Homeland – “From A to B and Back Again” Review. Trust No One but Yourself.

Season 4, Episode 6

Air Date: Sunday, November 2, 2014, 9:00 pm ET/PT on Showtime

Rating: ★★★★★

“Are you out of your mind? That is Saul down there…Saul!” – Peter Quinn

Oh. My. God. Or, as Quinn (Rupert Friend) puts it, “Holy fuck!” What a game changer this week’s installment of Homeland is! I cannot believe what I just watched. Episodic writer Chip Johannessen doesn’t pull any punches with “From A to B and Back Again.” The question is, has Carrie (Claire Danes) lost her mind? Many people say the end justifies the means but I’m not so sure about that. Let’s go back to the beginning.

Scary moment for Aayan when he is taken off the bus.

I can’t call Aayan (Suraj Sharma) a boy anymore—not with the way he acts when he’s around Carrie. He is 19 after all. There is something in Aayan’s demeanor this week that makes him look more like a man. Carrie is right when she says “He’s resourceful,” and knows how to think on his feet. This is obvious at both the beginning of “From A to B and Back Again,” and later, when he’s being questioned outside the bus.

On most television shows, when a character does something they shouldn’t and says, “I’ll be careful,” you almost always know something bad is going to happen. Such is the case in this sixth installment of Homeland – or is it? Will Carrie stop at nothing to achieve her end goal—killing terrorist leader Haissam Haqqani (Numan Acar)? I must say, there’s a terrifying fight at the safe house where Carrie has Aayan stashed. Kudos to John Smith, the stunt coordinator, and director Lesli Linka Glatter for making it look so real.

Three additional plot points are addressed in “From A to B and Back Again” — Saul’s (Mandy Patinkin) kidnapping, Quinn’s problem with Carrie’s handling of Aayan, and Professor Dennis Boyd’s (Mark Moses) relationship with ISI agent Nasneem (Nimrat Kaur). Each brings its own set of questions, and some even provide answers. I can’t address Saul’s story line because I’d give away too much; I want you to experience for yourselves the same OMG moment I had. Suffice it to say, CIA agent Alan Hensleigh (Nick Boraine) brings enough information to Quinn to make him realize Saul is in deep doo-doo. Also, thank heavens for Quinn. That’s all I’m going to say; you can share your feelings with me after you watch the episode.

In my review of “About a Boy,” I commented on Quinn’s feelings for Carrie and said “I don’t buy it.” I still can’t tell whether Quinn has real emotions for Carrie or if he’s just angry with her behavior. I love his snarky comment, though, when Carrie asks for his help with a mission involving Aayan. “So I guess clothing is optional.” This bad blood between Quinn and Carrie leads Carrie to ask for help from someone I never thought she’d trust.

I wonder what Nasneem is going to do with the information Dennis gives her.

Prof. Boyd is beginning to creep me out. I don’t particularly care for the way he lurks about, following people, and doing all sorts of nefarious acts. I know he previously provided useful information to the CIA by committing treason but that’s no excuse for what he’s doing now. If you think about it, which Boyd should, America can’t try him twice for his actions. So why does he continue to give Nasneem information? Does he have some ulterior motive? Kudos to Moses for making me dislike his character so much. That’s one of the hallmarks of a great actor.

Overall

I haven’t spent much time talking about the locale or cinematography this season but the babbling brook surrounded by white stones with a magnificent mountain backdrop bears commenting. I wish I could have been there with Aayan to experience such crystal clear water. The scene, along with the soothing music playing in the background, brings a sense of calm to an otherwise tension-filled episode, making you forget you’re dealing with terrorists.

It’s about time Fara stood up to Carrie!

“From A to B and Back Again” provides more incredible acting from Emmy® and Golden Globe award winning actress Claire Danes. That’s not to say Danes outshines everyone else. Quite the contrary, actually, especially when it comes to Nazanin Boniadi, who plays CIA analyst Fara Sherazi. Boniadi more than holds her own in a scene with Danes where Fara doesn’t back down against Carrie’s tirade. I’m glad Johannessen wrote such a strong scene for these two outstanding actresses.

“From A to B and Back Again” is also very intense, and has some of the best writing to date. From the scene with Aayan on the bus and his subsequent encounter with his Uncle Haissam, to Quinn countermanding Carrie in the CIA control room, I was sitting on the edge of my seat. I have just one very important question. What is going to happen with Saul now?

What did you think of “From A to B and Back Again?” I’d love to discuss it with you so leave me a comment below or hit me up on Twitter @SeasideTV.

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Linda

Love TV, movies, and books--mostly mysteries, with a good love story thrown in every now and then. I have four adopted dogs who I adore. I love trying new recipes, and enjoy eating what I make. English language perfectionist. Reading in bed, Italian food, warm weather, the beach, all types of games = favs!