Homeland (8×11) The English Teacher Review

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

Synopsis: Saul backchannels. Carrie needs one more favor. (IMDB)

With two episodes left in the series, it has channeled classic Homeland on the way to the proverbial finish line and suffice it to say that it wasn’t pretty which will inevitably continue come next week’s series finale. Like it or not, it was always going to be about Carrie and Saul as this episode, unbeknownst to the other, do their part to stop the incoming war between the United States and Pakistan in spite of their current predicaments. In the end, we all know that they are both at their best when under pressure.

The English Teacher began with Carrie in CIA custody before she was released thank to Saul and the lawyer he got for her (Chris Bauer). She would also be staying at his house. Upon leaving, Carrie heard the news of the car bomb at the border. Meanwhile, Saul tried to be the voice of reason in the oval office. It seemed to work. He suggested a diplomatic option and a surgical strike to take out Jalal Haqqani.

Once Saul returned home, Carrie tried to get him to reveal his Russian asset but he pretty much denied it (though we kind of know that he has one). As he looked at one of his books, we were then treated to a flashback of young Saul (Ben Savage, though with Mandy Patinkin’s voice for some weird reason) in a 1986 East Berlin bookstore buying the same book, Meanwhile, after the bombing, Jenna was brought back to the States so she could recuperate from her injuries while also testifying against Carrie. Of course Carrie ambushed Jenna to ask for one more favor but she was certainly not in the mood to be further lied to. She told Jenna the truth about her situation and wanted help to find Saul’s asset though all Jenna wanted to do was expose her. However, a conversation with Saul about Carrie and her motivations seemed to turn her around.

Standing in court and listening to all the charges against her definitely made Carrie’s bottom lip tremble as she often did among some other general discomfort. In the washroom, she was ambushed by a contact of Gromov. Fresh off her talk with Saul, Jenna second-guessed testifying. Meanwhile, Saul tried to ask Qureshi for help to find Jalal Haqqani for which she did not know but the White House appeared to later get a tip for a possible location from the Pakistanis which they subsequently launched a successful drone strike against. Following the strike, Saul headed to the United Nations in New York.

Jenna came through and gave Carrie the name of someone from his time in East Berlin who Saul helped defect. Despite this, she was done with the CIA as she no longer believed she was making things better. Jenna’s lead told Carrie about his time at East Berlin’s KGB language school where Saul had helped him escape torture and execution, also mentioning a female English teacher who seemingly disappeared. Meanwhile at the United Nations, Saul’s idea was to make a scene with the Russian delegation (targeting a female translator), demanding to make a trade for the black box. His plan seemed to work as the translator bought another copy of the same book at a nearby bookstore. Another flashback confirmed the translator being his asset. She wanted to help Saul after what the Russians did to her students but he was reticent to accept it.

Back in Saul’s home, Carrie went through his books and appeared to solve his system. Meanwhile, Saul received a package at his hotel in New York with the book the translator had bought for him. He pulled a note from its spine, revealing that Gromov was in charge of the black box situation. Another flashback showed the translator proving her worth by saving Saul in East Berlin.

With her discovery, Carrie arranged a meeting with Gromov through his contact at vacant home. She didn’t yet have a name but wanted his help to find records from East Berlin which unfortunately were destroyed in a fire. Carrie claimed that there was nothing else she can do but there was still one more thing she could do which was kill Saul so his asset would be passed onto her. Carrie was certainly not thrilled about that idea.

Hopefully Carrie will find another way. She and Saul have to make it to the end.

If you liked this, please read our other reviews here and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter or Instagram or like us on Facebook. Also subscribe to our YouTube channel.

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.