| Gerontion | ||||
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| Written by: | Chip Johannessen | |||
| Directed by: | Carl Franklin | |||
| Production number: | 3WAH07 | |||
| Running time: | 48 minutes | |||
| Original airdate: | November 10, 2013 | |||
| Viewers (millions): | 1.85 | |||
Gerontion is the seventh episode of Season 3 of Homeland. It aired on November 10, 2013.
Synopsis[]
Saul Berenson's old adversary is now in his power. Meanwhile, Saul must make the decision of his life and jeopardizes his career in the process. Meanwhile, Carrie Mathison and Peter Quinn must work together once again to contain a police investigation that might otherwise lead them to their trail. Meanwhile, Mira Berenson (Sarita Choudhury) must make a decision about how to continue her marriage to Saul.
Episode guide[]
Police are investigating the scene where Javadi left the bloodbath. Investigations uncovered a picture from a neighbor's security camera that clearly shows Peter Quinn.
Fara Sherazi shows Javadi what she has found out about his money dealings. He faces the death penalty for his crimes in his own country. Javadi briefly discusses with Fara in the local language until Saul interrupts and sends Fara out. There she admits to Carrie that she is emotionally involved. Meanwhile, Saul is talking to Javadi. He believes that Saul wants information about Iran's nuclear program and sets his terms. But Saul surprises him by saying that he wants to send him back to Tehran as a spy for the United States. Javadi doesn't want that, but Saul leaves him no choice. Fara is also surprised that Saul has this plan.
Peter Quinn takes a shower and tries to wash the blood off his arm. Suddenly the doorbell rings. It is Dar Adal who wants to know why neither he nor Saul can be reached. Since Quinn doesn't want to talk, Dar Adal confronts him about the photo. He is the prime suspect in the murder of Javadi's family. Quinn immediately drives to Saul and tells what happened. Saul doesn't want Quinn to leave the house because he shouldn't be captured. Carrie offers to ask a colleague to clean things up.
Saul continues the conversation with Javadi. He wants to know why he killed his wife. For Javadi, it was still his wife who should have been stoned for her crime. Saul shows Javadi a photo from their earlier time together.
Arriving at the scene of the crime, Carrie tries to convince the police not to pursue Quinn any further. But since she doesn't answer any questions, you don't want to do her the favor. Carrie suddenly becomes nauseous and runs to the bathroom.
Saul confronts Javadi with some assassination attempts and Javadi adds Langley to it. Saul explains that at first Saul had no thoughts of revenge, but realized that something had to change. Javadi put him in a high position. If he goes back to Iran, he will also get them for him. Meanwhile, Carrie finds that if she doesn't meet the police, she won't succeed; the police want to speak to Quinn.
Carrie immediately drives back to the CIA safe house and asks Fara to get Quinn. Fara is still upset about using Javadi as a CIA spy. She wants to put him on trial because his actions in Iran are not comparable to those in the United States. But Carrie doesn't go into them any further, explaining that there is another plan for Javadi and that Fara should finally get Quinn.
Saul says Javadi is on their side and Quinn agrees to speak to the police. Saul sees no other alternative and agrees. Carrie should drive back to his base with Javadi to keep up appearances and to organize his departure.
Before saying goodbye to Javadi, Saul asks who was responsible for the bomb in Langley. Javadi hesitates, but then explains that it wasn't Brody but one of Abu Nazir's people.
Saul calls Mira because memories of their time together in Tehran have made him nostalgic. He had always worried so much. Saul explains that he cares what she does with her boyfriend from Mumbai, Alan Bernard. Mira takes note of this, but ends the conversation because she is in bed with Alan.
Quinn is back at the crime scene and faces the interview with the lead investigator. Meanwhile, Javadi is getting ready for his departure and Carrie briefly informs him about the procedure. Fara stands by and picks up a pair of scissors, but lets Javadi pass without doing anything.
Saul is at CIA headquarters and is confronted by Dar Adal for not telling him anything anymore. Lockhart is waiting in his office and will want answers too. Saul doesn't want to go into details with Adal, but insists that he trusts him and will now simply tell both of them what has happened in the past few days.
Javadi confronts Carrie about their plan together, explaining that the idea is typical of Saul because he made Carrie suffer just to get him. Carrie explains that she won't let him manipulate her. Javadi then asks her that Saul wanted to know who was responsible for the bomb in Langley and that the CIA apparently didn't know who it was. Javadi now also explains to Carrie that it wasn't Brody but someone from Nazir's circle, but he doesn't know anymore.
Peter Quinn is questioned and he answers all questions about the victims. Since Quinn can't provide any background information, it's easier for him to take the blame and confess to the murders. The police officer is appalled that this was necessary for national security.
Saul explains to Lockhart and Adal that he recruited Javadi by blackmailing him. Lockhart is angry that he was not informed and he sees his opinion confirmed that the events in the CIA made all the scandals possible in the first place. But he will clean it up when he takes over in ten days.
Javadi is surprised that Carrie still hasn't asked who was responsible for the bomb and who actually passed on Brody's car keys. Carrie says she doesn't think she'll get the truth from him. Meanwhile, Lockhart asks about the incident with Fariba. When Saul explains that Javadi is in the country, he gets even more pissed off, especially when he learns that his and Carrie's behavior was part of the plan all along. Dar Adal is also experiencing all this for the first time. Lockhart wants to speak to Carrie, but since she's taking Javadi to the airport, that's not possible. Lockhart demands that the plane be stopped, but Saul claims that he is still the head of the CIA and is doing nothing because you can achieve a lot more if you have Javadi on your side in Tehran. Lockhart wants to call the President. Saul leads him into a conference room, but does not explain how the phone works, but locks him in the room. Dar Adal doesn't help Lockhart either.
Carrie is at the airport with Javadi. Just before he gets on the plane, Carrie wants to know what Javadi knows. He explains that the bomb maker is still in the country and that Bennett, Carrie's contact to Javadi at the firm, may know where he is.
Saul and Dar Adal celebrate their success and Saul apologizes for not sharing it earlier, but Dar Adal says he doesn't need to apologize. He's the head of the CIA.
Quinn is still at the house, but then leaves and has Carrie pick her up. The case will not be pursued further. Quinn admits that he feels somewhat relieved that he once made a confession. It wasn't his fault, but he'd done enough bad things. He wanted to get out of the CIA and quit. Carrie explains that she now knows for sure that Brody wasn't responsible for the bomb and she needs his help to prove it. For her sake, Quinn agrees to help.
Saul comes home and is happy to see Mira. He explains that he had a really good day. He apologizes to her for forgetting how beautiful she is. Mira turns to him and they hug.
Notes and observations[]
- Gerontion is a TS Eliot poem. With Breaking Bad also naming an episode after a poem (Shelley's Ozymandias).
- I just noticed a cool little visual cue in episode 7 season 3, “Gerontion”: “My shirt is stained”
- Javadi stains his shirt in the beginning while eating a burger in his car, and in the next scene has one of his guards get him a new shirt. For a guy who helped kill 219 people with a bomb, he seems kinda normal, if not a bit geeky.
- But after Carrie reveals that the CIA has dirt on him, and that he’s basically screwed, the ‘real him’ comes out. He murders his ex-wife and her daughter, staining his shirt again. Only this time, he doesn’t care or ask for a new shirt.
Reviews[]
IF YOU’RE GOING to be faintly ridiculous, work that faint ridiculousness. That’s the lesson Homeland appears to have learned, and I couldn’t be happier. Well, okay, yeah, I’d be happier if Homeland were the truly great show it once was, or at least promised to be – a sober exploration of War on Terror blowback, rooted in the emotional turmoil of two rival, romantically entwined operatives broken in the blast.
Throughout “Gerontion,” written by Chip Johannessen and directed by Carl Franklin, there’s a sense that Homeland‘s using its more outlandish plot points to go somewhere, rather than shoot its way out of a hole it dug itself into. - BY SEAN T. COLLINS
Quotes[]
- "It is the curse of old men to realise that in the end we control … nothing" – Saul
- "this shit that you people do" - The detective calls the CIA's work.
- "Have you ever done anything but make things worse?" - Quinn
- “But actually, I’m just trying to understand this shit that you people do. This shit that we’re a party to ‘cause we pay taxes. This… this shit.” - Detective Jonhson
- Senator Lockhart managed to get himself stuck in the conference room. Could you ask facilities to let him out? - Saul
- I just do not believe it anymore. That anything justifies the damage we do. - Quinn
- Senator Lockhart may have put it best with his incredulous: “What the fuck?”
- “You fuckin’ people,” Detective Jonhson continues. “Have you ever done anything but made things worse?”
Cast[]
Main Cast[]
- Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison
- Damian Lewis as Nicholas Brody
- Rupert Friend as Peter Quinn
- Morena Baccarin as Jessica Brody
- Jackson Pace as Chris Brody
- Morgan Saylor as Dana Brody
- Mandy Patinkin as Saul Berenson
- Sarita Choudhury as Mira Berenson
- Tracy Letts as Andrew Lockhart
- F. Murray Abraham as Dar Adal
Guest Starring[]
- Clark Johnson as Detective Johnson
- Nazanin Boniadi as Fara Sherazi
- Shaun Toub as Majid Javadi
- William Abadie as Alan Bernard
- Vincent Irizarry as Captain Lonza
Co-Starring[]
- Emily Donahoe as Susan Roberts
- Brett Gentile as Forensic Tech
- Keith Flippen as Partner
- Ahmed Lucan as Navid
Note[]
- Although credited, Damian Lewis, Morena Baccarin, Jackson Pace and Morgan Saylor do not appear in this episode
Videos[]
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