Josh provides the recap for Season 3 Episode 6 of Homeland, titled Still Positive, where Javadi interrogates Carrie, and Dana makes a life changing decision! Following the recap, both Josh and Violet share their thoughts on the episode.
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Homeland, Season 3 Episode 6: Still Positive Recap Overview
Need a quick Homeland episode recap of Season 3 Episode 6 titled Still Positive? Here is a summary of events for the episode. Each event is linked to the more detailed Homeland episode recap for Still Positive if you need more information!
- Saul talks with Quinn about losing Carrie, Carrie meets Javadi, Mira explains herself to Saul.
- Javadi tests Carrie with a lie detector, but she fails. Speaking to Javadi alone, Carrie tells Javadi that he is going to have to speak with Saul. They schedule a meeting.
- Carrie makes it home, we learn she is pregnant. Dar Adal meets with Senator Lockhart, who asks for a smooth transition to his CIA Director’s seat.
- Quinn drives Carrie to the place to meet with Javadi. Saul and Fara see that Javadi has gone off course. He visits his ex-wife–and murders her.
- Saul sends in a crew to clean up the murder scene, but the cops have already arrived on scene. Saul meets with Javadi after Carrie and Quinn bring him in. Saul isn’t happy to see him.
- Back with the Brodys, Dana changes her surname to Jessica‘s maiden name. Upon arriving home, Dana tells her mother she is moving out.
Homeland episode Recap: Still Positive, the Details
Awkward Moments
On Season 3 Episode 6 of Homeland, titled Still Positive, we see Carrie in the same room where the last episode ended, and she is hooked up to what appears to be a a lie detector. Quinn is trying to find Carrie, but they cannot. Saul is asking for the drone feed, which we see how Carrie is moved, and lost. Quinn seems aggravated by losing her, while Saul seems rather calm.
Back with Carrie, Majid Javadi enters the room, and he apologizes for how has treated her, but warns they need to establish trust. He begins asking her questions, to verify the lie detector, then gets into the real questions pretty quick. Meanwhile, back with Saul, Mira explains who the man was that unexpectedly was at Saul’s house last episode. She met him in Mumbai, and Saul cuts her off, telling her not to explain herself. She explains he was a part of her life in Mumbai, and she says she basically came running to Saul’s rescue. Saul then drops the bomb that he isn’t getting the nomination for CIA director. She then tells him to stop having a detached attitude, and she says that he has a “claim” to her, but he disagrees.
Carrie’s and Saul’s Plan seems to Be Working
Back with Majid Javadi and Carrie, he is continuing the interrogation. He asks her about providing information regarding CIA matters, and Carrie says under certain conditions she could. They then get into the discussion of trust, and he asks his men to leave them alone. He then tells Carrie that the lie detector is saying she is lying. Then Carrie drops the bomb on Javadi, telling him why she is really there. They walk out to the balcony of the mansion they are occupying, and Carrie breaks it down for Javadi. He realizes that Saul is in on the plan. Carrie tells Majid Javadi that Saul would like to talk to him, and we learn he and Saul have history. Carrie then helps Javadi hatch a plan to turn himself in without alerting his men, but he says that it will not work, and he needs more time to make the plan seem legitimate to his men. Carrie complies. They make plans on where to meet. His men then walk her out, take her in their car, and they drop her off in the middle of nowhere. She runs, presumably to find her way back to Saul.
Meanwhile, Fara and Saul meet about Javadi, and we learn about a past mission of Saul’s, and Javadi murdered people that Saul was supposed to save. This mission seems personal to Saul. We also learn that Saul’s “revenge” was getting Javadi’s family away from him, and into the US. They then talk about turning Javadi against his own country.
Carrie is Having Baby?!
Carrie makes it home, and calls Saul. Saul admits that he lost her and Carrie is a bit speechless. Saul is also angry that Carrie let Javadi go, and didn’t bring him back immediately. Carrie tells Saul about the mansion, and Saul has their drone scout the area. They discuss Javadi’s demeanor, and the meeting in order to analyze the situation. Examining the house, they can’t learn much from the drone, but Saul refuses to move in, fearing spooking the men. Saul is confident their plan will work despite others’ reservations, namely Quinn.
Carrie then heads to the bathroom, and she pulls out a pregnancy test. She is still pregnant. Still, you ask? She has a drawer filled with tests that she has been keeping. She then lays down, and seems a bit emotionally worn.
Back at CIA headquarters, Dar Adal meets with Andrew Lockhart. They meet privately, and Lockhart calls the CIA a joke essentially, and says that change is needed. Dar Adal seems to agree, and wants to move forward. The senator then tells Dar Adal he wants him to stop any skeletons in the closet from popping up at his confirmation hearing.
Saul Wasn’t So Right
Back with Carrie, Quinn has come to pay her a visit. The status of Javadi is unclear, but they are going as planned. Quinn then tells Carrie that he knows she is looking for Brody, but says because it is her job.
Carrie is dropped off at the meeting place, with Quinn driving. Saul and Fara are watching the mansion via drone, and he has left in his car. Saul takes a call, speaking to Dar Adal, and he tells Saul that he is leery, but respecting the work Saul has done–so lying, it seems. Fara calls Saul back inside, as Javadi has gone off route. Saul and the team look for people who he could be meeting, which they find is his ex wife–that Saul helped immigrate to the US. Saul seems panicked and warns that Javadi cannot enter the house, and tells Carrie and Quinn to hurry to his location.
Javadi knocks on the door, and a woman answers. She knows who he is, and asks to enter to say hello to his grandson. She says she will have to have him wait a second, so he uses his gun, killing the woman. He goes and finds the grandson, and talks with him in happy tones. Then, the ex-wife comes in the room. He yells at her in Farsi. He breaks a bottle, knocks her down, and repeatedly stabs her in the neck. Quinn comes in and tells him to stop. Carrie comes in behind, and they tell Saul via radio that the ex-wife and daughter-in-law is dead. Saul has no idea why she would be there, as she is supposed to be in witness protection in California, but tells Quinn that they need to clean up the scene, making it look like no one was there. Carrie is ordered to leave the baby, which she doesn’t want to at first, but follows orders. Back with Saul, we can see he is not doing well.
Someone Tipped Off the Cops
The CIA “Clean-up crew” comes to fix the mess Javadi left, but the cops have shown up already. Saul tells them to keep moving, and not to stop. Saul sees the car pulling up, and walks outside, out of view, and watches the car drive up, with himself not being seen. Carrie and Quinn walk Javadi into the house. Inside, Javadi is put into an interrogation room, and everyone seems frustrated. Carrie goes outside, and Quinn joins her. Saul comes up, and they head back inside. Saul, Carrie and Quinn all confront Javadi. Saul orders him to stand, and Javadi makes a remark of how down Saul looks. Saul retorts with a punch to the nose of Javadi.
Dana’s Conclusion?
Back with the Brodys, Dana approaches her mother about a name change–she wants to change her last name to her mother’s maiden name. She wants to do that name change right now. They head down and get the name change done, which will be a few weeks. She finalizes the paper work, and they head home.
Back home, a girl named Angela knocks on the door asking for Dana. Jessica invites her in, and then we see that Dana is moving out. Jessica at first says absolutely not, but Dana insists and makes her argument. Jessica breaks down, and lets her go after giving her some money. Dana refuses to take it at first, but does after her mother pleads.
Josh’s Thoughts: Homeland, Season 3 Episode 6: Still Positive
I guess the first thing that came to mind with this episode was Saul’s storyline in this episode of Homeland. Saul has had a rough time this season, and this episode for him is certainly bittersweet. His wife is basically cheating on him, and almost wanting him to find out, it seems. Then, he gets his man, but not before Javadi murders someone he saved decades ago. And worse, Quinn seemed to be right about the situation, and they should have moved in sooner to nab him. Saul’s judgment seemed clouded with the past that Javadi and he have though. And finally, we do not know Dar Adal’s motivations yet, but from his conversation with Senator Lockhart, the next CIA Director, he seems to be taking Lockhart’s side, although we still do not know Dar Adal’s true motivations.
As for Carrie, how terrifying was it for her, being stuck alone with Javadi, and then to find out afterward that Saul had no idea where she was. Javadi could have easily killed her, and probably gotten away with it.
It is sad for Saul that his own ego and desire to succeed in this mission cost more innocent lives, especially lives that he had previously already saved. I am curious to know who tipped off the police. Did Carrie for the sake of the child? Maybe Dar Adal because he is switching sides or perhaps playing both sides? Questions, questions…
Unfortunately, the Brody family’s story is fizzling out for me. I am kind of hoping that it ends or actually has worthwhile substance. It is sad what has happened to Dana, but given the political/espionage feel of the show, their story feels a little contrite compared to the rest of the story. I have a feeling the name change may come into play somewhere into the story though, considering they had to specifically have a question regarding how long of time it would take. What I would really like is to see how is Brody though. It’s been a few episodes, and nothing! I guess we will have to see if he shows up in episode 7.
Violet’s Thoughts on Season 3 Episode 6 of Homeland: Still Positive
Ugh, once again I felt really bad for Saul this episode. I was hoping that what we saw at the end of last episode, with Mira having dinner with that man, wasn’t what it looked like. But of course, it was. And Saul is acting like it doesn’t bother him, when clearly it does. It seems like Mira wants him to fight for her, but it appears that Saul has already given up.
I thought Javadi’s interrogation of Carrie was a little anticlimactic, as Carrie took charge of the situation rather quickly. Sure, it was kind of scary when Javadi disappeared and his men took Carrie, because we weren’t sure what they were going to do, but I thought the interrogation itself was going to be a lot more involved than it actually was, and that Carrie was going to pretend to go along with them and play her assumed role for longer. Oh, and what’s up with the show deciding to make Carrie pregnant all of a sudden?? Not sure where they hope to go with that one! Are they implying that it’s Brody’s baby? Or does it belong to that guy from the liquor store?
I definitely did not expect to discover that Saul has a personal history with Javadi, as he never let on to anything indicating as such until this episode. Then it seemed like things were actually going to go as planned — that is, until everything suddenly got overwhelmingly derailed. I would like to know more about Saul and Javadi’s backstory, and why Javadi’s ex-wife was in town when she wasn’t supposed to be. And how did the police know to show up, and beat the CIA cleanup crew? I would say Dar Adal, because I don’t trust that little weasel, but I’m not sure he knew the location. Maybe it was just neighbors that heard or saw something out of the ordinary and called the police.
As for Dana, I can understand her desire to change her last name and get a fresh start. Will this make it easier for Brody to secretly contact her later on down the road? And what’s going on with Brody anyway? Hopefully we’ll find out soon!
Scenes from Homeland, Season 3 Episode 7: Gerontion
Here are scenes from the next Homeland episode, titled Gerontion:
Scenes from Homeland, Season 3 Episode 7: Gerontion
What did you think of Homeland, Season 3 Episode 6: Still Positive? Let us know in the comments below!
