‘Homeland’ season 6, episode 5 preview: Discussing Quinn, Franny, and the characterization of press

Moving into Sunday night’s new episode of “Homeland” on Showtime, there are several characters who are going to be a difficult, at-times desperate place. Carrie Mathison is going to be one of them, mostly because of the actions of one of her own clients and a particularly eager reporter who is going to be out to break a story and be a hero in her own mind.

This sneak peek below absolutely brings into question the value and humanity of an organization like the press. A reporter arrives at Carrie’s home looking for her, but Quinn makes it clear that she is not there. When the reporter sees Franny, she immediately starts to press the child on if she is Carrie’s daughter. It’s a pretty low thing to do, especially since the general assumption in these sort of situations is that children should be left out of these sort of situations in general.

Yet, the reporter at the same time is just trying to do her job of get the facts out there for the purpose of everyone else getting the opportunity to draw their own conclusions. She’s trying to be a beacon, but is aggressive enough in her beacon-being that you can make the accusation that furthering her own career is also at the top of the priority list. It’s the importance of the press versus the importance of privacy, and that is something that so many of us are still discussing and debating today. That’s one of the reasons why we advocate for a show like “The Newsroom” to come back, given that they were especially so excellent at taking on issues that were so complex professionalism and some degree of grace. They felt authentic, and that is absolutely something that we’re looking for at a time when so many other shows can make them exploitative.

Check out the sneak peek further, and let us know your thoughts on this scene — in addition to the way that the show handles the characterization of the press.

Meanwhile, be sure to head over here if you are interested in getting a further preview for the next new “Homeland” episode. (Photo: Showtime.)