Homeland: Clarity applies both mentally and politically

Homeland has always been been better with crazy Carrie, but can it survive if she’s completely broken?

Part of what has always been difficult about Homeland post Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis) has been the addition of Franny (Claire Keane). She’s the anchor holding simultaneously hindering Carrie (Claire Danes) from her job, and providing perhaps exactly the humanity she sometimes lacks. After her breakdown, the custody battle with Maggie (Amy Hargreaves) is now much more serious.

Dante (Morgan Spector) died and immediately removed all good will for President Keane (Elizabeth Marvel). She soon will have to make decisions to save her Presidency.

Carrie is getting herself right.

First and foremost, Carrie is undergoing electroconvulsive therapy. Multiple times. The episode starts off with her on a hospital bed, receiving succinylcholine for short-term paralysis (for anesthesia). The doctors intubate her and then start the convulsions. Scary stuff.

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She’s also meeting with her lawyer to consider signing an offer that only gives her visitation once a month. Maggie wants to avoid protracted legal battle, and ultimately wants what’s best for Franny. Courts may bend over backwards to keep kids with parents, but Rhonda thinks Carrie should seriously consider the visitation offer.

Conversely, Carrie has other plans. She meets with Anson (James D’Arcy), and he proposes gathering some intel on her sister and brother in law. She’s dubious about it, but he presses. Then Carrie remembers that Maggie used to treat her in secret.

Anson breaks into Maggie’s office to find Carries dosages, blood work, and all other pertinent medical documents. Cue the spy games. Honestly, Maggie knows her sister best and this should be expected.

Is Section 4 of the 25th Amendment really on the table?

Despite the Russian evidence, Senator Paley (Dylan Baker) still has a hard-on for removing the President. He’s adamant about it. In fact, he’s so convinced that he doesn’t even believe the Russian intel anymore. Dante’s death has him reinvigorated.

Paley is trying to get members of her cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment, but they need Vice President Warner’s (Beau Bridges) signature to make it official. Warner doesn’t think Keane respects him, but he’s still sworn to defend against enemies, foreign and domestic, and pledge his support for the President behind the closed doors of the Oval Office.

President Keane has a follow-up meeting with her cabinet members, letting everyone know Senator Paley must be considered part of the Russian effort to besmirch her Presidency, and America’s form of government.

It becomes subsequently evident that Terry Mullen (John Newberg), the SecDef, is not on board with Keane, despite sitting right next to her in the cabinet meeting. He arranges for the VP to meet with Paley, who makes his case to sway the VP.

Lucky for the President, Wellington (Linus Roache) has a bartender on retainer at the meetup. Let’s just go ahead and start calling the White House Chief of Staff “Littlefinger.”

President Keane makes her decision.

Keane has never been one for patience. Or delicate decisions. When the VP doesn’t return her calls, she jumps into action and launches a plan to fire her cabinet. Especially those with national security links. Even though Wellington persuades, she’s obstinate.

In no time news spreads, and SecDef Mullen is first on the list.

VP Warner consequently comes in and he is pissed. He never signed, but he’s willing to do so now unless she rescinds the firings. Her response?

Who is more insane at this moment? Carrie or President Keane?

The President needs a Russian connection.

Saul is hot on the case of the Russian link to Simone. Sandy (Catherine Curtin) uncovers a fortunate connection between Yevgeny (Costa Ronin) and Simone Martin (Sandrine Holt); they were both in Paris roughly eleven years ago. What’s more, her boyfriend at the time was described as a tall, dark, and Russian.

Saul runs with “Simone is not dead”-theory, and contacts the station chief in Moscow. Apparently, nobody wants to throw the President a lifeline because of how she started her Presidency. Saul, however, realizes a Russian is required to keep Keane in office.

Carrie works on her case.

While staying in the hospital, she works on the details of her case. She knows getting Frannie back will be a fight. A peak into her laptop provides her inner-thoughts:

"For Hearing:Finished ECTNew drug protocol – augment lithiumWeekly Therapy – Dr. MeyerBloodwork and checkups to monitor drug efficacyNo maniaFeel steadier than have in long timeClarityCalm. Thoughts not racingHave perspectiveKnew I screwed up – acknowledge mistakes"

While she’s working on on her case, Saul makes a visit and expresses his remorse. He wishes he would have seen it coming, and offers help. On the contrary, Carrie knows there is nothing that can be done, and she had a full-blown breakdown. She subsequently asks Saul why he’s really there.

Saul fills Carrie in on the plane developments, and hopes to exfiltrate Simone Martin. He’d really like her to lead the mission instead of either of her guys (Anson or Bennet). She resists for Frannie’s sake, and says she will be doing a personal ex-fil from the spy game. Saul, however, doesn’t believe she can do it.

Let the Franny tug of war commence.

Carrie’s niece Josie (Courtney Grosbeck) is on the stand. She’s trying to defend Carrie, but the questions are pointed. Afterwards employees from Department of Child Services also straddled the fence in an attempt to be fair. Once Maggie takes the stand, however, it’s clear Maggie is playing for keeps. Unfortunately for Maggie, evidence of her medical malpractice is sitting in Carrie’s hands (thanks to Anson).

Maggie delivers a speech directly to Carrie, and it’s brutal. She basically says she’s been harboring resentment for Carrie her entire life. In fact, she was jealous of her as a child. Maggie believes, however, she can provide the stability Carrie can’t. Surprisingly, Carrie vocally agrees, but her sister shoots her down. Total disbelief, and Carrie grabs the secret envelope.

Next: Who are the useful idiots on Homeland?

So what’s the decision? Franny has been the anchor holding Carrie down for quite some time, and for Homeland to advance, it’s best to remove the anchor. Carrie signs the papers. Within minutes she’s meeting with Saul and joining the mission to snatch Simone out from under Yevgeny’s wing. The delegation leaves tonight to meet with Russian CIA counterparts, and next week is going to be intense.

Homeland airs Sundays on Showtime.