There's Something Else Going On

Homeland sometimes feels like two (or more) different shows at once. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but sometimes it bites down hard on both its best and its worst tendencies within the same episode, and it can make one uneasy. But until the last couple of scenes this week, Homeland is a slow burn master-stroke of tension and emotional power. Let’s talk about that first.

Despite whatever the writers may think, the best relationship on the show by far has always been that of Carrie and Saul. The show has wisely been playing up that connection despite the two being separated. When Carrie made the (botched) decision to bomb Saul and Haqqani, everyone thought she was crazy, but we know Saul would have understood her choice and perhaps even encouraged it. Her betrayal of his trust last week felt tangible in its comprehensive manipulation. These two both seem exhausted by what this war has done to them and as she says to him in this episode’s best moment, “No more dying.”