Premium Cable Reviews: Showtime’s “Homeland” #308 A Red Wheel Barrow

William Abadie as Alain on "Homeland"

Every Which Way

By Catherine Giordano

Things are going every which way in Showtime’s Homeland #308, titled “A Red Wheelbarrow.” It’s really

hard to keep track of all the plot twists and reversals for this review and recap of the episode.

By the way, the red wheelbarrow is a title (and subject) of a short poem by William Carlos Williams. It is Carrie’s code word when meeting with her contacts to pass information to the Iranians who still believe that she has been “turned” and is spying for them. (Who knew the Iranians were such fans of American poets?)

The poem begins “so much depends on a red wheel barrow.” Is Carrie the red wheelbarrow on which everything depends? The next line is “glazed with rain water.” Does this mean that Carrie’s various emotional and physical tribulations are affecting everything she does? The last line of the poem is “beside the white chickens.” The chickens may be referring to everyone she has to deal with in her life. Chickens seem like such harmless animals, but they are capable of inflicting a lot of damage if they decide to attack.

Saul, Dar, and Carrie have hatched a plot to force Bennet, the American lawyer for the Iranians, to identify real Langley bomber. A plot of misinformation leads Bennet to believe that the CIA knows who the bomber is. Carrie realizes that the bomber is not going to be sent out of the country, but will be killed instead. Carrie needs the bomber alive so she can prove Brody’s innocence. As Bennet’s associate, Franklin, approaches the apartment of the bomber with a gun with a silencer on it, Carrie runs to intercede. She is ordered to back off by Saul and Dar—if she blows her cover she will also be blowing Javadi’s cover.

Of course, Carrie disobeys direct orders as she always does. Saul warns her that if she does not return to her car, she will be shot. She continues to run towards the apartment. Saul orders Quinn to shoot her and he does. But not to worry. Carrie was only winged, and is taken by ambulance to the hospital. The bomber is not so lucky. He has been executed.

Saul has wooed Mira back to his bed. Mira breaks the news to her lover, Alain (played by William Abadie), that she cannot see him anymore. Alain is angry, he says he loves her, and begs her to change her mind. Mira says she is sorry, but she must give her marriage one more chance. Later we see Alain sneaking into Saul and Mira’s home and bugging a computer. It seems that Alain was more than a lover, or perhaps, less than a lover. It looks like he became close to Mira in order to spy on Saul. This is the "a-guy–will-say anything-to get –what-he-wants” moment of the week.

And the biggest twist of the episode comes at the end when we see in Venezuela. He’s paying the brigands who have been holding Brody $10 million dollars in cash. Is it ransom or payment for services rendered? Is it a rescue or a capture? And where did Saul get $10 million dollars?

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When Saul enters Brody’s room, he has to place a handkerchief over his nose and mouth—the stench is so bad. Brody is wasted. Literally wasted. The heroin has left him an emaciated shell of his former self, barely conscious.

The season started six months after the bombing at Langley. I think there will be a few more twists when we find out what Saul, Brody, and Carrie were up to in those six months. And perhaps a few more twists as Saul tries to outwit Lockhart and become the official director of the CIA?

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