Homeland TV Wiki
The Yoga Play
Season 3, Episode 5
Written by: Patrick Harbinson
Directed by: Clark Johnson
Production number: 3WAH05
Running time: 47 minutes
Original airdate: October 27, 2013
Viewers (millions): 2.00

The Yoga Play is the fifth episode of Season 3 of Homeland. It aired on October 27, 2013.

Synopsis[]

A mysterious man attempts to cross the Canada-U.S. border while Carrie Mathison jeopardizes her mission to do someone a dangerous favor. Meanwhile, Saul Berenson must contend with Senator Andrew Lockhart when the two are invited on an elite hunting trip. Meanwhile, Dana Brody is still on the run with Leo Carras when she discovers something that could ruin her plans.

Episode guide[]

An unknown man crosses the border into the USA without any problems. Meanwhile, Peter Quinn visits Saul Berenson and learns from Mira that he is currently preparing for a meeting where he will be given the prospect of becoming the head of the CIA, no longer on a temporary basis but on a permanent basis. Saul finally asks Peter to keep an eye on Carrie and lets him in on the plan that Carrie was deliberately exposed in public and removed from the CIA so that she could make contact with Javadi. That worked and Peter is impressed, especially by Carrie's performance. Meanwhile, Carrie throws her pills in the toilet.

The unknown man receives a new car from another man and refuses a weapon. Meanwhile, Dana calculates that they only have about $50 left. She suggests that they could start a new life somewhere, but Leo is a little skeptical because their past won't make it easy for them. Leo says they should enjoy the here and now because it's unlikely to get any better. Dana cuddles up to Leo, who looks dreamily at her and almost causes an accident.

Carrie is visited by Jessica, who apologizes for her appearance, but asks her to help her find Dana because no one wants to help her. Everyone believes that the two teenagers simply ran away. Carrie tries to calm Jessica down, but since Jessica is additionally worried about Leo's past, she tries to convince Carrie. She literally begs Carrie, so she promises to at least see what she can do.

Carrie calls Agent Hall from the FBI directly from a secret cell phone, but he has no interest in even talking to Carrie and immediately hangs up. Carrie then calls Max on her normal phone and arranges an appointment for her yoga class with him, a code that she always used with Virgil in order to be able to help Jessica unobserved. As suspected, the call was intercepted and Carrie's monitors are also preparing. Quinn ambushes Carrie in the garage and asks her what she's planning to do. The monitors would notice what was going on. But Carrie is convinced of her yoga maneuver because it has worked many times. Carrie thanks Quinn for being so worried all this time, but assures him that she has everything under control. As she drives off, she sees a car chasing her.

Michael Higgins has invited the elite from the CIA and government circles to his place and Saul is welcomed by him. Michael makes it clear how much respect he has for Saul after six of the attack's masterminds were killed under his leadership. Senator Lockhart arrives and formally greets Saul and takes care of him.

Carrie enters the yoga school and has her double replace her. She uses the back exit to reach Virgil and Max, who immediately drive off with her. Meanwhile, Saul and Lockhart and all the other invited guests go hunting for geese. Carrie waits outside a diner for Agent Hall, who used to stop there at the same time. Now he doesn't seem to show up and Max explains that they have to go back slowly because the yoga class is ending soon, but Carrie tells them to wait.

The unknown man sits in front of a house and watches a woman with her child. Meanwhile, Hall has finally shown up and Carrie immediately talks to him about Dana. He was responsible for Dana because she was the only person Brody would possibly contact. Hall is convinced that Dana and Leo will show up again soon if they don't have any money. He takes it calmly, but Carrie makes it clear that if something happens to Dana, he will publicly blame him.

Yoga class is over and Quinn tries to stop Carrie's monitor because Carrie isn't there yet. When the man then enters the yoga school, Carrie was able to get there just in time. Meanwhile, Lockhart and Saul discuss the future of the CIA. Lockhart makes it clear that a new line will be taken because the old methods of espionage no longer work. Brody in particular shows that people are always dangerous. We need to work more with drones and put Iran under military pressure now. Saul doesn't think much of it, but Lockhart wants him on his side because the President of the United States of America will propose Lockhart as the new head of the CIA. Saul could continue to work for the CIA under his leadership if they found each other.

The unknown man arrives at a large property and is greeted by two people who show him the house and fulfill his wishes. Meanwhile, Dana is paying for gas at a gas station with the last of her money when she hears on TV that she and Leo are wanted. The news anchor also explains why Leo was in the clinic. Dana nervously leaves the store and immediately talks to Leo about his brother. She wants to know the truth. He explains that while he was doing his homework, he heard a shot ring out, went to his brother and saw him on the floor with a lot of blood. Dana is puzzled as to why she is differentiating the details of the statement from his last statement and also says that it was portrayed differently in the news. Leo explains that the news always dramatizes everything and lies. Leo convinces Dana to get involved, but Dana realizes more and more that Leo was just lying to her. She wants to get out, but Leo prevents her, but this almost causes an accident again. Dana takes the chance and runs away. Leo runs after him, confesses his love and then that he really suggested the suicide game and that he is to blame for his brother's death. Dana is is furious, outraged, and horrified that Leo lied to her after she repeatedly explained to him that after what happened with her father, there was nothing worse than someone lying to her. She doesn't care that Leo keeps declaring his love for her. She goes straight to the arriving police patrol that was called due to the near-accident.

Quinn keeps an eye on Carrie again when Saul calls her and explains that he heard about what she did. Quinn informed him that her monitors had left. It is believed that Carrie's solo effort led to the operation being destroyed. But Carrie is sure that this couldn't have been her fault.

Saul meets up with Michael Higgins and the others again in the evening. Shortly afterwards, Michael announces Lockhart as the next head of the CIA. He now gives his speech in which he especially thanks Saul, who led the CIA through the difficult transition phase. Saul also wants to say a few words, making it clear what the difference is between a spy who risks his life and a career guy who makes decisions from above. In doing so, he makes it clear what he expects from Lockhart and what he thinks so far. He then leaves the party immediately.

Dana is back home and goes to her room, but assures Jessica and Chris that she is really okay. When she is alone in her room, she can no longer hold back her tears.

Carrie gets ready for bed as Quinn continues to watch her. He finally calls her and asks if everything is okay. Carrie explains that he is wasting his time because the operation is finally over, but she still asks if he thinks she made a mistake. Quinn explains that he doesn't know.

Saul comes home where Mira is having dinner with a work colleague from Mumbai, Alan Bernard. Saul goes upstairs disappointed and without a word. Meanwhile, Carrie hears a noise and tries to quickly get to her safe and get a weapon, but the burglars beat her to it. They search them from top to bottom for bugs. Quinn notices a small light, but can't really see anything even with night vision goggles. He calls Saul and explains that the operation could still be going on because Carrie might be under surveillance again. Saul waits for more evidence from Quinn, but he can't see anything because he's too far away. Saul orders him to keep his distance while Carrie gets a sack over her head and is led away. Quinn decides to go into the house because of some noises, but only finds it completely empty. He sees Carrie's destroyed cell phone and explains to Saul, who avoids talking to Mira, that Carrie is now completely on her own. Saul simply states that she is back in business and Carrie has always been on her own.

Meanwhile, Carrie is taken to the property, where she is greeted by the unknown man. When they stand face to face, the man only says that Carrie looks good, which must be because of the many yoga lessons.

Trivia[]

  • “That was the idea behind that character,” says writer Chip Johannessen. “We wanted to put somebody in Dana’s life that was the one good thing in her life, because her father betrayed her, and then have him do the same thing.” - From the Homeland Revealed book about Leo (page 133).
  • When Saul is at the duck hunt club with Lockhart, everyone is having drinks and Lockhart asks if there's any Slivovice, a "plum brandy that he got used to " in some country. When cops are cleaning Javadi murder at ex wife home they notice the glass bottle weapon was plum brandy but "Muslims didn't drink alcohol". Later we hear of course Lockhart knows Javadi wife was living here and now this.

Mistake[]

  • In the gas station, the news comes on and says that Dana and Leo are driving a 1999 silver Toyota Camry. Originally they were driving Jessica’s Blue Subaru Outback that they traded to mechanics to get the Camry. It didn’t show the police finding the outback or the mechanics admitting to the police that they traded vehicles. So how did the news get this information if the police didn’t even know?

Quotes[]

  • Quinn: She's on her own, Saul.
  • Saul: She's always been on her own.
  • I told you. I told you over and over... the one thing I can't have in my life is lies, and you lied to me. - Dana Brody is furious, outraged, and horrified that Leo Carras lied to her.
  • "Carrie Mathison, you're in good shape. Must be all that yoga." - Javadi

Cast[]

Main Cast[]

Guest Starring[]

Co-Starring[]

  • Ahmed Lucan as Navid
  • Mehul Shah as Aram
  • Matthew Rimmer as Watcher #1
  • Thomas Clark as Watcher #2
  • Jessejames Locorriere as Border Guard
  • Moneer Yaqubi as Iranian Guard
  • Tammy Christine Arnold as Senator Jocelyn Cates
  • Jon Stafford as General McKay
  • Amy Tipton as Lisa
  • Brandon Gregory as Clerk
  • Kristen McFann as News Anchor
  • David Waschko as Yoga Instructor

Note[]

Videos[]

Season 3
#301 "Tin Man Is Down" #307 "Gerontion"
#302 "Uh... Oh... Ah..." #308 "A Red Wheelbarrow"
#303 "Tower of David" #309 "One Last Thing"
#304 "Game On" #310 "Good Night"
#305 "The Yoga Play" #311 "Big Man in Tehran"
#306 "Still Positive" #312 "The Star"