S05.E06: Parabiosis

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Saul orders a sweep at the station. Carrie looks to Düring for support.

 

Promo:

 

Clips:

 

[LoveLeigh]

With so many shows running over an hour (Mad Men, Sons of Anarchy, Fargo, American Horror Story and others), I am getting sick and tired of Homeland clocking in at 45 minutes. 

 

The writers are so determined to end each episode with a "cliffhanger" that each episode is short and ends at what they believe is a moment of suspense. The editors should take footage from the next episode and tack it onto the end of each episode to make it longer and at least reach the end of the hour. And if they come in a few episodes shorter each season, it just makes better sense.

 

This is the best example of a show that is best viewed in a binge watch. 

Edited November 9, 2015 by DakotaLavender

[Primetimer]

He doesn't trust Carrie -- so why is the information she passed along bugging him?

Read the story

[mjc570]

This show is so much better without Carrie.

 

Love the recap titles, especially "Never Adal Moment," ha ha.

[WaltersHair]

No such thing as coincidence in Homeland. The theme this year is recruitment.

Carrie used to recruit in the old days.

Saul's friend went to Switzerland to recruit some unknown.

Allison was recruited by the Russians.

Quinn killed a woman recruiting young women.

I think Quinn is being stealth-recruited by the extremists. Not to make him love them, just not hate them so much.

[lvbalgurl]

Carrie in the parking lot with During was the best bit of acting Claire Danes has done this season.  She was so raw, so heartbroken.  Saul not believing in her, not being there for her, knifed her deeply.  Add to the fact that as far as she knows, the man who has been unfailingly loyal to her, who has continued to protect her, is probably dead in a ditch somewhere, she just broke.  That was such an awesomely well done scene, especially the shots of Carrie half-hidden behind the pillar.  It's moments like those that remind me of why I still root for her, despite that fact that she can be a maddeningly difficult heroine at times.

 

So, I suppose Saul was really being played and there's no long con between he and Dar?  I guess something happened 30 years ago between Dar and Saul, and as a result, Dar has never fully trusted him?  I still don't know that I buy all of that but I'm glad he got the docs and that he's helping Carrie.

 

I love Quinn so much that my Quinn-love totally began to extend to the dude who saved his life and had his back against the jihadists.  Only Quinn (and maybe John McClane) could be recovering from a gun shot wound, after just having undergone a blood transfusion, stitches in his side, and, yet, still be so wonderfully bad ass in taking out a jihadist.  

 

I just love him.  All he wanted was to pass by.  He asked so humbly.  Yet, dude had to make things so complicated.  Ah well.

Edited November 9, 2015 by lvbalgurl

[FurryFury]

Loved Danes' acting this episode. It was weirdly, but fittingly muted, like the episode itself.

 

Not sure about the point of Quinn's storyline. That was strange and not that interesting. Reminded me of that season 3 episode with Brody in Columbia (or was it Venezuela?) 

[chocolatine]

Not sure about the point of Quinn's storyline. That was strange and not that interesting. Reminded me of that season 3 episode with Brody in Columbia (or was it Venezuela?) 

 

It was Venezuela, and I was reminded of those episodes as well - that storyline dragged on far too long for my liking.

 

If TPTB turn Quinn into Brody 2.0 and have him become a Muslim because the Syrian doctor was so good to him, I'm going to scream.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Damn, Quinn! Almost died the night before but still able to take down this asshole like the BAMF that he is.

[dwmarch]

The first scene reminded me of Bruce Willis mocking the bad guy in A Good Day to Die Hard. "You have got to be running out of bad guys by now. I mean, what, do you have a service or something? 1-800-HENCHMAN?" Indeed, Dial-A-Mook is still in business and we have a fresh delivery of bad guys to get us through the back half of the season.

 

Why is Carrie sad about deleting her photos? She really should have cloud backup. The cloud is unstoppable. That's the whole theme of the season.

 

CIA stations have paper-thin walls in case you want to eavesdrop on the Director of the CIA talking to one of his top lieutenants about some serious shit going down right now? Good to know...

 

Saul's momentary distraction of the IT staff so he could gank the documents everyone has been chasing all season long was very 24. As was the real bad guy heaping blame on the good guy and for the moment getting away with it. I can almost hear the beep boop beep.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Saul's momentary distraction of the IT staff so he could gank the documents everyone has been chasing all season long was very 24. As was the real bad guy heaping blame on the good guy and for the moment getting away with it. I can almost hear the beep boop beep.

Ha, yes the all of this! That was totally a 24 move and as soon as I read your post, I heard the beeps in my head.

[albaniantv]

Never saw 24 but did enjoy all the ripping the envelope wide open moments tonight. 

 

It was hard watching Saul distrust Carrie, and Saul and Adal not being able to trust each other after 30 years. At the same time, exhilarating to watch Quinn cheat death once more. 

 

Thrilled to see my favorite folks surviving tonight, but not optimistic about next week. I mean this isn't Disney, so of course we have to get some really bad news soon. 

[Deanie87]

Ok, I know that Carrie: is a continent away from her daughter and doesn't know when she'll see her again; just got dumped; has people out to kill her; thinks that Quinn is dead; feels betrayed by Saul; and is wearing a very bad wig.  But I am so tired of seeing her cry all the damn time!  Suck it up Carrie, there's no crying in the CIA Spy Game!   I know its probably not fair (and probably sexist) but I have always thought that she is way too emotional to be a secret agent/CIA recruiter.  She cries in nearly every episode.  You don't see that nice boy Quinn breaking down over every little kidnapping and double cross!

[teddysmom]

I think Dar and Saul are playing the long con on Allison.  Why would they have that conversation in a room where she could over hear everything, unless to flush her out so she makes a move they can catch her at. 

 

Quinn IS THE BEST!!!!  

 

Loved his jab at Hajib, ie Poor Man's Common.  Yeah if you wanna fuck around here in Berlin and play terrorist just to get arrested and be a martyr, or fucking go to Syria where the real fight is. 

 

Carrie isn't getting on that plane, she'll stay and find Quinn. 

[fastiller]

Loved his jab at Hajib, ie Poor Man's Common.  Yeah if you wanna fuck around here in Berlin and play terrorist just to get arrested and be a martyr, or fucking go to Syria where the real fight is. 

 

Carrie isn't getting on that plane, she'll stay and find Quinn. 

 

So funny, 'cause I couldn't stop thinking "Wait, that's not Common, is it?" all through the episode.

 

I had to look up the definition of the episode's title (thanks, show for making me learn), and it means, according to Merriam Webster:

 

1:  reversible suspension of obvious vital activities

2:  anatomical and physiological union of two organisms

 

 

How do you think the showrunners mean it?  Is it option 1 for what Quinn went through and option 2 for Carrie/Quinn &/or Carrie/Saul.  Probably both, right?

[teddysmom]

So funny, 'cause I couldn't stop thinking "Wait, that's not Common, is it?" all through the episode.

 

I know, right??!!   When I saw him I thought that was some really strange stunt casting. Then realized it's not Common. 

[Constantinople]

I'm a little puzzled about why the Russians would want to kill Carrie (though I guess from last week's episode, it seemed as if Alison was more interested in killing Carrie than the Russians were)

 

Carrie -- and I suppose Saul too -- seems to think if Carrie saw the CIA documents that were hacked, she'd figure out something the Russians don't want her to figure out (Alison's a mole or something else).  Therefore, the Russians are trying to kill Carrie to prevent that from happening.

 

But at the time someone tried to kill Carrie in Lebanon, I thought Numan the hacker had only made one document available, and to Laura the journalist, not Carrie.  Hadn't Laura already published that document and gone on German TV to talk about it before Carrie's trip to Lebanon? Laura also made it pretty clear in the interview that whoever hacked the doucments could trust her, i.e., Laura didn't have anything more at the time of the interview.  So at that time, there would seem to be no reason to kill Carrie since she hadn't figured out what was so damaging from that first document.

 

The Russians might have gone after Carrie in Lebanon proactively, in case more doucments made their way from the hacker to Laura to Carrie.  But then, under Carrie's theory, shouldn't the Russians also be after Laura and the hacker (Numan)?

[attica]

I've been toying with the fanwanky idea that Allison is actually Paige from the Americans all grown up. But I'm starting to bail on that notion -- Paige would certainly be less lame at this stuff than Allison is being.

 

I cannot even express how much I keened with laughter at the "Fuck you/no fuck youuuu" exchange. Nothing calls out the impotence of such sputtering contempt like that does. Men, amirite?

 

I also give kudos to Carrie for remembering to do her eyebrows to match her wig.

[teddysmom]

Well the Russians killed the one hacker guy and his girlfriend so they know the documents contain something they don't want exposed. 

 

Killing Carrie may just be cleaning up all the loose ends.  

[Roselle]

Bravo Previously TV - love your recaps - hilarious!

 

Love Quinn but what kind of uncanny coincidence is it that has a Syrian doctor finds him when he's dying on some quayside amongst deserted warehouses, and said doctor manages a building where a recently released (because of the leaked files at the heart of the other storyline) jihadi terrorist is plotting a major attack (in a room with a direct audio link via an air vent)? I mean...isn't that all just tooooo much? Unless, of course, the Syrian doctor has some other nefarious purpose and was somehow tracking Carrie & Quinn when nobody else knew where the f*** they were. Still, like I said...love Quinn.

[jeansheridan]

Roselle, I agree with you 100%. That just seemed lame to me, the coincidence. But that said, watching bad-ass Quinn handle a bad situation while half dead is a lovely thing to behold. He is so much more capable than anyone else on this show. Other than the the dudes who used to bug things for Carrie. Those guys kind of ruled. And I miss them.

And I think Claire Danes was great in this ep. She's walking away from her life and her friend just probably died for her and her mentor does seem to hate her now. By the by, I don't think the show has done enough work to explain their rift. Mandy and Claire are selling it, but it feels like a temperature reset without any background. The end of last season wasn't enough for him to hate her so. It's not like he hadn't left the CIA once in his career.

But I also this Jonas is so smart to walk away. She IS a mess. And he just saw a man die for her and she doesn't seem all that moved. Or shocked really. Of course we know she would die for Quinn (at least I think she would). But Jonas isn't in her world. He is reacting like a normal human.

One thing I would love love love is if this season shows how releasing all those documents makes things safer for some people and more dangerous for others. I know there are good reasons to keep some things classified, but I tend to want more information available rather than less. Operating in secrecy creates corruption.

[norask]

Please show, let this be the truth. Otherwise i just can't believe Saul or Dar Adal to be so stupid.

 

OTOH, Quinn is not suffering. That's all I care about. But trust Quinn to find terrorists even while he is literally dying and then take out the biggest of them so efficiently. Was it convinient? Hell yes! Did I care? No. Quinn is saved, after all. I just love him.

 

I like Carrie's chemistry with Durian. He really seems to be a good man trying to help people with his vast wealth and he seems to trust and respect Carrie implicitly. More of him please and less of the idiot boyfriend who did the best thing by walking away.

[slowpoked]

Whew. The man who saved Quinn is just indeed a good Samaritan and has no other ulterior motives. Quinn does deserve some good luck coming his way after all he's done. I love how Quinn didn't even deny he was a spy. He just went directly to playing mind games with Zayd, and told him either to kill him now, or just GTFO.

 

Lots of things to love about this episode, although not as action-packed as last week's. That cameraman getting a little zinger to Laura about how she probably feels happy about helping jihadists get off prison because she can't freaking wait about leaking those docs. How Carrie started her discussion with Saul about having her name on their secret kill order and about how Saul hasn't talked to Quinn for awhile. And Carrie also telling Saul that he's being tailed by his own agency. Saul might not have wanted to show Carrie he believed her in front of her because of what he perceived as betrayal, but it did get Saul thinking about his situation from that point forward. How Saul was able to pass off the documents to During even as the CIA were right on his tail. And how During went straight to Carrie instead of being tempted to look into the documents, seeing as that's part of his "business" of whatever he does in his foundation. Seems like a good man so far, no wonder Carrie went to him as her last resort.

 

Heck, I even loved that little scene where Carrie took a little detour to see Jonas one last time. Carrie might not have expressed it properly, but I think it's a nice little touch to show that she genuinely cared for and loved Jonas, and she's not totally heartless in leaving everything behind as if nothing good ever happened. I loved Jonas' "Quinn just walked out the door to protect you, does that even register?" seemed to rattle Carrie as to the depths of how Quinn has really helped her.

 

 

I guess something happened 30 years ago between Dar and Saul, and as a result, Dar has never fully trusted him?

 

There is something that clearly happened and I hope they delve into it more in the coming episodes. Remember back in Season 2, Quinn came out of nowhere to head the operation in flushing out Brody, and by extension, Abu Nazir, Both Saul and Carrie were suspicious where he came from, and Carrie had Quinn tailed to see him meet with Dar Adal. When Carrie came to Saul with this info, Saul seemed so surprised and a little shocked that Dar was even involved in this operation, or that he's even still active in the CIA. Since outing Quinn and Dar, the show has showed the relationship between Saul and Dar as having a significant tension, although they were able to work together civilly since.

 

Which still begs the question (because I am still bitter about the ending of Season 4) - if Dar doesn't fully trust Saul because of whatever happened 30 years ago, then why even make a deal with the devil (Haqqani), so that Saul can be installed as CIA Director without fear of his torture video ever coming out? Why would you even want your frenemy to head the CIA and be working for him? It doesn't make sense.

Edited November 9, 2015 by slowpoked

[Pallas]

I guess something happened 30 years ago between Dar and Saul, and as a result, Dar has never fully trusted him?

 

Saul stated what the problem was -- apparently, (almost) 30 years ago, during the first Intifada, Saul passed on classified information to the Mossad; Adal found out and continues to take exception.  The Russians, aware of the undercurrent of tension between Saul and Adal and of the reason -- through Alison -- took advantage of that knowledge to set up both Saul and the Israelis in the bombing of the plane.  

 

Of course, it's possible that Saul and Adal were both playing to Alison when they discussed their dispute at the top of their lungs; it's also possible that Saul previously fed Alison misinformation about his relations with Adal, and their past.  That there is daylight between Saul and Adal on many subjects, I have no doubt; but this new info about a previous leak of information by Saul to the Mossad may be a ruse. 

[Boundary]

I think Dar and Saul are playing the long con on Allison.  Why would they have that conversation in a room where she could over hear everything, unless to flush her out so she makes a move they can catch her at. 

 

I really don't have much hope about this, mostly because this show doesn't do a lot of convoluted stuff. I leant my lesson last year when I clung to the false hope that Fara couldn't possibly be that naive but that was all it really was. However, I think in this episode Saul began to suspect Allison. Despite saying otherwise, he trusted what Carrie told him about the Russians and in his head it pointed to Allison. But catching Allison was not possible in the short amount of time he had; helping Carrie was.

[healthnut]

How did Saul not know he had a tail? They weren't exactly being subtle. Saul just seems way off his game this season but maybe after tonight's episode he will get his mojo back. Loved the Otto meeting/exchange. I actually really like Otto now, he's been so good to Carrie.

I also liked the Dar-Saul showdown, lots of testosterone, good stuff. I was surprised Dar brought up Saul & Allison's relationship in front of other people. Is their relationship not on the DL? Or Dar was just throwing their biz out there cause he was pissed. I would expect the director (presumably he is) to be more composed.

[Constantinople]

Well the Russians killed the one hacker guy and his girlfriend so they know the documents contain something they don't want exposed. 

 

Killing Carrie may just be cleaning up all the loose ends.  

 

That may be, but Laura and Numan are loose ends too.

 

Killing Laura has the added bonus of being able to blame Americans or the Germans (or both).

 

The Russians don't know about Numan, but they might suspect there is more to the hack than just the late Korzenik.  "Gabe H Coud" seems to know a lot about Korzenik and aired a tape of the Russian diplomat with the hooker.  The Russian diplomat could identify the location of the brothel.  I don't know if the Russians know that Korzenik worked there, but they might discover it

[roughing it]

 

I really don't have much hope about this, mostly because this show doesn't do a lot of convoluted stuff.

The whole "Carrie is crazy" season (2 or 3?) was quite convoluted, when she purposely went off her meds and into the psychiatric hospital to play the long con.  So in my opinion, Homeland does do convoluted stuff, and I still think that Dar and Saul are working together to out Allison.

 

Here's a question about last week - if Saul didn't know at the time that he was being followed, why did he do the whole run through the kitchen of the hotel and go out the back door to go for a run?

[koalathebear]

Here's a question about last week - if Saul didn't know at the time that he was being followed, why did he do the whole run through the kitchen of the hotel and go out the back door to go for a run?

Guessing that was just his ingrained caution/instinct/training kicking in even if for some reason he hadn't realised that he was being tailed yet.  That was a bit of a goofy stretch for us.  I know the show is always trying to reinforce how great/special/unique Carrie is - she's the only one who can spot a threat/do this and that, but you'd think that someone with as many years of experience as Saul would be aware, too.  It's not like he's been behind a desk because of his years of seniority - the show puts him out in the field all the time so he shouldn't' be rusty...  I liked the episode but that's one of the elements that grated, along with:

1. Quinn coincidentally ending up with the recently released Jihadists;
2. Carrie not double checking Quinn was actually dead before giving up on him ... One could interpret what we saw as her being more upset about breaking up with Jonas than the death of a self-sacrificing friend.  Another way to look at it is that she was lurking outside Jonas' window because she was saying goodbye to her normal life and her house (not just Jonas and his house) and that she was upset at the death of a friend but her coping mechanism was to switch to work mode (hence her fixation on the documents etc).  It was a bit odd though. 

Edited November 10, 2015 by koalathebear

[slowpoked]

Here's a question about last week - if Saul didn't know at the time that he was being followed, why did he do the whole run through the kitchen of the hotel and go out the back door to go for a run?

 

 

Guessing that was just his ingrained caution/instinct/training kicking in even if for some reason he hadn't realised that he was being tailed yet.

 

Carrie slipped him a secret code through a bubble gum label - "Black Jack". Carrie knew Saul wouldn't talk to her if she just showed up at his room (even without the tail). Carrie did notice the tail, and so she had a hotel employee slip a special "note" to Saul. I'm guessing the Black Jack bubble gum is a code only the two of them know back in their CIA days, maybe something to the effect of "we need to meet but you have to be careful as someone is following you."

 

Think about it - Saul not only knew to put on his running gear and go out towards the kitchen, but he also knew Carrie would be waiting for him outside.

[mrspidey]

In Democratic Germany, terrorists drive Wartburg. Well, technically, it seemed to be the doctor's.

The Wartburg is an old type of car from East-Germany. We basically had the Trabant and the Wartburg and that was it. The Wartburg was significantly more expensive though. Props to the crew for getting one of those. There aren't that many left these days.

[shelley1234]

I guess I just saw the Russian involvement wrong.  I saw those Russian paid killers as not people trying to kill Carrie for the Russians as a whole entity, but paid assassins who are doing Allison's dirty work.  They got the documents back for her.  They are eliminating Carrie for her.  I see her as the main driving point.  I also think she blew up the plane.  It's all her.  She told Saul to give what's his face some of his cigarettes.  She put the electronic bomb in there.  

 

I don't think Dar and Saul are working together just yet, but I do think that they are both gonna have a light bulb moment about Allison and will come together to bring her down.  

 

I do like that they didn't go the usual TV show route and have Jonas be jealous and therefore less helpful when it came to Quinn.  He basically called Carrie an asshole for not caring about Quinn enough.  I am used to it being someone too worried about losing their woman, so they put the well meaning person in harms way.  

[bunnywithanaxe]

Ok, I know that Carrie: is a continent away from her daughter and doesn't know when she'll see her again; just got dumped; has people out to kill her; thinks that Quinn is dead; feels betrayed by Saul; and is wearing a very bad wig.  But I am so tired of seeing her cry all the damn time!  Suck it up Carrie, there's no crying in the CIA Spy Game!   I know its probably not fair (and probably sexist) but I have always thought that she is way too emotional to be a secret agent/CIA recruiter.  She cries in nearly every episode.  You don't see that nice boy Quinn breaking down over every little kidnapping and double cross!

I admit it is something I have to push aside when watching the show. IMO that characterization is a stereotype that was circulating post-9/11 of the (largely female) CIA analyst corps. See the doc "Manhunt." That whole rabid focus Carrie had on Abu Nazir and Brody was a cartoonization of the way the female analysts kept bugging people in the CIA to take note of the movements of key Al Queida leaders, and how they were blown off. ("Everybody missed something that day"-- no Saul, a few people didn't, and no one listened to them.) As it turned out, the kind of focused, relentless tracking of individuals the analysts were getting mocked for was exactly what was needed to bring down Bin Laden.

Therefore, that said, I see a lot of what I suppose was some writer's idea of making Carrie a rich, flawed character as a (probably unintentional) slap in the face to actual female CIA operatives-- he old "women be crying and shit" motif. Why did that have to be the flaw?

While I rant, may I just say that it would be nice to have a few more women scattered around that resemble the women in the analyst corps. They look like women who would organize a PTA cakewalk, on average. Perfectly ordinary, in other words. They could probably sneak around anywhere too, because people would assume they were bringing someone brownies. I dunno, but I found the contrast of the Lutheran potluck look combined with the analytical badass performance quite refreshing in the doc. Maybe just 'cause Im Lutheran.

[Mama No Life]

I loathe Carrie, BUT Claire Danes is amazing.  Somehow despite the fact that I hate almost every facet of her personality I still feel sorry for her and cheer her on.  That is terrific acting.

[bunnywithanaxe]

Yeah, that. Claire Danes can kick any role's ass.

Edited November 14, 2015 by bunnywithanaxe

[Constantinople]

"The real jihad is in Syria" - Quinn

 

In light of yesterday's events, perhaps not.

[Joimiaroxeu]

I think Dar and Saul are playing the long con on Allison.  Why would they have that conversation in a room where she could over hear everything, unless to flush her out so she makes a move they can catch her at.

 

I've been thinking that ever since we found out Saul was sleeping with her.

 

Quinn IS THE BEST!!!!

Whatever he's getting paid under the table or through back channels or whatever, it's not near enough. I can't remember the last time I fretted so much over a character.

 

Wonder how long it's gonna take for the gang--Carrie, Saul, and Quinn--to get back together? By the season finale, I hope.

 

[Kel Varnsen]

With so many shows running over an hour (Mad Men, Sons of Anarchy, Fargo, American Horror Story and others), I am getting sick and tired of Homeland clocking in at 45 minutes. 

I actually appreciate that they don't pad the episodes to fill an hour. Those last few season of Sons of Anarcy, where they had 90 minutes episodes were painfull with the amount of filler they used. If this show starts adding in pointless montages at the end of each episode where every character looks thoughtful I will be super pissed off.

 

Only Quinn (and maybe John McClane) could be recovering from a gun shot wound, after just having undergone a blood transfusion, stitches in his side, and, yet, still be so wonderfully bad ass in taking out a jihadist.  

I thought one thing it really showed was how any asshole can become a terrorist. Quinn even sort of burned the guy with his comment about how if he went to Syria he would actually have to fight. Where Quinn on the other hand, is actually a super elite level of assassin so even severely injured and with a head full of drugs he should be able to take down some jerkass with a knife pretty quickly.

 

Damn, Quinn! Almost died the night before but still able to take down this asshole like the BAMF that he is.

As far as the fight itself goes I liked how Quinn was super efficient, and there weren't any flashy moves or any crap like that. 

[Occasional Hope]

The whole Quinn being taken in by the terrorist wannabes was just ridiculous.  Completey unbelievable.

[Joimiaroxeu]

The whole Quinn being taken in by the terrorist wannabes was just ridiculous.  Completey unbelievable.

I agree that it was an awfully big coincidence and in that world coincidences are probably rare. However, Quinn wasn't taken in by the terrorists, he was taken in by the man who owned the building and happened to be letting it out to terrorists. Now them taking Quinn back in after he killed their leader was kind of nutty IMO but that bunch doesn't appear to be very bright anyway. I think Quinn picked up on that and realized it was the leader who major problematic influence. His killing that guy was probably the most effective thing he could have done under the circumstances.

[teddysmom]

Whatever he's getting paid under the table or through back channels or whatever, it's not near enough. I can't remember the last time I fretted so much over a character.

 

I know!!!  Watching last night's episode I started clapping when he appeared on screen finally.  

 

Can they do a spin off called Quinn Land?  I'll move there. 

[Kel Varnsen]

I agree that it was an awfully big coincidence and in that world coincidences are probably rare. However, Quinn wasn't taken in by the terrorists, he was taken in by the man who owned the building and happened to be letting it out to terrorists. Now them taking Quinn back in after he killed their leader was kind of nutty IMO but that bunch doesn't appear to be very bright anyway. I think Quinn picked up on that and realized it was the leader who major problematic influence. His killing that guy was probably the most effective thing he could have done under the circumstances.

I didn't mind the coincidence, since crazy coincidences are the kind of things you hear about happening in the world all the time (think about all those truth is stranger than fiction stories you hear about). As long as the show doesn't go to the well with this kind of thing too many times it doesn't really bother me. 

 

As far as the rest of the guys backing down once the leader was killed, from what I have read terrorists target people who are really easy to manipulate when it comes to their followers. So once the big boss was dead, I can see the rest of those guys not wanting to step up and become the new leader, and instead just go with the flow.

[John Potts]

Awww, poor Carrie - all her men have left her. To be fair, her husband(?) was probably right to walk out, Quinn was doing it to protect her and Saul has his reasons to distrust her. Only During is still in Camp Carrie - which I guess if you have to have only one guy in your corner having a millionaire is pretty sweet!

 

Constantinople I'm a little puzzled about why the Russians would want to kill Carrie

 

Whatever their reasons, how they're doing it is completely idiotic. Killing her in Lebanon might make sense - while the CIA might look into it (she is an ex CIA Officer, after all), it'll be primarily investigated by the Lebanese officials and (probably) written off as a terrorist attack. If it happens in Germany there will be a full investigation by the Federal authorities. Even if their trail ends at Quinn, it will tip the CIA off that there's a mole.

As for Numan, I thought they'd tortured him first (offscreen) before killing him so they really ought to know.

 

attica I cannot even express how much I keened with laughter at the "Fuck you/no fuck youuuu" exchange

 

Apparently the CIA is run by 12 year olds!

 

dwmarch CIA stations have paper-thin walls in case you want to eavesdrop on the Director of the CIA talking to one of his top lieutenants about some serious shit going down right now? Good to know...

And discriminate against all those moles they employ? They might get sued!

[Roseanna]

On ‎9‎.‎11‎.‎2015 at 4:22 PM, Constantinople said:

I'm a little puzzled about why the Russians would want to kill Carrie (though I guess from last week's episode, it seemed as if Alison was more interested in killing Carrie than the Russians were)

Carrie -- and I suppose Saul too -- seems to think if Carrie saw the CIA documents that were hacked, she'd figure out something the Russians don't want her to figure out (Alison's a mole or something else).  Therefore, the Russians are trying to kill Carrie to prevent that from happening.

But at the time someone tried to kill Carrie in Lebanon, I thought Numan the hacker had only made one document available, and to Laura the journalist, not Carrie.  Hadn't Laura already published that document and gone on German TV to talk about it before Carrie's trip to Lebanon? Laura also made it pretty clear in the interview that whoever hacked the doucments could trust her, i.e., Laura didn't have anything more at the time of the interview.  So at that time, there would seem to be no reason to kill Carrie since she hadn't figured out what was so damaging from that first document.

The Russians might have gone after Carrie in Lebanon proactively, in case more doucments made their way from the hacker to Laura to Carrie.  But then, under Carrie's theory, shouldn't the Russians also be after Laura and the hacker (Numan)?

It seems that the meaning of the document that was so damning from the POV could only be understood by Carrie, not Laura or Numan. 

However, Carrie and Laura never saw the document as it was among those that the Russians bought from Numan's pal whom they killed. 

It's ironical that just because the Russians overreacted in Lebanon and with Quinn's order and failed that Carrie's suspicions were raised. If she had seen all the documents, the damning one was among thousands. Now she knows what to seek for.

Edited June 23, 2018 by Roseanna
adding some words to make the meaning clear

[Roseanna]

On ‎9‎.‎11‎.‎2015 at 10:59 PM, slowpoked said:

Lots of things to love about this episode, although not as action-packed as last week's. That cameraman getting a little zinger to Laura about how she probably feels happy about helping jihadists get off prison because she can't freaking wait about leaking those docs. How Carrie started her discussion with Saul about having her name on their secret kill order and about how Saul hasn't talked to Quinn for awhile. And Carrie also telling Saul that he's being tailed by his own agency. Saul might not have wanted to show Carrie he believed her in front of her because of what he perceived as betrayal, but it did get Saul thinking about his situation from that point forward. 

That Saul trusted in Carrie was shown when he didn't tell nothing about her to Allison (although he othwewise trusted in her too much) and Dar.