Connect with us

Stage And Small Screen

Homeland Season 2 Blog: Episode 2.11 In Memoriam •SPOILERS•

Episode 211

Writer: Chip Johannessen

Director: Jeremy Podeswa

Breakdown: As we join where the last episode ended, an injured and drained Carrie enters the darkness of the deserted mill in a personal search to hunt down Abu Nazir, but what she does if she finds him, nobody knows. However, she’s literally so weak that every step sees her fading as the adrenaline wears off.  As she stumbles out of the mill, the bright lights reveal SWAT teams and Quinn in full control, organising teams to go back in there and hunt Abu Nazir down. Obviously, they don’t find him and Carrie profiles Agent Galves for all the wrong reasons. They hunt him down as he drives away (one of the agents shot in Gettysburg) and it turns out his stitches have come out, so he was just on his way to hospital…bad choice Carrie.

In the meantime, Saul has been dragged into a polygraph because Estes (who’s losing it surely?), has decided to set him up with questions to give him no chance of ever being involved with his job again. However, he does give the interrogator a little tit-bit about a plan within the CIA to kill a US Congressman which later in the episode chooses to tell Estes, but none of that is written down officially.

Back in the safe house, the Brody family begin to go crazy and Dana does everything she can to make a fuss, without actually doing anything useful, the eventual result sees her literally crying over split milk ands finally saying out loud that Brody has been a pretty bad Father and they were better off without him, a rant that’s been building up for two seasons really and way overdue.

Back to the CIA, and Carrie accidentally takes the interrogation first and thinks she can break Roya Hammad. This doesn’t work as Roya does Black Widow-style reverse psychologically on Carrie and ends up making her look like the weak one. Carrie’s then ordered off by Quinn to get some rest but there’s time for a light-bulb moment as Roya said ‘Abu Nazir wouldn’t run‘, therefore sending Carrie back (again) to the  mill to search one last time and this time, successfully. He’s been hidden away but this time the SWAT team get their protagonist as he runs. This time though, he’s not getting out as he’s tracked and shot in the head after he goes for a weapon, he’s most definitely dead this time.

The result of all this is relief all round, a consequential mutually-agreed break-up for Brody and Jess plus Carrie getting praise for taking out Abu Nazir. We finish with Brody turning up at Carrie’s door as Quinn watches in the distance, still waiting to take Brody out and then, we fade to black.

Opinion on episode: Episode 11 is seemingly about resolutions or almost conclusive plot points for every character. First up, it’s Saul expecting to be dragged away from the action, and being proved right by Estes using his position to set him up with the death of the Aileen because Saul is literally now the man who knows too much. There’s the resolution after the death of Abu Nazir for Brody and Jess, the relief being tantamount to the final nail in their metaphorical relationship coffin and another nod that ‘Carrie was right all along’ and then, of course, Carrie and Brody getting together for the first time with no secrets or hiding. Tight, decisive and plenty of impressive crazy eye work from both of the main leads. All the big characters were on top form.

What will happen next? Quinn is still on the hunt for Brody’s head, actioned by Estes now Abu Nazir is dead. However, he seems to be building a conscience as he sees not only how involved Carrie is with him, but also that he’s seen too much now to not thing that – quite maybe – this isn’t right.

Roya is also still with us, and doesn’t know Abu Nazir is dead. This is surely a plan for a return to power for Carrie, maybe used by her in a similar way to how she was played in this episode?

The other key point has to have something to with Estes, surely he’s in too deep and must have allies if he’s able to just throw these decisions around to kill people off, so here’s the key question – who’s his boss?

Rating: 4/5 Beautifully tense, a great build up for next weeks finale when we’ve still got enough questions flying around in the air. There’s also enough resolved in great ‘old-style’ Homeland, to set up a massive ending and some hint towards Season 3, which has been commissioned. Bring on the conclusion!

i

Dan loves writing, film, music and photography. Originally from Devon, he did London for 4 years and now resides in Exeter. He also has a mild obsession with squirrels and cake. The latter being more of a hobby. Favourite movies include HIGH FIDELITY, ALMOST FAMOUS, ROXANNE, GOOD WILL HUNTING, JURASSIC PARK, too many Steve Martin films and Nolan's BATMAN universe. He can also be found on www.twitter.com/danbullock

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


Latest Posts

More in Stage And Small Screen