Spoiler Alert! Recap and Review: HOMELAND's Carrie is All 'About a Boy,' and It's Creepy

NOTE TO READER: This is not a traditional recap, instead my Spoiler Alert! columns will serve as a more in depth critical review of specific episodes and shows as a whole. That being typed, I will discuss what happened in the most recent episode, so be forewarned; the name of the column is "Spoiler Alert!" after all. I always invite your participation in the discussion, so please feel free to leave comments below, or to reach out on Twitter @BWWMatt, just do me a favor and keep it civil, ok? Farhad Ghazi would want it that way.

I took last week off from reviewing HOMELAND, because, to be honest, I was rather disturbed and disgusted by the final scene. I wasn't sure what to make of it; was Carrie's sexual advances on Aayan the cold and calculating maneuvers of a master manipulator, or had Carrie fallen so far from the confident espionage genius that she once was that she felt the only way to regain some control over her life was to exert her sexuality over some unexpectant prey? While Aayan clearly was not telling her no, the entire act felt dirty and, at some level, non-consensual to me. So, I was anxious to watch this week's episode to see how the show would spin the decision to have Carrie bed the former med student.

"Will you walk into my parlour?" said the Spider to the Fly.

When HOMELAND is at its best, it is because they find compelling ways to weave together the personal and professional aspects of the characters' lives; and that's where they took this creepy Carrie/Aayan storyline this week. From the beginning, we see Aayan peeking underneath the covers to take a mental picture of Carrie's naked body, almost as if he can't believe his luck. It was a reminder that even though he is a young man that has found himself in the middle of a very dangerous situation, he is, in fact, still a young man; he is playful, he is innocent.

Carrie on the other hand continued her manipulation from the get-go. After lying her way out of the safe-house, she met with Saul to discuss the operation, and their conversation only served to underscore the sickening lengths that these people will go to in service of "the greater good."

However, as the episode progressed, it was interesting to see how her professional seduction actually did impact her personal emotions, which have been sorely missing for most of the season. In an effort to bond with Aayan, who reminds her that Haissam Haqqani is the only family he has left, she recounts a slightly fictionalized version of how her baby-daddy was killed. While I am so over the guilt Carrie feels about her hand in Brody's death, it was enlightening to carry that grief forward to how it impacts her relationship with her daughter, Frannie. In the season's early episodes, Carrie's hesitation to be a mother was spun as a byproduct of her need for the narcotic-like thrill of being in the field; the constant danger that you just can't put yourself in if you are going to be a responsible parent. However, with tonight's episode in hindsight, there seems to be more nuance there. It no longer looks like Carrie is running towards the dangers of being a spy, instead like she is running away from having to explain to her daughter that she is the reason that she will never know her father.

While that still doesn't excuse Carrie's near infanticide, it does make me feel as though her actions were more in line with the Carrie of previous seasons; a damaged, but ultimately decent human being. Unless the producers decide to play Carrie and Aayan as yet another pair of star-crossed lovers (which I am pretty confident that they aren't doing), I suppose the storyline (like Carrie's actions) is just an uncomfortable means to an end.

Here They Go Again

As referenced above, I am pretty confident that the writers and producers aren't angling for a real romance between Carrie and Aayan, because it appears that they are setting up something between Carrie and Quinn. While we haven't seen any reciprocation from Carrie, tonight's episode continued to leave clues about Quinn's feelings for her. As he and Fara were staking out the mosque, she says that it seems like he and Carrie "go way back," to which he replies that it often feels that way.

Then, after they lost the cleric, because Carrie wouldn't answer the phone, Quinn goes to the safe-house to confront her. After arguing over the ethics of sleeping with Aayan (thank you Peter) Carrie utters the frightening words, "What's it to you?" Fortunately, this isn't SCANDAL or even 24, where Quinn's response very easily could have been, "Because I love you." But, even without that said, the subtext said it all.

I am still confused as to why the powers that be feel that the show can't survive without a romantic storyline. There are so many more aspects of the human condition that would impact how people would interact in the world of espionage beyond love and lust. I like Quinn, he is one of the few that seems to have a truly sturdy moral-base, but the self-mutilation of following around Carrie like a sad puppy only weakens him as a character, and deters us from the more interesting facets of the season's narrative.

There Was Actual Spy Stuff Tonight as Well

The "Professor Boyd is a traitor" storyline is already annoying me. Other than the fact that he was fired for plagiarizing a chapter in his book, we have no reason to understand why he would steal classified documents from his wife (the American Ambassador)'s computer. Between his boldfaced lie last week, and nearly blabbing everything to Redmond at the bar, Boyd is being setup as little more than a bumbling idiot. So, the idea that he could subvert the entire American Security apparatus just seems ludicrous.

The spy stuff that I was actually interested in this week was Saul stalking Farhad Ghazi, only to have him lure Saul in the bathroom, drug him, and wheel him out completely unconscious. Obviously, there is going to be some ISI enhanced interrogation at some point down the road, so I am actually looking forward to seeing Mandy Patinkin in that situation; getting his hands dirty. What are the chances that they bring up the fact that Saul is Jewish?

It's been a while since we've seen a good covert mission on HOMELAND, so hopefully Carrie and Quinn can stage a rescue operation soon.

Things That Make You Go Hmmm...
1) It took everything I had not to audibly say, "I'm in tech," when Raza Jaffrey came on screen. Poor Dev.
2) Clearly Professor Boyd is not a spy, because everybody knows you can't go snooping through someone's house without wearing gloves; even if you are drunk.
3) I guess all it take is two nights with Angela Chase and Aayan is ready to spill all of his secrets. To be fair, I wouldn't even last that long. One smile, and I'd be done for.

Quotes of the Night
1) Saul and Carrie discussing her attempts to get information from Aayan:
Saul: "I take it he's recruitable?"
Carrie: "He's young, emotional."

2) Ambassador Boyd after her husband is brought home drunk:
"There's a theory that men secretly fear their wives are crazy. Women fear their husbands are losers."

3) Fara and Quinn discuss their next move as they follow a dangerous cleric:
Fara: "I'm trying to be ballsie, but I'm not into suicide."
Quinn: "Believe it or not, I don't have a death wish."

4) Carrie and Quinn discussing her management of Aayan:
Carrie: "I'm recruiting someone."

Was I right to be thoroughly disturbed by Carrie's actions? Was her seduction of Aayan her only option to recruit him? Let me know what you think in the comments below, or on Twitter @BWWMatt. Also, don't forget to follow @BWWTVWorld on Twitter and Like us on Facebook for all of the latest TV news, reviews, and recaps.

Check out a sneak peek at next week's episode below:

Photo Credit:
1) Claire Danes and Rupert Friend: David Bloomer | Showtime
2) Suraj Sharma: David Bloomer | Showtime
3) Mark Moses: David Bloomer | Showtime