Showtime’s award winning series Homeland returned for it’s third season on Sunday, September 29. Season 3 looks like it’ll be another exciting season of Homeland, as we’ll be dealing with the aftermath of the Langley bombing and trying to track down Brody! Violet gives a recap of the season 3 premiere of Homeland, entitled Tin Man is Down, and then following the recap, both Violet and Josh share their thoughts of the episode.
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Homeland, Season 3 Episode 1: Tin Man is Down Recap Overview
Need a quick Homeland episode recap of Season 3 Episode 1 titled Tin Man is Down? Here is a summary of events for the episode. Each event is linked to the more detailed Homeland episode recap for Tin Man is Down if you need more information!
- Carrie is privately questioned by a Senate Intelligence Committee about the bombing at Langley. When they show her a memo granting immunity to Brody in exchange for his help in capturing Abu Nazir, Carrie denies knowledge of the deal.
- Dana had attempted suicide, and is now being released from a rehab facility.
- Saul considers whether or not to go forward with an operation to take out six targets, not including Brody, who the CIA has determined were responsible for the bombing
- Carrie has been tracking sightings of Brody, and has been off her meds for awhile
- Dana sends a topless photo to her boyfriend
- Saul talks to Mira about the operation. Although she has been home for two months, they have been sleeping in separate bedrooms.
- Carrie‘s story is that she went to the ladies room and was knocked unconscious by the bombing. When the Committee reveals that witnesses saw her leave the room with Brody, she pleads the 5th
- Saul gives the go ahead for the operation, which is successful with the help of Quinn
- A newspaper article reveals that a CIA agent had a sexual relationship with Brody. Saul and Adal deny planting the story.
- Saul throws Carrie under the bus at his public Senate Committee hearing, while Carrie watches in disbelief
Homeland Episode Recap: Tin Man is Down, the Details
The Season 3 premiere of Homeland opens with Quinn making some sort of bomb with a cell phone trigger, which he is able to stick to the side of his refrigerator.
Next, we see Carrie at a private hearing in which a Senate Intelligence Committee is questioning her about the bombing at Langley. We learn that it has been 58 days since then.
Meanwhile, Saul is talking to Dar Adal about how he should be at Carrie’s hearing to support her, but Adal says that it would have sent the wrong message. Adal suggests they use Carrie’s history of subordination to throw her under the bus, but Saul refuses. Apparently, the CIA is in danger of being “put out of business.”
Back to Carrie’s hearing, the Committee shows Carrie a memo signed by the Attorney General offering Brody immunity in exchange for his help in capturing Abu Nazir, but Carrie denies any knowledge of such a deal. The Committee tries to clarify at which point the CIA knew when Brody was a “bad guy.” As the Chairman, Senator Lockhart, goes on to criticize Brody’s actions, Carrie loses her temper and reveals that she does not believe Brody was responsible for the bombing. Lockhart decides to take a break. Carrie’s attorney convinces Lockhart that Carrie isn’t feeling well, and to break until the next morning. Carrie’s attorney warns her to stop making a case for Brody in public. Carrie steps outside and calls Saul to tell him that somebody leaked the memo.
We then see Dana at some sort of rehab facility, at which it appears to be her last day. It turns out that she had slit her wrists. Apparently Brody’s family has had death threats, bricks through the window, and isn’t welcome at their church anymore. It looks like Dana has gotten involved with a guy at the facility, and he tells her to call him. When Jessica tries to leave with Dana, they are met with a crowd of reporters, who they ignore as they get in the car and drive away.
Saul, as the acting director of the CIA, is deciding whether to authorize an attack on six individuals working at the direction of a terrorist named Javadi, who the CIA has determined are responsible for the bombing at Langley, in addition to Brody. However, Brody is not on the kill list, to the disappointment of the National Security Advisor, who emphasizes that Brody should be the “poster boy” for this operation. They would have a 20 minute window to get the six individuals at once, on three different continents, before they are able to warn each other. As for Javadi, no one knows where he is. Following the meeting, Adal criticizes Saul’s indecision, as well as brings up the fact that Carrie is “blowing it.” Saul defends Carrie, saying she was ambushed, and mentions that there is a leak.
Carrie returns home, and her father questions the big map and several articles on her wall. She tells him it’s all the places where Brody has been spotted. He accuses her of being off her lithium, and she admits she has been for awhile. She seems to think she’s okay without her medicine because she is exercising and sleeping well. Apparently she thinks that the medication is what impaired her judgment and allowed the bombing to occur without her realizing anything about it.
Dana returns home, where officers are stationed outside watching the house. Her brother and grandmother are there to welcome her, but she insists she has homework to do. She goes to her room and decides to send a topless photo to her boyfriend at the rehab facility.
Saul is home, and he is drinking. His wife Mira is there, and he is telling her that he didn’t even want the position, and that it’s possible Congress could dissolve the CIA. She asks about his hesitation to go ahead with the operation, and he says that they’re not assassins, they try to develop targets. Mira walks Saul to bed, and we find out that although she has been home from Mumbai for two months, they have been sleeping in separate bedrooms.
The next day at Carrie’s hearing, we learn that Carrie has retracted her statements from the day before. The Committee then tries to clear up Carrie’s whereabouts following the bombing. Apparently, her written statement was that she went to the ladies room and was knocked unconscious for 14 hours. However, the Committee has evidence to the contrary: witnesses saw Carrie leave the room with Brody. Carrie pleads the 5th. The Chairman is angry that the CIA is hiding something.
Saul gives the go ahead for the operation. Meanwhile, Quinn is in Caracas, Venezuela following a target. He pulls up beside the target’s car with his motorcycle and is about to plant the bomb on the car, when he notices that a child is in the car, so he changes his mind. Back at the CIA, they are tracking the other targets. Quinn reports in. He has followed the target to his residence. Less than 14 minutes remain. It’s either all six or nothing. Saul tells Quinn he has 10 minutes to pursue the target into the residence.
Quinn deploys the bomb outside the residence as a distraction. He sneaks inside and shoots a few people on his way in. He goes into the guy’s office and shoots at a desk. When he opens the desk door, the guy’s dead body tumbles out, and he takes a picture of it. He then sees a flashlight nearing the office, and shoots in that direction. When he exits the office, he finds the dead body of the child he saw earlier. The CIA receives the picture from Quinn just in time, with the following encrypted message: “Tin Man is down.” The other kill teams proceed to eliminate the other targets, who all have Wizard of Oz nicknames.
Carrie stops off at the liquor store to stock up. She ends up going home and having sex with a guy she met there.
At the Brody house, the family is sitting down to dinner. We learn that Jessica is trying to go back to work so that the family can get some money, since the government cut off all benefits. Jessica’s mother thinks she should consult an attorney about that. An argument ensues, and Dana tries to break the tension with a joke.
The next day, Carrie’s father calls her to tell her that an article in the newspaper revealed that a CIA officer had a sexual relationship with Brody, although her identity has not been disclosed. Carrie finds Saul at a restaurant and loudly confronts him, accusing him of planting the story, and reminding him that Brody was his operation. After she leaves, Saul accuses Adal of planting the story, but he denies it.
That night, Dana receives a shirtless picture from her boyfriend. As she walks down the hall after cleaning out her room, she overhears her mom and grandma in the kitchen talking about her, saying that her attempted suicide was a cry for help.
The next day, Saul is being questioned by the Committee at a public hearing. He reports on the success of the operation. Chairman Lockhart accuses Saul of going after the “easier” targets, who were not the ones that actually ordered the attack, and further goes on to accuse Saul of trying to distract them from the real purpose of the Committee. Lockhart brings up the information the newspaper article, saying that the CIA brought the bombing down on itself. Saul says that the information was flawed. When Lockhart presses him to elaborate, he says that it wasn’t entirely an agency matter, and reveals that the agent in question is bipolar, a fact which she concealed for 10 years. He also says that she concealed the fact that she was sleeping with Brody. Meanwhile, Carrie is tearfully watching the hearing on TV, and cannot believe that Saul sold her out.
Violet’s Thoughts on Season 3 Episode 1 of Homeland: Tin Man is Down
This season looks like it will be interesting indeed. I feel bad for Carrie that Saul betrayed her, but at the same time, Saul was kind of backed into a corner. What else could he do? It seemed like it was either him (along with the entire CIA organization) or Carrie. Faced with that dilemma, there wasn’t much else he could do but throw Carrie under the bus. However, even though I understand why he felt he had to do it, that doesn’t mean I have to like it.
I don’t trust Adal, he seems like he a snake, and I would think that he is the leak. On the other hand, it also seems like the show is trying to put too much suspicion onto him, so the leak could be someone else that we are not aware of.
And what’s up with Dana sending topless photos? Are those going to leak out somehow? What’s going to happen with the Brody family’s financial situation? Wasn’t Mike supposed to be helping take care of Brody’s family? And speaking of Brody, he was oddly absent from this entire episode. What’s he been up to since we last saw him about to cross the border into Canada, and where is he now?
Definitely looking forward to this season of Homeland, because judging by previous seasons, it is always exciting and does not disappoint!
Josh’s Thoughts on Season 3 Episode 1 of Homeland: Tin Man is Down
My first question when this episode of Homeland ended was, “Where is Brody?” He was absent completely this episode except for the recap from last season. Looks like he is still on the run, and now everybody is after him.
I am curious about the “game” the CIA is playing with Carrie. It would seem Saul and Adal seem to be purposely throwing Carrie under the bus, exploiting her bi-polar disorder and other missteps she has had along the way. From what it seems so far, Adal particularly is happy for Carrie to sink her own ship, which he seems to hope will take attention away from the CIA as a whole. As for Saul, I am a bit shocked he is a willing participant in this game, unless there is some underlying “game” that I (or Carrie for that matter) aren’t seeing.
The scene with Quinn taking down the guys in the house was pretty cool. For those that have played the spy genre game Splinter Cell, it certainly had that vibe to it.
Dana and Jessica seem to be having a real rough time. Dana’s suicide attempt is sad, and I feel for her. Being told your dad is a traitor is not something that someone can just roll off of their shoulders. Once the public turned on her family, she is all but done for. Very sad. I am curious to know what happened Mike though. He seems to completely have vanished.
As for Carrie herself, she seems to not be helping her situation out at all. She certainly should not stop taking her medication. She will put herself on the road to another mental break if she continues to stay off them. As for her trying to defend herself and Brody, I am struggling with the best course of action for her. In the end, Brody is still a traitor, so part of me is okay with seeing him go down for the car bombing regardless of guilt or innocence. Part of me does feel sorry for him though, as his life was terrible for several years.
The episode seems to have a pretty good start, although it feels a little convoluted. Since I am not up to date with my international politics, some of the more technical conversations go over my head. All in all, I am pretty invested in the show so far. Here is to hoping this is better than this season of Dexter was!
Scenes from Homeland, Season 3 Episode 2, Uh… Oh… Ah…
Here are scenes from the next Homeland episode, titled Uh… Oh… Ah…:
I wasnt thrilled after season 1, couldnt get back into it after that unimpressive season 1 finale…well really the whole season.