Director: Michael Cuesta
Writer: Chip Johannessen
Breakdown: Carrie is with Saul in Beirut following the lead Farimah Ali. Meeting Ali alone, and unauthorised Carrie learns of plans for her husband to meet Abu Nazir the following day. Met with hostility, and paranoia by David Estes in the US a plan goes ahead to capture Nazir. Brody is taken even deeper into the Vice Presidents chest, and their wives arrange a war veteran fundraiser. Mike reappears with news on the report into Tom Walker’s death, and more importantly his failed assassination attempt on the VP.
Taken in to a screening of the military takedown of Nazir, Brody warns Nazir via text message and he is led away with two others killed. The episode ends with Carrie dropped off home, her job done, and Saul discovering Brody’s suicide video in a bag Carrie took from Farimah Ali’s home.
Opinion on episode: After last week’s ‘feeler’ episode HOMELAND season two takes off with ‘Beirut Is Back’. Carrie finds herself consumed by her apparent failure in judgement on Brody – we know different – making her more determined to kill Nazir, and threatening to bring her back into the CIA fold permanently. Brody’s developments are extraordinary: the text to Nazir, his Marine buddies looking deeper into Tom Walker’s situation, and the incredible discovery by Saul at the end. The multi-strands are managed beautifully by the water tight scripting and fantastic editing.
What will happen next: The Marines questioning of Walker’s death will lead all the way back to Brody, and with Saul’s discovery Brody’s world looks set to fall apart but he is backed up by the Vice President who backs him at every turn. Carrie’s home and lost; we see only 30 seconds of her at home but her demeanour says everything. HOMELAND has us hooked again, and we’ve no idea where it is going!
Rating: 5/5 a perfect episode with enough crammed in to fill a regular series.
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