Homeland on SHO - Page 8

Fantastic episode. It'll be really interesting to see this all play out.

i think they wanted him to believe he killed Walker

Really good stuff and emmy worthy performances from Damien Lewis and Claire Danes, especially Lewis. This was an example of what other show threads decry as "slow moving", but shows how terrific character development and usage is the story, not the pace.

I'm conflicted about last night's episode. The Claire/Brody scenes did feel slow-moving to me, and I usually enjoy deeper, character-driven stuff more (in my old age). However, the acting by all was very good. I did especially like the spaghetti scene - where they faced away from each other and kept glancing back with apprehension. Neither of them is used to exposing him/herself so intimately to another person, and we don't know if each feels he/she has the upper hand or not.

I was particularly intrigued by Saul's methods w/ the terrorist. How brilliant of him to show and describe where he was raised and how he's an outsider, both from his own parents and heritage, as well as from the rest of the community. It shows why he became the person he is, and why he reacted in total opposition to his parents by becoming interested in Islamic/Middle Eastern/Asian cultures, marrying an Indian woman, etc. It also made her feel empathy and opened her up to tell him things without having to torture her.

The final exchange between Brody and Claire was intriguing. They're both shrewd, as we've been saying all along, and I still don't know whom to believe about what!

However, the final reveal about Walker seemed a bit improbable, almost like in a bad sci-fi program (and I like sci-fi!). I'll wait to see how the writers fill in the details to give a final opinion.

Doug

Completely agree. The onscreen chemistry between Danes and Lewis is sizzling, even when their characters appear to playing each other. The "interrogation" at the cabin was one of the best scenes in any show this season. Brody's complete "confession" was as compelling as it gets and Lewis was amazing. The subesquent revelation of Walker not only being alive but having been turned was completely surprising abd really threw a wild wrinkle into Brody's story. I also loved Saul's getting to Eileen by drawing the comparisons between his childhood and hers. It was subtle and brilliant. This is one of the best cable shows in years and leaves you not wanting to wait for a week to pass between episodes.

I agree with the sentiments here. This episode was sensational. The whole Brody-Claire courtship has had such a bizarre undertone (how much is she playing him? How much does he know?) that the pay-off really needed to be right and I think all concerned really nailed it. I actually hope they can get together somehow.

Saul and Aileen, also extremely well done. Fine dialogue and subtle acting. Patinkin is just amazing in a very throttled-down performance, but props to Marin Ireland for her slow and subtle conversion. Just great TV.

Yeah the story took a huge turn, if I was hooked before, now I'm in for the ages..

It was a brilliant plan making Brody believe he killed Walker, nobody would be looking for him in the U.S. So if they haven't caught the lady perhaps they would never known..

Now poor brody, betrayed by wife, lover, country and add those 8 years of suffering..

It seems we now know what the mission of the POW who "was turned" is.

I think we learned more in this last episode than in all previous episodes combined!
Very well done!

Although there might still be a "long game" with Brody, I think the final scene of him crying makes those odds pretty long. Everything he said and did synced up with what we've known about him, and that the other characters didn't.

I agree with you except the part about Morena Baccarin being in her "late 30s to early 40's". Suspicious of this I went to IMDB who has her born July 2, 1979 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (where she lived until age 10). This would make her only 32 if you haven't done the math yet.

What she plays and what is her real age is have nothing to do with each other. She plays a mother with a daughter that may be about 16 or 17. Unless she was a very young mother she would be something like late 30s...

Good point but she still looks 32.

I'm not so sure about this. I find the revelation that Walker is alive and the "real" terrorist (or whatever) to be on a par with the writers coming up with a twist like "oh, there was another POW we never told you about". IOW, a cheap plot trick; I bought into Walker is dead and there was absolutely no indication he wasn't. Given this, I don't think the writers would have any compunction about telling us Brody was faking all along and is the real turned POW.

But that's just my take.

Disagree completely. I thought it was brilliant. This whole time, we've looked to that scene as the moment where Brody was broken and made to be one of them. In reality, it was the complete opposite. Brody was used to turn Walker against his country. Brody was just a pawn.

Wow, big turn of events! The girl caved pretty easily, but that's not a big deal. I'm guessing this season will deal with Walker and his capture. And with incorporating the "big cheese" terrorist (forget is his name) into the mix from the beginning gives them plenty of options for extra seasons, even after next season. Brody will probably help try to catch him now - he's a main character, he can't go anywhere. Then there's the person(s) who killed the professor. Walker or someone else? And, we still don't know how the razor blade got to the Brody's guard.

larry

I have thought for weeks that Walker was still alive. The scene where Brody "buries" him was just too strange in comparison to the beating. My concern is, how much longer can Brody be relevant if he wasn't turned? What I mean is what is his contribution once Walker is caught? I don't want this to turn into a show where they are always chasing terrorists, and we get Brody in his normal life.

Help catch the "big cheese". Brody could go back to Iraq, claim he wants to help him now, etc., etc. Who knows. They'll keep him involved, hopefully. As long as his wife stays....

larry

You mean a show about chasing terrorists, that's not about chasing terrorists? ???

While there.are other facets to this show, it is about chassing terrorists.

You missed my point I don't want Brody all cleared and irreleant, and then the rest of the cast off chasing terrorists. I want Brody involved somehow either as a suspect or an asset.

I think it's very possible that brody is still turned, that both POW's were turned. He comes back with the story walker is dead allows walker free movement. Now with walker out and fed's off of Brody, it free's him up.

Indeed Brody seems better trained to be the infiltrator. So far.this show has had a number of red herrings it wouldn't surprise me to have Brody heavily involved. IMO it wasn't just coincidence that he became Muslim and was friendly with the people who held him.

If he were truly playing the 'long' game, I don't think he would be admitting to Carrie loving Abu Nazir.

But wouldn't that be the prefect thing to.throw.her off. Supposedly he was being open and honest, yet we already know he can lie and decieve with the best of them. Now he plays the part of the POW that sympathized with his imprisoners. Of course this was only after being tortured and being forced to beat his friend to death (as far as he knows) .

That's certainly one risky role for him to try to portray especially if it's not real. I think that if he had other motives, it would have been easier to say that he didn't admit to meeting Nazir because he feared for his life or that he [Nazir] could have his family easily killed or something along those lines.

Homeland is probably my favorite new show this year. However I really hate the opening credits, the way they are done with the mellow jazz music etc seems lame and doesn't fit with the show. Anybody feels the same?

Brody may still be involved ( as well as Saul)...
The discovery of the "New" turned spy does not eliminate the others .. (yet) ...
.. & it still had to be Brody or Saul with the razor if someone did slip him the razor .. ....

I agree. It's been far too cleverly written so far to make everything suddenly fall so easily into place. And I like that.