Review: 'Homeland' - 'The Vest': It's not easy seein' green
Carrie needs more time to recover, and the Brodys take a trip
Carrie (Claire Danes) and Saul (Mandy Patinkin) try to solve a "Homeland" puzzle.
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A review of tonight's "Homeland" coming up just as soon as I write a 45-page manifesto declaring that I've reinvented music...
"You understand!" -Carrie
Though Henry Bromell didn't write this episode of "Homeland" (the script was by Meredith Stiehm and Chip Johannessen), it carried the show's strongest "Rubicon" overtones yet. "The Vest" was all about the thin line between madness and the dedication required to be a great intelligence analyst, and it spent a lot of time showing an all-American Muslim terrorist preparing to say goodbye to the life he knew before sacrificing it for the greater cause.
Now, "Homeland" has always had a much stronger sense of plot than "Rubicon" did. That show thrived almost entirely on atmosphere and characterization, where "Homeland" has that and more. I don't know if it'll stick the landing any better than "Rubicon" unfortunately did, but the journey up through this penultimate episode of the first season has had much stronger momentum throughout.
I do wonder how Gansa, Gordon and company are going to resolve things next week, given that this isn't a miniseries and the show has to continue with at least some of these characters still in play. But Carrie has been busted for both her illegal activity and concealing her mental illness, and Brody's getting ready to strap on a suicide vest and blow up himself and, I'm guessing, Vice-President Walden. (What better way to kick off Walden's campaign for president, after all, than to have beloved war hero Nicholas Brody by his side?)
But that's something to worry about with the finale. Tonight, we got to enjoy the horrible, riveting, incredibly sad apparent destruction of Carrie Mathison's career. On most shows, a character surviving a bomb explosion would result in the actor wearing some bruise makeup for a few episodes (as Claire Danes got to) and maybe an increased sense of resolve, because now it's personal, dammit. With Carrie, though, there's the unintended side effect that being under strict hospital supervision for days on end - and without the meds her sister has been illegally giving her for years - sends her into a manic state that shocks the hell out of Saul and, ultimately, David.
It's funny: Mandy Patinkin has a not-undeserved reputation as a chewer of scenery, while Danes' rep has been largely built on a quieter style of acting. (There are obvious exceptions in both cases, obviously: Danes as Temple Grandin is anything but quiet, for instance.) But here, she's the one very clearly, loudly, tragically losing her center of gravity, and he's the one whose performance becomes smaller and more intimate the longer Saul spends time with the wreck that Carrie has become. Fantastic, if very different, work from both of them, and I hope like hell that Saul is not revealed as a mole in the finale. I want to believe that the relationship between these two is exactly what we've been told and shown that it is - that Saul instinctively going through Carrie's hot mess of intelligence data and putting it into the order she can see but not properly explain(*) was entirely sincere, and not Saul somehow playing her while waiting for Nazir to pull off his plan. Just like Carrie needs so desperately to find someone who can understand her when she's like this, I need for that understanding to be real, I think. But we'll see.
(*) Tremendous sequence, and great work on the score throughout. It's a cliche in stories like this to watch the analyst stick pieces of paper up on a wall, but it's a cliche because it can work as well as it does here when done right.
And where I feared that Brody was going to turn up on Carrie's doorstep with a gun and wind up shooting Maggie and/or Carrie's dad, his solution to the problem turns out to be far more clever and ruthless. He knows something's not quite right with Carrie, and more importantly knows just how many illegal things she's done in her pursuit of Nazir, so he gives David the match to light the fuse he's wanted to use for years to eliminate Carrie from his office and life.
That's the mark of a very smart, committed man, and one I can't believe the show would blow up next week and move on without. Though Brody spends the hour secretly saying goodbye to his family - having uncomplicated (and unviolent) sex with Jessica, bonding with Dana and offering words of wisdom(**) to Chris - it feels like there's just too much potential in both the character and his potential new career as a politician (so respected that customers at a diner in a completely different state would be eager to shake his hand) to send him out this way.
(**) Most of those words involved the famous Battle of Little Round Top, which was dramatized very well in 1993's "Gettysburg," with Jeff Daniels as Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain leading his tired, desperate man down the hill in a "right wheel" formation. (On YouTube, the scene is titled, plainly and accurately, "Gettysburg movie - the best part.")
Can this show end this season in a way that's both satisfying and plausibly sets up a second season? I don't know. I oddly felt more confident last week, where it seemed like we were heading towards Carrie stopping Walker in the finale, Brody beginning his run for office, and Carrie catching his scent again either in the finale or early next year. We could still go there, but matters have become unsettled and potentially fatal (in both a life and career sense) very quickly.
But the 11 episodes we've gotten so far have absolutely earned "Homeland" the benefit of the doubt. And if it doesn't quite work next week, it won't change how damn much I've enjoyed everything so far.
What did everybody else think?
Alan Sepinwall may be reached at sepinwall@hitfix.com
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Next 135 CommentsChampSkins
December 12, 2011 at 12:12AM EST Reply to CommentThat was tremendous. What a treat it has been watching Patinkin, Lewis and Danes this season. I just refuse to believe Saul could be a mole. His relationship with Carrie is so sincere, it is almost like he looks at her in a fatherly way. Would be really devastating to see him turn out to be bad. Also, Clare Danes submits this episode for Emmy and its hers to lose.
Daw Johnson This is exactly what sucks about awards shows these days. This was so contrived and forced as an "awards attempt"---oooh, let's have our main character act all crazy, that'll prove she's a good actress.
December 12, 2011 at 3:24AM ESTIt doesn't. Claire Danes has been great on this show by creating a believable character that is as intriguing when nothing's going on as she is when everything is falling apart.
I wish awards shows would recognize that subtlety, consistency and commitment--not the "throw in the over-the-top, over-acted episode and wow people" moments.
December 12, 2011 at 7:56AM ESTIf you've ever known anyone with Bipolar disorder, then you'll realize what Claire Danes portrayed on this episode was shockingly accurate. Those with bipolar often have a trigger (in this case, the bomb) to manic episodes. Once it starts, it may take days, weeks or months to get the person leveled out. In between, he or she may exhibit poor judgement and temper control, little or no need for sleep, hyperactivity, racing thoughts, etc.
I've lived with and have two very close friends with bipolar disorder. Homeland didn't do anything to dramatize the condition. If anything, they humanized it. Most shows and movies go out of their way to go over-the-top with manic depressives. Homeland certainly did not.
virginia Bipolars aren't really crazy in the sense of being fully divorced from reality. They, or I should say, we suffer from an occasional inability to put the breaks on, hide our true emotions & opinions at any given time, as society dictates for obvious reaons, and let things slide. The writers and the actress did a bang-up job of portraying what a manic episode feels like and looks like. She's clearly out of control but not really nuts -- She also happens to be right and all her hardwork has in part taken her to this moment. It was really well done. The person who is clearly suffering from mental illness, in my book, is the highly controlled, very precise, seemingly normal and heroic Brody.
December 12, 2011 at 9:20AM ESTDanes has also convincingly portrayed the impulse control issues that belong to manic-depression. Her bar experiences and highly impulsive weekend at the cabin among them.
Music is also a trigger for many bipolars -- listening to it can bring on episodes in that memory, emotion, impulse are affected by it. Someone did their homework.
Daw Johnson Don't mistake my criticism for condemnation of Danes' performance in this episode. I don't think she was BAD at all.
December 12, 2011 at 11:00AM ESTI just hate that she'll be remembered for someting like this, when it's been her more subtle, straight-ahead delivery that's helped carry this show to brilliance. It sucks that consistent performance over ten episodes means nothing if you don't have one episode where you're nuts.
virginia I hear you, Daw Johnson, and tend to agree. I would'be been more than happy, for example, seeing Jeff Bridges get his Oscar for The Lebowski or Fabulous Baker Boys. Nuts, drunk, over the top tends to get the attention and slow and steady is often more interesting and worthy.
December 12, 2011 at 6:46PM ESTTrilby Also, every beautiful actress who plays someone very homely gets an Oscar nom.
December 12, 2011 at 10:59PM ESTTribe643
December 12, 2011 at 12:24AM EST Reply to CommentSomeone posted this on the Homeland FB group, sounds plausible to me:
"David is in on it too. Carrie calls Brody. Brody calls David. David shows up at Carrie's home because she is too close to figuring out the whole thing. David gets rid of Carrie's proof. David slipped the razor blade. David was in on the Walker bomb thing (how could anyone figure out the bomber was homeless? he's dead and was blown to bits.). Yep, David is a BIG part of the master plan."
It's also worth noting David had one of Carrie's co-workers keep an eye on her earlier in the season, something that has not been mentioned since then.
Artemis Um, is this a spoiler?
December 12, 2011 at 1:21AM ESTanon.Z.moose Looks like speculation to me. I hope they can find a way to not have a mole as part of the wrap-up. Now wouldn't that be a shocking ending? Not holding my breath . . .
December 12, 2011 at 1:28AM ESTjoel This would be an asinine way to end the season. There doesn't need to be a mole. A mole is actually a really stupid idea for the writers to pursue, and honestly this is the dumbest theory I've read so far.
December 12, 2011 at 3:15AM ESTHow about the CIA simply can't be everywhere, know everything, and foil every plot? How about Nazir is simply lucky, and his plot is so extremely illogical that it is actually working because no one other than Carrie even clued to into the insanity of it, and even she has been completely bamboozled by Brody?
If any of the primary cast turns out to be a mole, this show will driven straight off the cliff into 24 territory.
Daw Johnson 24 is an Emmy-winning series that delivered some of the most tense, clever episodes in dramatic television history. The idiocy in acting like "being 24" is a bad thing is mind-boggling. Virtually any show from the past decade that isn't Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Friday Night Lights or Lost wishes it could be 24.
December 12, 2011 at 3:27AM ESTSure, seasons six and eight sucked, but it won an Emmy for SEASON FIVE and had a very strong seventh season, so you this notion that it fell off the cliff is absurd.
Andrew Not to mention the reveal of Nina as the mole at the end of Season 1 was not only phenomenal but it led to one of the most shocking TV season endings of all time.
December 12, 2011 at 9:31AM ESTAt the time, the writers were praised and praised for being daring. Obviously we've seen a lot of great endings since but 24 was new and different at the time.
Consideract It seems likely someone had to apprise Walker to take out the diplomat. He could have signaled it himself, if he was prepared to give up his life. We know Brody is preparing to be a terrorist, so he could be the one who slipped in the razor blade. So, mole or not? If mole, especially a big name, I think more likely David, not Saul.
December 12, 2011 at 5:29PM ESTSonia I was thinking David is the mole too.
December 13, 2011 at 6:13PM ESTSonia More speculating: I bet the bomb doesn't go off.
December 13, 2011 at 6:15PM ESTmikerwilson
December 12, 2011 at 12:26AM EST Reply to CommentAnother phenomenal episode. Really, really phenomenal. Completely agree with Champskins that this episode could easily win Claire Danes an Emmy. It should anyway.
I agree complete with the sentiment about Saul being the mole. I would hate that twist on several levels. I would prefer the mole to be someone we haven't spent much time with. Saul, David and Galvez are really the only characters we know from the agency, and it'd be a shame to lose any of them to the dark side.
Trilby Well thanks a bunch, Spoiler. Alan...!
December 12, 2011 at 11:00PM ESTTrilby I was not replying to you, I was replying to "Spoiler." Sorry.
December 13, 2011 at 10:38AM ESTZachary
December 12, 2011 at 12:29AM EST Reply to CommentI think the fact that he got so much positive feedback towards being a politician might motivate him to not go through with his plan just yet. Otherwise, why say it? He was already in the bag with official approval from the wife, and we knew he'd be popular with the public, so why shine a light on these things again?
This is one of the greatest shows I have ever watched though. If it can't handle itself by going on a a series, oh well, but so far it's one of the best things I've ever seen.
joel I agree. Brody is going to change course, and that will set up season 2.
December 12, 2011 at 3:18AM ESTThis was an excellent episode, by far one of the best if not the best of the season. I've been really frustrated with this show at various points but this episode was excellent. It has a long way to go before I will forgive some of the plot points so far, but this is definitely a big step in the right direction.
JimAbbott'sRightHandMan I think Nazir will change his mind and tell Brody not to go through with it, setting up season 2 so Brody is still in play as a chess piece following orders (putting off the big moment when he has to keep his word or change his mind until next year's finale, if not later).
December 14, 2011 at 2:22AM ESTIt just makes good sense for Nazir to put Brody back on the bench. The sniper, despite Carrie and Saul's premise that he's too flimsy/smal of a cog in this thing for him to be the main part of the plan, is safely waiting in the weeds ready to do some damage. He can easily kill the VP (albeit probably not escaping alive after) all on his own.
And Brody is in too cushy a position, where he's poised to begin a political career that is probably going to skyrocket. (And Brody will be even bigger if he's standing next to the VP when he's shot, so he gets to benefit from all the press coverage of him covered in blood, like Jesse Jackson when he had MLK's blood on him, which took Jackson to a whole new level in the public consciousness.)
Why waste Brody when the sniper can do damage all on his own, and when Brody is positioned to become even more valuable? He'll soon be in a position where he'll have easier access to even larger numbers of important targets (imagine him being elected, plotting to take a bomb into the State Of the Union address, with all the people in that room), to say nothing of whatever incredibly valuable info he can pass to Nazir once he's an elected official getting official briefings on terror intelligence. Surely a former POW from the War on Terror is going to join pretty relevant military and terror-related committees and all that kind of stuff. He'll have access to valuable info as a Congressman.
frances
December 12, 2011 at 12:33AM EST Reply to CommentClaire Danes broke my heart. I've struggled with Bipolar-Disorder for many decades and watching her brilliant portrayal of an exceptional woman dealing with a difficult mind was beautiful and so very sad. Watching Brody saying good bye to the family that he loves, knowing that the country will end up hating him was heartbreaking. Exquisite acting all around. Bravo!
virginia Me too, Frances, on the bipolar disorder front and the decades of struggle angle. Danes played it really well. I was mentioning the show just this afternoon to a friend and commenting that Carrie is obviously meant to be a manic depressive but hadn't yet exhibited a full-on bout of mania. Tonight we got it. She -- and the writers -- nailed it. Including the relationship to music -- and that very thin line between being really really good at one's job and self-destruction.
December 12, 2011 at 1:01AM ESTJustin I This was the most emotional I've felt towards a show for as long as I can remember because it hit so close to home. I am bipolar II and couldn't imagine the pain of losing my career/life like Carrie did, especially with so much on the line. And when Brody was saying goodbye to his children I couldn't imagine them as anyone else but my toddler son as a teenager and how much he means to me. Brody is extremely committed but I do wonder if he has changed his mind after this episode. I couldn't imagine the show without him.
December 12, 2011 at 11:33AM ESTKathyB Frances, I was talking to my other half before the episode started. My primary concern was that Carrie had not had her meds for the duration of her time in the hospital. Danes has walked the line beautifully throughout this season with Carrie's secret. It could not have been more real or more heart rending.
December 12, 2011 at 12:21PM ESTvirginia It's def. been heartening to see such a fine actress take on this role ... and to feel okay watching her implode professionally with such commitment and grace because so many manic depressives experience this ... being totally stellar in their jobs and then reaching spectacular meltdown stages which are deemed career ending only because definitions of sanity are so narrow. I would wager that her experience playing Temple Granden (sic) gave her even more impetus. I'm Bipolar II with a brilliant Aspie son. It's an interesting dynamic. And it;s about time that American TV bring this stuff to the fore because it's everywhere all the time and always has been.
December 12, 2011 at 6:57PM ESTslobjones I'm bipolar and Clare Danes's performance was so realistic, it triggered a bipolar episode of my own! I am so pumped right now! Wheeeeee!
December 13, 2011 at 11:41PM ESTJrl
December 12, 2011 at 12:46AM EST Reply to CommentIf you didn't watch the spoiler scenes for next week, don't. Lined like they have away the store plot.
Jrl Looked, not lined. Sorry
December 12, 2011 at 12:47AM ESTsepinwall As a reminder, DO NOT DISCUSS ANY DETAILS OF THE PREVIEWS. PERIOD.
December 12, 2011 at 12:51AM ESTEric
December 12, 2011 at 12:49AM EST Reply to CommentThere were lots of little signs that Brody might have second thoughts. The most obvious one, off the top of my head, was when his son wanted to continue the conversation later. Kind of hard to do if you're blown up.
I think it's far more likely that the daughter or other family member gets blown up. In fact, it makes the most sense that the daughter and her bf, after seeing how strangely Brody acted at Gettysburg, look for the "gift" and blow themselves up.
It was interesting just how little Walker was even mentioned. That makes me think we will get a whole lot of him next episode. Will Saul confront David about Carrie's work and break the case? I think so. In the process, will David be revealed as the mole? Will it actually be Saul who confesses everything after seeing his protege's life go down the drain so soon after he is left by his wife? I think it has to be one of those two scenarios.
Justin The discovery of the daughter and bf makes me believe that Brody will not go through with his plan, at least not that day, but that they will figure it out.
December 12, 2011 at 11:35AM ESTABC The boyfriend is a goner. The autopsy will find ginger hair under his fingernails.
December 12, 2011 at 12:14PM ESTAlso, re: the mole:
http://soundcloud.com/moleymoleymoley/moley-moley-moley
franny7 More than thinking will he or won't he, I was literally saying out loud to the tv, Why is he doing this? The backstory of Isa isn't enough. He could just expose the truth about the drone attack, he could actually tell the whole truth of his experience, it's not like he did anything illegal at this point. He obviously loves his kids, and he must realize he's destroying their lives with this choice. It's too unbelievable to me, especially since he was shown to have resisted being turned all those years. Yes, he was broken, but the scenes with Isa showed him as someone who could be, was, healing, showed his humanity still intact.
December 12, 2011 at 5:31PM ESTEven if Isa's death put him over the edge with anger at the US, I just can't buy him staying with the plan after having been home with his kids.
I feel like there needs to be another piece, brainwashing or something, for it to be believable.
Having said that, I love this show, absolutely my favorite since Lost, and Carrie’s and Saul in this were amazing, acting and written.
Thomas I agree with Franny7 here. He was treated brutally for 5 years before Nazir showed him kindness. In those 3 years he completely forgives Nazir for allowing him to be tortured the previous 5. And the time he spends with Isa, is more important than the rest of his life with his own wife and children? He became so attatched to Isa, but barely tries to develop a strong relationship with his own son? It is not believable. Disappointing in my opinion because the show started off so strong.
December 13, 2011 at 1:25AM ESTZEKE Agree with Franny7 and Thomas completely on the subject of Brody. The show has established that he never broke, and for an intelligent, highly-trained Marine with a family of his own to make this radical transformation is a little too Hollywood for me. I like the show a lot, but have a hard time buying into the Brody premise.
December 13, 2011 at 7:23AM ESTJimAbbott'sRightHandMan I agree the Isa thing seems a bit thin as motivation for him to willingly kill himself. I'm sure he formed a bond with the kid (even though we only really got a few small morsels of that when they set up that part of the story), but a bond so strong he's going to opt out of a lifetime of being with his own kids just to avenge the memory of this other kid he spent a couple years with?
December 14, 2011 at 2:35AM ESTIf he planned all along to be a suicide bomber, I think he wouldn't have gotten so cozy with the kids and the wife. That just makes it harder.
I bet flashbacks will show that he just agreed to become an agent for Nazir as part of some plan to keep himself useful enough so they kept him alive. Without Isa alive anymore, he had no more value as far as tutoring the kid in speaking English. So I could buy that he agreed to this just as a self-preservation measure. Something he agreed to, never planning on actually doing it (and probably not honestly expecting to live long enough to be called on to go through with it).
But now that he's here, and it's clear Nazir has some reach in America, he's in a situation. If he backs away from the agreement, they'll just go after his family, right? So either he needs to disappear with the family (or get them protection -- Secret Service protection, as an elected official?)... or go through with it.
Maggie Q Part of me hopes that he is a double agent - that he's convinced Nazir he's working for him (and has real sorrow and anger over Isa's death) but when he realized how far Nazir wants him to go (violent action vs. exposing the VP, as Franny7 suggests) he confessed/confided to the CIA/David and is laying a trap for Nazir. Probably more wishful thinking than good plotting, but I don't want to give up on Brody just yet.
December 14, 2011 at 7:48AM ESTDaniel You guys are so right about motivation. Apart from the appallingly bad portrayal of spy tradecraft (the CIA's overseas mandate, all those documents effectively stolen from the CIA, etc., etc.), the motivation of Brody is simply implausible, so far.
December 14, 2011 at 9:42AM ESTHe is a soldier in Iraq and he is surprised when the army doesn't tell the public the truth? Puhlease! He becomes a 'sort of Muslim' but still gets drunk and bonks CIA agents (and if this is all cover, we see no hint of this).
Also, Abu Nazir has managed to turn two marines captured together into Muslims and to betray their country, one via a suicide bombing. Does Brody think he will get paradise and 72 virgins, or does he just think that having known someone who was collateral damage in a very messy war is reason enough to sacrifice all? It is just too unbelievable.
Now, I am enjoying the series, and this episode was classic, but examining the motive for a crime (betraying your country via a suicide bombing no less) has to be one of the cardinal rules of scriptwriting that Homeland seems oblivious to, unless there in one hell of a reveal next week that ties up 11 episodes of very loose ends.
There has been a lot written on the psychology of suicide bombing, by Scott Atran for example, but there is not the least evidence of any awareness of them reading anything.
Given that this is a spy genre, as we all know, the psychology of betrayal of one's country is right up there with the key essential ingredients. Maybe I will be more forgiving at the end of next week.
Ellen M.
December 12, 2011 at 1:01AM EST Reply to CommentWhat I really enjoyed the most was watching Mandy Patinkin's performance as Saul as he finally comes to realize what ails his crack agent Carrie - and the fact that he admits that he really knew something was wrong for some time. But in the Spook business I guess it's more important to stop the bad guys and ignore the personally problematic stuff. And, David looks like he is firing someone just like the VP requested - quite a convenient development for him. Thank you Congressman-to-be Brody. Especially since it's the key person putting the jihad jigsaw puzzle together. I did get tired of watching Carrie's mania - it just went on for too long for me. I am also not sure someone in her high tension job could actually hide this condition for very long.
I, too, am concerned about the finale next week. I can't imagine them blowing Brody up so soon. I would have preferred to see him go on undetected for much longer and for a more important mission. So, I guess we'll just have to see if he gets "blowed up real good" next week or maybe it might happen next season.
slobjones May the good Lord take a liking to you and blow you up real soon!
December 13, 2011 at 11:46PM ESTchristy
December 12, 2011 at 1:03AM EST Reply to CommentAgreed. I have no idea how they could resolve it in a way that's both satisfying and leaves enough material for more seasons, but I've loved everything they've done so far too much to worry about that now.
I loved that sense that both Saul and the daughter were getting that same horrible sinking feeling, for very different reasons. As you say, great subtle work by Patinkin. Loved it. Have I mentioned I love it?
Julian
December 12, 2011 at 1:09AM EST Reply to CommentAm I the only one that recognized the score from Francis Ford Coppola's The Conversation in this episode? Perfect fit thematically.
virginia
December 12, 2011 at 1:09AM EST Reply to CommentI love how coiled and intense Damian Lewis is in playing this part. The scenes of his caressing his children were so spooky -- I was afraid he might unwittingly harm them physically. He's just great at projecting the extreme inner tension and determination of this character. And Brody's take down of Carrie was brutal.
I really liked the comment that Carrie's father made to her about the difference between good gut and bad gut. So true. Wait 20 minutes before deciding to set the icebox on fire. I gather the Daddy is also manic-depressive. Well written and really well played.
Jessica is such a dolt.
Justin I agree, I hope she is the one to find the vest and blow herself up, which would be blamed on terrorists. Brody seems to be having second thoughts and this would strengthen his resolve and I think he would secretly work with Carrie to take care of Walker.
December 12, 2011 at 11:38AM ESTTrilby I too am out of patience with Jessica. She is one of those women where I think, what will she be when she gets older and loses those pixie looks? That's all she's got! She is a cipher.
December 12, 2011 at 11:05PM ESTM.A.Peel
December 12, 2011 at 1:16AM EST Reply to CommentI also think David is in on it. Brody's countermove was brilliant--he has a first-rate brain for a spy.
The scenes with Brody and his family emphasized doing what you believe it, ready to give your life for your beliefs. It's still hard to believe that a father would sacrifice the lives of his own children (i.e becoming fatherless), to avenge the death of someone else's child, regardless of the circumstances. There's got to be another twist.
BlackStar It is difficult for me to reconcile Brody's love for his family with his apparent wish to be a suicide bomber. I feel the same thing about Walker. Their motivation doesn't make sense to me.
December 12, 2011 at 5:17AM ESTAndrew It seems that Abu Nazir's son was more of a child to Brody (length, actions) than his own son.
December 12, 2011 at 9:37AM ESTEric To be fair, we don't know Walker's motives. Maybe he knows about Brody and even a mole in the government and is trying to stop him on his own. Under that theory, shooting the hunter was to avoid being arrested.
December 12, 2011 at 1:48PM ESTAs for Brody, Andrew correctly pointed out simple math (to the extent we think a decent amount of time elapsed with Brody-Abu Nazir's son). Brody didn't spend any time with his young while a POW. You could argue that avenging the death of an innocent child is something Brody would've wanted someone to do for his own son. Admittedly, it's a stretch, but like so much of this show, it's not really black or white.
aggfan I'm starting to agree with the two posters who think there has to be something more than avenging Isa to Brody's motives. Thinking he killed Walker is the other huge clue to Brody's beahvior. Let's see Brody found out or was led to believe that miliary brass or politicans somehow failed him and Walker, leading to their captuere and endangering future Marines by their false leadershp. I think Brody would sacrifice his life no matter what to right that wrong. This was also kind of hinted at in the funeral episode, where the drunk former Marine badgered Brody about what happened, how did you and Walker get trapped and captured, there's always a mistake, why are you dressed up now like the perfect toy soldier. It suggests that their platoon, or at least drunk guy and Brody, had a previous disenchantmnt with US military brass or politicians. That, combined with the peronal revenge for Isa, would I think be enough to explain his actions.
December 13, 2011 at 2:12AM ESTThe other interesting possibility is that Brody makes the video with the intention of following through, but is somehow prevented, perhaps by a change of heart or discovery by Dana. In fact, I woudln't be surprised if that video, not much longer than the clip we saw, is the scene played in the finale, letting the audience know the stakes and danger without giving any other plot elements away.
December 12, 2011 at 1:26AM EST Reply to CommentI love when Clark Johnson directs a episode of anything,he is just brilliant at his job!!!!
CrunchyFrog Yes! Go, Meldrick -- LOL! Johnson also directed ep. 1-5, "Blind Spot."
December 12, 2011 at 10:40AM ESTTrilby Meldrick! I loved Meldrick, the coolest cat on Homicide, apologies to Braugher.
December 12, 2011 at 11:08PM ESTRemy Yes he was the best on Homicide! Thanks for pointing out this was a Clark Johnson directed episode. That makes me love it even more. That guy is so damn talented.
December 13, 2011 at 3:47AM ESTCrunchyFrog He was under-rated on H:LOTS, I think. When you hear Clark speak as himself, you realize how fully and naturally he inhabited a character how is very different character from himself. Glad to see him working as a director on such a fine show as "Homeland." :-)
December 13, 2011 at 1:19PM ESTFairview
December 12, 2011 at 1:40AM EST Reply to CommentIt's interesting that both Brody on this show and Clay from Sons of Anarchy we're given arcs that would seem to naturally conclude with their deaths. Both are technically the villains, but on SOA , fans wanted Clay dead. With Homeland, fans seem to hope Brody will live for another season. Hey Alan, why are you rooting for one more than the other?
consideract Clay, as a character, has lost his creative tension to the point itbisxasy to stop caring about him. That tension just got revitalized,however, by Jax stripping him of power. As a character the potential for interesting developments just regenerated--Clay will be neutered but chomping at the bit. Brody is completely a character we care about. If we stop caring it will be because he blew himself up and sealed his fate, at which point he will be gone. Until that moment, Brody's tension, esp. with family, is compelling.
December 12, 2011 at 5:40PM ESTErika Herzog
December 12, 2011 at 1:42AM EST Reply to CommentI thought this was sort of a really bad episode, my least favorite so far. nothing the actors did had dimension and it just felt really clunky. and i knew what was going to happen way before it happened -- the indications were like flares along the road of this episode. i think the high quality and even higher level of acting has made me expect more from this show than maybe it can sustain each week. the less subtle the show is the worse it is to me. claire danes and her just add water support system (all of a sudden?!?), the manufactured moments of the family vacation -- it was all just really square and disappointing....
Trilby You have said this several times already. Give it a rest.
December 12, 2011 at 11:09PM ESTErika Herzog what are you talking about? i was talking specifically about this episode.
December 13, 2011 at 7:49AM ESTKEVIN
December 12, 2011 at 2:02AM EST Reply to CommentDec 05 - 9:30 am
I don’t know if I’m the only one who feels this way, but from the almost very beginning I felt like Saul is Abu-Nazir’s inside man. The show does a good job of making us viewers think that Brody running for political office is the mole inside the government, but with still 2 exciting episodes left, and a season 2 in developement, I don’t think they’d give it to us that easy. Think about it this way. What was the significance of showing the relationship at home between Saul and his wife? There’s more to it that meets the eye. Yes he’s always on call with the government, but what about being on call for Abu-Nazir? If he really was just a clean cut C.I.A. agent defending his country, would it really drive his wife to leave? Maybe. But to leave and go half way around the globe? No. At least I don’t think so. The whole relationship story between them was very fishy, and Saul is just always off to me. In the end of this episode he tells Carrie that Abu-Nazir has a mole inside the government, the same person that alerted Walker of the meeting, the same person who tipped off Eileen, the same person who slipped the man the razor blade during the interrogation. The show does a good job making you think it was Brody, but this show is too good, and has too many twists to make it that easy, we’ve come to know this. If you really think about it, there’s no way it was Brody. Brody just found out about Tom Walker’s involvement, and wasn’t told much else. We witnessed that. Brody was told to stay committed to whatever it is he’s set to do. Brody had no knowledge of the meeting between Carrie and the Saudi-Arabian diplomat. Since Walker and Eileen were meant to be working together, there’s no way Brody tipped her off because again, he had no knowledge of Tom Walker’s involvement. Abu-Nazir seemed to intent to keep Brody’s knowledge of Walker at a no knowledge at all. Plus, Brody had no idea that Carrie and Saul, and the C.I.A. were watching their house. Someone did though. Then lastly, during the interrogation of Brody’s former guard, they did get into a skirmish, but Brody seemed very real about getting payback and giving a firm “Fuck you.” to him. I would too if someone pissed on my face. So from judging by that, who does that leave? In my eyes, Saul. Saul knew of the meeting between him and the diplomat because he was there, and for once, he kept pretty quiet. Why this time? Then Saul was put on the job to go to Eileen’s house, search around, ect. But they were gone. Somebody inside who knew they were going there told them. Saul. Why did Saul wanna go get Eileen in Mexico himself? Who shot Fizel in the Motel room? It sounded professional, and with the authority Saul has in the C.I.A. he could’ve easily sent a team there to kill two terror suspects. We didn’t get to see who entered after Eileen climbed out the window. So Saul goes to get her in Mexico, travels all the way in a car back to D.C. making stops and showing a strange bond between the two. Talking about his life back home in the Middle East growing up. They could understand eachother. So he tells her who to leak out, Tom Walker, Abu-Nazir’s decoy. I know for a fact that Brody is just anothet decoy as well. Why? Because from real life expierence, we know terrorist organizations are much smarter then this. Now all the public eyes are on Tom Walker and Nicholas Brody, while Saul continues to do what he’s been doing. Oh, and back to the interrogation of Brody’s former guard, after the man slit his wrists, we see Saul saying a prayer as if it’s important and he cares of the man’s death. Maybe it’s out of respect for the man’s religion, but why would he lip it to himself so nobody could hear? Brody was the perfect decoy to make Carrie and the C.I.A. think he slipped him the razor, when in reality it was Saul. Saul was very, very uneasy during the polygraph test, and a man with his expierence could beat one. Why is the realtionship between Saul and his wife important? Because she left him because of what he’s doing for Abu-Nazir, she wants no part of it. Carrie seems to be home a lot, so why isn’t Saul? Saul has been a strange character all season long, but key in every episode. This is my opinion and could be all wrong, but for a show that’s the way Homeland has, it makes perfect sense. Carrie’s gonna find out, Saul’s gonna put her in danger, and Brody’s gonna save her. He was the “hero” who was really the “threat”, now he’s gonna really be the hero. That ns how I see it. Feel free to comment and let me know what you think. Oh and one last thing, why was Brody found with long hair, a long beard, and raggity clothes if Abu-Nazir took him in and cleaned him up? What happened to make him look that way again when the Military found him? These questions loom in my mind each and every Sunday, and I applaud Homeland for keeping me hooked. I'm about to finally watch "The Vest" 1:00 showing on channel 327.
madaboutmen I agree! I had the same question about how Brody was put back in the hole and found with his long scraggly beard. I still think he was programmed to believe that happened to him; being cleaned up and teaching the kid. Brodie will emerge a hero; expose the mole (maybe Saul, maybe the VP, maybe David) and kill Walker. We know for a fact that Brodie is booked for next season!
December 12, 2011 at 7:54AM ESTCrunchyFrog Kevin, please put some paragraph breaks in your messages. :-)
December 12, 2011 at 10:42AM ESTjustjoan123 Kevin, it seems to me you are confused on what a mole is. A mole works deeply under the radar, and his whole reason for existence is to subvert operations from a vantage point of safety. No one has ever positioned Brody as a mole, or thought he was manipulating Walker or Aileen or anybody. He has been suspected outright as being a terrorist, then seemingly cleared in order to continue to operate without suspicion. He is operating on his own, under orders from, or in collusion with, Abu Nazir. Big difference.
December 12, 2011 at 3:03PM ESTKEVIN @CrunchyFrog hahahah, sorry about that. @justjoan123 No, I know exactly what a mole is, but to the average viewers who don't think deeply and don't grasp the show 100% would 9 times out of 10 go "Oh yeah, Brody's the mole. He's running for office, in the government, and leaking info." No, he's not. I know that, and viewers like you and many others know that because that is not what a mole is, like you just said. Homeland does a good job of selling the idea of Brody being the one everyone needs to be concerned about, that's what the normal viewer would suggest. Me on the other hand, knows what a mole is and I know it's gonna be someone that's so deep nobody would have a clue. In my eyes, Saul or David is the one. Or maybe Carrie is so fucked up and crazy that she is and doesn't even know it herself.
December 12, 2011 at 3:30PM ESTTrilby Tl:dr. Paragraphs are good.
December 12, 2011 at 11:09PM EST@DiggyDoggie
December 12, 2011 at 2:22AM EST Reply to CommentI really think that we will not find out the mole but suspicions shall be raised. Methinks they'll catch walker and he'll be water-boarded and he'll spill his guts and drop dime on Brody. Brody goes on the lamb and Carrie is also on her own. Carrie will not be restrained by any superior and shell be kept in the loop by Saul. Just my opinion I could be wrong. The writers (from 24) tend to give us John From Cincinnati moments like Brody being the sleeper, then not being the terrorist, then being the terrorist, So its kind of a "Some Things I Know and Some Things I Don't Know" Me, I just say I don't know Butchie instead.
KEVIN
December 12, 2011 at 3:05AM EST Reply to CommentNow after watching "The Vest" I must say I'm excited for the season finale. So excited that when this episode ended I yelled "Fuck!" I wanna know now! In my opinion, Brody is not gonna go through with this and it's all gonna be a set up stint to get the mole on the inside, Walker, and Abu-Nazir completely 100% exposed. There's no way Brody hits the button, there's gonna be a season 2. I was so violently angry to see David show up at Carrie's door after what Brody did to Carrie from making that phone call. I was enraged by that. So now, with the special 90-minute finale coming, I say Dana finds out, I'm still pretty suspicious with Saul, and I think David and Brody have a connection and David is the mole. Remember, there are multiple agencies within the C.I.A., and if David is in fact a mole, then Brody is a Double Agent. He got Carrie fired purposely to keep her out of danger. But at this rate, who knows what is going to happen. I was on the edge of my seat when Dana was about to open the package, I've been on the edge of my seat all season long. Homeland, I love you. No TV series has had me this hooked since HBO's Generation Kill series. I'm not a big Dexter fan. But anyway, Homeland, I'm excited for the Finale, but will be extremely sad to not see the show again until season 2. I hope this gets released onto DVD's.
Catherine
December 12, 2011 at 3:15AM EST Reply to CommentWhat is the name of the actor who plays Carrie's dad?
KEVIN He played Dr. Larry Banks in Meet The Parents. His name is James Rebhorn.
December 12, 2011 at 3:22AM EST
December 12, 2011 at 8:00AM ESTaforkosh
December 12, 2011 at 3:27AM EST Reply to CommentThe series is based on a Israeli series, right? I assume that the Israeli series probably involved a soldier captured by a Palestinian group. I'm curious how close the American series is tracking to the general outlines of the Israeli series.
Chuck I read an interview with the creators, it's not. They've said it bares very little resemblance to the source material.
December 12, 2011 at 2:25PM ESTmaryploppins
December 12, 2011 at 4:08AM EST Reply to CommentUmm. WOW. That's pretty much what I'm left with at the end of that episode - a lot of "WOW" and "holy SH#%". This is great stuff man ... I am just so impressed with this show up until this point. Every week I keep expecting that this'll be the episode where they take it in some screwy direction and the momentum will go away, but every week it just keeps getting better. I still think it's nearly impossible to continue this through season 2, but I am damn impressed thus far, that's all I know.
Having a couple bipolar family members, Carrie's story definitely hit home for me and was just extremely interesting. I can't say whether every part of it was realistic, but I just know that many key aspects of it really had me thinking.
And the fact that Brody's daughter is now suspecting something's up is also really interesting. When she was trying to open the package in the trunk of his car I was yelling at my t.v., "YES!! OPEN IT!!" Lol.
I was also screaming like hell in the last scene when David and team were tearing down all Carrie's work from the wall. I was NOT expecting it to go that way at all ... I was expecting the same thing Alan did - that Brody would show up and try to kill Carrie.
Anyway. Wow, can't wait till next week. I hope they don't end this on too torturous of a cliffhanger!!
Erik
December 12, 2011 at 7:10AM EST Reply to CommentWhat about the possibility that Brody has decided to go through with the plan of blowing himself up, but the vest is faulty and doesn't explode when he hits the trigger forcing him into rethinking his plan on the fly.
My thought from the first episode though was when he was returned to the US, he was told the Vice President would be greeting him. I thought right away...How does he even know who the Vice President is if he's been locked away for 8 years? Made sense after knowing he was with Nazir and saw him on TV.
debbie
December 12, 2011 at 9:42AM EST Reply to CommentIm interested to see how they come out of this with their leads. Unless Brody is pulling some kind of bait and switch here, he will end up dead or in jail. Carrie is in a jackpot, not for being mentally ill, but for concealing it, as well as illagal survalience, stealing documents, sex with a suspect, all manner of things. There will have to be some big deux ex machina for her to get out of that mess.
Woundering if Walkwer is actually going to be the hero of the whole thing, as we have no idea of his motivations.
Alli
December 12, 2011 at 11:15AM EST Reply to CommentJust want to mention the contrasting reactions I had to the surprises and twists in this show and the surprises and twists in Dexter. During last night's Dexter, my whole family was cringing and yelling at the TV, seeing the twists before they were revealed and getting angry at the direction the show was moving. That's never happened with Homeland. I may have had some suspicions about particular characters, but the show has consistently been surprising without seeming to be trying too hard. The surprises have a purpose. And at this point the only direction the show could go in that would make me angry is for Saul to be the mole...but I could also see them being able to explain that in a way I could understand. Just an incredibly well-done season so far, and I can't wait to see how it ends and how it sets us up for next season.
Dan3320 I didn't read past the first sentence here, but assuming you went on to discuss Dexter plot points, I'd have to say that is a "no-no" for Alan's spoiler rules. Discuss Dexter elsewhere.
December 12, 2011 at 12:37PM ESTjer
December 12, 2011 at 11:37AM EST Reply to CommentThe surveillance wasn't illegal. They got a warrant, even if it was a few days late, it's could be enough for Saul to save Carrie's job.
Justin There's no way Carrie will ever get her security clearance back, in fact, I would say she'd be lucky not to have any charges filed against her.
December 12, 2011 at 11:44AM ESTMaybe it's better to not have anyone from the inside spying on her anymore.
ZEKE I would think that David being the mole would provide the perfect opportunity for Saul to erase/discredit his (David's) actions against Carrie in this episode and provide opportunity for her reinstatement (at least in tv land). Still, David as the mole seems too easy for this show...
December 13, 2011 at 7:42AM ESTDaniel Please, enough of David being the mole. He is one rung under the DCI. What, you think he also helped confuse things on 9/11 and he's been on Osama's payroll since training at Langley?
December 14, 2011 at 9:54AM ESTDavid is being the typical managerial boss in any police, spy, army, etc. role. He's got to the top (or where he is now) because he knew when to be sycophantic to power and who to fire to cover his ass, not because he was ever a super spy.
Enough already.
Eric
December 12, 2011 at 11:40AM EST Reply to CommentSince I've already professed my admiration for this show, I want to point out two potential errors.
One, why wasn't Carrie's sister called to the hospital? Was she unavailable? Had the CIA intervened to keep things under wraps? That would have avoided Carrie slipping into her abnormal state.
Two, perhaps more telling, is Carrie's work product. The big reveal was a timeline? Huh? Isn't that one of the first things anyone logically would do? I don't see how that is so remarkable (other than being color-coded).
Dan3320 Eric, I don't think the timeline was intended to be a "big reveal". It was more to show how even in Carrie's manic state of mind, she can still put together clues and develop a work product far superior to most, even if she isn't mentally able to finish the product.
December 12, 2011 at 12:39PM ESTEric Dan, I get your point. But...I don't know if Carrie was doing all of that work in her manic state (which would support your idea) or if that was the result of much effort prior to the explosion. Again, a timeline does not seem superior but actually pretty basic. I'm not even sure the colors were necessary. Maybe deciphering the dates of events was difficult, but the whole thing seems like an underwhelming revelation about Carrie's skills.
December 12, 2011 at 1:56PM ESTSJGMoney I'm guessing the timeline was more than just memo/event dates grouped together. Many terror plots have mulitple pieces that take years to come together, and some pieces appear random yet were the start of something much bigger. It appeared Carrie grouped some new pieces together, with the end result showing an empty gap in time where nothing was being done, no beginning of plots etc followed by an intense pickup in activity.
December 12, 2011 at 4:40PM ESTIn her manic state she immediately processes this to coincide with Brody's time with Nazir, but she should have listened to her father. Her bad gut said to immediately call Brody and ask him questions. Her good gut would not have lit the refrigerator on fire, it would have figured out that Brody knows exactly what happened during that time and that he is still involved, just as she thought in the beginning.
Susan
December 12, 2011 at 12:22PM EST Reply to CommentBrilliant acting by Danes and Patinkin, Carrie just broke my heart and yeah the Emmy is hers to loose.
I hope Saul ins't the mole....
fraac
December 12, 2011 at 12:38PM EST Reply to CommentFantastic! Give Clare Danes an Emmy right now. Riveting stuff. Alan, I think you worry too much about story arcs - this show is brilliant when we're getting honest character interaction and I don't care what happens next. #claredanesbigrubberyface
Dan3320 I think when you watch and analyze TV shows for a living, you almost HAVE to overthink plots and story arcs. Otherwise you end up getting too invested and too emotional to produce a rational, logical review.
December 12, 2011 at 12:41PM ESTEric
December 12, 2011 at 1:50PM EST Reply to CommentWhen the family trip was being finalized, it seemed to me the perfect alibi and safety mechanism for Brody. I had thought he knew about an attack in the area and was trying to keep his family safe by taking them to PA. I guess I was waaaaay wrong.
justjoan123
December 12, 2011 at 3:29PM EST Reply to CommentI would dearly love to know whether the trip to Gettysburg was made because the terror-tailor's ship was there, so that Brody could pick up his vest, or whether the t-t traveled to Gettysburg and worked from a local shop in order to accommodate Brody's trip. Pretty despicable either way, but if the former, then a real betrayal of his family.
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