Homeland – “A Gettysburg Address”

So after breaking through to Brody, the CIA is now keeping their eyes focused on Roya Hammad. The team watches her as she meets with a man in public, but because they talk near a water fountain, audio isn’t available. After they can’t identify the man Roya met with, they bring Brody in to see if he knows the man. He doesn’t, but sheds light to their bulletin board by revealing the tailor they have surveillance on is dead. This forces them to move in and do a thorough search for any clues that will lead them to Abu Nazir’s attack.

Meanwhile, Dana is still sick to her stomach about the hit-and-run she was involved with Finn. She skips school and visits the hospital where she locates the woman who they hit and finds out she’s dying. When Dana reports this back to Finn, he angrily urges her to forget about it. I’m guessing there won’t be anymore young romance between these two.

The third story-line is an interesting one. It’s normal as the audience to know things that the characters in the show don’t know yet, but the Mike and Lauder story takes this to a whole new level. We’re past the whole Walker death and Brody’s involvement that took place at the end of the first season, but only now are Mike and Lauder beginning to investigate. I’m quite impartial to this story-line thus far unless they can uncover something more personal inside the Brody family that the CIA hasn’t already figured out. But if that doesn’t happen, it’s just two military guys playing Nancy Drew to a case that we’ve already seen and the CIA has already uncovered.

Back to the main story, Carrie advises Brody to talk with Roya in an attempt to learn more about the man she met. She doesn’t reveal anything aside from her knowledge that the FBI forensics team is already inside and that there might be something important there. At the end of the episode, the agents including Quinn and Galvez are attacked by men with heavy-duty gear and rifles. After gunning everyone down, they remove a large box that was hidden behind a fake wall.

I was utterly distraught when the agents were attacked by the armored men, one being the man Roya talked to earlier in the episode. Galvez was my second favorite CIA agent behind Saul, so it was sad to see him bite the dust, but I’m relieved that Homeland didn’t draw out the deaths like plenty of dramas on television. I’m also happy that Quinn seems to be alive because he’s become one of my favorite characters and has replaced Saul as being Carrie’s partner this season.

While the second season is halfway done with only six episodes left, I’m not sure if I’m 100 percent on board with where they’re leading towards. The story-lines have been put into max speed thus far, but now things seem to be slowing down especially in the two side stories away from the main Abu Nazir vs. the CIA story. I’m already tired of the whole Dana/Finn story and the Mike/Lauder story seems old even if it’s only a few episodes deep. I guess that’s the problem the show faces when their main story is arguably the most compelling plot of any current television show.

On the acting stand-point, there were no incredible Carrie/Brody moments like the past two episodes, but I did enjoy the Quinn/Brody tension in the opening ten minutes. But back to things that are bothering me about the show, number one on my list is Lauder. His grumpy, drunken rants are becoming petty each episode he continues. At least throw some more background to his life so I can understand why he hasn’t trusted Brody since day one. For now, he has a serious case of verbal diarrhea and yes, it’s not pretty.

I can’t wait to see how Estes and Saul react to the attack at the tailor’s place, and how long Quinn is going to be hospitalized after being shot. This might bring Carrie and Saul directly back together on the team, which has been absence for the past few episodes. As to where the story is going to lead to next, that’s the best part because I have no idea.