Inside Television with Alan Sepinwall

Review: 'Homeland' - 'The Good Soldier': Hello, Larry

Carrie tries to use a polygraph expert to trap Brody

By Alan Sepinwall Sunday, Nov 6, 2011 11:00 PM

Sgt. Brody (Damian Lewis) 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'm a victim of your fabulousness...

"What happened to you?" -Lauder

Remember what I said last week about how I'd rather not spend all my time obsessing on whether Brody has or hasn't turned, if there's a mole in the CIA, etc., etc., etc.? Well, an episode like "The Good Soldier" - where so much of the narrative is wrapped around a series of polygraph tests designed to uncover a mole - makes that kind of tough, no?

So let's get that out of the way. First of all, polygraphy is a far from exact science, and there are many ways to beat the machine - even if the machine is operated by character actor and celebrity Twitter wit James Urbaniak. Even if Brody had passed the test without Carrie throwing in the adultery question, I wouldn't have automatically assumed this cleared him. I know faith in the machine allows for a kind of narrative shorthand in TV shows like this, but still. At the same time, it's hard not to notice that Saul not only fails the test the first time when asked about slipping Hamid the razor, but has a throwaway line later to Carrie about how he always fails those tests the first time. It could be that Saul is just naturally excitable - as almost any Mandy Patinkin character would be - and this is all a red herring, or it could be that Saul is working for Nazir, with or without Brody.

And everybody's welcome to play that guessing game if they like. It's part of a show like this, absolutely. But even with the more obvious attention to the "is he or isn't he?" question this week, I still prefer to focus my attention on "Homeland" as a character study of two damaged people and the dysfunctional institutions in which they work rather than as a whodunnit where the creators bait a hook and pull me along for a whole season. Not only did I tire of the constant moles working for CTU and/or the White House when Gordon and Gansa were working on "24," but "The Killing" killed whatever little patience I had left for longform TV whodunnits.

If the resolution of who is and isn't working for Nazir and what their plan is turns out to be compelling, fantastic. If not, I'll be busy watching Carrie Mathison find new and compelling ways to demonstrate just how screwed up she is.

In this case, it was the choice to have sex with Sgt. Brody, which was as revealing to us as it was to her. First, it provided further evidence that the sex scenes with Jessica weren't just there for prurient value, as there's a marked difference between Brody's performance in the car with this intriguing stranger and the ones in his bedroom with his wife. And it was just fascinating to see, before they got into the back seat of the car, how much more at ease Carrie seems with Brody than she does with everyone else. Obviously, some of that is the undercover aspect - she's playing a part for him to gain his trust and gather intelligence - but there's also a sense that Carrie is genuinely more comfortable with him. Whether that's because she feels she knows him so well from a month of video surveillance, or because she senses a kindred spirit in him, I don't know. But Claire Danes and Damian Lewis crackle when they're together, and as much as I enjoyed those early episodes where it was just Carrie on the couch with headphones on, their scenes together the last few weeks have been tremendous.

Brody's in a position to sleep with her, of course, because he finally unleashes his rage on Mike at the reception after the memorial for Tom Walker. When you mix alcohol with Brody's memories of murdering his partner, with the reunion of the old unit (including the disabled, bitter Lauder), with Jessica's comment about why she and Tom's widow had a falling-out, it would have been remarkable if Brody hadn't gone crazy on Mike(*), but the brutality of it was still startling, and isn't the kind of thing Jessica and the kids are going to be able to easily brush aside.

(*) It may also be that the group Eminem performance just lit his fuse.

I also quite liked our time spent with Faisel and Aileen before he was killed by their handlers. While the longform structure can lead to certain things being strung out, it also allows us more time with characters, and in this case we got to see them as a couple who could flirt, who had different fears and goals and temperaments, and as people, not just Terrorists-with-a-capital-T. Good work there, and I wonder how Aileen is going to keep factoring into things.

What did everybody else think?

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

Next 99 Comments

Nick A

It is beginning to go down the road of X-Files in the latter half of the series. I love the show but I am getting just a slight bit annoyed with the "all you know is wrong, again" angle each week. Is Fox Mulder right about he aliens? Did Saul give the captive a razor blade.
November 7, 2011 at 12:50AM EST Reply to Comment
- John Huh?
  November 7, 2011 at 4:35PM EST
- Jeff What you are saying makes zero sense, and that is a terrible comparison.
  November 8, 2011 at 5:52PM EST
skarabrae

what about that look when Brody noticed Jessica was coming over to see what the fight was about and then, it seemed to me only then, did Brody decide to get in and throw some punches. Did any one else note that?
November 7, 2011 at 12:50AM EST Reply to Comment
- Nick A Great call. I did notice that. He wanted to show he cared?
  November 7, 2011 at 12:55AM EST
- jan I noticed it, too. Not sure exactly what to make of it.
  November 7, 2011 at 3:07AM EST
- Ryan The way I took it was he had known all along and she never said anything so he was mad at her as well as Mike so he took his anger out on both of them out on Mike's face.
  November 7, 2011 at 3:17AM EST
- virginia I too took it to mean that he was throwing himself into the fray to show her and his mates that he cared, that he's just a regular guy, a jealous guy, instead of the person we witness.
  November 7, 2011 at 4:19PM EST
- Consideract Yes. I felt it was only at that moment that he decided to hit Mike. It struck me as a calculated move. Perhaps a show, like this is what I am supposed to do. Seemed strange to me, too. But it seems to fit previous moments where he seems to be putting on an act. And fits with his ability to lie so readily on the polygraph. Like he is turning on and turning off at any given moment. At the very least, it creates that eery strangeness about him.
  November 7, 2011 at 6:24PM EST
- Dave I I took it as that move by Jessica showed Brody she cared about Mike. I could be wrong, however Brody is on edge and as of now only suspects the truth of what happened between Mike & Jessica. In rapid fire, we have Lauder saying more or less what Brody suspects (crudely), Mike reacting (which could have been just to defend Brody & Jessica's honor or just as a friend since Lauder was totally out of line, but still seemed like a bit of a defensive reaction), with Jessica's reaction the possible match that lit the powder keg. I could just see a very on-edge Brody seeing this as 1) an outside observation of what he suspected, 2) a response from his friend from a barb thrown a little too close to the mark and 3) his wife reacting with concern for his friend with whom he is pretty sure she was sleeping with while he was presumed dead yet really in a hole somewhere in Afghanistan. It seemed a natural reflexive action for Brody to mentally put the pieces together at that moment, add it up to his ultimate conclusion like math, and react in the heat of the moment.
  
  You all could be right. It very well could have been calculated. Personally, I do not think so. I believe there was something to his line in an earlier episode (the dialogue with his daughter, I believe, maybe one of his speeches to the troops) about how he could only survive by focusing on his his country and family were depending on him. I really believe his reactions to his family, that raw, emotional stuff, is legitimately how he feels and who he is. When we see him stray away from that and turn into the super patriot poster boy, that is what I think is fake. I believe he was turned, or tried to, and is in conflict. On some level, I believe he is trying to connect with his family to have a reason not to take part in whatever plan I think he was recruited to be involved in. However, at this point we obviously do not know for sure.
  
  -Cheers
  November 8, 2011 at 10:32AM EST
- JBowls I think Brody knew all along. It didn't take the repeated awkward moments and clues for him to figure it out. He even mentioned in his interview that one of the ways the terrorists attempt to turn you is by "telling" you your best friend's arms are around your wife.
  
  Do you think Carrie slept with Brody simply to have a way to tell if he was lying on the polygraph? It seems a little obvious to have Saul miss the question the first time if he is the turned soldier. I really hope this doesn't go the generic way of 24 where there is mole after mole after mole. It gets old quickly. I will say though that just by virtue of being on a cable network, the allowance of cursing and blood make it so much more realistic that it really helps the basic realism.
  November 8, 2011 at 4:44PM EST
- JBowls Also, Marine Snipers are trained to pass polygraphs. They are, more than any other marine unit, to reside deeply behind enemy lines. Extraction of information from one takes much more than a polygraph. Almost a rip off of double jeopardy.
  November 8, 2011 at 4:52PM EST
- Dave I If you mean you think Brody knew all along about Mike, there is knowing and then there is knowing. I think he probably suspected it. However, there's a difference between knowing it and having it be almost irrefutably thrown in your face.
  
  I think Carrie slept with Brody because she is a very damaged person who is on prescription anti-psych medications, has a bit of a daredevil complex, has a history of using sex (potentially as a means of escapism), and perhaps in spite of herself found some sincere bond or empathy forming between her and Brody. It seems unlikely she slept with Brody to have a question she MIGHT be able to use in case Brody blew through the polygraph test when she knew she could not use said question to prove anything.
  
  As far as Marines being trained to pass polygraphs, I was not aware of that. Still, the upper-brass was not expecting Brody to fail it anyway and probably fully believed he had nothing to do with it. Saul failing the question definitely keeps us ambiguous about him though.
  
  -Cheers
  November 8, 2011 at 5:43PM EST
skarabrae

what about that glance Brody gave noting Jessica walking over to the fight and him making a spilt second decision to get involved and slug mike. Any one else notice that? what does it mean?
November 7, 2011 at 12:52AM EST Reply to Comment
- Whitney It means you didn't read the comment DIRECTLY above yours.
  November 7, 2011 at 4:43PM EST
- sepinwall It actually means he posted his comment twice. Which happens sometimes, unfortunately.
  November 7, 2011 at 4:47PM EST
- Whitney Sorry! Didn't notice the same name. The different wording threw me off. Apologies.
  November 7, 2011 at 4:57PM EST
- MG Lauder clearly said to Brody, just as Mike tackled, him "while you we're gone everyone wanted to sleep with (edited) your wife, but only one did." Brody then catches Jessica's eye-reacting because he was supposed to react and also because that probably was the last straw/confirmation..
  February 8, 2013 at 7:26PM EST
Kendra

There were definitely some interesting plot choices that could be either good or bad.

Obviously Saul failing the poly at first could be a red herring or something "subtle" to foreshadow. Then we have the somewhat cliche "I'm taking a new job but really don't want you to follow" move by his wife. I'm not quite sure what that's about.

My favorite moment of the episode, though, was the fact that Brody seemingly looked into the camera and lied about the adultery. It's like a chess match.

November 7, 2011 at 1:06AM EST Reply to Comment
Celia

I see that Carrie and Brody having sex was a good plot device for allowing Carrie to know Brody beat the polygraph (adultery question) without being able to tell anybody else, but as screwed up as she is, no way would the character Carrie sleep with her suspect. She is more professional than that. Big plausibility lapse as far as I'm concerned.
November 7, 2011 at 1:08AM EST Reply to Comment
- Dan More professional? She started an unauthorized investigation on domestic soil and illegally bugged Brody's house until Saul got the FISA warrant. Not to mention the psychosis. How is she professional?
  November 7, 2011 at 1:55AM EST
- CH Yeah, I agree with you Celia, not bc she is more professional, but bc it takes her focus in the wrong direction and she is too obsessed with proving he has turned.
  November 7, 2011 at 3:04AM EST
- Andrew I have to disagree here. When she first fielded the phone call, Brody told her he isn't taking the polygraph. So she decides to meet him in hopes of changing his mind and/or trying to extract any sort of clue. From there, a (from what we may know) emotionally lonely and possibly sexually frustrated woman gets drunk and has a legitimately good non work-related time with a guy. She has drunk sex with him in the moment. This wasn't some planned dinner and movie night ending in sex.
  November 7, 2011 at 9:22AM EST
- Daniel I think the sex thing rule is to always disclose it. Unless you found yourself forced into the situation, and then disclosing it is doubly beneficial.
  
  But if Carrie was going top be half decent agent, she did really need to document the casual sex in some scrupulous way, otherwise she could end up paying Brody's price of perfidy.
  November 7, 2011 at 12:06PM EST
- Trilby More professional than that? I don't think so. More like a loose cannon.
  November 7, 2011 at 10:26PM EST
- DougMac I think Carrie cant disclose the sex because they'll take her off the case for conflict of interest. I think Saul has an idea but won't push it until he needs to back her down from something. How she reacts to that will be priceless if it does happen.
  November 8, 2011 at 1:14AM EST
- Adam No no no, Carrie is a character with an obsessive mood disorder and she deals with it by compulsively having sex. One of the first times we see her, it is subtly implied she's just come back from a sexual experience, plus she's made a point of watching when Brody has sex with his wife. She's been sexually preoccupied with him from the beginning. Her condition pushes in on her life and makes her act unprofessionally... if the CIA knew about her condition or the sex, she'd be done for.
  November 8, 2011 at 5:20AM EST
- JimAbbott'sRightHandMan She's more professional than that?
  
  Didn't she, when Saul found out about the illegal surveillance, try to offer Saul sex to stop him from reporting her or whatever he was going to do?
  
  Wasn't she the handler for that undercover chick who was a whore (or fancy sex slave or whatever she was), whose method of investigation and earning people's trust was to literally have sex? And be a part of the recruiting process for other whores?
  
  I don't see her being too professional for sexing up Brody at all. She's got some well-established issues when it comes to being willing to do pretty much anything to get results.
  November 8, 2011 at 6:24AM EST
- Anon.Z.Moose Flunking the drugs question could be a big problem for her if the show's writers decide to suddenly follow the real world and allow the officious nature of the intelligence bureaucracy to kick in. She'd be in for a lot of follow-up (even with the faulty nature of the polygraph being well understood) and Saul would have nothing to do with it, yay or nay. Like other things on the show, however, it will be handled ad hoc as it fits the story arc: sometimes realism is too boring, other times it's a useful plot device. We shall see.
  - Anon.Z.Moose
  November 8, 2011 at 7:38AM EST
- Anon.Z.Moose Oops, meant for the comment above to be in the next thread (David Spivak).
  November 8, 2011 at 7:44AM EST
david spivak

Everyone's forgetting about Carrie taking drugs and flunking that question. Saul could use that as an excuse to sack her if she gets close to stopping the attack if Saul is dirty.
November 7, 2011 at 1:26AM EST Reply to Comment
- amylavi I thought the drugs she takes are legal. So, she did answer the question truthfully.
  November 7, 2011 at 7:26PM EST
- Sun Taking prescription drugs without a valid prescription is not legal. This is why Carrie's sister only gives her a few at a time, and she commented that her license was in jeopardy.
  November 7, 2011 at 7:44PM EST
- Trilby The answer about drugs showed up as a lie but what she was lying about was not illegal drugs but legal drugs that she was not disclosing to the CIA, hence, the lie.
  November 7, 2011 at 10:29PM EST
- Eric827 No, she was asked if she'd taken "illegal drugs" since she began working at the CIA. She said no, and it registered as a lie.
  November 8, 2011 at 2:28AM EST
Sun

"A review of tonight's "Homeland" coming up just as soon as I'm a victim of your fabulousness..."

I knew it! Hilarious line!

November 7, 2011 at 2:06AM EST Reply to Comment
- gershomatl I thought it was going to be as soon as "I watch wailing cowboys on TV."
  November 9, 2011 at 12:36AM EST
Krista

I do not think the main goal of the polygraph scene with Saul was to make us suspect that Saul is a mole. Instead, I think they were showing us the variety of ways people respond to a polygraph. Saul was excited throughout much of the questioning, then calmed down,a and then became excited again. This could have been because Saul was lying or, more plausibly, because he wanted to be somewhere else and - possibly - was cognizant of the fact that he was not telling the CIA everything (Carrie's suspicions of Brody and his knowledge of the illegal surveillance). What I am more interested in is why Brody answered the question about cheating with a lie. Admitting he was unfaithful would not be a crime; he lied to let Carrie know he could pass the test. Why would a terrorist purposely let an agent know he was lying? Brody lying makes me think he is a terrorist less, not more. He suspects Carrie fed the question to Larry; he already has made statements about her devious eyes and asked her she she bumped into him at the meeting. He can sense that she suspects him. That's why he asks her to get into his car. I am starting to think he may not be a terrorist after all but I do think he is damaged and perhaps up to something.
November 7, 2011 at 2:19AM EST Reply to Comment
- JBowls I agree. He looked in the camera and it was obvious the question was from Carrie. She's a CIA agent he slept with the night before for God's sake. Also, when she gets in the car he asks and she said he passed with flying colors, obviously implying she was involved in administering the test.
  November 8, 2011 at 4:55PM EST
CH

I was for the firs time a bit disappointed in tonights episode. It seemed to lack the "edge of your seat" excitement the series started with. But I do have to say I'm leaning towards Saul, he is always telling Carrie she will loose her job if she takes her knowledge higher up and she could inform them without spilling her survellience. He is controlling her and it just leads me to think he is up to something.
November 7, 2011 at 3:02AM EST Reply to Comment
CH

Why didn't Carrie tell the truth about the adultry to Saul? Would she have lost her job? Coouldn't she have just said she followed him and saw him with another woman or something?
November 7, 2011 at 3:12AM EST Reply to Comment
- I didn't understand that either. He knows so much. Why wouldn't she tell him?
  November 7, 2011 at 3:51AM EST
- K42 Admitting to Saul she casually slept with her suspect would be like admitting to him she's batshit crazy. And Saul is already thinking/knows she's just a step behind Cuckoo Town.
  November 7, 2011 at 12:42PM EST
- amylavi K42, that's what I think. This is not the kind of thing she wants to admit to Saul, who already thinks she is hanging by a thread. Admittedly, he knows her probably as well as anyone. Hence, his ability to say "let's forget about what we said yesterday" or something like that. Still, she does not really trust Saul, especially now with what she suspects about Brody.
  November 7, 2011 at 7:28PM EST
- Trilby Agreed! She was rightfully embarrassed to admit it to Saul!
  November 7, 2011 at 10:33PM EST
- Dave I I think a few reasons.
  
  1) What K42 said.
  2) She would have to be removed from the case. It's a huge conflict of interest and her boss really needs the thinnest of pretenses for removing her (presuming Saul would tell him).
  3) Saul is almost like a father figure. Telling him she broke protocol, went rogue, got impressively drunk, then had sex with the person she believes is a high-profile-former-POW-war-hero-turned-terrorist-sleeper? That would not only be embarrassing, more than likely downright shameful to admit to somebody who was that much of a longstanding mentor, it would probably be career suicide.
  
  I suppose she could have lied about it. However, coming up with a good lie on the spot (even though Saul has to suspect the truth), with that much pressure, would seem pretty difficult for most people and Carrie hardly has everything together.
  
  -Cheers
  November 8, 2011 at 10:42AM EST
- Alanrocks Are you kidding, she would not just be taken off the case, she would be fired.
  November 8, 2011 at 11:54AM EST
- joel Dave, I agree with you but don't forget that Carrie propositioned Saul in the pilot to save her own ass. I think "father figure" is a little inaccurate (and sorta creepy in that sense). "Mentor" for sure.
  November 8, 2011 at 8:46PM EST
- Dave I Joel,
  
  On the one hand, I think you're right.
  
  On the other, I think I'm going to be sick!
  
  Yes, you're right though. Definitely not "father figure" in the literal or more traditional sense of the word. I think she is decidedly NOT above using sex to manipulate things (or even as a desperation ploy). Still, admitting she got drunk and had sex with the person whom she thinks is likely (one of) the intended players in the next 9/11-type attack to the only person that has had her back for years just seems like it would be too shameful. For me at least. You can rationalize or defend most anything if the ends are important, but to somebody like Saul (with whom Carrie seemed ashamed after propositioning sex, not that it stopped her or anything), who despite all the baggage has been that mentor figure, would be hard to do. Like telling your dad or coach that you had sex or smoked pot or cheated on a test. Sure, it's justifiable on some level to YOU, but to somebody you actually on some level look up to? It's kinda hard.
  
  -Cheers
  November 9, 2011 at 12:50AM EST
Ryan

One small thing I noticed when Carrie was looking over the surveilance footage of the murder is Estes looks like he might have set something down on the table quickly and glanced away. Anyone else catch that?
November 7, 2011 at 3:16AM EST Reply to Comment
- nycflo88 YES! Perhaps missed by Carrie as she struggled to keep her eyes focused.
  November 7, 2011 at 5:19AM EST
- DougMac Plus Estes not playing the lie detector straight (refusing to answer seriously and in yes or no answers) also lends credence to this theory. I'm not so sure of it, but it is possible. I also think it's just as likely they dont want us too confident about anyone's guilt or innocence.
  November 8, 2011 at 1:19AM EST
afan

Why did Carrie tell Brody the reason for the lie detector test? That surprised me more than sleeping with him.
November 7, 2011 at 3:52AM EST Reply to Comment
- nycflo88 Perhaps to get Brody to trust Carrie?
  November 7, 2011 at 5:27AM EST
- Andrew They were both very drunk. I do not think there was any hidden motive there. People say and do dumb stuff when they're that drunk.
  November 7, 2011 at 9:26AM EST
- Chaesonian I've been told, when you're drunk, you can do some awfully stupid things. Especially in front of someone you kinda like. Only going by sources, no personal experiences what-so-ever.
  November 7, 2011 at 2:02PM EST
- Reid For Carrie's purposes, that WAS the polygraph test. She may have been drunk, but she was totally focused when she examined his reaction after she told him about the guy's death.
  November 7, 2011 at 2:31PM EST
- amylavi I agree that she seemed completely focused on his reaction to the news, which, to me, seemed like pretty much of a non-reaction. I also think that Carrie is falling for Brody; or, maybe it is a combination of really wanting to know if she is right (as she totally suspects she is) and finding him kind of irresistible.
  November 7, 2011 at 7:32PM EST
- Chimpotle She told him so he would show up for the test, since he was saying he might not go.
  November 8, 2011 at 12:24AM EST
- Eric827 I'm with Reid and Amylavi - she was checking out his reaction. In the previous episode, she made a point of focusing on his reaction to the mention of Abu Nazir, and his reaction became part of her "evidence" that he'd been turned.
  
  She wanted the chance to see his reaction, when he was impaired by alcohol, and he wasn't expecting the question.
  November 8, 2011 at 2:32AM EST
- Anon.Z.Moose @Chaesonian - You know I've heard that too!
  November 8, 2011 at 7:51AM EST
Erika Herzog

i loved the heat of tonight's episode -- to me it was all about relationships and how fractured and vulnerable they are.

i also love how much alan is still pissed about The Killing and long-form plot wankery. he is not alone, but it's great to see the annoyance continue. made me laugh
November 7, 2011 at 4:11AM EST Reply to Comment
- nycflo88 I look forward to his season 2 reviews--NOT. I don't know what possessed the writers and producers to think what they accomplished represents a new mold for cop and mystery dramas? But why beat an old drum.
  November 7, 2011 at 5:24AM EST
- Andrew @nycflu - Clearly you're not watching close enough if you think that's what this show is all about.
  November 7, 2011 at 9:28AM EST
- virginia I also enjoyed the dysfunctional couples as far as the eye can see theme. Carrie's been getting really sloppy in her zeal to nab Brody. He's totally on to her and totally turned on by her too. Ah, tv land ... So romantic. Damian Lewis is really really yummy. I'm wondering though why Sgt Brody has not yet been forced into therapy.
  November 7, 2011 at 4:35PM EST
anotherquestion

I kept "looking over" Carrie's shoulder with my DVR as she kept playing back the footage in the interrogation room. She was watching Brody, for the second that he passed the razor, but didn't find it. I was watching, and replaying the scene in slow motion, concentrating mainly on David, the director of the Agency on the far side of the table as the fight unfolded. Playing it back in slo-mo, I've sure I saw David do some funny business, taking something out of his coat and placing it near the end of the table.

The problem is, he also appeared to put it back quickly, but I'm thinking he made something visible (the blade), then hid it on the side of the table so it could be retrieved later.

He appeared to selectively alternately work himself up in a fit of anger then appeared to calm himself to appear almost sleepy during his turn at the polygraph.

It seems that everyone given the test would have had the time and experience necessary to beat it fairly easily. The only real surprise was Carrie's apparent surprise at the follow up drug question and her inability to mask her reaction.

Or is it just me that is reading too much into this?
November 7, 2011 at 5:51AM EST Reply to Comment
- Jimmbo Just as curious: why was she ASKED the drug question?
  November 7, 2011 at 10:09AM EST
Greg Grant

They are definitely chumming the waters with David being the mole all-along. First, the table thing as many have already pointed out. Second, he deliberately riles himself up about his marriage and kids to make it impossible to establish a baseline for "yes" and "no" questions, thus muddying it up for when the razor thing pops up.

Saul at this point is such a giant herring, that it's almost like he cannot be a mole. "24" rules allowed only one obvious mole in all their seasons, with the reason being that so many suspected JG as a mole that it became assumed by many that somebody this obvious could not be a mole, and then it turned JG was in one of those "we know that you know that we know that you know of what we know about you" things that makes people's head hurts.

Also, I get that Carrie is "Brilliant but Troubled" but still, how did she make a leap to the woman being the mastermind and the key terrorist in the relationship and not the guy? She becomes aware of the existence of the blonde little miss sunshine from KY who spent time in Saudi Arabia and went to Princeton just mere hours before going, "ZOMG, she's the Dragon, not the guy." I get that anyone with an Ivy League education should be suspected of being the Devil, but that was quite a leap. Would have liked a little bit more reasoning behind why Faisal should be excluded.

On another minor note, when Aileen was watching the cowboy singing and it flashed "call in now" thing, I was for one suspected she was monitoring it for a code about what to do next as a fallback method of communication from her masters, but allegedly it was just her seeking to relax while listening to country.
November 7, 2011 at 8:23AM EST Reply to Comment
- K42 "how did she make a leap to the woman being the mastermind and the key terrorist in the relationship and not the guy?"
  She didn't. That was just a working hypotesis. Her first working hypotesis was the exact opposite, the more obvious scenario of "the Arab guy is the terrorist". Then Saul observed how the scenario didn't entirely work since there were holes in it (a naive, spoiled all-american girl becoming so committed to her boyfriend's cause at the point she would never tell anyone for years), so Carrie thought about the possibility of the inverse being true. It was just a reminder to everyone involved to not underestimate the girl, working on the (possibly) wrong assumption that the terrorist had to be the man. But they didn't exclude anything, they are still searching for both of them.
  November 7, 2011 at 1:30PM EST
mike

How about Saul failing the first question of the polygraph, his own name? Maybe 'Saul Berenstein' isn't even his real name
November 7, 2011 at 12:24PM EST Reply to Comment
mike

How about Saul failing the FIRST question of the polygraph; lying about his own name? Maybe 'Saul' isn't even his real name...
November 7, 2011 at 12:25PM EST Reply to Comment
- Andrew Maybe, but unlikely. I think that was just shown to us as a way to illustrate that it's not 100 percent. Remember, as said, Saul has been through these polys many times. Can't imagine he'd still be there if he got his name wrong on every single one.
  November 7, 2011 at 12:33PM EST
- DTB7 This was my thought as well. Could also be why he always fails the test..
  November 7, 2011 at 3:01PM EST
ImJustSayin

In the flashback of Brody beating his partner to death, I noticed that someone was holding a gun to Brody. Hadn't seen that before, and it leaves the door open that he wasn't turned but rather forced to do it out of self-preservation. If that's the case, I can see why his guilt and shame for not being stronger would make him all shifty. (That said, I fully believe he's turned and we'll find out soon enough to build to a dramatic season finale.)
November 7, 2011 at 12:53PM EST Reply to Comment
- Trilby It has always seemed to me that he beat his friend to death unwillingly as part of the process of breaking him (Brody) down. Watching those flashbacks, I've thought, if someone is making you beat your friend to death, you would want to get it over with, not draw it out, which he seems to be doing (getting it over with, with some savage punches).
  November 7, 2011 at 10:41PM EST
conrad

Loved seeing that this ep was written by Rubicon's Henry Bromell.
November 7, 2011 at 1:41PM EST Reply to Comment
@DiggyDoggie

What makes me think saul may have slipped the blade to the alleged terrorist was when Saul went to interrogate him and gave him the "al salaam alakum" and kisses on the cheeks then the camera showed a close up of Saul holding the handcuffed hands of the the alleged terrorist. This could have easily been the time to slip the blade to the guy. He failed the first test but passed the 2nd a day later and possiby Xanaxed himself up. ALSO, he seems to zoom off to "meetings" all the time...maaaaybe he is off to pray as muslims do 5 times a day.... Just a thought.
November 7, 2011 at 2:56PM EST Reply to Comment
- Paul I thought about Saul holding his hands and passing him the blade, too... but wouldn't the terrorist have killed himself while he was being tortured all night with loud punk music, lights, and air conditioning?
  November 8, 2011 at 11:30PM EST
- KC I agree Paul. I thought that maybe that's when it happened (if Saul is the mole), but I don't think he would've waited so long to kill himself.
  November 9, 2011 at 2:06PM EST
E.

When he said "I'm the victim of your fabulousness" I thought he said "I'm a victim of your family business". Then when she said "are you calling be fabulous?" I understood what he really said.
November 7, 2011 at 3:35PM EST Reply to Comment
natx

Dont get me wrong i love this show, but i do feel like its starting to feel a little to much like 24, all the way down to the introduction of the temporary bad guys who get killed off. And of course the whole mole thing. If this thing goes all the way to the president that will be it.

They have done such a good job with the character stuff that i hope they dont get away from that too much in favor of the constant twists and turns of plot. I hope that "stopping the terrorist plot" doesnt become the whole point of the show.
November 7, 2011 at 4:12PM EST Reply to Comment
- John Aileen wasn't killed off.
  November 7, 2011 at 4:36PM EST
John

People need to stop worrying about the show becoming 24 or eventually falling off the rails. Just take the series as it comes, and right now they're offering the goods.
November 7, 2011 at 4:37PM EST Reply to Comment
RU Serious

OK episode, not great. Completely lost me that she'd sleep with this guy, but more than that, I wish there was some way to get people PLAYING drunk to look like they're drunk. The shuffling feet, slurring words, it's always over-acted. I hate it.
November 7, 2011 at 5:33PM EST Reply to Comment
- virginia LOL ... I know what you mean and we give ourselves away, in a lovely way, when we call bullshit on the way this stuff is done. Thought the two involved gave it a good shot. But so true what you say.
  November 7, 2011 at 10:47PM EST
- Levi Benjamin Yea but have you seen real drunk people. They seem like exaggerations of drunk people, just less interesting. I don't think they were even slurring, just acting childish and flirty with each other, which is what drunk people do. If anything they were holding back, if he took three shots of bourbon in the three minute scene we saw, how many does that add up to in an hour? And why wouldn't she sleep with him, if its the only way to get and stay close to him without arousing suspicion?
  November 8, 2011 at 1:30AM EST
chance

yes, it did look like Brody being calculating- I took as him seeing an opportunity for him to have an instant/"legit" excuse to leave the party to do something secret (mole or not).
November 7, 2011 at 7:21PM EST Reply to Comment
amylavi

I'm surprised more people did not comment on the killing of Faisel and Aileen's getting away. Do we think they were more after him than her? How would they ever had let her get away? Clearly, they had the ability to kill her as well. Made me think she was somehow in on the hit. But, then, based on scenes from next week, it seems like she was just scared sh**less.
November 7, 2011 at 7:37PM EST Reply to Comment
- virginia Reply to comment...
  November 7, 2011 at 10:39PM EST
- Trilby She looked scared, but rolling out the window seemed a mistake. But then again, staying would have been risky too. Not many good choices there.
  November 7, 2011 at 10:43PM EST
- virginia Sorry ... screwed up on the thingie. Yeah, I got that too ... That maybe Faisel was set up and Aileen was in on it. I liked Faisel and he definitely got some great lines, including the funny bz about wailing cowboys. But then we got hit with in the backseat of the car, drunk, sex, which means all systems go down as we contemplate our mortality. And wish we were still you know. Wow.
  November 7, 2011 at 10:44PM EST
asarael

"Ask him if he's ever been unfaithful to his wife!"

Brilliant writing, in my opinion. Not only does it make sense for Brody and Carrie to get together on a character level, but it also fucks things up even more, since Carrie knows he fooled the polygraph but can't say anything to Saul for legitimate reasons. This really deepens to plot -- this is the show I look forward to most during the week.
November 7, 2011 at 7:46PM EST Reply to Comment
alberto

Carrie doesn't see it when reviewing the video of the Brody fight, but one of the suits in the background reaches into his pocket and deposits something on the table.
November 7, 2011 at 8:55PM EST Reply to Comment
Boricua in Texas

I thought this was one of the strongest episodes of the season so far because of the interactions between characters. The show works whether Brody has been turned or not.
November 7, 2011 at 10:30PM EST Reply to Comment
SnyGuy75

The didn't like the way that Carrie, Saul and Estes were portrayed to behave when being polygraphed. First Carrie makes a joke when asked her name, Estes doesn't give a straigh answer about his marriage, and then neither does Saul. Knowing that their polygraph interviews are being witnessed, recorded and anayzed, why would they respond with such silly answers. These are three veteran CIA agents, I think they would know to just answer in the "yes or no" format.
November 8, 2011 at 10:03AM EST Reply to Comment

Next 99 Comments

News From Our Partners

Follow HitFix:

Follow @HitFix

Get Instant Alerts on What's Alan Watching

Latest Posts

Season finale review: 'Rectify' - 'Jacob's Ladder'

Daniel ponders a trip out of town as the terrific first season comes to a close

Monday, May 20, 2013
Review: FOX's 'The Goodwin Games' has potential it won't get to realize

Some interesting pieces in a new sitcom from the 'HIMYM' guys, but it's a dead show walking

Monday, May 20, 2013
Firewall & Iceberg Podcast, episode 183: 'Behind the Candelabra,' 'The Goodwin Games,' 'Motive' & more

Dan and Alan also review 'Save Me,' talk about 'SNL' departures and a wacky 'Mad Men'

Monday, May 20, 2013
Review: ABC's Canadian cop drama 'Motive' gets summer off to a slow start

A police procedural that doesn't bother with whodunnit, but doesn't replace it with anything interesting

Monday, May 20, 2013

Cannes Film Festival 2013

Inside Television with Alan Sepinwall

Review: 'Homeland' - 'The Good Soldier': Hello, Larry

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

Send to your friends

Direct link: http://tinyurl.com/3df9xtq

'Homeland' - 'The Good Soldier': Hello, Larry

Share this Post on ...

Direct link: http://tinyurl.com/3df9xtq

'Homeland' - 'The Good Soldier': Hello, Larry

Comments

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Nick A It is beginning to go down the road of X-Files in the latter half of the series. I love the show but I am getting just a slight bit annoyed with the "all you know is wrong, again" angle each week. Is Fox Mulder right about he aliens? Did Saul give the captive a razor blade.

John Huh?

Jeff What you are saying makes zero sense, and that is a terrible comparison.

skarabrae what about that look when Brody noticed Jessica was coming over to see what the fight was about and then, it seemed to me only then, did Brody decide to get in and throw some punches. Did any one else note that?

Nick A Great call. I did notice that. He wanted to show he cared?

jan I noticed it, too. Not sure exactly what to make of it.

Ryan The way I took it was he had known all along and she never said anything so he was mad at her as well as Mike so he took his anger out on both of them out on Mike's face.

virginia I too took it to mean that he was throwing himself into the fray to show her and his mates that he cared, that he's just a regular guy, a jealous guy, instead of the person we witness.

JBowls Also, Marine Snipers are trained to pass polygraphs. They are, more than any other marine unit, to reside deeply behind enemy lines. Extraction of information from one takes much more than a polygraph. Almost a rip off of double jeopardy.

skarabrae what about that glance Brody gave noting Jessica walking over to the fight and him making a spilt second decision to get involved and slug mike. Any one else notice that? what does it mean?

Whitney It means you didn't read the comment DIRECTLY above yours.

sepinwall It actually means he posted his comment twice. Which happens sometimes, unfortunately.

Whitney Sorry! Didn't notice the same name. The different wording threw me off. Apologies.

MG Lauder clearly said to Brody, just as Mike tackled, him "while you we're gone everyone wanted to sleep with (edited) your wife, but only one did." Brody then catches Jessica's eye-reacting because he was supposed to react and also because that probably was the last straw/confirmation..

Dan More professional? She started an unauthorized investigation on domestic soil and illegally bugged Brody's house until Saul got the FISA warrant. Not to mention the psychosis. How is she professional?

CH Yeah, I agree with you Celia, not bc she is more professional, but bc it takes her focus in the wrong direction and she is too obsessed with proving he has turned.

Trilby More professional than that? I don't think so. More like a loose cannon.

DougMac I think Carrie cant disclose the sex because they'll take her off the case for conflict of interest. I think Saul has an idea but won't push it until he needs to back her down from something. How she reacts to that will be priceless if it does happen.

Anon.Z.Moose Oops, meant for the comment above to be in the next thread (David Spivak).

david spivak Everyone's forgetting about Carrie taking drugs and flunking that question. Saul could use that as an excuse to sack her if she gets close to stopping the attack if Saul is dirty.

amylavi I thought the drugs she takes are legal. So, she did answer the question truthfully.

Sun Taking prescription drugs without a valid prescription is not legal. This is why Carrie's sister only gives her a few at a time, and she commented that her license was in jeopardy.

Trilby The answer about drugs showed up as a lie but what she was lying about was not illegal drugs but legal drugs that she was not disclosing to the CIA, hence, the lie.

Eric827 No, she was asked if she'd taken "illegal drugs" since she began working at the CIA. She said no, and it registered as a lie.

Sun "A review of tonight's "Homeland" coming up just as soon as I'm a victim of your fabulousness..." I knew it! Hilarious line!

gershomatl I thought it was going to be as soon as "I watch wailing cowboys on TV."

JBowls I agree. He looked in the camera and it was obvious the question was from Carrie. She's a CIA agent he slept with the night before for God's sake. Also, when she gets in the car he asks and she said he passed with flying colors, obviously implying she was involved in administering the test.

CH Why didn't Carrie tell the truth about the adultry to Saul? Would she have lost her job? Coouldn't she have just said she followed him and saw him with another woman or something?

I didn't understand that either. He knows so much. Why wouldn't she tell him?

K42 Admitting to Saul she casually slept with her suspect would be like admitting to him she's batshit crazy. And Saul is already thinking/knows she's just a step behind Cuckoo Town.

Trilby Agreed! She was rightfully embarrassed to admit it to Saul!

Alanrocks Are you kidding, she would not just be taken off the case, she would be fired.

joel Dave, I agree with you but don't forget that Carrie propositioned Saul in the pilot to save her own ass. I think "father figure" is a little inaccurate (and sorta creepy in that sense). "Mentor" for sure.

Ryan One small thing I noticed when Carrie was looking over the surveilance footage of the murder is Estes looks like he might have set something down on the table quickly and glanced away. Anyone else catch that?

nycflo88 YES! Perhaps missed by Carrie as she struggled to keep her eyes focused.

DougMac Plus Estes not playing the lie detector straight (refusing to answer seriously and in yes or no answers) also lends credence to this theory. I'm not so sure of it, but it is possible. I also think it's just as likely they dont want us too confident about anyone's guilt or innocence.

afan Why did Carrie tell Brody the reason for the lie detector test? That surprised me more than sleeping with him.

nycflo88 Perhaps to get Brody to trust Carrie?

Andrew They were both very drunk. I do not think there was any hidden motive there. People say and do dumb stuff when they're that drunk.

Chaesonian I've been told, when you're drunk, you can do some awfully stupid things. Especially in front of someone you kinda like. Only going by sources, no personal experiences what-so-ever.

Reid For Carrie's purposes, that WAS the polygraph test. She may have been drunk, but she was totally focused when she examined his reaction after she told him about the guy's death.

Chimpotle She told him so he would show up for the test, since he was saying he might not go.

Anon.Z.Moose @Chaesonian - You know I've heard that too!

Erika Herzog i loved the heat of tonight's episode -- to me it was all about relationships and how fractured and vulnerable they are. i also love how much alan is still pissed about The Killing and long-form plot wankery. he is not alone, but it's great to see the annoyance continue. made me laugh

nycflo88 I look forward to his season 2 reviews--NOT. I don't know what possessed the writers and producers to think what they accomplished represents a new mold for cop and mystery dramas? But why beat an old drum.

Andrew @nycflu - Clearly you're not watching close enough if you think that's what this show is all about.

Jimmbo Just as curious: why was she ASKED the drug question?

mike How about Saul failing the first question of the polygraph, his own name? Maybe 'Saul Berenstein' isn't even his real name

mike How about Saul failing the FIRST question of the polygraph; lying about his own name? Maybe 'Saul' isn't even his real name...

Andrew Maybe, but unlikely. I think that was just shown to us as a way to illustrate that it's not 100 percent. Remember, as said, Saul has been through these polys many times. Can't imagine he'd still be there if he got his name wrong on every single one.

DTB7 This was my thought as well. Could also be why he always fails the test..

conrad Loved seeing that this ep was written by Rubicon's Henry Bromell.

Paul I thought about Saul holding his hands and passing him the blade, too... but wouldn't the terrorist have killed himself while he was being tortured all night with loud punk music, lights, and air conditioning?

KC I agree Paul. I thought that maybe that's when it happened (if Saul is the mole), but I don't think he would've waited so long to kill himself.

E. When he said "I'm the victim of your fabulousness" I thought he said "I'm a victim of your family business". Then when she said "are you calling be fabulous?" I understood what he really said.

John Aileen wasn't killed off.

John People need to stop worrying about the show becoming 24 or eventually falling off the rails. Just take the series as it comes, and right now they're offering the goods.

RU Serious OK episode, not great. Completely lost me that she'd sleep with this guy, but more than that, I wish there was some way to get people PLAYING drunk to look like they're drunk. The shuffling feet, slurring words, it's always over-acted. I hate it.

virginia LOL ... I know what you mean and we give ourselves away, in a lovely way, when we call bullshit on the way this stuff is done. Thought the two involved gave it a good shot. But so true what you say.

chance yes, it did look like Brody being calculating- I took as him seeing an opportunity for him to have an instant/"legit" excuse to leave the party to do something secret (mole or not).

virginia Reply to comment...

Trilby She looked scared, but rolling out the window seemed a mistake. But then again, staying would have been risky too. Not many good choices there.

alberto Carrie doesn't see it when reviewing the video of the Brody fight, but one of the suits in the background reaches into his pocket and deposits something on the table.

Boricua in Texas I thought this was one of the strongest episodes of the season so far because of the interactions between characters. The show works whether Brody has been turned or not.

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

Nick A

It is beginning to go down the road of X-Files in the latter half of the series. I love the show but I am getting just a slight bit annoyed with the "all you know is wrong, again" angle each week. Is Fox Mulder right about he aliens? Did Saul give the captive a razor blade.

skarabrae

what about that look when Brody noticed Jessica was coming over to see what the fight was about and then, it seemed to me only then, did Brody decide to get in and throw some punches. Did any one else note that?

skarabrae

what about that glance Brody gave noting Jessica walking over to the fight and him making a spilt second decision to get involved and slug mike. Any one else notice that? what does it mean?

david spivak

Everyone's forgetting about Carrie taking drugs and flunking that question. Saul could use that as an excuse to sack her if she gets close to stopping the attack if Saul is dirty.

Sun

"A review of tonight's "Homeland" coming up just as soon as I'm a victim of your fabulousness..."

I knew it! Hilarious line!

CH

Why didn't Carrie tell the truth about the adultry to Saul? Would she have lost her job? Coouldn't she have just said she followed him and saw him with another woman or something?

Ryan

One small thing I noticed when Carrie was looking over the surveilance footage of the murder is Estes looks like he might have set something down on the table quickly and glanced away. Anyone else catch that?

afan

Why did Carrie tell Brody the reason for the lie detector test? That surprised me more than sleeping with him.

mike

How about Saul failing the first question of the polygraph, his own name? Maybe 'Saul Berenstein' isn't even his real name

mike

How about Saul failing the FIRST question of the polygraph; lying about his own name? Maybe 'Saul' isn't even his real name...

conrad

Loved seeing that this ep was written by Rubicon's Henry Bromell.

E.

When he said "I'm the victim of your fabulousness" I thought he said "I'm a victim of your family business". Then when she said "are you calling be fabulous?" I understood what he really said.

John

People need to stop worrying about the show becoming 24 or eventually falling off the rails. Just take the series as it comes, and right now they're offering the goods.

RU Serious

OK episode, not great. Completely lost me that she'd sleep with this guy, but more than that, I wish there was some way to get people PLAYING drunk to look like they're drunk. The shuffling feet, slurring words, it's always over-acted. I hate it.

chance

yes, it did look like Brody being calculating- I took as him seeing an opportunity for him to have an instant/"legit" excuse to leave the party to do something secret (mole or not).

alberto

Carrie doesn't see it when reviewing the video of the Brody fight, but one of the suits in the background reaches into his pocket and deposits something on the table.

Boricua in Texas

I thought this was one of the strongest episodes of the season so far because of the interactions between characters. The show works whether Brody has been turned or not.

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