Just a few quick thoughts…
-The show can still deliver entertaining spy sequences, as exasperating as it must be to see Carrie yet again disobey orders. Then again, I feel like her relationship with Brody has transcended the normal “We love each other so much!” angle. Now, it’s mostly about being right. Carrie places a burden on herself to save literally everyone from everything bad, so that’s why she spent so much effort in season 1 to try and take him down. After their season 2 relationship, her reputation and support system took a hit.
I’m not entirely sure she actually wants a family at this point–she’s indecisive right now–but she needs an end goal to keep functioning, and the idea of a happy ending is what she wraps her mind around. She therefore has to prove Brody’s innocence and has to prove they can be a couple, because that’s what everyone was criticizing her for. It’s like an “I’ll show you!” attitude that’s connected to her need for emotional connection, in this case to Brody.
-Nevertheless, I cheered when Quinn shot her. Danes also does fantastic work with the fallout from that (“No shit, you shot me.”).
-I like the Fara storyline, even if it’s not terribly exciting. It’s intriguing seeing her home life and her internal conflict, and not only do I see a Carrie parallel, but I also see a Brody one. It’s actually a fairly similar situation as Brody’s, aside from the whole bomb thing: she’s caught between her two countries, Iran and America, and there’s a family element in there.
-I’m rolling my eyes at Mira’s lover being a spy of some sort; it just reeks of “PLOT TWIST!” Is he the bomber? Honestly, I don’t really care.
-Saul and Mira’s relationship is alright. On the one hand, it’s a good personal story that reflects how Mira’s his weakness, but on the other hand, I find myself bored by those scenes.
-Yeah, this whole Javadi plot is really implausible.
-I’m curious to see what Saul’s plan with Brody is. I assume we’ll be seeing a lot more of Brody from now on, and hopefully the writers can craft an intriguing storyline that effectively brings him back into the fold.
-I have a feeling this pregnancy is going to end in a miscarriage.
-Sorry for the lateness of this post, as well as the rushed points; I would like to expand on some, but it’s been a long day for me. Anyway, just a scheduling note: next week’s review will go up a day or two afterward, as the “Boardwalk Empire” finale takes precedence.
GRADE: B+
Credit to Showtime and Homeland for all pictures. I own nothing.
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So Peter Quinn said last week (after confessing to the murders he didn’t commit) that he wasn’t sure about what he does for the CIA being justified anymore. And this week – he shoots Carrie rather than let her blow up the mission.I found that puzzling.
At least we found out something about Mira’s boyfriend – but ONLY after she breaks it off with him.
They fooled us again with another ‘plot twist’. Per Javadi, we were told that the party responsible for the bomb that blew up the CIA was alive, in country, and it wasn’t Nicholas Brody. Nice set up – he’s the guy who could clear Brody, But why go to all the trouble of creating this character out of thin air – only to have him killed off, almost immediately. And beyond that – why was the guy kept alive all this time anyway. If he was such a valuable asset (the reason to have let him live in the first place ) – why was he holed up in a roach city motel?
Carrie and the baby? Will she lose the baby as a result of being shot in the arm? Not likely. She has to keep going until Brody shows again.
And that was the major surprise this week – Saul tells Mira he’ll be out of town for a few days. Maybe a week. She offers to come with. It’s not that kind of trip he says. Soon enough he arrives in – Caracas – and is immediately taken to Brody – who is distinctly indisposed. So Saul knew where he was all along. Does Carrie know as well?
Tune in next week.
Welcome back, Mike. How was the trip?
Yeah, great questions; I really dislike raising the stakes so much for a character that, once introduced, is immediately killed off. It cheapens the previous episodes a bit, and the show’s reliance on these “shocking twists” is what led to the backlash against it in season 2.
I don’t think Carrie will lose the baby right now, but I’m anticipating something to happen later in the season. I’d be genuinely surprised if she gave birth, because I feel like the writers won’t want to commit. But hey, anything can happen.