While we’re pondering on the definition of terrorism, we turn to Saul. Good old Saul. Paralysed by indecision both at work and home, his wife Mira is back from Mumbai and appears to have taken on the role of caregiver, helping Saul with his shoes as he gets into bed – foreshadowing potential season 3 health problems for Saul? Occurring at a pivotal moment in proceedings? Surely not. Mira pulls Saul up on his indecision when he refuses to say whether or not he wants to share a bed with her again, saying that he’s waiting for “the right answer to reveal itself” – later on, it’s difficult not to recall that scene as he’s staring at a myriad of screens revealing an epic plan of multiple assassinations across multiple continents, with only a twenty minute window to achieve it, in what sets up a hell of an ending.
It says everything about the universe of the show and our expectations as viewers that this is initially seen as an act of heroism. Although Homeland is never one to relish action or death, always presenting it as an absolute last resort (as opposed to, say, any other TV show dealing with terrorism since 9/11), there was a thrill in seeing Quinn going Metal Gear Solid on their asses, even though it quickly became tragic, then even more so, when Saul was asked to defend what was initially presented as an heroic action.
It quickly becomes clear that what we just saw might have been completely indefensible, and it is this continual playing with audience expectations that separates Homeland from the competition. No other show tackling such solid, all-American themes as the War on Terror and patriotism would ask the audience to question what it just saw, what it just watched and accepted as an acceptable act. Have we too been turned? Are we all Brody now? Do I have to dye my hair?
There’s much to love in the periphery of the Saul/Carrie hurricane, as well. The idea of Carrie confronting Saul in a nice restaurant while everybody was enjoying a nice tiramisu was an inherently funny moment to me, and the attack-dog chairman of the congressional committee – Sen. Andrew Lockhart (Tracy Letts) – was fantastic, relishing the role and really taking pleasure in watching his various victims squirming under his gaze. Hopefully he’ll become a powerful antagonist from within the force, giving them something to contend with as well as the shadowy tendrils of Al-Qaeda. And the final moments, as the realisation of what is about to happen dawns on Carrie and, by extension, the audience, are completely heartbreaking.
In fact, so much is packed into this episode that you barely realise that Brody himself doesn’t actually show up at all. It throws so much at you that you might struggle to keep up at times, and maybe just want something to cling onto amongst the lies and double-crossing, but on a technical level “Tin Man is Down” is something to admire. Hopefully this strong opening episode points to good things to come in Homeland season 3.
Welcome back!
