Inside Television with Alan Sepinwall

Review: 'Homeland' - 'Two Hats': Great expectations

Brody resurfaces, and Saul looks into Quinn

By Alan Sepinwall Sunday, Nov 25, 2012 10:56 PM

Morena Baccarin in "Homeland."

Credit: Showtime

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A quick review of tonight's "Homeland" coming up just as soon as I find a pay phone...

As with tonight's "The Walking Dead," I didn't get to see this episode until right before the holiday began, so I don't have time to address "Two Hats" at the length I might in a normal week(*).

(*) And Showtime told critics tonight that the last three episodes of the eason won't be available in advance, meaning those three reviews will be written on either very late Sunday night or, more likely, Monday morning.

Instead, let's go straight to the bullet points:

* Carrie, Saul, Estes and Quinn spend much of the episode wondering if Brody being in the presence of Abu Nazir might be enough to undo their deprogramming efforts. That doesn't seem to be the case — though note that Brody does not tell the CIA agents that he and Nazir prayed together during the night — but it nicely parallels what's happening with Mrs. Brody, as spending the night in a hotel suite with Mike is enough to at least temporarily rekindle their relationship. Given that Jessica and Brody's sex life has been non-existent, and that she knows that Brody has been lying about being around Carrie — and that, as Dana notes, everyone's life has been largely worse, not better, since Brody came home — it's not hard to see where Jessica is coming from. And as with the Jessica/Brody sex scenes last season, the explicitness of this one has value from a character standpoint, as the contrast between the strained/humiliating sex she and her husband had and what she and Mike do is important. This is a man she is comfortable with, as opposed to how she is with her husband.

* The title "Two Hats" refers metaphorically to Peter Quinn, or whatever his real name is, since we discover he's actually some kind of black ops assassin assigned to make sure Brody is dead the second the operation is completed and his services are no longer required. This adds a whole new level of complications for the remaining episodes, even with Roya and most of Nazir's local terror cell in custody, because sooner or later Saul will tell Carrie what he knows, and Carrie will of course run to warn Brody, and Brody's loyalty might turn again, and then... a mess. A big, big mess.

* If I hadn't spotted F. Murray Abraham's name in the credits, I certainly wouldn't have recognized him as the man Quinn met on the bus, but it's good to have Louis CK's Oscar-winning uncle around. Presumably, we'll see a lot more of him in ensuing episodes.

* Loved the mutual bluffing going on during Saul's interview with Quinn's policewoman baby mama. Carrie is our protagonist, and rightly so, but every time Saul is placed in charge of an interrogation, it's not hard to envision a version of the series where Mandy Patinkin is the star.

* I know that 9/11 occurred in the "Homeland" universe, but it was still interesting to hear Nazir explicitly refer to Osama Bin Laden. I'm trying to imagine the show's alternate history and how these two men's terror campaigns intersected.

What did everybody else think?

Alan Sepinwall may be reached at sepinwall@hitfix.com

Alan Sepinwall
Sr. Editor, What's Alan Watching

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

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

Next 144 Comments

James

Season is going to end with VP being killed by Abu Nazir personally, ala Daniel Pearl and KSM with Brody on the run. FYI.
November 26, 2012 at 12:04AM EST Reply to Comment
- Crusty Maybe, but I'm guessing that those codes that Nazir had Brody steal from Estes are going to come into play. I think the camera batter bombs plan was a misdirection by Nazir - there will be more to come. Remember, the shooting last year was a misdirection for the Brody's suicide bombing.
  November 28, 2012 at 10:37AM EST
- unclevanya You didn't like what Dana did? Well if Dana saw that her stupid mother had jump in bed with Mike Again. Maybe she was pissed. The kids are right next to her and there sho goes. That's what I didn't like. Hold your undies on Jess. Your kids need guidance.
  November 30, 2012 at 2:19PM EST
Atta

I wasn't liking the fact that Dana refused to talk to Brody on the phone, it was almost as if she wouldn't be there to talk him down like last seasons finale. So when I saw Quinn with the gun I thought Brody was a goner or there was a second plan from Brody to blow himself up again.
November 26, 2012 at 12:05AM EST Reply to Comment
- Hank Scorpio Dana was really annoying in this episode. Loved the Mike smack down on her teen anger.
  November 26, 2012 at 12:15AM EST
- Hank Scorpio In other Mike news, why is he always cooking now? Is that going to prove important to the plot later?
  November 26, 2012 at 12:55AM EST
- becca it's supposed to show that mike contributes to the family / provides for them in a way brody doesn't or can't. at least that's my read.
  November 26, 2012 at 1:23AM EST
- Brendan Noel @Mr. Scorpion, perhaps Mike is actually a super lame Mike Ehermentraut reincarnate.
  November 26, 2012 at 1:48AM EST
- Big Ad Dana is always annoying.
  November 26, 2012 at 12:28PM EST
- goodoldnumbernine maybe Mike could cook breakfast for Walter JR, have a nice cross over episode
  
  November 26, 2012 at 1:31PM EST
- amylavi So much viewer hatred for Dana! Enough already. I really think that she is meant as some kind of a counter-point to all of the crazy stuff that's going on, a kind of moral center. And, she needs to act like a somewhat normal, if disaffected, teenager. So, I don't think it is that terrible that this 15 (?) year old girl chooses not to speak to her increasingly absent father, who essentially abandoned her for the first (or so) 8 years of her life. I thought Mike's speech was spot-on and it gave her a kind of reality check that her mother seems incapable of giving since she is so put out by Brody's absence.
  November 26, 2012 at 1:32PM EST
- Dave I @AmyLavi, I think it's understandable for a teenage daughter to not want to speak to her dad after feeling slighted, that's the stuff kids do. It would be pretty lame if her rationale was her dad had abandoned her (he was a POW for crying out loud), or eventually realize he was forced to by some CIA-driven objective to not turn herself in to the police.
  
  I think she was meant to be a bit of a counter-point reality check, and maybe this was meant to emphasize that Brody has no real strong connection to anybody in his family at the moment. So I would not be expecting Dana to talk him down this time. If he is still being played by Nazir (who knows?).
  
  Mike was great. However, that did somewhat sadly show how much Brody has lost his family, yet again, and illustrate how Mike had for a long time become the patriarch of the Brody household.
  
  -Cheers
  November 26, 2012 at 5:12PM EST
- shortstopk The actress playing her really doesn't deserve the crap she gets, because she does a phenomenal job. Easily the best kid actor on TV right now. I wouldn't bat an eye if she were nominated for an Emmy. Others have been nominated for much less.
  November 27, 2012 at 11:00AM EST
- Big Ad @SHORTSTOPK I agree. The actress playing Dana is awesome. It still doesn't mean her character can be annoying at times. Personally, I liked the way they used her the first season...this season, not so much.
  November 27, 2012 at 11:17AM EST
- Will The Dana character is horrible. She is constantly whining and just hearing her voice is starting to give me a visceral reaction after a while I just want to say enough of her already. I don't think the actor is bad its just the position the show conistantly puts her in is annoying
  November 27, 2012 at 2:55PM EST
- shortstopk Just to be clear, her presence is annoying at times. But she comes across as a genuine surly, teenage girl and I think she's mostly justified in the things she's being surly about. She's an impediment to the main character, so in that sense it's frustrating to watch, but she's a compelling and realistic impediment IMO. I would contrast it with Skyler White in the first couple of seasons in BB. I though it took them a while to get a handle on how to include her in the story without making her seem either shrill or clueless. Anyway, I have few complaints. Chris is far more annoying - "my whole family is in danger, but look - big screen tvs!"
  November 27, 2012 at 3:07PM EST
- Big Ad @Shortstopk- it's funny you mention Skyler from BB...I was thinking of the same comparison...I agree, she was very annoying the first couple of seasons. Her and Dana are my top two annoying characters...lol. But I agree, it's because they are "an impediment to the main character".
  November 27, 2012 at 3:39PM EST
- PA As with the Skyler hate, I really don't get the Dana hate. She's a teenager. Her dad is a morally sketchy disturbed person who is absent, keeps disappointing her and is the cause of her life being turned upside down.
  
  I can't blame her for acting out, as I couldn't blame Skyler for her reactions to her husband being, well, everything you wouldn't want your husband to be.
  November 27, 2012 at 5:50PM EST
- Big Ad Yeah, but Skyler was no saint...remember her famous, "IFT" line?
  
  And with Dana, I get the purpose of her role, but she was way over the top with the car accident...showing up at the hospital, funeral, the girl's house, then begging to turn herself in...the victim's daughter finally had to chill her out so she wouldn't ruin their pay day (all of this would have been more believable if Dana was the driver of the car).
  November 27, 2012 at 6:06PM EST
- PA I'm not claiming saintlyness for any of these people, but I'm also going to fault anyone for showing a conscience. (of FT when your drugdealing particularly unpleasant husband refuses to leave you alone when asked, for that matter).
  
  November 29, 2012 at 7:39PM EST
- Dave I I'm w/ PA. Skyler was no saint because she F'd T? C'mon, her husband did all kinds of terrible stuff. Granted, I'm the person who sympathizes with Skyler, found Gus to be fair in a drug kingpin sort of way, and still sort of hope for redemption for Walt. Plus, a show full of saints would probably not be as interesting.
  
  As for Homeland, these people are making mistakes (or in Dana's case, being a pretty typical annoying-at-times teenager) under some pretty hard circumstances. While I may not agree with all of their actions, I do find a great deal of sympathy for most of the characters. That may just be more a reflection of me, I am not sure, but take it for what it's worth.
  
  -Cheers
  November 29, 2012 at 11:56PM EST
- Some Guy @shortstopk I would say that Maisie Williams from Game of Thrones is easily a better actress than Morgan Saylor, but maybe that's because she has a vastly better character to play.
  December 1, 2012 at 10:07PM EST
HarryR

Maybe this is knee-jerk. Personally, this may have been one of my favorite episode.
November 26, 2012 at 12:06AM EST Reply to Comment
- Dan3320 I don't know about favorite, but I certainly LOVED this episode alot!
  November 26, 2012 at 11:37AM EST
cass

that apartment that Brody's family in could not be in DC as stated. Maybe in VA. DC doesn't have tall buildings like those shown in the views out.
November 26, 2012 at 12:08AM EST Reply to Comment
- chuckie Well, yeah. The showrunners make no effort to hide the fact they film in NC. Brody calls Carrie from the Stonewall train station, which is located in Charlotte. Last year, I almost choked during the bombing in "Farragut Square."
  November 26, 2012 at 12:36AM EST
- Jamie and why did they hide and protect the family in an apartment seemingly made entirely of floor-to-ceiling windows?
  November 26, 2012 at 7:01AM EST
- M.A.Peel Jamie, I thought the same thing. And then Dana goes over and stands by the window. You're never allowed to do that in a TV safehouse!
  November 26, 2012 at 3:14PM EST
- jack_is_laughing I think the concern is for them being taken hostage, not being shot by a sniper. But now that Nazir's plan has been foiled, there would be concern for retribution, if he suspects Brody.
  November 26, 2012 at 3:20PM EST
- TavernWench I thought immediately of the Watergate Hotel. It's got those huge windows and truly luxurious suites. The JW Marriott is also centrally located and about as close to a high-rise hotel as DC gets.
  November 26, 2012 at 3:48PM EST
ClayDavis

Feels like next week is the twist week. And while i agree the VP is gonna die, i think its not the finale, i think its next week. then the dust is left to settle with how to deal with the moles aka estes and quinn.
November 26, 2012 at 12:20AM EST Reply to Comment
- Pallas Why do you see them as moles? The mole protected Nazir and his plans; Estes seems to be pursuing Nazir full-on. He does however have a grudge to settle with Brody.
  November 26, 2012 at 12:41AM EST
- Shar quinn and estes definitely aren't moles. they're operating a mission to assassinate brody (orders from daradaal?) because he's too high profile/potentially indoctrinated terrorist and it would be far too risky to let him live (their opinion, certainly not mine). quinn's basically an assassin for the CIA and takes orders from estes and daradaal (likely butchering the spelling).
  November 26, 2012 at 12:54AM EST
- Barb I finally found it on-line. It's Dar Adul.
  November 26, 2012 at 9:20PM EST
Randy

How did Saul and co. know to search the apartment where "Peter Quinn" was staying?
November 26, 2012 at 12:26AM EST Reply to Comment
- Sarah Saul and Carrie had asked them to look into him much earlier on. They I ky now got around to his apartment, I guess.
  November 26, 2012 at 1:19AM EST
- Alex They became suspicious of him and basically wanted to do a background check on him, which involved them searching his apartment.
  November 26, 2012 at 1:24AM EST
srpad

I keep thinking the show is straddling the "24 line" like the end of last week's episode but they have always recovered. This was a good episode. One question: I was a little distracted in the beginning, what made them investigate Quinn in the first place?
November 26, 2012 at 12:27AM EST Reply to Comment
- Dan3320 Basically, neither Saul nor Carrie had ever heard of Quinn before, which would be rare for an analyst of his caliber to be unheard of. So Saul and Carrie decided to do some digging into his background. This was in like, episode 2 or 3. So it is just panning out now.
  November 26, 2012 at 11:39AM EST
- TavernWench Thanks for asking, I wondered the same thing! And double-thanks for the answers.
  November 26, 2012 at 3:51PM EST
Randy

How did Saul and company know to search the apartment where "Peter Quinn" was staying?"
November 26, 2012 at 12:28AM EST Reply to Comment
- Alfa Romeo Carrie was suspicious of Quinn from the very first day they met. In an earlier episode Carrie had asked Virgil to check Quinn out.
  November 26, 2012 at 12:45AM EST
- Janis I got the impression that Carrie didn't know what they found in Quinn's apartment. Thought it was because they didn't want her confronting him like she did to Brody in the hotel room.
  November 26, 2012 at 12:16PM EST
MJL

Write a comment...Fantastic episode, but I can't be the only one to be wondering this: Why in the world would the CIA and Estes think Abu Nasir would be, literally, at the parking lot of the hamburger place and take THAT huge of a risk of something going wrong? They really thought he'd be in the getaway car or something, and then they're shocked when it's not him? No way a terrorist as smart as Nasir would be that close to an actual attack.

Otherwise, fantastic episode. Loved the stuff with Quinn and was so hoping Brody's son Chris would walk in on Jessica and Mike and then need even more years of therapy then he'll already need.
November 26, 2012 at 12:36AM EST Reply to Comment
- Dezbot Chris has been pretty clueless so far, hasn't he?
  November 26, 2012 at 1:22AM EST
- gina I think Chris is a goner. Brody wants the CIA to put hte whole family is a safe house..but they won't because they still need Brody. Nazir is alive... he needs Brody...so he kills Chris and tell him Dana and Jess will die too unless he follows Nazir.
  November 26, 2012 at 1:46AM EST
- Dan3320 I don't see them killing Chris, as that wouldn't really pay off emotionally. How many of us are actually invested in Chris, aside from just the simple fact that he's a kid and related to Brody? I know I'm not.
  
  As for Nazir being in the parking lot, I have to agree. That scene was a stretch from start to finish. Still loved the episode though.
  November 26, 2012 at 11:41AM EST
- TSill Nazir told Brody he was going to take care of the attack "personally," remember? Thus, it's not inconceivable that he would've been in the car.
  November 26, 2012 at 8:33PM EST
- MJL @TSILL, I forgot about that, thanks for the reminder. Still seems like a crazy risk for Nasir to take, especially since he's not 100 percent sure he could trust Brody anymore.
  
  November 26, 2012 at 9:27PM EST
- Daniel It is basically like the law of gravity. . . good spy thrillers have god spycraft.
  
  Abu Nazir wasn't planning to die a martyr, but he had that in mind for many others, one imagines.
  
  As for Carrie having to detail over a wire what she saw, FFS, they had a dozen opportunities to feed the video to HQ, and could have used infra-red vision to work out who was in the cars, even if it would have not profiled correctly Nazir.
  
  They simply can't be that incompetent.
  
  But it keeps the plot going for another week.
  November 27, 2012 at 8:01AM EST
- PA 'Personally' could mean a whole range of things. That line was a bit of a contrivance from the writers, IMO, as it would be completely unexpected for a major international terrorist to be at the site of an attack, even a major one.
  
  Still, solid episode.
  November 27, 2012 at 5:53PM EST
Haik Mendelovich

Good episode. I actually buy Nazir running loose in the US, because he looks very, very different shorn, and is not easily recognizable. OBL could have shaved, but his distinctive height and features would have made him impossible to hide.

I like that Nazir sneers at Osama for not being hardcore enough. When (parallel?) universes collide...

And I like that Quinn turns out to be a very, very black hat. I suspect that it will take Saul or Brody to deal with him personally in the end.

My Suspend Disbelief moment this week had to do with Jessica and Mike's tryst.

Mike's dumb, but even he would realize that every room in that safe house is wired, and even if Jessica didn't, would she really risk being discovered by her very inquisitive daughter?
November 26, 2012 at 12:45AM EST Reply to Comment
- Me I'm thinking Mike doesn't care so much if this little fling is found out. Brody and Jess might break up and he gets the entire annoying family all to himself. It's really Jessica's business to keep things quiet and if she'll take the risk, he will too. I actually think Mike will die in the season finale, perhaps while protecting Jess or the kids from Brody's own attack?
  
  November 26, 2012 at 4:48AM EST
- Dave I Mike's not dumb. The woman he loved and was practically ready to marry came into his room in the middle of the night, stripped, climbed into bed, and put her hands down his pants. Presumably waking up to that (or being awake thinking about that), it would be har . . . erm, difficult, to say no. And yes, I am sure we all thought it was risky and that Dana a/o Chris would catch them together. Still, I can see that happening. Her marriage is falling apart, Mike has been there where Nicholas has not, and he is right there. It was a calculated risk. Besides, she knows Brody cheated on her with Carrie, is seeing her and lying about it now, and maybe thinks/realizes their marriage is practically over at this point. Her daughter more or less said she wished Brody never came back, while Mike took charge of getting them to safety. I bought it. As for the house being wired, I do not see how that matters. Who is really going to hear they screwing and tell Brody "your family is in a safe house and everybody is alright. And, oh by the way, we think Mike violated your wife"? That seems a little unlikely.
  
  -Cheers
  November 26, 2012 at 5:23PM EST
- Haik Mendelovich I meant from a privacy POV.... Who would want to have relations when they *know* a roomful of strangers are listening, possibly watching, and certainly recording?
  
  A possible discovery by Dana is the icing on the cake. Would responsible adults do that?
  
  In the Brody house, before going on the lam, sure.
  
  Under these circumstances?
  
  No way.
  November 26, 2012 at 6:08PM EST
- Dan @Haik: this season is all about surveillance sex. Carrie and Mike are clearly pro voyeurism. Aint no fun if the homies can't listen to none.
  November 26, 2012 at 6:20PM EST
- Dave I @Haik, it may have been foolish. I can still see them losing themselves in the moment under those circumstances. Plus, you could argue they do not care a/o that Jessica might want to sabotage the marriage at this point, what with Brody being increasingly AWOL and having been in contact with Carrie and what all that might (and from what we know, does) entail. As for screwing around one room down from the kids? Irresponsible, sure. Foolish? Absolutely. However none of that is all that hard to imagine. It did not seem too much of a stretch to me.
  
  -Cheers
  November 26, 2012 at 7:04PM EST
- T 16-year-old daughters wouldn't just burst into Mike's room. Dana would knock ... or get to the door and just figure her mom was in there.
  November 26, 2012 at 8:34PM EST
- Dave I @T, good point. Plus, not to get too graphic, however as a married parent of two I have found you learn to lock the door and keep things quiet. Discretion is your friend. Granted, that is not the same as having an affair with your spouse's best friend next door to your sleeping kids, however there are ways to be inconspicuous about those sort of arrangements. Plus, yeah, a 16-year-old would probably know not to just bust in on them. She might be furious a/o grossed out, however chances are she'd knock or figure things out and leave. If not, that's what locks are for.
  
  -Cheers
  November 27, 2012 at 2:02PM EST
Shar

quinn and estes aren't moles. they're operating some kind of secret mission to assassinate brody (orders from daradaal?) because he's too high profile/potentially indoctrinated terrorist. quinn's basically an assassin for the CIA and takes orders from estes and daradaal. they searched his apartment because in his first episode, carrie asked them to follow/look into him because she didn't trust him initially (never having heard of him and not trusting that he was supposedly in beirut).
November 26, 2012 at 12:51AM EST Reply to Comment
Ellen M.

I did enjoy this episode because there was some actual spying going on.

Loved that Saul was looking into Quinn (but want to know what sparked this). Agree with Alan, that when they let Mandy P. take the reigns - he is the commanding center of the show.

Glad they redeemed Mike and that Jessica was with him again. Much more natural pairing. Good that Mike took Dana to task about her attitude regarding her dad and their dangerous situation.

Very murky about Brody and where he stands between Abu Nazir and Carrie/CIA. He seems to be driven to a large degree by personal loyalties at this point so a ping pong match seems to be in order between Nazir and Carrie.

The best part was finding out that Quinn is a black ops assassin watching Brody. It explains his quirky and detached behavior. It also gives Estes more credibility in some ways. But I can't help thinking this will not end the way he thinks.
November 26, 2012 at 12:55AM EST Reply to Comment
- Dan3320 Seems that a lot of people have forgotten the earlier scene where Carrie is suspicious of Quinn and asks Virgil to check him out. This happened in the episode where we first meet Quinn.
  
  A top-notch CIA analyst who would be assigned this type of mission certainly couldn't fly under the radar so much than neither Carrie nor Saul has ever heard of him. Thus, the suspicion.
  November 26, 2012 at 11:43AM EST
- Ellen M. That all certainly makes sense. I just wonder why it took them until this later episode to pursue the actual monitoring of Quinn. It might have been more suspenseful if we knew this was going on during earlier episodes.
  November 26, 2012 at 12:27PM EST
Eric11

anyone else find it hard to believe that Saul would driver a Volkswagen....??

:-)
November 26, 2012 at 1:24AM EST Reply to Comment
- Haik Mendelovich Nah.
  
  After the WWII generation, that kind of anti-German (and Japanese) product grudge mostly went away.
  November 26, 2012 at 1:28AM EST
- snowlarbear company car?
  November 26, 2012 at 2:17AM EST
- stupid i'm jewish and i drive a volkswagen. so does everybody else in my family. your :-) is offensive -- this whole thread is ridiculous.
  November 26, 2012 at 2:27AM EST
dezbot

I was kind of hoping Quinn would kill Brody anyway, but I don't want Carrie to have another breakdown so quickly :-) Damn good ep. I liked that they addressed how surprised everyone was that Abu Nazir got into the country. Can't wait to see how the season resolves all these threads!!
November 26, 2012 at 1:28AM EST Reply to Comment
- John I think it's unlikely that he dies. But impossible? Come on.
  November 26, 2012 at 12:47PM EST
- Steller They killed Omar didn't they?
  November 27, 2012 at 12:35AM EST
- Ben Kabak omar was NEVER the lead actor on the show
  November 28, 2012 at 3:13PM EST
Alfa Romeo

Fantastic episode! A lot packed into one 48-minute episode!

A question from earlier this season: Did Brody ever disclose to the CIA that he stole some information from Estes' office safe? I wonder what the nature of that information was. Also, Roya supplied Brody with the safe's secret combination which makes us believe there is possibly a mole in the CIA.
November 26, 2012 at 2:12AM EST Reply to Comment
- TSill No...he hasn't revealed that...and I don't think writers would do well to let us figure he revealed it in a debrief we didn't see or hear about. Brody initially claimed he didn't know anything about the attack...but he knew what was on the info he swiped. This is probably a plot point we ALL overlooked...
  November 26, 2012 at 8:36PM EST
HarryR

Does anyone know who (excuse the spelling) Dara Dahl is? Did I miss this some how?
November 26, 2012 at 2:37AM EST Reply to Comment
- mgrabois Closed captioning had it as "Dar Adal".
  November 26, 2012 at 3:35AM EST
- JerseyRudy According to Saul he is a veteran Black Ops guy. He referenced Somalia in 1994, which was the Black Hawk Down time period
  November 26, 2012 at 8:20AM EST
- Dan3320 Yeah they said he ran a bunch of black ops missions back in the 90s. So if Quinn was reporting to Dar Adal, then clearly he wasn't just an analyst from Philly.
  November 26, 2012 at 11:44AM EST
Me

Did anyone else get the feeling Brody was playing Carrie right after the interigation? "Do you believe me? It's all I care about...". I think he's unsure himself which side he's on now, but he's trying to wiggle out of working for both. Maybe he's counting on the CIA to relieve him of Abu Nazir and counting on Carrie to save him from the CIA.
He has been encouraging her feelings for him, and while the attraction is partly genuine, he's also using her infatuation with him as backup.
I think the show has done well in one very important aspect- we're almost through season 2 and we're still not sure about Brody.
November 26, 2012 at 4:55AM EST Reply to Comment
- RAINCOAT You're spot on. Did you notice how a camera shot showed Brody's eyes move to the left when he said he'd told them everything at the interrogation? Classic body language sign of lying. Was he lying because he said he'd told them everything but (we know) he omitted telling them he prayed with Nazir?
  November 26, 2012 at 6:16AM EST
- amylavi Yeah, I would say that telling the CIA that you prayed with a Muslim terrorist would force them to question your commitment to taking said terrorist down. What this says about anti-Muslim sentiment at the CIA, though, is pretty disturbing. Couldn't Brody have genuinely converted to Islam while being held captive FOR 8 YEARS and still be committed to his new faith, without being assumed to be a terrorist sympathizer? Seriously, this is a real question I have.
  November 26, 2012 at 1:59PM EST
- jack_is_laughing If I recall correctly, we were told in season 1 that Brody had become an expert liar and had no obvious "tells." He even (apparently) beat the lie detector.
  November 26, 2012 at 3:26PM EST
- RAINCOAT Well, if he WERE a convert to peaceful Islam I'd find it perplexing that he would keep this a secret and pitch his professional ambitions behind what I assume is a Republican hawk Presidential candidate (correct me if I'm wrong; I'm a Brit). Also polygraphs are easier to beat than involuntary physical reactions.
  November 26, 2012 at 3:54PM EST
- jack_is_laughing Beating a polygraph is easier than beating involuntary physical reactions doesn't actually make sense: polygraphs measure involuntary physical reactions. You can beat either with a lot of practice and concentration, but neither is easy to do.
  November 26, 2012 at 4:58PM EST
- Dave I I think Brody is sincerely attracted to Carrie on some level. He acknowledges intellectually he's been skeptical however he is still drawn to her. That said, he's lied to her in the past. So he may be playing Carrie.
  
  My question is, how will these ambiguous scenes hold up? If he is lying, I suppose it will work fine. If he is telling the truth, will they then seem too conniving or intentionally murky? Looking back, the scenes that have been played too ambiguously (e.g. Saul on the polygraph, Brody and the guy with the razor blade in the interrogation room, etc.) seem a little hollow. Like they were played more for the surprise than any real substance and no real satisfactory answer has come from some of those scenes.
  
  -Cheers
  November 26, 2012 at 5:31PM EST
- Alfa Romeo The polygraph talk reminded me of George Costanza's quote in Seinfeld: "Jerry, just remember, it's not a lie if you believe it."
  November 26, 2012 at 6:33PM EST
- Daniel None of this actually works if Brody really believes in life beyond the grave.
  
  The whole notion of modern suicide bombers is that you don't have to die in a wave of soldiers facing the Crusaders in order to be sure of paradise. You just need to be part of a jihad operation where you die fighting, not (I repeat NOT) from your own hand.
  
  Brody, obviously, believes in an Islamic afterlife. Otherwise, he wouldn't even be an orthodox Muslim or pray.
  
  So . . . he might not want 72 virgins in heaven who become virgins again after every act of sex, but there is no way he doesn't factor in his eternal soul when thinking is way out of this.
  
  Put simply, if you want to blow yourself and countless others up, you better be sure it makes a difference in this life and hope there is some reward in the next for such an action.
  
  Or an I missing something here?
  
  November 27, 2012 at 9:09AM EST
- Dave I @Daniel, it actually does work. It works for the same reason suicide bombers actually happen in real life. Some believe that they are doing God's/Allah's will when they do so. Some are merely coerced into doing so. Either way, Islamic radicals agree (or get talked into) suicide bombings even if/when they believe in the traditional afterlife. Granted, doing so sort of ignores the parts in the Bible/Koran that are pretty clearly against killing innocent people.
  
  However, in the case of Brody specifically, remember he's been brainwashed by a radical Islamic terrorist. His view of things will understandably be warped (or they were, I am not sure we are even supposed to know precisely where his head is at right now).
  
  -Cheers
  November 27, 2012 at 1:47PM EST
- jack_is_laughing Yeah, but an important point of Homeland is that neither Brody nor Walker are automatons controlled by Nazir. They both wanted the Vice Prez to pay for the attack on the madrassa. Killing innocent civilians and govt employees to accomplish that effort negates any legitimacy their efforts might seem to have to them, but their core motivations are their own. Nazir simply takes advantage of that. We don't know if Nazir intentionally lured the US Govt to attack the madrassa, which wouldn't be surprising, but regardless Brody wants vengeance.
  
  I'm not sure Brody was ever operating out of a compulsion to do "God's will" either. He was willing to put on a suicide vest and kill many people, most of whom had nothing to do with the madrassa attack. But he has also had ample opportunity to shoot the Vice Prez in the head before and after the incident in the bunker, which means vengeance isn't his main motivator. But he is also willing to turn on Nazir and his operation. If he believes Nazir is doing "God's will" then turning on Nazir is turning on his faith.
  
  I think it's hard to know what Brody's motives really are, because his behavior is so conflicted and contradictory.
  November 27, 2012 at 2:20PM EST
- Dave I @Jack . . . I tend to think of Brody as viewing it part revenge, part will of God. However, that was immediately following his return. Now, as his flashback said/implied, he does not believe killing innocents is the right thing nor the will of God/Allah. Granted, that might be misdirection, however I think it was sincere when Brody/Nazir said they believed each man has to decide for themselves what God wants them to do.
  
  I agree, Brody's motives are complicated. However, I like that because coming from eight years of brainwashing to reintegration to being ousted as a traitor to being offered immunity then being re-captured by Nazir and having been held captive by him for the twelve hours (or whatever). It would seem insincere if he were NOT conflicted. Of course, it seems a tad unrealistic they do not have some certified psychiatrist monitoring him and instead leave it up to (the incredibly emotionally compromised) Carrie to be his handler. But that's TV, I suppose.
  
  If nothing else, it makes an interesting story and compellingly conflicted characters. Not to mention these conversations.
  
  -Cheers
  November 27, 2012 at 2:38PM EST
- Daniel Sorry to add a little bit of reality to all of this, but eternity is a long time ("especially near the end", as Woody Allen famously said), and if you are going to risk your own death on a holy venture, well, you better make damn sure you don't spend eternity in hell for making the wrong decision.
  
  This is simple Islamic theology. And if anyone remembers Sleeper Cell, these sorts of things were discussed often because, traditionally, Muslims do not know they will end up in paradise. If your bad deeds outweigh your good deeds, you don't make it to paradise. Which is what makes suicide bombing so attractive: if you die while carrying out an attack, you get your virgins and the rest of eternity in a nice place, not being tortured with Satan and the infidels.
  
  You can convert to Judaism and not believe in the after life, but it makes very little sense of Islam for all those references to paradise not to be taken seriously.
  
  So . . . if Brody does make a type of Pascal's wager, and decides to follow Nazir's orders and expects carte blanche access to heaven, you would think he might show some sign of weighing up those options, even if only to Nazir, to keep his cover credible.
  November 28, 2012 at 10:16AM EST
- Dave I @Daniel, the reality (if you want to call it that) is even people who profess to believe in God or worship under various religions (including Islam and Christianity) have done horrible things, often in the name of God, Jesus, Allah, etc. While that does not make it right, it does happen. Pretty regularly at that.
  
  I see what you are saying. However, fanatics believe in what they are doing. As for Brody, we do not know what he is thinking. People make mistakes. Maybe Brody is making one. Or maybe he turned over Nazir's plans in part because of religious considerations. I DO think he was considering the weight of what Nazir was asking of him, if only because of their talk about the will of Allah and how each man has to decide for it themselves. Still, if Brody buys into Nazir's plan and thinks that is Allah's will, it is not that far fetched that he would cooperate with Nazir's plans. Especially if he thinks that he is carrying out an attack by killing the VP. Admittedly killing 300 soldiers returning home is a harder pill to swallow. It is important to realize, Brody's version of Islam is filtered through Nazir's ideology.
  
  Now you have gotten me thinking. I think Brody is weighing all of this stuff internally. Really, who does he have to discuss this stuff with? Any sort of discussion like that probably happened over the eight years he was with Nazir. Plus he was broken down with torture and psychological manipulation. I wonder if maybe that sort of balancing the options happened internally and we saw that, only it was in the smaller, more awkward moments after his return. It took a while for him to get far enough removed to question these things. Maybe we should be seeing more of Brody considering the consequences. The main reason I think you do not is he spent time in captivity and is now working in secret, whatever side he is actually on. Unless we have him talking to himself or making another video explaining his state-of-mind, I am not sure there is much opportunity for him go be frank in weighing his options or bluntly laying out the pro's and con's of each side with anybody. Even Carrie would be probably a little freaked out if he started talking about the advantages of avenging Issa, taking out corrupt high-ranking U.S. politicians, and dying in a righteous cause that would lead him to eternity with their virgins, mansions, and paradise with Allah. As a CIA agent, even one who loves Brody, I would think that might be a pretty uncomfortable conversation.
  
  -Cheers
  November 28, 2012 at 10:36AM EST
- Daniel Hell, at least this series of posts considered weighty matters, like good and bad, heaven and hell, etc.
  
  But having watched The Traitor and two seasons of Sleeper Cell (not to mention reading books on sacred violence by people such as Scott Atran),I honestly cannot see how someone comes to worship a god, believe every line of his written word to humanity (the Quran), needs a burial for the book if it is treated with disrespect . . . . but makes life and death decision (for himself, his family and brothers in arms) on the fly, without even Googling fatwahs on Islamonline.com, or the precise rules of takiyya (lying when among the enemies of Islam).
  
  Sure, a lot of people are forced into suicide bombing in Islamic countries, but pretty much anyone not coming from that sort of background should at least ask "what's in it for me? or for my Muslim brethren."
  
  November 28, 2012 at 11:40AM EST
- jack_is_laughing I'm no theologian or expert on Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, etc, but I do know all of these religions are pretty specific on murder and killing the innocent (as well as the ramifications of such misdeeds) yet the faithful are also given numerous ways around such issues to justify war, an eye-for-eye, etc. I'd say the evidence of hypocrisy on this issue is rampant and common place in all major religions.
  
  My interest in Brody's motivations are more about the visceral reasons he is making certain choices over others, not really his personal philosophical reasoning, although I think you both brought up some interesting points. I just don't think we really know enough about Brody's relationship to his religion to say how it governs his behavior. For instance, as an American and a service member, I'm betting Brody would treat the American flag with as much respect and adoration he did his copy of the Quran. However, that obviously hasn't stopped him from engaging in acts of sedition and treason against his country.
  
  There's a lot of irony and conflict in Brody. I'm just trying to understand his basic motivations.
  November 28, 2012 at 1:17PM EST
Mike!

I am borderline done with this show. I shake my head every 5 minutes about something ridiculous going on. Oh I'm starting to think Saul is the mole and theses Estes/Quinn shenanigans are just a run around. Which if that happens I'll be done with this show for good.
November 26, 2012 at 8:43AM EST Reply to Comment
Bebimbap

What ever happened to the vest that Brody decided not to blow up?
November 26, 2012 at 9:00AM EST Reply to Comment
- jeff That's a great question
  November 26, 2012 at 11:29AM EST
erika_herzog

I found this episode to be wildly all over the place -- and not in a good way. It's like whoever structured it felt the need to double-underline everything three times and then highlight it and asterisk it.

To met it was all plot and no fun -- except the aforementioned interview scene with Saul.

The nakedness with Monica B. was really unnecessary in my opinion. It didn't add anything to the scene and took me right out of any sort of emotional connection they may have had.

And dear lord could Dana be more annoying? I semi feel bad for the actress playing her but she grates on my nerves every time I see her or hear her talk.

There was a level of simplicity to the episode that bordered on dumb. If all of this stuff is supposed to be complicated and interesting it's really not working.
November 26, 2012 at 10:58AM EST Reply to Comment
- Another Guest It's Morena, not Monica, but otherwise I tend to agree. I don't find this show as gripping or compelling as I used to.
  November 26, 2012 at 11:34AM EST
- Guest Did anyone see the Homeland sketch on SNL when Anne Hathaway hosted? I can't stop picturing them when I watch Homeland now. It was hysterical. You can catch the SNL episode on demand.
  November 26, 2012 at 12:25PM EST
- Steve Dana is a 16 year old girl...she is supposed to be annoying. I think the actress playing her is doing a great job.
  November 26, 2012 at 12:43PM EST
- @GUEST ha ha ha
  November 26, 2012 at 6:17PM EST
- Alanna I had a different reaction to the sex scene. It reminded me that, unlike so many other premium cable shows, Homeland uses sex and nudity quite sparingly. Many series seem to delight in getting the characters (especially attractive women) naked as often as possible. But, if I remember correctly, this is only the fourth nude scene in the whole series -- three were Baccarin, including one last year which was meant to show her awful new sex life with Brody. Then there was the extreme full-frontal in the prostitute/harem audition, which actually served a point in the story.
  
  I'm not a prude. I'm quite happy to see sex scenes and naked bits if there is a *point* to them. But all the nudity on shows like GoT (which, fwiw, seemed to back way off on it halfway through S2) was quite annoying because it seemed like "Oooh, look at all the nekkid ladies we can show onscreen!"
  
  (I wonder if part of this is because the very attractive leads, Danes and Lewis, have no-nudity clauses in their contracts. We've seen Brody's bare behind, but that's it.)
  November 26, 2012 at 8:17PM EST
Dan3320

I absolutely loved this episode. When it ended, for some reason I was thinking this was the penultimate episode of the season. So happy there are 3 more! I am really glad they saved this whole Quinn storyline for this part of the season, as they were running the risk of too much Brody/Carrie. And any excuse for a Saul interrogation is A-OK in my book.

My one beef: the scene in the parking lot of the restaurant with Roya inside. First, would such high-operating terrorists really just pull into a parking lot in broad daylight and start moving things from a dark SUV into a news van??? Seemed a bit far-fetched. And second, no way in hell Nazir would ever ben there. Why would he risk that exposure? Seems silly that everyone on this CIA mission would expect Nazir to be there.

I hate complaining because this is honestly my favorite show on TV. But that scene was the first one that actaully made me question it during the episode, rather than after reading all the negative comments on here.
November 26, 2012 at 11:49AM EST Reply to Comment
- Another Guest "First, would such high-operating terrorists really just pull into a parking lot in broad daylight and start moving things from a dark SUV into a news van??? Seemed a bit far-fetched."
  
  Makes me think this was a set-up so that the CIA would think they'd gotten good intelligence from Brody, but something else is actually going to go down. Those particular terrorists were just collateral damage.
  November 26, 2012 at 11:53AM EST
- Dan3320 I could see that being the case, but I'm not convincned the badass ninja gun guy would be collateral damage - same with Roya. They seem too pertinent.
  
  My prediction is that Nazir finds a way to contact Brody again, and the conflict becomes a battle between Nazir and Brody, with the CIA trying to help...but not really because it's two "terrorists" in their eyes going to war.
  November 26, 2012 at 4:19PM EST
amylavi

I am confused about what Saul intended in his interview with the Philadelphia policewoman, aka Quinn's ex and baby mama. Was he trying to be as conspicuous and not-an-IRS-guy-at-all as he could be? Was his plan to freak her out so much that she did call Quinn and set in motion what ended up happening? If so, why was he so confident after Quinn found out that it was Saul that no one would follow him as soon as he left the not-CIA place they're all hanging out in?
November 26, 2012 at 2:02PM EST Reply to Comment
- Dan3320 Good questions. My take was that Saul just wanted SOMETHING - ANYTHING from the baby mama. If she was willing to start spilling the beans about who Quinn really was, great. If she was super criptic like she was, then fine, they'll just monitor Quinn more closely.
  
  As for the latter part of your question, Quinn probably didn't expect that Saul would have immediately called Virgil, who would immediately tail Quinn.
  November 26, 2012 at 4:22PM EST
- timidwildone Saul is no dummy. He knew walking in that trying to pull one over on a cop would not be a simple endeavor. That was part of the game, though.
  
  He knew she'd be skeptical, he anticipated that she wouldn't say much (if she did, that'd simply be a bonus), and it was guaranteed she'd contact Quinn immediately after the meeting. He didn't go to Julia for information...he went to her as a catalyst. It's a parallel to how they tracked Brody: get him spooked and he goes to his "handler". Quinn did just that, and it led to some definitive proof that Q isn't who he says he is. Saul knows Dar Adal and has a pretty clear idea of what they're dealing with now.
  November 27, 2012 at 9:26AM EST
Dan

I thought it was a good episode, but not great. It annoyed me a bit that they were surveilling Quinn (although I have faith in where the plot is going based on it). The scene w/ Quinn in the limo was intense. But Dana is getting really, really annoying. I really hope they don't focus on her at all in the last 3 episodes.
November 26, 2012 at 2:37PM EST Reply to Comment
Shirley

Homeland the very best show on television hands down. A great job the producers did in choosing the right actors and actress's for these characters. I love seeing Morena Baccarin as Brody's wife,she is a wonderful actress,kudos to the Homeland "Powers. To Be".
November 26, 2012 at 3:12PM EST Reply to Comment
- Dave I I like Homeland, at times I love it. For me, that is the problem. When it is good, it is usually great. When it stumbles, it is in such stark contrast to what works that it takes me out of the show.
  
  While I can respect your opinion, I tend to find Mad Men, Breaking Bad, and if we're allowing golden oldies The Wire to be (or have been) much more consistently great. Homeland can be pretty great. Sure, I'll buy that. Best show on television, hands down? Not so fast...
  
  -Cheers
  November 26, 2012 at 4:59PM EST
Dave I

I mostly liked it. Saul and the interrogation of Diana (I believe) was great. His wide-eyed innocence as the IRS agent named Richard and the two playing each other was nice. It is good to have both sides in an interrogation played intelligently. I was not sure why that meant she would call Quinn and then he would immediately go to his Spec Ops handler. Maybe it will make sense later, however that seemed a bit . . . weird. Mike & Jessica worked. Mike was great as the surrogate father figure. It worked well with Mike laying down the law on Dana and just the familiarity with how they went back to being a family with Mike as a part of it. It was kind of sad yet felt natural watching them function that way.

Some things did not make sense. They seemed to trust Brody too much. In fact the whole "is he or isn't he" double/triple(?) agent thing has gotten old. I think he just wants out, or SHOULD just want out, however they are making it look an awful lot like Nazir won him back over and that Roya was bait. Which means Brody is still in play and playing Carrie, or at least planning on blowing somebody/something up for Nazir and this was all a ruse. Maybe it is not. Either way, the trickery has gone on too long. Just move on. In this case, I think they are writing this in a way that is different than I think they should be. I think Brody gave them a red herring and Nazir will involve Brody in the real plan. Hence his shock that split second when they thought they got Nazir (which you can read a couple of ways). I kind of hope I am wrong. I just want them to play Brody straight-forward at this point and tell a straight-forward yet strong narrative for the rest of the season. You can only play the dramatic narrative twists so many times. I believe we have long since passed that point. The other option is this was a test for Brody. If he told the CIA, he failed and is a good guy (by our standards), if he did not something different would have happened when Brody got to the ceremony. The more I think about it, that seems equally viable. Ultimately, I suspect they will have Brody be a hero a/o find redemption.

I also just think Quinn is weird. Not so much his role or that he is a Black Ops agent, just how he responds to things. Now that we know he's Black Ops, what really WAS the deal with him hand-stabbing Brody? Why did he have to immediately have to meet meet with the head of the Black Ops guy because he figured out Saul made him, or was at least looking into his past? How are the two related? Not sure why they want/need to kill Brody. That seems like it would be messy, although no messier than a POW congressman being a sleeper-cell terrorist agent. Still, if/when Nazir's dead what do they gain by killing him?

I am also not sure why Carrie is there any more. Really? Why would they still want/need her there? If she is as conflicted as everybody acknowledges she is, that seems like a huge wildcard. And where is her dad a/o sister? They signed on for her to do the one final job going to Beirut. Now she's practically there full-time? Is she getting paid for this? Why is her therapist not calling? It's great TV, I am just not sure it really makes sense.

Saul as the protagonist . . . While I like Carrie as the epicenter of the show, I could easily see a show where Mandy Patinkin a/o Saul was a (if not THE) protagonist. I am starting to agree more with a comment from last week's episode that they should show more Saul, both inside and outside of work.

-Cheers
November 26, 2012 at 4:42PM EST Reply to Comment
- Alfa Romeo "Not sure why they want/need to kill Brody."
  Estes' primary allegiance is to the VP. The fact that the VP was behind the drone attack that killed innocent children, including Isa, was wiped off of all govt. records. But Brody knows the VP sanctioned the attack as mentioned in Brody's suicide tape. Perhaps Brody had to be killed so the truth never gets out.
  
  "I am also not sure why Carrie is there any more."
  Carrie is supposedly an expert on Nazir as she has been tracking him for many years. She knows how he thinks and operates and hence they always value her opinion on him.
  
  "Why is her therapist not calling?"
  Last season Carrie was self-medicating for the fear that if she goes to a psychiatrist she will end up losing her security clearance and her CIA job. But since her mental illness has been outed she has undergone shock treatment and has probably been put on some regular meds and so she is supposedly more stable this season than the last one. She no longer has a job at the CIA but is serving as a consultant until they get Nazir.
  
  November 26, 2012 at 7:15PM EST
- keith Yeah, Carrie is fine now. The whole plot would be pretty foolish otherwise.
  November 26, 2012 at 8:53PM EST
- Dave I @Alfa, I guess. It just seems like they only brought her back for that one contact that would only talk to Carrie. And yes, she was right about Brody (queue suicide-bombing confession video). Still, it seemed like she just kept hanging around so they let her. It feels like they should have formally made Carrie . . . SOMETHING! Given her old job back, made a paid assistant, something. Still, even with her expertise, she is too much of a cliche loose canon.
  
  As for killing Brody? Your explanation makes sense. Still, killing him is messy, and just on a personal level it seems terrible to kill a guy who was brainwashed during eight years as a POW. I mean, he's only in the position with the VP because they thought they could use Brody to get the VP elected President. I suppose it makes sense, however why not just spin it as he was a double agent and then put him into seclusion?
  
  -Cheers
  November 27, 2012 at 1:54PM EST
- Dave I @Keith, thet is kind of the point; Carrie is NOT fine now. That is why her father & sister were freaking out about her going into Beirut for them, much less working for them full-time. She had a VERY regimented life presumably important for her recovery that has been obliterated. When she almost got captured in Beirut she looked totally manic. She's screwing Brody's brains out and looks like a lovesick teenager. It is apparent she is totally emotionally tied up in this, and given her past history this seems remarkably unhealthy for her mental health. So I would argue she is holding it together for now, however she is pretty far from alright. I think the plot is inherently a bit foolish, however I also think it is more believable because Carrie happens to be very good at her job and has excellent instincts that nobody else working on the Nazir case has (maybe Saul, although he seems more of a solid & calming influence than the genius mind Carrie is). Plus, they are desperate (although they are stretching that just a bit with how erratic Carrie acts at times).
  
  -Cheers
  November 27, 2012 at 1:59PM EST
- keith I was being sarcastic. The plot is ridiculous.
  November 27, 2012 at 2:32PM EST
- Dave I @Keith, sorry. My sarcasm-dar must be malfunctioning.
  
  And yes, agreed. It's interesting yet at times ridiculous, on a level they almost have to work at. I guess I'm still watching though. I have to credit that to the actors more than anything.
  
  -Cheers
  November 27, 2012 at 2:41PM EST
keith

Exciting and all but I think I will give up on Homeland after this season. Getting too silly.
November 26, 2012 at 5:33PM EST Reply to Comment
- Dave I Care to elaborate? Not saying I agree with your or not, just curious where you are coming from.
  
  -Cheers
  November 26, 2012 at 5:42PM EST
Mulderism

A bit off-topic, but that's the first time I've seen Tim Horton's coffee in an American show. Does anyone in the US even know about Tim Horton's?

I had a cup when I was in NYC last year. It doesn't taste as good as the Canadian version. In fact it tastes more like DD coffee to me.
November 26, 2012 at 6:46PM EST Reply to Comment
- MoreTears Since Tim Horton's has stores in America (something you know since you say you had a cup of Tim Horton's coffee in New York), obviously there are people in America who "know about Tim Horton's."
  November 26, 2012 at 7:47PM EST
- Mulderism Well its obviously a paid product placement. Dunkin Donuts was also shown in the episode. I know Tim's has been trying to break into the US market but I don't know how well they are doing.
  November 26, 2012 at 8:00PM EST
- timidwildone Doing quite well here in metro Detroit. I believe they're partnered with Wendy's in several markets, which is nice since Wendy's doesn't "do" breakfast.
  November 27, 2012 at 9:29AM EST
Dyonysus

I still can't trust Brody, there is no way a guy of his conviction will be turned so easily. I believe that the members caught by the CIA are just bait, considering a terrorist mind set, it's not crazy to think that they would take it that far just to have an opportunity for a bigger impact.
November 26, 2012 at 8:43PM EST Reply to Comment
- Dave I Maybe they were bait a/o a test for Brody, and he did not know it? That seems likely. Nazir maybe thought Brody was still loyal to him, yet was not quite willing to be in the car, so everything was real except for that? Part of me thinks that was totally legit and maybe Nazir just had some reservations (hence he was not in the car) and once Brody sold him out he has to go to plan B (or C or whatever it is at this point). We'll see, I am not entirely sure yet.
  
  -Cheers
  November 27, 2012 at 2:44PM EST
Dyonysus

I still can't trust Brody, there is no way a guy of his conviction will be turned so easily. I believe that the members caught by the CIA are just bait, considering a terrorist mind set, it's not crazy to think that they would take it that far just to have an opportunity for a bigger impact. I wonder what everybody else think?
November 26, 2012 at 8:45PM EST Reply to Comment
- Alfa Romeo I think Brody is on the fence and can be persuaded either way. Last season finale Brody was all set to detonate the vest but later decided not to after hearing from Dana. Now Dana is not talking to him, his marriage is on the rocks, the CIA has this threat of imprisoning him for life and he may or may not find out about being in the crosshairs of Quinn/Estes. So Nazir may be able to flip him again EVEN IF Brody was leaning towards the CIA.
  November 26, 2012 at 9:29PM EST
- Dyonysus Actually, he did detonate the bomb after hearing from Dana, but it didn't go off.
  November 26, 2012 at 10:07PM EST
- Alfa Romeo Watch it again. First Brody flips the switch but the bomb doesn't go off. He then goes into the bathroom, fixes the problem as indicated by a green light in the vest coming on, walks back to where the VP is, and was just about to flip the switch a second time when he is interrupted by a call from Dana. Dana insists that Brody promise her he will be home. Brody promises her and therefore decides not to detonate the bomb. Hence my belief that Brody can be persuaded to be on either side of the fence.
  November 26, 2012 at 10:34PM EST
JJ

Has Carrie's relationship with Virgil been explained? He certainly has a good amount of access...and how about the brother, anyone think he may end up having a bigger role? He did say a few episodes ago "I'm not a mute."
November 27, 2012 at 1:38AM EST Reply to Comment
- Dave I From what I read online (do not really remember this being explained too much), Virgil is a former CIA agent who went freelance. Not sure they've gone much beyond that with his past. As for Max, they definitely made him seem MUCH more capable. I like that in one sense, however I wish they'd have been consistent. He seemed borderline inept last season, and it's Virgil's bare-bones budget package since he has a normal team of two other guys when he's working at full budget.
  
  Overall though, it makes sense for Max (Virgil's brother) to be competent. Kind of like Michael Scott, sure he's a bit socially awkward or just introverted, however he is still bound to be capable a/o learning to warrant his employment even as Virgil's brother (similar to Michael Scott being a terrible manager yet a pretty compelling salesperson). It was weird to see Max more competent than Virgil in how he broke into Quinn's apartment, took photos of how everything was arranged, and generally seemed to more instinctively know what was going on.
  
  So yes, I think they will give him a bigger role. I like it even if I do have the previous qualms about character depiction. Nothing I cannot roll with though.
  
  -Cheers
  November 27, 2012 at 2:52PM EST
- Miles Dave, there was never any indication that Max was incompetent at all. He was timid and his brother talked down to him, but that's about it. He moved pretty quickly and expertly in rigging Brody's home with surveillance and hasn't messed anything up yet. He broke into Quinn's place unnoticed and found key evidence, he snapped a surreptitious pic of Dar Adhal, and he snapped a well-timed pic of Brody getting abducted. He's always been good at his job.
  November 28, 2012 at 12:15PM EST
- Dave I @Miles, I can see that. I think I may have assumed he was second rate because A) he was timid and B) he was not the Plan A. But yeah, he did fine with Brody's house (although I was probably under the working assumption that he was just doing what Virgil told him), and he sure looked like part of the A-Team in how he handled surveying Quinn and breaking-into-and-scoping-out of Quinn's place. It just seems like they realized he could/should be a cool character and suddenly made him go from confident to Rain Man. Not that I am necessarily complaining. It's just like Huell the pickpocket (for all of you Breaking Bad fans). I can buy it, they just never really set us up to expect that level of expertise out of him. Of course, with Max I can totally let that fly since he's a quiet guy whose brother probably just overlooked.
  
  -Cheers
  November 28, 2012 at 3:25PM EST

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Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

James Season is going to end with VP being killed by Abu Nazir personally, ala Daniel Pearl and KSM with Brody on the run. FYI.

Crusty Maybe, but I'm guessing that those codes that Nazir had Brody steal from Estes are going to come into play. I think the camera batter bombs plan was a misdirection by Nazir - there will be more to come. Remember, the shooting last year was a misdirection for the Brody's suicide bombing.

unclevanya You didn't like what Dana did? Well if Dana saw that her stupid mother had jump in bed with Mike Again. Maybe she was pissed. The kids are right next to her and there sho goes. That's what I didn't like. Hold your undies on Jess. Your kids need guidance.

Atta I wasn't liking the fact that Dana refused to talk to Brody on the phone, it was almost as if she wouldn't be there to talk him down like last seasons finale. So when I saw Quinn with the gun I thought Brody was a goner or there was a second plan from Brody to blow himself up again.

Hank Scorpio Dana was really annoying in this episode. Loved the Mike smack down on her teen anger.

Hank Scorpio In other Mike news, why is he always cooking now? Is that going to prove important to the plot later?

becca it's supposed to show that mike contributes to the family / provides for them in a way brody doesn't or can't. at least that's my read.

Brendan Noel @Mr. Scorpion, perhaps Mike is actually a super lame Mike Ehermentraut reincarnate.

Big Ad Dana is always annoying.

goodoldnumbernine maybe Mike could cook breakfast for Walter JR, have a nice cross over episode

shortstopk The actress playing her really doesn't deserve the crap she gets, because she does a phenomenal job. Easily the best kid actor on TV right now. I wouldn't bat an eye if she were nominated for an Emmy. Others have been nominated for much less.

Big Ad @SHORTSTOPK I agree. The actress playing Dana is awesome. It still doesn't mean her character can be annoying at times. Personally, I liked the way they used her the first season...this season, not so much.

Will The Dana character is horrible. She is constantly whining and just hearing her voice is starting to give me a visceral reaction after a while I just want to say enough of her already. I don't think the actor is bad its just the position the show conistantly puts her in is annoying

Big Ad @Shortstopk- it's funny you mention Skyler from BB...I was thinking of the same comparison...I agree, she was very annoying the first couple of seasons. Her and Dana are my top two annoying characters...lol. But I agree, it's because they are "an impediment to the main character".

PA I'm not claiming saintlyness for any of these people, but I'm also going to fault anyone for showing a conscience. (of FT when your drugdealing particularly unpleasant husband refuses to leave you alone when asked, for that matter).

Some Guy @shortstopk I would say that Maisie Williams from Game of Thrones is easily a better actress than Morgan Saylor, but maybe that's because she has a vastly better character to play.

HarryR Maybe this is knee-jerk. Personally, this may have been one of my favorite episode.

Dan3320 I don't know about favorite, but I certainly LOVED this episode alot!

cass that apartment that Brody's family in could not be in DC as stated. Maybe in VA. DC doesn't have tall buildings like those shown in the views out.

chuckie Well, yeah. The showrunners make no effort to hide the fact they film in NC. Brody calls Carrie from the Stonewall train station, which is located in Charlotte. Last year, I almost choked during the bombing in "Farragut Square."

Jamie and why did they hide and protect the family in an apartment seemingly made entirely of floor-to-ceiling windows?

M.A.Peel Jamie, I thought the same thing. And then Dana goes over and stands by the window. You're never allowed to do that in a TV safehouse!

jack_is_laughing I think the concern is for them being taken hostage, not being shot by a sniper. But now that Nazir's plan has been foiled, there would be concern for retribution, if he suspects Brody.

TavernWench I thought immediately of the Watergate Hotel. It's got those huge windows and truly luxurious suites. The JW Marriott is also centrally located and about as close to a high-rise hotel as DC gets.

ClayDavis Feels like next week is the twist week. And while i agree the VP is gonna die, i think its not the finale, i think its next week. then the dust is left to settle with how to deal with the moles aka estes and quinn.

Pallas Why do you see them as moles? The mole protected Nazir and his plans; Estes seems to be pursuing Nazir full-on. He does however have a grudge to settle with Brody.

Barb I finally found it on-line. It's Dar Adul.

Randy How did Saul and co. know to search the apartment where "Peter Quinn" was staying?

Sarah Saul and Carrie had asked them to look into him much earlier on. They I ky now got around to his apartment, I guess.

Alex They became suspicious of him and basically wanted to do a background check on him, which involved them searching his apartment.

srpad I keep thinking the show is straddling the "24 line" like the end of last week's episode but they have always recovered. This was a good episode. One question: I was a little distracted in the beginning, what made them investigate Quinn in the first place?

Dan3320 Basically, neither Saul nor Carrie had ever heard of Quinn before, which would be rare for an analyst of his caliber to be unheard of. So Saul and Carrie decided to do some digging into his background. This was in like, episode 2 or 3. So it is just panning out now.

TavernWench Thanks for asking, I wondered the same thing! And double-thanks for the answers.

Randy How did Saul and company know to search the apartment where "Peter Quinn" was staying?"

Alfa Romeo Carrie was suspicious of Quinn from the very first day they met. In an earlier episode Carrie had asked Virgil to check Quinn out.

Janis I got the impression that Carrie didn't know what they found in Quinn's apartment. Thought it was because they didn't want her confronting him like she did to Brody in the hotel room.

Dezbot Chris has been pretty clueless so far, hasn't he?

gina I think Chris is a goner. Brody wants the CIA to put hte whole family is a safe house..but they won't because they still need Brody. Nazir is alive... he needs Brody...so he kills Chris and tell him Dana and Jess will die too unless he follows Nazir.

TSill Nazir told Brody he was going to take care of the attack "personally," remember? Thus, it's not inconceivable that he would've been in the car.

MJL @TSILL, I forgot about that, thanks for the reminder. Still seems like a crazy risk for Nasir to take, especially since he's not 100 percent sure he could trust Brody anymore.

PA 'Personally' could mean a whole range of things. That line was a bit of a contrivance from the writers, IMO, as it would be completely unexpected for a major international terrorist to be at the site of an attack, even a major one. Still, solid episode.

Dan @Haik: this season is all about surveillance sex. Carrie and Mike are clearly pro voyeurism. Aint no fun if the homies can't listen to none.

T 16-year-old daughters wouldn't just burst into Mike's room. Dana would knock ... or get to the door and just figure her mom was in there.

Ellen M. That all certainly makes sense. I just wonder why it took them until this later episode to pursue the actual monitoring of Quinn. It might have been more suspenseful if we knew this was going on during earlier episodes.

Eric11 anyone else find it hard to believe that Saul would driver a Volkswagen....??:-)

Haik Mendelovich Nah.After the WWII generation, that kind of anti-German (and Japanese) product grudge mostly went away.

snowlarbear company car?

stupid i'm jewish and i drive a volkswagen. so does everybody else in my family. your :-) is offensive -- this whole thread is ridiculous.

dezbot I was kind of hoping Quinn would kill Brody anyway, but I don't want Carrie to have another breakdown so quickly :-) Damn good ep. I liked that they addressed how surprised everyone was that Abu Nazir got into the country. Can't wait to see how the season resolves all these threads!!

John I think it's unlikely that he dies. But impossible? Come on.

Steller They killed Omar didn't they?

Ben Kabak omar was NEVER the lead actor on the show

HarryR Does anyone know who (excuse the spelling) Dara Dahl is? Did I miss this some how?

mgrabois Closed captioning had it as "Dar Adal".

JerseyRudy According to Saul he is a veteran Black Ops guy. He referenced Somalia in 1994, which was the Black Hawk Down time period

Dan3320 Yeah they said he ran a bunch of black ops missions back in the 90s. So if Quinn was reporting to Dar Adal, then clearly he wasn't just an analyst from Philly.

jack_is_laughing If I recall correctly, we were told in season 1 that Brody had become an expert liar and had no obvious "tells." He even (apparently) beat the lie detector.

jack_is_laughing Beating a polygraph is easier than beating involuntary physical reactions doesn't actually make sense: polygraphs measure involuntary physical reactions. You can beat either with a lot of practice and concentration, but neither is easy to do.

Alfa Romeo The polygraph talk reminded me of George Costanza's quote in Seinfeld: "Jerry, just remember, it's not a lie if you believe it."

Mike! I am borderline done with this show. I shake my head every 5 minutes about something ridiculous going on. Oh I'm starting to think Saul is the mole and theses Estes/Quinn shenanigans are just a run around. Which if that happens I'll be done with this show for good.

Bebimbap What ever happened to the vest that Brody decided not to blow up?

jeff That's a great question

Another Guest It's Morena, not Monica, but otherwise I tend to agree. I don't find this show as gripping or compelling as I used to.

Guest Did anyone see the Homeland sketch on SNL when Anne Hathaway hosted? I can't stop picturing them when I watch Homeland now. It was hysterical. You can catch the SNL episode on demand.

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James

Season is going to end with VP being killed by Abu Nazir personally, ala Daniel Pearl and KSM with Brody on the run. FYI.

Atta

I wasn't liking the fact that Dana refused to talk to Brody on the phone, it was almost as if she wouldn't be there to talk him down like last seasons finale. So when I saw Quinn with the gun I thought Brody was a goner or there was a second plan from Brody to blow himself up again.

HarryR

Maybe this is knee-jerk. Personally, this may have been one of my favorite episode.

cass

that apartment that Brody's family in could not be in DC as stated. Maybe in VA. DC doesn't have tall buildings like those shown in the views out.

ClayDavis

Feels like next week is the twist week. And while i agree the VP is gonna die, i think its not the finale, i think its next week. then the dust is left to settle with how to deal with the moles aka estes and quinn.

Randy

How did Saul and co. know to search the apartment where "Peter Quinn" was staying?

srpad

I keep thinking the show is straddling the "24 line" like the end of last week's episode but they have always recovered. This was a good episode. One question: I was a little distracted in the beginning, what made them investigate Quinn in the first place?

Randy

How did Saul and company know to search the apartment where "Peter Quinn" was staying?"

PA 'Personally' could mean a whole range of things. That line was a bit of a contrivance from the writers, IMO, as it would be completely unexpected for a major international terrorist to be at the site of an attack, even a major one.

Still, solid episode.

Eric11

anyone else find it hard to believe that Saul would driver a Volkswagen....??

:-)

Haik Mendelovich Nah.

After the WWII generation, that kind of anti-German (and Japanese) product grudge mostly went away.

dezbot

I was kind of hoping Quinn would kill Brody anyway, but I don't want Carrie to have another breakdown so quickly :-) Damn good ep. I liked that they addressed how surprised everyone was that Abu Nazir got into the country. Can't wait to see how the season resolves all these threads!!

HarryR

Does anyone know who (excuse the spelling) Dara Dahl is? Did I miss this some how?

Mike!

I am borderline done with this show. I shake my head every 5 minutes about something ridiculous going on. Oh I'm starting to think Saul is the mole and theses Estes/Quinn shenanigans are just a run around. Which if that happens I'll be done with this show for good.

Bebimbap

What ever happened to the vest that Brody decided not to blow up?

Shirley

Homeland the very best show on television hands down. A great job the producers did in choosing the right actors and actress's for these characters. I love seeing Morena Baccarin as Brody's wife,she is a wonderful actress,kudos to the Homeland "Powers. To Be".

Dave I @Keith, sorry. My sarcasm-dar must be malfunctioning.

And yes, agreed. It's interesting yet at times ridiculous, on a level they almost have to work at. I guess I'm still watching though. I have to credit that to the actors more than anything.

-Cheers

keith

Exciting and all but I think I will give up on Homeland after this season. Getting too silly.

Dave I Care to elaborate? Not saying I agree with your or not, just curious where you are coming from.

-Cheers