Tuesday, December 22, 2015

What I’m Watching: Homeland (Season Finale)


Homeland: Season 5, Episode 12 “A False Glimmer” (C+)

This finale was structured in a manner very unusual for this show, resolving the terrorist-centric action within the first fifteen minutes or so and then moving on to more thought-provoking monumental character developments that weren’t related to threats or the impending end of the world. That first sequence with Carrie going into the tunnel to pursue the terrorist whose mind was ‘t quite made up was reminiscent of Carrie going back down to find Abu Nazir after escaping captivity in season two. Though she nearly came face-to-face with a train, she was in less danger and had a much easier time subduing the terrorists and stopping the gas from being released directly towards an incoming train that would have then spread it through the entire station. Laura being arrested and then lying to help Gabe H. Coud escape extradition to his home country where he would face certain execution was a major blow to democracy and the truth and all that, underscoring this show’s desire for its characters to be unequivocally good and constantly face situations that force them to content with hard moral decisions. Saul having the car whose trunk Alison was hiding in riddled with bullets was one such For someone known for flying off the handle and being uncontrollable, Carrie was courted by an awful lot of people in this hour. Saul’s offer to let her run her own team and pick her mission is essentially the most open-book job possible, yet she feels that this isn’t who she is anymore. Quinn confessing his love for Carrie in the letter that seems to have prompted her to pull the plug on her friend wasn’t much of a surprise, though it was far more verbal and emotional than he has ever been (this show also rarely has letters read around by the voice of their writers or religious experiences light up the screen). Otto propositioning Carrie in a big way was more of a shock, and something tells me that’s not what she wants to do either. This show is just going to keep going and going, and with a world of possibilities open for season six, let’s hope some smart and creative choices are made.

Season grade: C+
Season MVP: Sebastian Koch as Otto

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