‘Homeland’ season 2, episode 11 review: How can the finale build on this?
Last week on “Homeland,” we saw what may very well be the most-polarizing moment in the series’ history as Brody managed to kill the Vice-President in order to save Carrie from Abu Nazir’s clutches. This week, the hunt for the terrorist kicked off … but was it successful? (Warning: the following contains major spoilers.)
After what was an intense (but at time strange) hunt back at the same compound where the CIA initially thought that he had fled from, Abu Nazir was finally shot and killed this week by a team of agents. He has nearly taken down Carrie yet again, and this time around, she really just managed to get lucky courtesy of backup arriving at the right moment.
What unfolds thanks to Nazir’s death, though, is beyond complicated, as there are so many characters at this moment that could be done with this show. Brody seemingly opted to split from Jess at the end of the episode, and instead took off to be with Carrie. The problem with this? Quinn is ready to kill Brody courtesy of some of his orders, and it’s going to be very hard to do it now considering that he is staying with the woman responsible for having the terrorist sect leader killed in the first place. Jess and Brody’s kids seemingly no longer have a place in the world of the show, and the same could even be sad for Saul depending on how involved he chooses to make himself. Estes fired him basically for knowing too much, and he has the polygraph results necessarily to beat him down time and time again if he ever says anything. If Saul is stuck now, we are going to truly miss him, mostly because Mandy Patinkin is the most consistently underrated performer on the show.
It’s so hard to know now just where the already-announced season 3 of this show will go, especially now that there are so many moving parts. Is Brody going to survive, and if so (which seems hard), is the show going to suddenly become him and Carrie on the road fleeing from the agency? While it’s hard to deny that there have been some plausibility issues of late, this was still a striking and powerful episode, even if it cannot touch the greatness of Brody’s initial capture from earlier this season.
What did you think about this episode? If you want to check out a video from this season 2 episode, be sure to head on over to the link here.
Photo: Showtime
Kemp Kennedy
December 11, 2012 @ 10:39 am
This series has tanked!! This episode was utterly ridiculous! Here’s a hint spy kids… Nazir to Brody… “If this all goes well we will never see each other again”. Brody still working for Nazir now a martyr. This would be ok if the CIA didn’t all of a sudden become a wondering group of morons. Nazir hangs out alone in an abandoned place and even takes a CIA agent hostage. No, that’s not out of character! Rusa leaks he is still there?!?! No, that’s not out of character. CIA has all eyes on Brody but noone saw the VIDEO MSGS!?!?!? Ugghh.. Nazir does all of this to kill the VP, who he could have killed with a sniper on ‘vest’ day. Terrible writing! Dream on, maybe they can win me back and make me forget this stinker of an episode, but I can only suspend belief so far…
james
December 10, 2012 @ 2:52 pm
The bleeding agent they thought helped Nazir and who then got chased down on the highway was a Muslim. I’m guessing he dies and gets buried at sea instead of being shipped to his home country.
On the other hand I’m guessing Brody blows his own brains out before Quinn pulls the trigger and Carrie will probably have a pill induced dream sequence to rival True Blood in Arabic.
tomc
December 10, 2012 @ 10:21 am
There is much debate about who it is we see being dumped off the ship in the Season 2 Episode 12 finale. In fact, it must be Brody, because he is the only one that satisfies
a) the conditions of a Muslim burial
b) the use of a military warship
However, this would seem to discontinue Brody’s role in Season 3.
Unless…
The burial is a set-up. Brody is really alive, and Saul has agreed to help Carrie, hence his presence on the ship. This satisfies the necessity for David and Quinn to kill Brody. It also satisfies the fact the family are crying in the finale trailer.
But, best of all, it means that Brody can assume a new identity for Season 3, where everyone else believes him to be dead. From here, he can go on acting in whatever way he pleases…!!
tweeter
December 10, 2012 @ 2:20 am
Saul isn’t going anywhere, he plays a large role in the finale…. Next season is anyones’ guess I suppose, but he has not even been fired yet.
jason
December 10, 2012 @ 12:41 am
Brody is now in line for el presidente