Last week Homeland left us hanging, wondering if the suspense had already been stretched to full capacity. We feared a let down. With Brody exposed, where was left for it to go? We needn’t have worried.
Everything the show has been leading up to culminated in ‘Q&A’ in a perfectly executed exhibition that, true to form, managed to keep us hooked and wanting more.
The interrogation scenes between Damian Lewis’s Brody and Claire Danes’s Carrie play out flawlessly. Highly revealing, almost intrusive, camera close-ups capture every emotion-charged expression.
Doing away with the bravado and showing him her own vulnerability, Carrie breaks Brody down, peeling him back methodically using the disconcerting truth. “Aren’t you sick of all the lies?” she appeals to him. We watch as Brody begins to unravel and make some key admissions. When all is said and done, he curls up on the interrogation room floor just as he did way back in Season One when under Nazir’s captivity.
As Brody lies curled on the cold concrete, Carrie rattles off his options; public humiliation and a prison sentence or impunity under the proviso he works for the CIA as a double agent.
A man repeatedly torn and broken, Brody’s is on a terse emotional tether. He wears the hat of newly appointed congressman, loving father and instrument for his former captor. It’s difficult to know where Brody’s loyalty lies; does he even know? And that’s where Homeland blurs the line between black and white, bad and good. In a political thriller that challenges stereotypes and confronts our greatest fears, it’s strange to find we empathise with and even like Brody, this would-be terrorist.
It’s testament to an engaging plot, exemplary dialogue and well-rounded characters.
This episode also showcases the side-story of Brody’s daughter Dana and her new boyfriend Finn, the son of the Vice President (yep, the guy Brody holds responsible for the death of his beloved Issa). We’re not sure yet where this one’s headed but it’s sure to be a bumpy ride (pun intended!).
As Homeland steers in another direction, the highly-relevant-to-today content and heart-pounding drama continue to keep us on the edge of our couches.
It will be interesting to see how the relationship between Carrie and Brody plays out.
Is it too early to say‘Q&A’ is up there among the best thing you’ll see on television this year? We don’t think so.
Review by Catherine Jones
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