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That was a classical Homeland episode. It had some inconsistencies, but easily one of the best episodes of the season.
Not sure what to expect from the finale. A lot of things need to be addressed. The value of the black box kinda went down, since war seems inevitable. Jalal certainly isn’t dead, right? What bothers me most is not addressing the months Carrie spent in Russia. We haven’t learned what happened there.
I see Carrie or Saul sacrificing themselves, but I doubt Yevgeny ends up winning.
By the way, the coolest moment was Carrie twitching when hearing the accusations against her, throwback to Brody in season one.
ReplyCopy URLOh yeah, this was an episode for the fans. It was like a return to the world of season one/two. A few blemishes here and there, along with some questions about the overall structure of the season, but, like Eden said above, this is classic Homeland. The cinematography, the character development, the mystery/puzzle pieces coming together, Carrie’s arc becoming more clear. I wish they had been dealing with this Russian asset/Saul backstory plot more this season after seeing what they did with it in this episode. Even though I’m really rooting for Carrie, I love that the show makes me question myself, because her plan is pretty awful on a human level.
Again — I feel so so uneasy about seeing a character I love as much as Carrie become Joan of Arc and betrayed by the institution for which she’s given up so much of her life. It’s going to be rough to say goodbye to her and her story next week, especially since she’s most likely not going to get a happy ending.
Any word on Damian Lewis possibly appearing in the final episode? I can’t imagine they would pass up the opportunity.
Grade: A-
ReplyCopy URLTwitter: @rcs818
It seems fitting that Carrie will have to make the final, ultimate sacrifice for the republic that she’s given everything toward. That last scene flipped my wig, bitches! I wanted to believe that there was some good left in Yevgeny, but damn, guess not. Loved how complex and twisty this episode ended up becoming. Wish we had known about this “English teacher” before now though, and yes, there’s still a major plothole gap of finding out the details of Carrie’s lost seven months in Russia. And as a sidenote, can Carrie visit Frannie for like five minutes now that she’s back in D.C.? The direction was excellent, like from a completely different series, or at least opposed to what “Homeland” has evolved into over the years. Michael Cuesta apparently loves his close-ups, huh lol? Getting two “True Blood” alums here made me smile, especially since I’m binging the series again with HBO’s free streaming. It was also nice seeing Andrea Deck getting the best material she’s been given this season. The potential is there for an incredible series finale next week, so fingers crossed for the best!
ReplyCopy URLBest episode of the season in my opinion. It really gave me The Americans vibes in a good way. Mandy Patinkin was excellent and he is fully deserving of an emmy nod. Can’t wait to see how this wraps up. It will be with no doubt a emotional farewell to one of the all time greats and the last great drama of the golden age of television. We are now witnessing the end of an Era.
ReplyCopy URLEven tho I stopped watching Homeland some time ago (I’m actually planning to come back) , I would love to see some Emmy love for this final season. Not gonna happen, but still rooting for them.
Eight seasons! Amazing achievement, and even with natural ratings erosion, the show always had a very loyal audience.
ReplyCopy URLIt’s great to see Homeland on such a high going into the series finale. The last two episodes have been excellent. “The English Teacher” was a throwback in the best way. And they’ve somehow got the stakes as high as possible for the series finale. This is a big one on Sunday, and I’m left wondering when the next time I’ll have this kind of anticipation for a TV episode.
ReplyCopy URLI have loved Homeland so much over the last decade. It’s been one of the few shows, along with The Good Wife and The Americans, that I considered to be in my core group of shows in the Golden Age of Television.
Homeland ended on a surprisingly optimistic note, one with which I’m pleased. This whole season, I have been expecting a tragic ending. “Prisoners of War” wasn’t what I expected. The show runners took a more mainstream, less dark and more satisfying route. One of my favorite things about Homeland is the steadfast dynamic between Carrie and Saul. The final challenged and honored that defining relationship, and found resolution and new life to their story. I’m particularly happy with Carrie’s season arc and their method of bringing her full circle without going too far or unnecessarily lethal. The show pushed the envelope and provided reassurance just enough.
I knew I was in good hands when I saw the episode opening with Brody. The final three episodes were a knockout and a real return to the spirit of the show I loved. Season eight began with such promise, and the first half was consistent as it could have been. In retrospect, how that we’ve seen where the show went in the final two episodes makes me wish they would’ve brought Carrie back sooner, not wasted so much time in Afghanistan, and unpacked the specifics of Carrie’s time in the prison. That last point is probably my biggest grievance about the final season. They introduced it so well in the first few episodes but then got distracted with Hugh Dancy’s character. I began to lose faith in the season’s grit with episodes 8 and 9; as I said above, had they brought Carrie back to the US and playing into the politics state-side, it would’ve been all for the better.
Seasons Ranked
2: A
1: A
7: A-
4: A-
5: B+
8: B
6: B-
3: CSeason Eight Report Card
Prisoners of War: A-
The English Teacher: A-
Designated Driver: A-
Fucker Shot Me: A-
Chalk One Up: B+
False Friends: B+
Two Minutes: B+
Deception Indicated: B+
Chalk Two Up: B+
Catch and Release: B
Threnody(s): C+Top 10 Episodes of the Series
1. Q&A (2×5)
2. Paean to the People (7×12)
3. Redux (4×7)
4. Marine One (1×12)
5. The Star (3×12)
6. In Memoriam (2×11)
7. The Weekend (1×7)
8. Our Man in Damascus (5×11)
9. There’s Something Else Going On (4×9)
10. New Car Smell (2×4)Honorable Mentions:
Halfway to a Donut (4×8)
Beirut is Back (2×2)
Pilot (1×1)
The Choice (2×12)
The Litvinov Rose (5×9)
Separation Anxiety (5×1)
Blind Spot (1×5)
From A to B and Back Again (4×6)
Prisoners of War (8×12)
The Vest (1×11)
The English Teacher (8×11)
All in (7×11)
Big Man in Tehran (3×11)
Casus Belli (6×5)I’m sad to say goodbye, but I’ve been through this now enough with shows that mean the world to me. I will miss Carrie, but can’t wait to revisit the series in its entirety again.
ReplyCopy URLTwitter: @rcs818
Having in mind that the show was supposed to be one or two seasons and that it went through a few shaky seasons, it was easy to think that it will suffer a terrible ending, but they went out on a high. That was a great final hour.
Also, this is a perfect binge. I wanna go again through every intense moment.
ReplyCopy URLSeasons Ranked
2: A
1: A
7: A-
4: A-
5: B+
8: B
6: B-
3: Cwell, shiiiit, I actually stopped watching during s.3 (pretty much at the very beginning of that seasons), but I’m guessing I can survive that season for the greater good.
Yeah, i’m totally in “Homeland” mood right now. Gonna start from s.1 this weekend.
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