This week on Showtime’s Homeland, Saul went hunting with some D.C. politicos — only to realize that he is the one in the crosshairs — while Carrie put her undercover mission in jeopardy for the shakiest of reasons.
BLIND-SIDED | So here we are, our first hour into the season armed with full knowledge of what’s going on, and there still is some table setting to be done. Namely, Saul accepts an invitation to go hunting with the president’s chief of staff, thinking it’s the least he can do to court last-minute support before being named full-time director of the CIA.
But upon arriving at the gathering of manly men, Saul is paired with Senator Lockhart — the subcommittee boss who grilled him and Carrie about the Langley bombing. Lockhart relates the president’s concern about CIA morale and the new thinking that the agency might best be served in the future by dialing down the human element. Saul argues that drones can’t do the same work as embedded agents, and declines to temper his POV in trade for Lockhart’s support as CIA director. But the job isn’t Saul’s to lose, it turns out — Lockhart is in line for the gig, and it’s up to Saul if he wants to be a part of his CIA.
Later, the chief of staff toasts Lockhart and his imminent gig, which will be confirmed in two weeks. After Lockhart in turn gives Saul some formal props, Saul shares his less-than-ringing endorsement, noting that intelligence work is more complicated than waiting for geese in a blind. Saul then exits stage left, saying he has much to do in these next two weeks (including, ideally, proving that having a man on the ground à la Carrie is better than any drone in the sky?).
Elsewhere in the hour…..
DISAPPEARING ACT | Javadi aka “The Magician” slips into the States by way of Canada, switches cars, stops to spy on a random-ish woman and her baby (as well as stain his shirt with a gloppy sandwich), then makes camp at a nice house. Carrie meanwhile dumps her meds (a questionable move to flush all of them, if her father or somewhere were to check on her, but “OK”), then gets a visit from Jessica Brody (!), who’s obviously desperate if she’s beseeching her husband’s ex-mistress for help in finding Dana. Carrie agrees to do what she can, which means giving Javadi’s goons the slip by summoning Virgil and his brother Max to execute “the yoga play” (not to be confused with my “frozen yogurt play”), so that she can intercept and lean on FBI agent Hall. But did Carrie’s ruse truly work? That’s the question when Saul and Quinn worry that she’s been made, since Javadi’s guys are no longer parked outside her place. But that night, just as she has gone to sleep, Carrie is awoken by and grabbed by Javadi’s men, who bust her phone, force her to change into other clothes and bag her head for transit. Next Carrie can see, she is face to face with Javadi, who commends her diligent yoga habit. Quinn meanwhile worries upon finding Carrie gone with no lifeline, but as Saul counters, “No, we’re back in business. She’s always been on her own.”
ROAD TRIP-UP | In the latest Homeland leap, Dana manages to buy a bottle of Aquafina for under a dollar at a gas station. (It’s Syracuse, but still.) While there, she also gets an earful from a TV broadcast, that Leo actually killed his brother, during some sort of suicide pact. After Dana all but leaps out of their moving car, Leo cops to the truth. Nonetheless, Dana turns herself into the police and returns home, where she furrows her brow and quietly breaks down, shell-shocked that Leo, much as her father did, lied to her.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT | Oh, and as if Saul’s week wasnt going badly enough, he comes home to find his wife having a cozy dinner with a handsome colleague from Mumbai. Ouch.
What did you think of this week’s latest, Brody-free episode, “The Yoga Play”?
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