Homeland - S3E1 - Tin Man is Down
Home Sweet Homeland. It’s the Season 3 premiere and it’s been 58 days since last season’s bombing of Langley that killed 219 people. The episode zips along at quite a rapid pace, so much that it wasn’t until the very end I realized there was not a single scene with our favorite ginger fugitive Brody. The real focus here, is on the CIA and whether or not they have the ability to call themselves the Central Intelligence Agency anymore, or maybe something more along the lines of an old Robin William’s joke: “The Central Intuitive Agency”.
The episode opens with Peter Quinn, Black Ops Assassin and Cat of 9 lives fashioning some sort of mobile controlled bomb. Thirsty work, and he grabs a cold one.
Cut to Carrie Mathison and her attorney in front of a private and select sub committee designed to pick apart what seems to be complete negligence leading up to the bombing at Langley. With the Agency’s reputation on the line, Carrie’s 14 years at the CIA as a Case Officer in the National Clandestine Service are being called to task, focusing on what caused her break in employment the year prior. The long answer is that she was bringing home classified documents and conducting unauthorized surveillance. The short answer is she was bat shit nuts obsessed with Brody and Super Bi-Polar. Not even Bi-Polar Curious.
Carrie is also confronted with a document that implied immunity to Congressman Brody and they want to know just what exactly that immunity cleared him of. Carrie plays her best baffled face and blurts out, much to the dismay of her attorney that she doesn’t think Brody was responsible for the bombing. Oh, Carrie…it’s too early for this. The Chairman then demands a 15 minute break so he can dig himself out of the bullshit piling up.
Caracas Is a Go
Saul Berenson shows up at headquarters, joined by Dar Adal (F. Murray Abraham) lamenting that he should have been there by Carrie’s side during testimony. Adal insists that Carrie can handle herself, and the whole conversation is interrupted by an agent that they have heard from Quinn, and that Caracas is a go. Hold that thought.
So, Dana Has a Sub-Plot
Well, holy shit! It seems that after the bombing, Dana Brody could no longer hold the weight of the world in her gigantic eyebrows and she attempted suicide by slicing her wrists open in a tub. She’s being released back into the care of her financially decimated family after a stay in an inpatient facility, but not before we get a glimpse of her new group therapy boyfriend played by Sam Underwood; who you may remember as Dexter’s prodigy Zach Hamilton on Dexter. If you haven’t wiped your brain Dexter free after that finale. But I digress.
Twenty Minutes
This is where names just came flying at my face and it took me a minute to figure it out. The CIA has a plan to retaliate for the Langley bombing by zeroing in on both the Iranian mastermind behind the attack, Majid Javadi; but also 6 of his associates who were clearly involved in making D.C. go BOOM. The problem is they have only a window of approximately 20 minutes to take all these bastards out so that none of them can spread the word. Also, part of the committee is none too happy Brody isn’t on this kill list, but nobody can find a single red hair of his, so Brody is safe for now. Saul has brought the team to its knees for the info, but can’t seem to pull the trigger. Yet.
Who Needs Meds?
Carrie comes home to her father, who is standing in front of a wall-sized Mathison Map of Brody Sightings. Pops questions whether or not she is off her lithium, and she admits she is self-medicating instead. Exercise, meditating, running 6 miles a day….and there’s that recycling bin full of empty tequila bottles.
More Dana scenes happen, including her sexting the group therapy bloke a topless tit shot. I don’t feel pervy at all though because all I saw was that huge caterpillar perched on her forehead as an eyebrow.
Under Fire
Back in the crosshairs of the sub-committee, Carrie’s counsel makes an attempt to recant some of her prior testimony, but the chairman declares a giant fuck you to that noise. Instead, he’d like to get the truth. He slaps her on the wrist and tells her that the truth shall set her free…not really. He warns her that the truth is gong to land her ass in jail.
Take Them All
Saul finally gives the order to take out the Associates, bringing us to Quinn down in Caracas, Venezuela. He’s all set to detonate one kill, until he sees a small child in the car and he backs off. Remind you, we only have 20 minutes and the clock is ticking. Back at headquarters with Saul all the other kills are lining up like clockwork. And then in a whirlwind all the blood does spill. Tin Man is Down, Dorothy is down, and Toto is down…. Cowardly Lion is down! Do we even know what just happened?
Front Page News From Under the Bus
A news story leaks that a CIA Officer may have had a sexual relationship with the Langley Bomber, at this point, still known as Brody. Carrie’s dad reads her the front page news of this leak as Carrie loses her shizz and puts on her Bull in a China Shop Clothes to pounce on Saul during a friendly brunch. She’s escorted out, all right…but this shit is far from over.
Later, Saul is called before the Senate Intelligence Committee to testify, this time full of cameras and an audience. He explains that he was part of the team that eliminated the top 6 tiers of terrorists that were responsible for the bombing at Langley. Not good enough for the committee chairman…he wants answers about the speculation that Carrie might have been getting down with the get down with fugitive Brody. And yes, Saul throws her right under that bus/tells the truth.
