such an obvious parallel that even Saul recognized it and tried to use it on his wife. If anything, Saul was talking down to Mira, not us.

I’m not one of those people that get pissy every time a show puts in a twist I don’t like. This series has been very good thus far, and it’s ridiculous to just give up on it because of you think the final two minutes was a misstep. This is just the beginning of a development. Let’s see where it goes before we past judgment. There’s four more episodes to go. However, I will admit that it’s made me very, very wary.
November 21, 2011 at 4:20AM EST Reply to Comment
JA

I'm with the other posters who never took Brody to be a good guy in the first place. Think about what he admitted to Carrie: lying to the CIA, being a Muslim convert (and hiding it from everyone else), and having strong positive feelings for Nazir. Carrie even told him that, if he had turned, he wouldn't kill her if he was playing the long game.

The link between Walker and Brody wouldn't necessarily be a huge problem for the latter. If anything, it makes him look better by comparison- Walker was broken, whereas supposedly Brody wasn't.

One problem I would have is if they are just remaking the Manchurian Candidate remake. If I recall that mediocre version correctly, Raymond Shaw went from being an inexperienced House member to the VP nominee.
November 21, 2011 at 4:33AM EST Reply to Comment
Greg Grant

I don't feel cheated, yet, but this show is now a slippery slope. And the idea that Brody the Brainwashed Guy would turn on his handlers because of this one little thing... Yeah, I don't get it.

Either Brody is all in, or not. The idea of a nuanced brainwashee makes no sense. If he is recovering from years of abuse and etc., and not sure about his loyalties and whatever, maybe, just maybe I can buy it. But this... This is bullshit.

If they had him show up at the house of Mysterious Diplomat and say, "We have to kill Walker because they know about him" or something equally evil, then yeah, all in. If he turned on Walker, and helped CIA, okay. But this nonsense, makes no sense. He's their agent all along, despite being conflicted, but the last straw is that they made him think he killed his friend? Wait, what? The abuse he justified. The torture, he rationalized. But this was the last straw and no he's a recovering terrorist?

This episode undid all the good will of last week's, but the show still has not lost me. Not yet.
November 21, 2011 at 4:33AM EST Reply to Comment
- consideract There its no special reason to think Brody is "brainwashed." I think it's fairly clear that he has complex motives and issues that drive him. The idea that he killed his best friend is the foundation. You pull out the rug on on foundation and the whole premise of why you are doing something gets unraveled. This is how Saul "broke" Aileen last week. He got at what drove her. This kind of awareness in the show gives me hope it will be far different from 24, where torture was the way in. Here it isn't torture, but emotional truths that turn people, which is more like real life.
  November 21, 2011 at 4:18PM EST
alynch

Alright, here are my predictions. I figure with only four episodes to go, the Walker plot will play out for the rest of the season. The terrorists grand plan will be for Brody to somehow be directly involved in foiling Walker, thereby elevating his hero status tenfold in the eyes of the public. Walker will be nothing more than an oblivious pawn. Season two will then feature Brody being involved in some sort of terror plot while operating in a position of power.
November 21, 2011 at 4:43AM EST Reply to Comment
applejack

Two interesting things I noticed about Saul:

(1) The debrief in the mosque with the 2 dead bodies as they're preparing to release the public statement, his right hand can be seen to be doing the 'nervous' twitch thing that Brody does.

(2) The American flag outside of Saul's house after he farewelled his wife struck me as a little odd and trite. Almost made me think of the terrorist couple from a previous episode; who whereupon the wife realised the husband was being tailed, put out the flag.

Lame observations and I HOPE they don't mean anything. I hope this show doesn't turn into another The Killing.
November 21, 2011 at 6:50AM EST Reply to Comment
Lily

I assumed all along that Brody was lying to Carrie and had been turned. I was shocked at how many people took him at his word last week. The idea that the show would end its central mystery so neatly in episode 7 seemed absurd to me. I'm looking forward to seeing how and why Brody turned, and if he really has decided to turn back.
November 21, 2011 at 7:40AM EST Reply to Comment
Rick

Hunter's target is really Brody, once he is named as Johnson's replacement. Kill the American hero who left him for dead as he is at the airport.

Brody may not have a nefarious task, only to become an American hero. He may have been told to redeem his act by just being the hero. He may have had no recent contact with Nazir but be living off the love he thought he was getting - before he realized that he really had been turned by the duplicity of the terrorists.

How does he know to find the diplomat? I don't have an answer for that. But it is my belief that they will resurrect Brody very quickly as someone who was just supposed to live his life.
November 21, 2011 at 10:49AM EST Reply to Comment
Giles

I agree that it was disappointing to learn that Brody has likely been working with the terrorists. He was starting to be a very likable character (and you can credit Damian Lewis' performance for that). But I was also thinking, when the episode began, that there had to be more to it, that there was no way for the series to continue if Brody didn't have more deep, dark secrets, which we now know he has.
November 21, 2011 at 11:51AM EST Reply to Comment
Boricua in Texas

I watched this and the prior episode back to back, and with a sense of continuity the twist did not bother me. Further, I think that the twist does not fully negate some of the raw honesty in display during Brody and Carrie's conversation in the prior episode. We do not really know how much is truth and how much is a lie, but it was obvious that some of what Brody said and the feelings he showed, were as real as what Carrie experienced that weekend with him. I think we are meant to see the parallels between them.

With the ambiguity about Brody being turned or not, up until this episode I have been watching Brody as a possibly reluctant convert, who came back with a hidden agenda but who may or may not follow it. I am curious to see where the show takes us, and I think it will much more nuanced than a 24-style cartoon bad guy.
November 21, 2011 at 12:04PM EST Reply to Comment
dg

Good episode but I really hope that Brody isn't turning into another Tony Almeida--he's good, no he's bad,no he's really good, no he's not.... That was when 24 lost it for me. Hope this isn't the same thing.
November 21, 2011 at 12:28PM EST Reply to Comment
dg

Write a comment...Good episode but I really hope that Brody isn't turning into another Tony Almeida--he's good, no he's bad,no he's really good, no he's not.... That was when 24 lost it for me. Hope this isn't the same thing.
November 21, 2011 at 12:28PM EST Reply to Comment
- Dtannenb Test
  
  November 22, 2011 at 8:43AM EST
Eldritch

I believe I'm more troubled than Alan about Brody's latest switch. I've never watched "Damages," but I've heard that it was a well done show which became meaningless because the characters inconsistently switched from good to evil at the whims of each episode. This episode of "Homeland" worries me that it's headed toward the same end.

The show makes sense to me if Brody is innocent. The discordant opening credits trace a biography of Carrie growing up under increasingly dire warnings of international dangers until she, representing the average American, is a paranoid nut case. I'm old enough to remember when products at the market didn't need safety seals. We had that much trust in each other. Today, grandmothers have to get their genitals felt up just to board an aircraft. Thus Carrie is a product of this national distrust and paranoia. She's destroying American values because she's crazy.

If Brody is innocent, then watching Carrie and her ilk blatantly violate Brody and his wife's most private moments makes a statement. The world has gone paranoid. But if Brody is a turncoat, then, at least symbolically, none of us has a right to any privacy. If he's a terrorist in hiding, then Carrie's bugging every room in his house and watching Brody, his wife, and their children shower and have sex is the right thing to do for the greater good. This makes the Constitution obsolete. Safety wins over freedom. Paranoia becomes an end in itself because you can never be sure. The logic of if-he-hasn't-broken-yet-then-we-just-haven't waterboarded-him-enough-times governs everything.

I really don't want to watch that show. "Homeland's" study in paranoia a lesson on what we should do. I prefer seeing it as a cautionary tale of what we should avoid.

On a more peevish level, why would the terrorists hold Brody in a hole for 8 years if he'd turned at some point. In episode one, we see him rescued from a dark dank hole. He was filthy. His beard was long and ragged. He was being held prisoner. He appeared to be starving and in poor health. How could he be in that condition if he'd turned? Stashing him in the hole a day or two before the rescue wouldn't have starved and ruined his health enough not to be suspicious. The marine medics/corpsmen should have spotted the medical inconsistencies in a prisoner of that duration.

Also. Walker was hiding as a homeless man? How does that work? No place to stay. No place to keep up his marksman skills. Boy, that'll make you feel maximum loyalty to a group when they won't provide any support whatsoever. Why couldn't they stash him in an apartment somewhere where he wouldn't be seen?

And he's begging on a well trafficked street in Washington DC which must must provide thousands of marines or acquaintances who could recognize him.
November 21, 2011 at 1:49PM EST Reply to Comment
- Madel Great comment... I agree completely.
  November 22, 2011 at 5:06AM EST
- Chanter Very well-written post!
  November 22, 2011 at 12:35PM EST
- Tom I don't know...Walker has been missing for 8 years and was presumed dead. There aren't a lot of postings for Marines in DC that I know of, except for the Pentagon. So unless a former platoon or company commander was posted to the Pentagon, a random encounter with someone he knew seems like a pretty small shot.
  
  Then again...it does seem as though a terror organization would keep a little more control over a valuable asset like a highly trained, converted enemy POW. So I could go either way on that one.
  
  Personally, I do want a smart show, but I also want to be entertained, so this episode's reveal didn't bother me much. Homeland has been good enough so far to earn a little bit of rope. Having been burned by overly plotted stories in the past, I'm wary...but optimistic.
  November 22, 2011 at 3:08PM EST
RU Serious

Is there any way that the senator lady or whoever that is ISN'T just the Angela Lansbury character of this show? I've thought it for a few weeks now, I mean jeez, she even kinda looks like her.

Why were they celebrating morning prayers in pitch black in the mosque?
November 21, 2011 at 2:00PM EST Reply to Comment
alynch

From an interview with Gordon & Gansa regarding Brody turning:

"I think we understood on some level that it would be a bit of a jerk-off if there was nothing to Carrie’s suspicions."
November 21, 2011 at 2:04PM EST Reply to Comment

Review: 'Homeland' - 'Achilles Heel': The good wives

Are you a fan of Homeland?

Sign up to get the latest updates instantly.

Never miss a post - sign up now to get an e-mail alert whenever Homeland is updated

Alan Sepinwall Recaps & Reviews

Comments

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Brett Ya, I'm pretty sure Brody may not need to be elected. The seat could just be filled.

Wescovington Dick Johnson was shown as a Representative, not a Senator, so there would have to be a special election to fill his seat.

Ben Kabak If you want believable tv you shouldn't be watching shows like this in the first place. It doesn't exist.

joel I think he's saying that Brody breaking down in tears after his (now apparent) triumph in spoofing Carrie makes no sense. And he's right. It was a cheap moment designed to throw the audience off the trail.

joel @BEN: That's a total copout. TV can be incredibly realistic, believable, and true, yet still be a complete fiction as far as the who/what/when/where. You're setting the bar on the ground. Try expecting a little more from TV.

Neil I agree completely, I did not feel deceived and still believe everything Brody said in the Weekend episode can still be taken sincerely.

Jimmbo It's the same guy with the diplomatic plates who slipped the storage locker keys to Walker.

consideract Whoever he is, he has diplomatic license plates (D). The country code on that plate (KV) seems to be fictional.

Berry BTP brings up an important point. Brody didn't mention his love for Nazir casually, there was emotion in his voice: "I loved him." Maybe they were lovers, and thus he was spared.

Lily I agree Michael. I also assumed Brody had been turned from the beginning. But, his ties to his family would bring him back from the dark side. Maybe he just agreed to whatever his mission is so he could return to his family. I can't wait to find out. I love this show.

Ian The show is far more interesting to me with Brody as an antagonist, and its hardly a u turn, its in the shows premise. Its just some moments have caused us to question that. It would be far worse to have Saul as a mole. Now that would be 24esque.

Nick I'm in complete agreement with the sentiment that it's way more intriguing if Brody is indeed the adversary. The idea that he's completely good and would team up with Carrie and Saul going forward is pretty darn uninspired and dull to me.

consideract Why not be talking to her on a speaker phone? People do. I do this myself from time to time. Sometimes it is more freeing. And in this case it looks better for the scene, fits the character's moment better. He is listening. He is not intending to talk. No special twist to it.

Jeremy NOBODY whispers "Previously on Homeland" like Mandy Patinkin does.

Lily I just said the same thing. I was shocked at how many people bought the misdirection in the previous episode. If it happened in episode 12 fine, but not episode 7. There was obviously much more to come.

dg Good episode but I really hope that Brody isn't turning into another Tony Almeida--he's good, no he's bad,no he's really good, no he's not.... That was when 24 lost it for me. Hope this isn't the same thing.

dg Write a comment...Good episode but I really hope that Brody isn't turning into another Tony Almeida--he's good, no he's bad,no he's really good, no he's not.... That was when 24 lost it for me. Hope this isn't the same thing.

Dtannenb Test

Madel Great comment... I agree completely.

Chanter Very well-written post!

RU Serious Is there any way that the senator lady or whoever that is ISN'T just the Angela Lansbury character of this show? I've thought it for a few weeks now, I mean jeez, she even kinda looks like her. Why were they celebrating morning prayers in pitch black in the mosque?

alynch From an interview with Gordon & Gansa regarding Brody turning: "I think we understood on some level that it would be a bit of a jerk-off if there was nothing to Carrie’s suspicions."

Never miss a post - sign up now to get an e-mail alert whenever What's Alan Watching is updated

Around the Web

News From Our Partners

About HitFix

Advertise on HitFix

Subscribe to HitFix

Popular Topics

Never miss a post - sign up now to get an e-mail alert whenever
Homeland is updated

Ian

The show is far more interesting to me with Brody as an antagonist, and its hardly a u turn, its in the shows premise. Its just some moments have caused us to question that. It would be far worse to have Saul as a mole. Now that would be 24esque.

Jeremy

NOBODY whispers "Previously on Homeland" like Mandy Patinkin does.

dg

Good episode but I really hope that Brody isn't turning into another Tony Almeida--he's good, no he's bad,no he's really good, no he's not.... That was when 24 lost it for me. Hope this isn't the same thing.

dg

Write a comment...Good episode but I really hope that Brody isn't turning into another Tony Almeida--he's good, no he's bad,no he's really good, no he's not.... That was when 24 lost it for me. Hope this isn't the same thing.

RU Serious

Is there any way that the senator lady or whoever that is ISN'T just the Angela Lansbury character of this show? I've thought it for a few weeks now, I mean jeez, she even kinda looks like her.

Why were they celebrating morning prayers in pitch black in the mosque?

alynch

From an interview with Gordon & Gansa regarding Brody turning:

"I think we understood on some level that it would be a bit of a jerk-off if there was nothing to Carrie’s suspicions."

Never miss a post - sign up now to get an e-mail alert whenever
What's Alan Watching is updated