The writers have written themselves into a corner with Carrie Mathison, but what an intriguing corner it is. She’s deluded herself into thinking she needs to save everyone, yet also is wary of anyone that shows one inkling of kindness toward her. It’s truly a fascinating look into a case of paranoia, and like I said last week, it’s not an imitation of what she’s been through before. I’m interested in seeing how Brody factors into all of this next week.
The episode closes with a devastating shot of Carrie, mumbling a simple epithet at Saul before turning away and squeezing her eyes shut. It’s a quiet moment, unlike the previous 45 minutes of her going bonkers. It’s clever what the show is doing here, making it seem more and more deserving of our main character to receive the accusations that have been piled upon her. There are no villains in this season; there may be assholes, but what’s interesting is that they’re justified. There’s a tug-of-war battle going on between Saul and Carrie, as well as the CIA and Carrie, and it’s hard to fully sympathize with her because what she did really is unforgivable.
These effects continue to reverberate throughout the show, starting with Saul and his always magnificent beard. I feel like the show goes too far this week, as he berates a Muslim aide in his office. The xenophobia is understandable, but Saul’s never been the kind of person who gets angry over these kinds of things. Not to mention, it all makes him look like a complete jerk.
On the homefront, we devote tons of time to Dana and her boyfriend. Now, I think I appreciate the Brody family more than I enjoy it. The family was always more compelling when it was a foil for Brody, and now that he’s gone, I appreciate the show exploring the fallout. However, Dana’s boyfriend is annoying, and the fact will always remain that they were all more interesting when Brody was around. Still, an extremely powerful moment comes when Dana lays it all out in the bathroom to Jess. Dana’s turning elsewhere because she feels like she can’t trust the people around her, especially those she used to be close to. Jess is extremely frustrated because Dana’s boyfriend is becoming the very thing she wants to be: Dana’s emotional savior*. That’s expected, of course.
Dana’s storyline ties into Carrie’s really well, although the two characters haven’t crossed paths much. They’re both lost and emotionally drained, and there’s no way out.
GRADE: B-
Other thoughts:
-*That does only work for Jess’s side, though. I’d say Dana’s boyfriend is more of a crutch; he’s holding her up, but it’s pretty flimsy. Dana’s afraid that if he leaves, she’ll have to go through what she went through all over again. She fancies the idea of him more than she does the actual person.
-The episode is once again pretty slow, although it’s too slow for me. I get what they’re trying to do, but Season 1 proved that the show could deliver high quality intensity without falling into the thriller/action tropes.
-Quinn’s the moral center of the show now. I don’t know how to feel about that.
-Chris is just all “Hey, what’s up. Dana not eating? Chill, Mom. Loss of appetite sure has nothing to do with suicide; let her go sulk in her room. Dana disappearing? Chill, Mom. She just attempted suicide a few weeks back, let her run away into the rain at night.”
If there’s anyone that needs therapy, it’s Chris. Hopefully Brody’s first action back is to rid us of this kid.
-Nice title.
Credit to Showtime and Homeland for all pictures. I own nothing.
Polar Bears Watch TV 
Nice insights PB. The Brody family was a nexus necessary to round out Nicholas Brody. To make him identifiable for us in Seasons 1 & 2.. Now that’s he’s globe-trotting to escape capture, the family is his character’s stand-in.
You’ve paid a whole lot more attention to Dana’s brother Chris, and Dana’s BF than I have. When Nicholas returns, he will not be getting rid of the brother. He will of course, take away the brother’s airtime. I see each of them as temporary place holders until Brody himself is back.
I’m with you on Peter Quinn becoming the moral center. He’s actually the one to say, this isn’t what I signed up for when he told Saul he didn’t like the direction of where they were headed. It is an interesting switch as last year, Peter was set up as a bad guy. So now viewing him as a good guy – just doesn’t come about all that easily for us. It puts us in an awkward place intellectually..
Yeah, good point about the switch. Saul was probably the moral center before, but now it’s changed. This situation is interesting, but really strange.
Taking away Chris’s airtime sounds good, though. As for Dana’s boyfriend, I have no interest in him, but the idea of him says a little about Dana and her state of mind.