Homeland: Like Bad at Things is universal

Homeland has officially gone the full 180 degrees away from foreign issues, and directly into complex domestic issues. The intensity remains as it has from the beginning.

Carrie gets closer to the truth and reality

Photo: Antony Platt/SHOWTIME via CBS Express /

While watching surveillance set up by her trusty geek Max Piotrowski (Maury Sterling), Carrie uncovers a massive piece of information. She witnesses Wellington’s confession to Keane, and her subsequent explosion. If he’s capable of undermining the President regarding an airstrike in Syria, Carrie reasons he is definitely capable of much worse.

There is zero doubt in Carrie’s mind that Wellington ordered the hit on General McClendon (Robert Knepper).

Her quest for the truth leads her back to Simone Martin (Sandrine Holt), the woman from Wellington’s illegal home video setup.

There is new email evidence

While Carrie heads off to research Simone’s parking ticket, Max works on data decryption. In no time at all, he uncovers an alarming revelation. It turns out Simone got a money transfer. Carrie heads to the quick-cash place and has a hilarious interaction with a simpleton named Carl.

The discussion is really quite introspective for Carrie. She reveals that Simone is her “sister,” and her sister is bipolar. Simone has been declared incompetent, and Carl says, “Like bad at things?” Genius, that one.

Carrie doesn’t make her point well enough, and Carl is slow to catch on. After a lawsuit threat, however, Carl gets the gist. Apparently, the money transfer of $9,950 was singular, and just under the reporting limit.

Between the Syria order and this, Carrie is convinced Wellington had McClendon assassinated. Max is dubious, however, because it’s awful low for a hit on a celebrity prisoner in a super-max prison. So, he searches more emails. He discovers Simone’s been getting money transfers all over the place. Every loan, payday advance, and quick cash place imaginable. A total value of about $50K.

Crazy Carrie returns

Photo: Antony Platt/SHOWTIME via CBS Express /

As it turns out, Carrie is like, bad at things as well. Maggie sees that Carrie is not taking her meds, and warns her about losing Frannie. Without the new Seroquel meds, the crazy is showing.

Despite Carrie’s protestations otherwise, Maggie knows. And she essentially forces Carrie to take a pill, even watching her swallow it with water.

Street pharmacy to the rescue

Dante Allen (Morgan Spector) returns to the picture to help Carrie. Actually, he becomes her enabler, driving with her out to Carrie’s old drug dealer. The dealer opens the trunk of his car, and it’s a bigger pharmacy than several small towns. He’s got everything. Uppers, downers, narcotics, Flintstone’s chewable vitamins. And he knows exactly how to use each pill, minimizing the impact of the Seroquel.

Subsequently, Carrie lets Dante know about the Simone and the $50K approximation.

Standoff 2.0 is happening

Photo: Antony Platt/SHOWTIME via CBS Express /

As predicted in the “Standoff” recap, this episode of Homeland is really Standoff 2.0. The O’Keefe backers have even more reinforcements, and they brought an armory. Additionally, they cleared out the local supermarket shelves like when there is snow in the south.

Eventually a standoff results in a problem. Someone flinches. In this case, 16-year old JJ Elkins runs after his dog. Into the field. Straight into the FBI. They shoot his dog; he raises a gun. JJ’s not the brightest kid at the compound. Dumbest move possible. An ancillary standoff ensues. FBI Special Agent Goodman is taken hostage.

Frantic phone calls between Saul and Wellington, Saul and the President, and Saul and O’Keefe result in virtually no positives or success. Even if JJ gets transported to the nearest hospital, O’Keefe still rabble-rouses.

Even when Saul mentions the massacres at Waco and Ruby Ridge, O’Keefe and his supporters don’t balk. They continue the “Don’t Tread on Me” stance until the bullets inevitably fly

Perhaps the most poignant moment takes place in a private discussion between O’Keefe and Saul:

"O’Keefe – These guys are treating it like “their own private Alamo.”Saul – “Well remind them how that ended.”"

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Paging Dr. Instigator

A new instigator enters the fold, and he wants to do nothing more than stir the s**t. When JJ gets taken to the hospital, there are a ton of people around. Nobody notices an extra guy in hospital scrubs roaming the hallways. And nobody even realizes he has taken a photo and posted it to social media with a “FBI Lets Boy Bleed to Death” before it’s too late.

By the time Saul knows WTF is going on, everyone at the compound is thoroughly instigated, and the FBI hostage gets executed. (Side note: Patinkin provides a powerful performance as he frantically tries to get O’Keefe to convey the news report’s inaccuracy to others inside the house.)

What’s next is exactly what O’Keefe wanted from the start. The FBI chief has enough. He pushes Saul aside and sends in the troops, opening fire on everything and everyone. A weary O’Keefe is apprehended and dragged as the the smoke and fire linger. He gives Saul a wry smile before leaving the premises.

Next: How the Homeland standoff began

Saul was supposed to be the guy who could stop it from turning into another Waco. Apparently, he’s like, bad at things, too. It appears the only one good at things is O’Keefe. Maybe Max. In summary, pretty much everyone on the show is like, bad at things.

Homeland airs Sunday nights on Showtime.

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