| Allison Carr | |
|---|---|
| |
| Name: | Allison Carr |
| Status: | Deceased |
| Birthplace: | Wisconsin, United States |
| Cause of death: | Shot multiple times |
| Nationality: |  American
|
| Alias(es): | Allison Stevens;
Alishka. |
| Affiliation: | CIA double agent for the SVR |
| Profession: | CIA Station Chief in Berlin (formerly) |
| Significant other(s): | Saul Berenson (lover)
Ivan Krupin (lover) |
| Played by: | Miranda Otto |
| Season(s): | 5 |
| Episodes: | 12 appearances |
| First episode: | "Separation Anxiety" |
| Last episode: | "A False Glimmer" |
Allison Carr appears as the head of the CIA base in Berlin. Under her responsibility, a hacker manages to gain access to sensitive CIA data. As she tries to correct this mistake, dark secrets from her past come to light.
Events[]
Allison Carr is the head of the CIA base in Berlin. Together with the analysts stationed on site, she is responsible for searching for underground terrorists and radicalized Islamists in Germany. While observing a recruiting site for the Islamic State, they notice the work of a hacker, but before they know it, he starts hacking the CIA network and obtains over 1,300 documents that show, among other things, that there is collusion between the secret services of the USA and Germany about the wiretapping of German citizens. She immediately informs Saul Berenson about the data leak and discusses with him how to proceed, which includes a meeting with the BND. In addition to Saul, Allison also knows Carrie Mathison from their work together in Beirut. When she visits her in Berlin to obtain information about Lebanon and the threat posed by terrorists to the refugee camp there, Allison is not authorized to give her this secret information. However, she suggests an exchange of information to Carrie if she tells her what plans the Düring Foundation is pursuing. However, Carrie rejects the offer.
After Laura Sutton, a journalist working for the Düring Foundation, published parts of the CIA documents, Allison is under pressure. Saul tells her that she has to be used as a pawn because the German side demands that someone be held accountable. Allison is not happy about this at all and tries to convince Saul that she is far too important for the area and her expertise in the Russian region. But Saul says that his hands are tied. Allison accuses him of not standing up for her. He would do more for Carrie. So she calls Dal Adal and explains to him again how important it is that she can continue to work during this crisis. She suggests to Dar Adal that Saul could also be withdrawn and this would also satisfy the Germans. The plan only half works. Dar Adal immediately reports this to Saul, who confronts Allison. However, her action means that it is not she but the American ambassador who is transferred because they cannot do without her in the crisis in which they are looking for Carrie and have to correct the mistakes. This may also have something to do with the fact that Allison is having an affair with Saul.
Allison also has contact with Russian intelligence and provides Ivan Krupin with important information. This means that General Youssef, who was supposed to be used by the Americans in the Middle East as an important factor in replacing the Assad regime in Syria, can be killed in an aircraft explosion. It was also Allison who put Carrie's name on Peter Quinn's kill list and was both shocked and relieved when Carrie's death was confirmed. However, when Saul steals secret documents, Allison is convinced that he would only go this far for Carrie. She fears that she is still alive and that her plan with Ivan could be exposed. She is able to convince Dar Adal that Saul, who has now been taken into custody, would talk to her at the hotel, and so she learns from Saul that Carrie is really still alive and has the documents. Allison is very worried and can only be partially reassured by Ivan. But when Carrie, of all people, calls her and asks for help, she senses a new chance for the success of her project.
Carrie trusts her because they worked together in 2005 when Carrie was supposed to take over her position in Beirut. There, Allison had tried to implement the government's guidelines, but was becoming more pessimistic about this task every day due to the reality on the ground. A small glimmer of hope was the lawyer Ahmed Nazari, who acted as a spy and provided them with important information. However, he was also in love with Allison and therefore had no interest in working with Carrie from then on. Instead, he made Allison an offer to run away with him, which she even accepted after some hesitation. But Nazari also did business with the Russians and so Ivan Krupin suddenly stood in front of Allison and confronted her with the end of her career because she wanted to betray her country. At the same time, he also offered her the opportunity to work with him. She would provide him with American information and in return he would share his knowledge so that they could climb the corporate ladder together while ensuring greater peace between their nations. Carrie has no idea about any of this when she confides in Allison and reveals what she knows. Allison has the opportunity to signal the Russians to eliminate Carrie, but she assesses the situation as Carrie doesn't know enough and has no evidence and spares her.
But it doesn't take long before Allison finds herself on the defensive. Saul and Carrie have discovered her and Saul fakes their last evening together in order to copy her cell phone data and bug her handbag. Allison now learns from German intelligence that an informant can prove that someone in the CIA is a traitor. Allison stays calm for now and doesn't provide any indication that it could be her. But when Astrid tries to have another conversation with her and presents the situation a little more dramatically, Allison does everything she can to escape and goes to see Ivan without noticing that she is being watched. Allison and Ivan are finally caught and Dar Adal also believes Carrie's story. But when he wants to question Allison, she claims that Ivan is her informant and that they have ruined everything with this action.
The doubts about Allison's role remain and she is initially placed under arrest and guarded around the clock. But when she finds out about the current developments, she offers to help because she has contacts who can help. When she goes to the toilet, she is contacted by Erna Richter and given new instructions. She should ensure that the TU lecturer involved in the attack, Dr. Aman Aziz does not reveal the goal. Allison thinks the plan is crazy because she's no longer in a position to implement it, but Erna says she can take the risk because this is her last mission. So Allison has no choice. The trust she regained at Dar Adal allows her to go on an official mission to the TU, where she is still guarded by her CIA colleague Conrad Fuller, Dr. Aman Aziz questioned. She wants to know details from Aziz and threatens him with Conrad's gun to get him to talk. When this doesn't work, she suddenly shoots her guard, drives out of Aziz so that the main train station is the target at 5:15 p.m. and then shoots Aziz too. She then calls Astrid and explains that she has been shot. She eventually shoots herself in the shoulder and falls to the ground. When Astrid arrives, she explains with the last of her strength that the Berlin airport is the terrorists' target.
Allison is taken to the hospital for treatment, where Saul visits her after Carrie claims that the attack will take place at the central station. Allison defends her statement when a doctor comes and wants to change the bandage. When Saul returns, Allison is gone. She is taken to a hideout belonging to a gang of Russian smugglers who are involved in human trafficking. She is looked after there for a few days until Erna informs her that the journey across the Russian border is imminent. She has to hide in the trunk. But the car is ambushed by Saul and his men due to a road blockage. Fire is opened there and the car is riddled with bullet holes, which even Allison in the trunk does not survive.
As Ivan Krupin claimed, for ten years, Allison was the biggest SVR infiltration ever carried out in the CIA.
To secure his position, he didn't hesitate to bankrupt employees like Sandy Langmore, who realized Alison wanted to topple Saul to become Chief of the CIA's Europe Division. (Species Jump)
As station chief in Moscow, Kiev and Berlin, she turned over CIA assets. This would result in the complete destruction of the American spy network within Russia as Saul stated in season 8 episode 12.
Biography[]
Allison gets her latest and final command from the SVR, which is to do everything within her power to ensure that the Sarin attack goes off as planned. She’s hesitant to go through with it and is horrified that the SVR didn’t step in sooner to prevent the attack, another indication that Allison has never been a zealous traitor. She’s just an officer who never fully bought into the agency’s approach to its work, and her fierce survival instinct kicked in once Ivan pressured her into their illicit arrangement.
Incidentally, Miranda Otto builds a spectacular new character, capable of sometimes rivaling Claire Danes' Carrie. Despite a “standard” start, in which we are obliged to her in the most discreet way possible, just like someone who Carrie seeks to ask for a favor, the scripts go on a very interesting growing that really succeeds in catching the viewer by surprise , by revealing that she is an agent co-opted by the Russians to infiltrate the CIA, and Otto does not plead and makes his journey credible, showing coldness, but also despair almost in equal parts, revealing a psychological difficulty that a double agent like her must face in real life.
Her human side gains credibility when she is genuinely concerned for her peers - on one side and the other - and takes tentative steps at times, culminating in her magnificent explosion in the bathroom of Saul's hotel room. It is a character that would deserve even more development, perhaps even in a following season if the end of the 5th season was not so definitive in relation to her.
Character profile[]
Alison Carr, a high-ranking CIA officer, is a character who takes viewers on a thrilling journey through the complex world of espionage, deceit, and betrayal in the hit television series Homeland. As we delve deeper into her character, we discover a manipulative and self-serving personality that adds layers of intrigue and suspense to the storyline.
From the very beginning, Alison Carr stands out as a strong, intelligent, and ambitious individual. As a high-ranking CIA officer, she is entrusted with important missions that require a keen analytical mind and the ability to navigate treacherous waters. Alison is respected by her colleagues and seen as an asset to the agency, which makes her subsequent descent into deceit and betrayal all the more shocking.What sets Alison apart is her manipulative nature. She has an uncanny ability to read people and create situations that work to her advantage. Her manipulative tactics are a key component of her character, as she masterfully orchestrates events and relationships to further her personal agenda. Alison is a skilled puppeteer, pulling the strings behind the scenes to manipulate those around her into doing her bidding.
The web of deceit and betrayal that Alison becomes entangled in is both complex and captivating. As viewers, we are constantly on the edge of our seats, trying to unravel the truth amidst a multitude of conflicting narratives. Alison is at the center of it all, weaving her intricate web of lies and half-truths to serve her own interests. She is willing to undermine even the most trusted relationships, leaving a trail of broken trust and shattered loyalties in her wake.
Alison's self-serving nature is a driving force behind her actions. She pursues her own desires and ambition above all else, often at the expense of others. Her willingness to betray her colleagues and loved ones for personal gain is both morally reprehensible and undeniably fascinating. Alison's character serves as a reminder of the dark underbelly of power and the lengths some are willing to go to achieve their goals.
In analyzing Alison's character, we can draw upon various theoretical concepts to gain a deeper understanding of her motivations and actions. One such concept is the Machiavellian archetype, which refers to individuals who prioritize their own interests above all else and manipulate others to achieve their goals. Alison embodies this archetype, using her intelligence and cunning to advance her own agenda.
Another concept that comes to mind is Friedrich Nietzsche's notion of the "will to power." Nietzsche argues that individuals with a strong desire for power are often willing to engage in deceptive and manipulative tactics to assert their dominance. Alison's insatiable thirst for power and control aligns closely with this concept, as she constantly seeks to elevate her status, regardless of the consequences.
While Alison's character is undoubtedly complex and morally ambiguous, it is her manipulative and self-serving personality that keeps audiences captivated. We are drawn to her character because we can't help but be both repelled by and attracted to her cunning and calculated nature. Alison's actions challenge our own moral compass and force us to question the lengths we would go to achieve our desires.
In conclusion, Alison Carr, the high-ranking CIA officer in Homeland, is a character who brings a distinctive blend of manipulation, deceit, and self-interest to the series. Her complex personality and entanglement in a web of deceit and betrayal make her an intriguing and enigmatic character. From analyzing her actions through concepts such as the Machiavellian archetype and Nietzsche's "will to power," we gain a deeper understanding of her motivations and the driving forces behind her manipulative nature. Alison Carr serves as a captivating reminder that power can corrupt even the most trusted and respected individuals, leaving a trail of broken trust in its wake. [x]
Review[]
Miranda Otto On ‘Homeland’s Allison Carr: “I Really Wanted Her To Get Away” .
Allison is just as stoic, but far more real. She’s very much on the front foot and she’s ballsy, definitely. She is very in control and very, sure of what she’s doing. - Debbie Schipp
Quotes[]
Spoken by Allison[]
- “THE THROAT DEMOCRACY CANNOT BE STUCK BELOW THE PEOPLE”. - ALLISON
- “I had a life; I want it back.” - “All About Allison”
Spoken about Allison[]
- She meets with Ivan after Saul stole the thumb drive: "Alishka.. no one does it better than you" - the Russian nickname that Ivan had for Allison. (Oriole)
- “I’d know when to praise, when to scold, when to laugh at her jokes.” - Saul talking to Ivan
- So, you were saying?
- About Allison Carr the day you were fired.
- Thrown out of the building, you mean. I did not go quietly, Saul.
- I heard.
- She said, "You're not a team player." A team player. As if I didn't know the real reason. She wanted the Russia desk for herself. She wanted the whole damn division, Saul... your job, too. You were in love with her, I suppose.
- Suppose I was.
- Textbook honey trap. You, of all people, to fall for that. Meanwhile, she lined us all up in a row so she could crawl right over our backs.
- I'm sorry. I should've protected you better.
- Little late for an apology, don't you think?
- Please, God... tell me you haven't.
- What if I have?
- Then you've permanently crippled our intelligence capability in Russia. I'm not exaggerating. [scoffs] She's the only significant live source we have left there. The rest were sent to the wall by Allison Carr.