Homeland – “Game On”

Season Three, Episode Four

Grade: B+

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For all the frustration that existed in the first three episodes of Homeland, we finally get a pay-off and an end to Carrie’s residency at the psych ward. In the end, it was all a plan to attract the man behind the Langley bombing. Just wow. I didn’t see that coming and that is due to Claire Danes’ convincing performance as a woman under attack and betrayed by her own friends and agency. She is still the center of the series and shows exactly why. We walked in Carrie’s shoes and we’ve felt her pain, but in the end we finally have light on the one relationship that we truly want to see remain intact: Carrie and Saul.

I’ll admit that when Carrie ends up at Saul’s house I had no clue what to expect, but that scene unraveled so quickly until finally they embrace each other with a hug. I was also worried when thinking about the possibility of Carrie being a double-agent, simply because I didn’t like that possibility at all, but kudos to the writers for throwing a twist that I just didn’t see coming. The next step is having Carrie face-to-face with the Magician and then bringing him down. There’s still a lot of fun left in Homeland’s third season.

That was the good of the episode. Unfortunately, Dana’s back and she’s still stirring up more shit than she can handle (and apparently doesn’t even know it). She’s all ga-ga over Leo and helps him escape the containment he’s in. The two drive away smiling like they’ve just robbed a bank, and to continue being slick Leo throws Dana’s phone out the window (to make it difficult to be tracked), and even trades in Jessica’s car for what looks like a piece of junk. Whether it’s the Vice President’s son or this Leo guy, I just cannot understand why Dana is such a main character in Homeland. I’m way more invested in Jessica and Mike’s relationship than the whining, brat child that Dana is. By the way, welcome back Mike! The Blacklist got a full season extension and now he’s back as Mike Faber, Jessica’s “friend.” Diego Klattenhoff is doing quite well for himself.

If this wasn’t enough, we find out from some research on Mike’s part, that Leo possibly killed his brother and that’s why he was in the suicide prevention facility. Sure, it’s a minor twist and we’re supposed to feel like Dana’s in trouble, but at this point I doubt that many people care. The audience for Homeland isn’t interested in a teenage romance between an alleged terrorist’s daughter and a possible teenage murderer. That sounds like an episode of Revenge. And the most important question about this part of the episode is: what the hell does Brody and his family still have to do with what’s going on with the rest of the plot? I seriously have no idea.

The Walking Dead – “Infected”

Season Four, Episode Two

Grade: A-

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Early in the new season, we’re presented with a very dangerous issue inside the community at the prison: a deadly flu-like virus that can apparently kill you over-night. And just like that, the first two episodes are more interesting than the last handful of episodes from the very drawn-out third season.

There was a development in this episode that started with the season four premiere, which deals with certain individuals in the community pairing up as loved ones. This is the continuation of everyone trying to regain some sort of normalcy in their lives, but the virus put a gigantic halt in any progress that was made. Beginning with Tyreese and his lady-friend Karen, you just know the episode was setting up something to happen to her. But we also had more from Glen and Maggie, Rick and Carl, Daryl and Carol, plus the two little girls who lose their father, and Michonne who shows off the most emotion we’ve seen.

But as Beth commented on last week’s episode, it’s dangerous to have loved ones in the world they live in. They are on constant attack from the walkers and it’s a miracle if they go through a few weeks without an “accident.” You can sense a lack of urgency inside of the camp, and that slight letdown resulted in a terrible massacre when walker-Patrick invades the cell blocks late at night. Most notably is Rick, who has to come to terms to carry his gun again only when the council orders him to. And his hesitation before killing walkers shows how much emotional damage Rick has endured.

I’m impressed how quickly the group comes to the conclusion that Patrick was the first to die from the virus, and then infected several others inside the prison. Karen and another are experiencing coughs and are quarantined from the rest of the group, providing us with a great, touching scene when Tyreese and Karen separate. It might be just a cough, or it could be the virus that killed Patrick. The two of them look at each other for what might be the last time and it’s a real solid scene, full of sympathy at the chance of losing a loved one. Another scene-stealing moment was when Beth hands over Judith to Michonne and she gives a memorable performance being overcome with emotion. We learn a lot more from this speechless Michonne than we have the past season.

In addition to the tragedy inside the prison, the group faces a great threat when a herd of walkers begin to bring down one of their fences… which brings up the suggestion of having at least one person at all times killing zombies on the fence. They seem to have enough willing people to do the job. Why wasn’t there anyone on the fence when they noticed the walkers growing in numbers in one specific area? Beats me, but Rick is quick on his feet to attract them away from the fence with some fresh pork. Poor pigs, but they’re probably infected anyway.

The episode ends with the very idea that we knew was going to happen, but was hoping wasn’t going to come true. Karen’s death, but it wasn’t a walker who got her as she slept at night, nor was it the virus that eventually turned her. She was burnt to death outside of the prison walls. When Tyreese finds her, he’s mixed with sadness and a rage that will definitely bleed into the next episode. As the group seems to have things under control from the outside dangers, it’s the conflicts inside the prison that might end up tearing them apart.