Two Meltdowns in One Episode. Review: Homeland - "I'll Fly Away"

Homeland — S2 E8

Air Date: Sunday, November 18, 2012, 10:00 pm ET/PT on Showtime

Rating: ★★★★★

“I can’t…I can’t…I can’t!” – Brody

One of the hardest things a liar has to do is remember who he told what lie to. And everyone knows liars almost always get caught. In Homeland, Brody (Damian Lewis) certainly has told more than his fair share of lies, the result of which is a major breakdown that may cost him in more ways than one. On the home front, Dana (Morgan Saylor) has a meltdown of her own, after learning a very hard lesson, the reality of which even upsets me.

Observations:

Two Meltdowns in One Episode. Review: Homeland - "I'll Fly Away" 1

I’d be as dejected as Brody is if I were in his position too.

Following an awful fight with Jess (Morena Baccarin) over not taking Dana to the police, we find Brody in the oh-so-familiar fetal position we last saw him in when he returned from captivity in season one. It doesn’t surprise me that Brody is breaking down. He’s failing his daughter, his wife, and later, when he meets Roya (Zuleikha Robinson), he lets her down too. I want to feel sorry for him but then I remember how he got in this position in the first place.

Two Meltdowns in One Episode. Review: Homeland - "I'll Fly Away" 2

Dana tries to apologize to the hit-and-run victim’s daughter to no avail

Dana spends the night at Mike Faber’s (Diego Klattenhoff) place rather than going home after the fiasco at the police station. I don’t blame her; Mike has been more of a father to her than Brody ever has. And at a time when she needed Brody the most, he let his career stand in the way of doing the right thing. But Dana is a little naïve to think the daughter of the hit-and-run victim is going to accept her apology. It’s not going to be that easy—but not for the reason one would think. I feel sorry for Dana and wonder if she’ll ever get over her guilty feelings of being a “murderer,” and how the Waldens’ handling of the situation will affect her relationship with her father going forward. I shudder to think things of this nature happen in real life but something tells me they do.

Two Meltdowns in One Episode. Review: Homeland - "I'll Fly Away" 3

Saul listens patiently to Estes (off camera here) and shows what a class act he is

Pushed by Carrie (Claire Danes), Brody meets Roya, but instead of going with her to meet the new guy, he tells her “I’m through,” which sets off all kind of bells at the CIA. Doesn’t he realize the consequences of his actions, both from the CIA and Abu Nazir (Navid Negahban)? Is he really so broken that he’s willing to screw up not only his life, but the lives of his family too? All of this leads to Carrie breaking the rules again by taking “a confessed terrorist off the grid,” which is how Estes (David Harewood) describes her actions to Saul (Mandy Patinkin). Harewood does an excellent job of portraying how frustrated he is by Carrie. Speaking his lines through clenched teeth, his character’s anger comes through loud and clear.

I find it interesting that Carrie takes Brody to a motel she knows Saul will be able to track her to. The intimate scenes between these two never fail to amaze me as both Danes and Lewis have a way of making the viewer believe whatever they say. Even the way they gaze into each other’s eyes is mesmerizing. But Carrie is walking a very fine line here between coming to grips with her feelings for Brody and satisfying her sexual needs, and the need to do her job and prove, once again, that she’s not crazy.

Saul is so much smarter than Quinn (Rupert Friend); I don’t understand why Quinn is in charge. I mean, why doesn’t Quinn recognize what Carrie is doing and that she’s doing it for the sake of the mission? And Quinn is just plain cruel when he plays the audio and visual tape from the motel for Saul—did you see Saul’s face and how uncomfortable he was? After all, Carrie is like a daughter to him. I found it a bit disconcerting, as well—I almost felt like a Peeping Tom watching and listening to Carrie and Brody’s very steamy encounter. I commend Saul for having faith in his “protégée.”

I love that Carrie isn’t at all embarrassed when Saul tells her he and Quinn’s merry little band of brothers heard and saw practically everything that went on in the motel. Instead, she’s indignant over Saul wondering whether she’s “lost it” again. I like the way she neatly puts him in his place: “I’m not your daughter, Saul. I don’t need you telling me what to do.” But what really comes to mind during this scene is the old adage, “The best defense is a good offense.” And, of course, there’s that famous line from Hamlet: “The lady doth protest too much, methinks.” How many of you think that applies in this instance?

Two Meltdowns in One Episode. Review: Homeland - "I'll Fly Away" 4

Seeing the unknown terrorist waiting at the side of the road would have made me just as nervous as Brody is, if not more.

After Brody apologizes to Roya, he meets up with her and it’s immediately apparent she doesn’t trust him. I didn’t think she would, and when she removes the battery from his cell phone, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Roya says she’s taking Brody somewhere to give him another chance but I knew something bad was going to happen. I was glued to my seat when Carrie was following them, but when Roya and the unknown terrorist dude drag Brody out of the car into the middle of a field, I knew Carrie would disobey Quinn’s orders. In a very emotional scene, as a helicopter carries the three terrorists away, Carrie yells, “They’re gone! They’re gone! Quinn, do you hear me? They’re just gone!” My question is, is Carrie this distraught because she’s losing her lover or her CIA asset?

Memorable line:

Brody to Carrie: “You know how crazy everyone says you are? You’re crazier than that.”

Some Additional Thoughts:

What a beautiful sunset Brody sees when he and Carrie first check into the motel. The minute I saw it, I knew we were in for a very loving encounter between the two, causing me to question Carrie’s motives.

Dana tells her mom Carrie was at the police station and said something to Brody that kept him from taking Dana inside. While we don’t hear anything more on this topic throughout “I’ll Fly Away,” I don’t think it will fall by the wayside. Carrie is a hot button topic for Jess so I’m sure she’s going to want an explanation from Brody when he returns home. I sure would!

I love the interactions between Dana and her mom this week. Jess proves what a terrific mother she can be—protective, understanding, and loving. Baccarin and Saylor give the viewers some pretty convincing and very emotional performances.

I like that the writers chose Mike’s story of “doing the right thing” when Brody returned home as an impetus for Dana doing the right thing by trying to confess to the hit and run.

We’re three-fourths of the way through this season, and Homeland still holds the top spot on my must-see TV list. “I’ll Fly Away” was as intriguing and exciting as any other episode has been. Danes and Lewis continue to turn in mesmerizing performances, as does the rest of the cast.

My questions this week are: What is Abu Nazir going to do to Brody? Will the CIA be able to rescue Brody from his clutches? How badly is Dana’s relationship with her father damaged? And what will happen next now that Carrie and Brody have slept together (again)?

Tune in to Homeland, Sundays at 10:00 pm ET/PT, only on Showtime.

Follow Homeland on Twitter @sho_homeland and cast members Damian Lewis (Brody) @Lewis_Damian; Morena Baccarin (Jessica) @MissMorenaB; David Harewood (Estes) @TheHarewood; Navid Negahban (Abu Nazir) @NavidNegahban; Jackson Pace (Chris Brody) @JacksonPace; David Marciano (Virgil) @davidmarciano; and Zuleikha Robinson (Roya Hamad) @ZuleikhaR.

LIKE the show on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/HomelandOnShowtime and don’t forget to check out Homeland’s official webpage at http://www.sho.com/site/homeland/home.sho.

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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!