Homeland – Should Brody be trusted or not?

What a shocking ending!  Homeland did not disappoint. As soon as I saw someone was in the diplomat’s house, I knew it had to be Brody. It was the only thing that made sense. This reveal sets into motion what is sure to be an exciting final four episodes of the season.

With both POWs turned, Nazir has quite an elaborate plan to infiltrate the United States. Many of the clues from the beginning of the series are starting to make sense. With this episode, I think we have the clearest picture yet of his plan.

Nazir planned on getting both POWs to work for him, but in very different ways and played them off each other. Brody thinking he killed his friend and fellow Marine was devastated and when Nazir offered him comfort he took it. When he needed solace, he reached out to the only religion available — Islam. Perfect conditions for Nazir to get Brody to work for him.

The first episode ended with Brody looking at the Capitol and I took that to mean that he was either going to infiltrate the Congress or physically attack it. Well, after tonight, we have the answer. Brody is going to be appointed or run for the office about to be vacated by Representative Dick Johnson. Brody was being positioned to come home a hero and quietly work for Nazir.

Walker, in contrast, was almost beat to death by his friend and fellow Marine. That betrayal, while we don’t know the details, would have made him an easy target. He must have had such anger over the situation that Nazir used that to groom him to undertake an assassination. That anger was probably muliplied when Walker saw Brody– his almost-killer and American hero — return home to his family.

Who is he supposed to assassinate at the airport? The President? Someone else? The President would be too obvious a choice and Nazir’s plans are very calculated. I’m going to guess that the target is actually the First Lady. While the President’s death would create political turmoil, our Constitution lays out a clear path of succession. The death of the First Lady, though, would hit the country and the President deep in the heart. (Given that the title credits show President Obama, rather than a fictional president, leaves me to wonder if the show would really go there for either scenario. Wouldn’t that hit too close to home?)

These two American POWs, both captured at the same time, were played against each other by Nazir to create two traitors. One would secretly return to the land of his birth to commit a terrorist act of unparalleled damage. The other would return home a hero and infiltrate the government to quietly do the bidding of the terrorists. Scary stuff!

That’s my theory of what happened. What do you think? Agree?

What will happen now that Brody has turned on Nazir? Too bad we have to wait another week to find out!

Odds and Ends

• Walker’s “Achilles Heel” was his family. While he is working for Nazir, the fact that he remembers his family and knows they are out there provides some hope that he won’t carry out his plan. But, at the same time, he may feel anger towards his wife for moving on without him.
• Helen Walker was put in a terrible situation with the phone call, but it was the right thing for the government to do. Will she be charged with treason for telling her husband to run? I doubt it, but I hope for her sake they catch him before any more people die.
• I didn’t care for the Rep. Dick Johnson scandal, but I did chuckle at his name. And, full out laughed when Jessica mentioned it in the car. That made it all worthwhile!
• I’m still don’t understand the point of Saul’s relationship with his wife. She is leaving him because he is addicted to his job — his “Achilles Heel,” but what’s that have to do with the big picture? At this point, it seems to just be a way to provide some background story for Saul.
• Carrie fell for Brody. Sad and scary at the same time. Have we seen the end of their relationship? If Brody is going to run for Congress, I think so. If he is going to get appointed, then maybe not.
• Brody and Jessica cleared the air about he relationship with Mike … finally! Will Brody forgive Mike too? I hope so. I liked having him around and the kids need him.
• Few outstanding things: have we seen the last of Aileen? Who passed Hamid the razor blade? I’m wondering if we will ever get the answer to that question.

Clacked by Carla Day
on Nov 21, 2011 @ 00:20 EST5EDT