Homeland (8×10) Designated Driver Review

For our review of the last episode of Homeland, click here.

Synopsis: No one admits to anything. (IMDB)

Behold Claire Danes and Mandy Patinkin’s Emmy episode as they definitely both bring it here in what was reminiscent of their Homeland glory days. What makes it work as well as it did was all the years of good will that they’ve developed. This final season is shaping up to an exciting end that’s for sure.

Designated Driver began with Carrie meeting up with her old friend Arman (Mohammad Amiri) who we’ve seen once before this season. She has vital information that she wanted to write down before she forgot, the part she heard from the voice recorder that proved that the helicopter crashed due to a mechanical failure. Meanwhile, Hayes pressured the Pakistani ambassador to cooperate in finding Jalal Haqqani but it would be a daunting task while they were more than willing to defend themselves if the Americans crossed their borders. Wellington tried to calm things down by facilitating the release of the team that was apprehended (thanks to Carrie and Jenna) in the last episode.

Carrie confronted the helicopter mechanic with her flight recorder transcript and he seemed to corroborate the mechanical failure. Though she gave the news to Saul, there is only so much that can be done without the flight recorder (Carrie has no credibility). Now it was up to Saul to talk to the Russians to see what could be done to get it back (they claimed they didn’t have it). We then got an idea of what it could take after Carrie got abducted by Gromov who told her that the identity of Saul’s agent inside of the Russian government would be enough to get the flight recorder back (assuming they exist and he wasn’t lying). However, that would be easier said than done as she was well aware that it would be nearly impossible for Saul to reveal the identity of one of his assets.

While knowing what it would take to get the flight recorder back, a frustrated an emotional Saul called Carrie for an update but she said she had nothing. With her options limited, she finally turned herself in. While being interrogated by the FBI, she was adamant of her innocence and was there on the behest of the national security advisor before asking for a lawyer. As far as the FBI was concerned, she was under arrest and would be put on a flight back to the U.S. (this was all part of her plan and Jenna knew that something was up). Upon hearing the news Wellington confronted Saul who told him the truth. While they only had Carrie’s word, Saul tried his best to stand up for her despite his own dwindling credibility.

Jalal Haqqani did not like the counsel he was getting from his father’s former advisor Balach (Seear Kohi) who was definitely not on his side but was still following orders. Jalal wanted to make a statement and make an example out of Balach. The way to do this was with a car bomb attack at the Pakistan/Afghanistan border. Threatening to kill his wife and children, Balach had no choice but to obey. Meanwhile, the news of the team from Kabul being released from custody left Jenna worried so she asked to meet them at that same Pakistan/Afghanistan border (at least Carrie promised to not give her up).

As Carrie was about to leave Afghanistan, Balach and his car bomb was approaching the border. After recording a farewell message for his family, he proceeded forward, taking heavy gunfire before finally crashing into the bus full of soldiers and exploding. The episode ended with one more shot of Carrie on the plane.

So it either be betraying Saul or allowing another war to happen. The impending Carrie and Saul drama will inevitably be more destructive. It was always going to be about both of them.

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.