Grace

Grace
Story by:	Alex Gansa
Teleplay by:	Alexander Cary
Directed by:	Michael Cuesta
Production number:	1WAH01
Running time:	50 minutes
Original airdate:	October 9, 2011
Viewers (millions):	0.94

"It's happening, exactly like you said. He's out there playing the hero card!" - Carrie for Saul

Grace is the second episode of Season 1 of Homeland. It aired on October 9, 2011.

Synopsis[]

Nick Brody seems genuinely troubled by his years of captivity, while Carrie Mathison confirms a recent sighting of Abu Nazir.

Episode guide[]

Brody wakes up in a panic from a nightmare in which he was commanded by his al-Qaeda captors to bury his friend Tom Walker. Brody lays in bed sobbing while Carrie watches and takes notes from her home. The next morning, Jessica shows Brody that her arm has bruises all over it. While sleeping, Brody had grabbed her arm and was shouting in Arabic. His wife and kids depart and Brody is left alone for the day. He sinks into the corner of his bedroom and sits there in silence for the entire day, as if he's back in his cell in Afghanistan.

Saul visits a judge he has history with. He apparently has some leverage over this judge and asks to be granted a FISA warrant, in order to make Carrie's surveillance of Brody technically legal. The judge reluctantly agrees. Saul also checks in with the CIA cryptography team, who were not able to decode Brody's coded message, if indeed it was a coded message. Saul then presents Carrie with the warrant temporarily legalizing her surveillance, and that it will be good for four weeks. Carrie reports Brody's disturbing behavior to Saul. Saul says that if Brody was indeed turned, then he would be embracing the hero role in the media.

Lynne Reed, a consort for Prince Farid Bin Abbud of Saudi Arabia , is interviewing young girls in Washington D.C. for the Prince's harem. She calls up a spa to make an appointment. In truth, the call is received by a CIA duty officer, who reports the call to Carrie, revealing that Lynne is a CIA informant working for Carrie. The next day, Carrie meets up with Lynne at the spa. Lynne reveals that she has recorded footage of Prince Farid meeting with Abu Nazir. Carrie reports these developments to David Estes and requests agency protection for Lynne. Estes is pleased with the lead but denies the protection. He tells Carrie that Lynne needs to download the contents of the Prince's phone.

Brody is in the kitchen when he spots a reporter lurking in his backyard. He goes out and tells the reporter he has ten seconds to get off his property. The reporter takes the opportunity to start asking Brody some questions instead. Brody violently strikes him in the throat while son Chris watches in horror. Brody, looking disoriented, wanders off, eventually arriving at a mall. He enters a hardware store, and browses for awhile before eventually grabbing a small carpet. When Brody arrives home that night, he enters the garage and drops off his bag from the hardware store. Carrie and Virgil are watching, but Virgil admits that they didn't install any cameras in the garage. Mike talks to Brody after dinner, encouraging him to re-enlist, where he'll be given a promotion and financially taken care of. Brody is insulted at the offer. He can tell that the higher-ups put Mike up to making this pitch, and that they want Brody to be the "poster boy." He angrily declares that his days of taking orders from the U.S. Government are over.

Lynne is exiting a hotel where she is bumped into by Virgil, who purposely spills coffee on her. She goes to the bathroom to clean up, where Carrie is waiting for her. She gives Lynne the device needed to download the Prince's phone data hidden in a makeup compact. Carrie tries to set Lynne at ease, insisting that Lynne is under 24/7 protection, which is not at all true.

Carrie visits her sister Maggie. Maggie is a psychiatrist and has been pilfering samples of an anti-psychotic medication to give to Carrie. Maggie expresses concern that she is jeopardizing her own practice by doing so, but Carrie says she has no other option, as if she pursued any kind of treatment on her own, her secret would be out and she would surely lose her security clearance with the CIA. Maggie gives her a week's supply of pills.

A flashback is shown of Brody's time as a prisoner. Brody emerges from his cell and seems surprised by the fact that he is able to walk freely about the compound. He encounters a room full of worshipers in the middle of Muslim prayer. Brody stops to pray along with them. Back in present day, Brody heads to his garage. He puts his newly purchased piece of carpet down on the floor, and kneels down on it, praying to Allah. Later that day, Brody goes outside in full uniform to talk to all of the media camped out in front of his house. Carrie is watching the cameras and excitedly calls Saul and tells him "It's happening, exactly like you said. He's out there playing the hero card!"

Trivia[]

In this episode when Brody is kneeling over the grave and singing the "Marines' Hymn", he sings "First to fight for right and country" and "We are proud to bear the title". The correct lyrics of the "Marines' Hymn" are "First to fight for right and freedom" and "We are proud to claim the title".

The painting Saul comments on during his meeting with the judge is Mending the Nets by Dutch-Jewish painter Jozef Israëls.

And as for Saul more generally, I do sometimes have an over-active J-dar, but to me he is obviously playing a Jewish archetype that is familiar from American TV, not least with a name like Saul Berenson. The Hoover yesterday showed me Episode Two, in which Saul goes to get a warrant from a judge in a gentlemen's club. Saul admires a painting that the club has just acquired, and says sonorously that it is by "an artist who, it turns out, was not only Dutch, but also Jewish". "In a club with no Jewish members," responds the judge (whose club it is). "That's your point, isn't it, Saul?" - By Matthew Harris

Alan Sepinwall of HitFix felt that this episode successfully maintained the promise and high quality of the pilot.

The Timing of [Showtime’s ‘Homeland’] is Significant, Accidental and Fortuitous’ - LACEY ROSE

Homeland very much resembles dramas such as The Wire and The Sopranos in that it is about a group of people who are under surveillance, giving an extra frisson to our own viewing experience and intensifying the drama of these eavesdropped-upon lives. - Peter Bradshaw

Homeland is about law enforcement, but even more so, it's about law circumvention. "Grace," the second episode of Homeland, makes it clear that the rights used to protect American citizens are, in the right circumstances, nothing more than minor annoyances—easily brushed aside when the right string can be pulled. Homeland is perhaps the most politically-engaged drama on television, and it picks up an argument that has dominated politics since 9/11: How many rights are we willing to sacrifice for the security of the nation? - By Scott Meslow

Mistakes[]

Continuity mistake: During Brody's nightmare, while the thugs are about to throw him in the ditch while pulling his shirt, Brody's left shoulder is either covered or bare, depending on the shot.

Quotes[]

"Do you really think you still have a right to privacy with all this?" –Saul Berenson

This is absolutely about the law Your Honor.
—Saul Berenson to Judge Jeffrey Turner when asking for a FISA warrant.

You got a warrant, a FISA warrant, we're legal now?
—Carrie Mathison to Saul Berenson

But as we all know Captain, the terrorists are still out there... After blood. We need Brody in the public eye reminding America that this is far from over.
—David Estes to Captain Mike Faber

I have a visual confirm on the sandman.
—Carrie MathisonB to Captain Saul Berenson after she met with Lynne Reed, an undercover agent that shows a video of Abu Nazir meeting with Prince Farid Bin Abbud (Amir Arison) of Saudi Arabia.

You know what? You can go right back there and tell them the days that I take orders from the United States Military or the government are over. Done.
You know what I really need Mike? I need the last eight years back, where I could take care of my wife and kids. When I'm not asked to go over there to fight their fucking war...

—Nick Brody to Captain Mike Faber when advised to go public.

You people ready?
—Nick Brody, confident and ready to play the hero card and go public

“Don’t be a prick, David.”

“No one said becoming a terrorist was easy, Saul.” -Carrie

Cast[]

Starring[]

Guest Starring[]

Co-Starring[]

Jason Hatfield as Pittman
Renee St. Gelais as Ruby Dunn
Rachel St. Gelais as Josie Dunn
Dan Mengini as Alan Quick
Todd Truley as Reporter 1
Chris Bretscher as Reporter 2

Appearances[]

Showfax.com.

The killing of Osama bin Ladin was referenced as part of the plot. Bin Ladin was killed while this episode was in production. ([1])

Goofs[]

While digging the grave for Tom Walker, Brody sings The Marines' Hymn; however, the lyrics he sings are incorrect.

Brody sings:

"First to fight for right and county,

and to keep our honor clean,

We are proud to bear the title,

of United States Marine."

Correct Version:

"First to fight for right and freedom,

and to keep our honor clean,

We are proud to claim the title,

of United States Marine."

External links[]

Episode page at Showtime
Episode page at IMDb
Episode page at TV.com

Videos[]

Season 1

#101	"Pilot"	#107	"The Weekend"
#102	"Grace"	#108	"Achilles Heel"
#103	"Clean Skin"	#109	"Crossfire"
#104	"Semper I"	#110	"Representative Brody"
#105	"Blind Spot"	#111	"The Vest"
#106	"The Good Soldier"	#112	"Marine One"