The Briefing Room: A Homeland Podcast

Andrew has an update on what's going on at Film Geek Radio this summer.

It's the finale of The Briefing Room! In this special wrap-up episode, special guest Devindra Hardawar joins Andrew and Charlie to discuss Season 3 as a whole. How did the unconventional structure affect things? Did anything about the Dana subplot work? Is the show's presentation of violence more brutal than usual, and if so, is that appropriate? What will we take away from this season overall, and what are we looking forward to in Season 4? Tune in to find out.

SHOW NOTES:

0:28 - Intro

1:33 - General thoughts on Season 3, the structure, and Dana Brody

13:34 - The depiction of violence

21:01 - What will stick with us? What are we looking forward to?

30:20 - Show close

DON'T FORGET: You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or leaving us a voicemail at 336-793-2509. Thanks for listening!

This is the end, not just of Season 3 of Homeland, but of an arc that's been developing since the very beginning of the show. In "The Star," Brody and Carrie have some final epiphanies about the nature of their work and what's been done to them, and the mission in Iran finally comes to a close. Is it a satisfying end to the season? Has Brody redeemed himself? What is the show's underlying message about institutional violence and war? And what could be coming in future seasons? Tune in to find out. NOTE: There will be one more episode of The Briefing Room looking back at the season as a whole, so stay tuned for more Homeland discussion!

SHOW NOTES:

0:28 - Intro

3:25 - General thoughts on the episode

11:30 - The death scene

15:25 - Brody's thoughts on redemption, the show's philosophy of violence

21:55 - The romance and whether it's a priority

31:25 - Where the show can go from here

42:48 - The titular star, how people view Brody

50:58 - What happened to the Brody family?

55:07 - Show close

DON'T FORGET: You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or leaving us a voicemail at 336-793-2509. Thanks for listening!

There are only two episodes of Homeland left, including this one! In this episode, Andrew and Charlie discuss the twists and turns of "Big Man In Tehran" and what the finale and future seasons might hold. How is the show calling back to previous seasons? What could Saul's decision mean for his relationship with Carrie? And what exactly is going through Brody's head during his final confrontation with Akbari? Tune in to find out.

SHOW NOTES:

0:28 - Intro and clip

3:15 - General thoughts on the episode

8:50 - Alain is still here

10:58 - Saul's decision to take out Brody

19:18 - Repeating earlier seasons with a twist

24:15 - Brody's confrontation with Akbari, his arc

32:47 - What the future might hold

39:20 - A brief tangent on Dexter

41:50 - Show close

DON'T FORGET: You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or leaving us a voicemail at 336-793-2509. Thanks for listening!

The mission is a go, but that doesn't mean it will be successful. In "Good Night" everything that can go wrong does go wrong, but thankfully the episode itself fares much better. When are Brody and Carrie their most compelling? If Brody dies, what's the right way to do it? Who knows Carrie's secret? And is anyone telling the truth about anything? Tune in to find out.

SHOW NOTES:

0:28 - Intro and clip

2:51 - General thoughts

8:05 - What if Brody had died?

11:05 - Special Forces guys and their lies

14:38 - Everybody has a solution

20:32 - Who knows Carrie's secret? Where can they go with Lockhart?

27:40 - The complexities of Brody, Carrie's love for him

37:10 - Fara's family might be in danger

46:42 - Show close

DON'T FORGET: You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or leaving us a voicemail at 336-793-2509. Thanks for listening!

It turns out things have to get worse for Brody before they can get better. In this episode, Saul and Carrie recruit Brody back into the field for one final grab at redemption. He goes from a drug addict on the brink of death to in shape and ready for action in only two weeks, but will he be good enough? Are the writers going to kill him off? Is the CIA just another version of the extremists that tortured him before? Is Saul doing the right thing in using Brody and Carrie for his own means? And is this potentially final scene with Dana an effective goodbye? Tune in to find out.

SHOW NOTES:

0:28 - Intro and clip

3:14 - General thoughts

6:40 - Alain and Lockhart

12:55 - Carrie and Brody, forms of torture

24:54 - Saul's ethical worldview

36:03 - Is Brody going to die?

39:02 - Dana, Lockhart, Caracas

53:06 - Parents and their children

57:30 - Show close

DON'T FORGET: You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or leaving us a voicemail at 336-793-2509. Thanks for listening!

In this episode, Charlie makes a big mistake and completely misunderstands what he saw onscreen. How much does that impact his assessment of the episode? Are the characters still acting in compelling ways? Does Carrie's stubbornness rise organically from her character? And what about the final twist at the end? Tune in to find out.

SHOW NOTES:

0:28 - Intro and clip

3:29 - General thoughts

7:08 - Mira getting upset with Saul, the twist with Alain

15:45 - Fara's storyline

19:00 - Strange character twists; Carrie's stubbornness

30:43 - Saul and Brody; Charlie reconsiders his opinions

39:10 - Closing thoughts

41:51 - Show close

DON'T FORGET: You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or leaving us a voicemail at 336-793-2509. Thanks for listening!

Andrew and Charlie differ slightly in their assessment of this week's episode, and that leads to a good discussion. In "Gerontion," Saul finally has a good day, and achieves what may be the greatest victory for U.S. intelligence in decades. Is Javadi really going to work for him that easily, though? Is Saul's marriage still in trouble? Will Quinn survive through the end of the season? And just what is Dar Adal up to, anyway? Tune in to find out.

SHOW NOTES:

0:28 - Intro and clip

4:20 - General thoughts

6:25 - Mira's relationship with Saul

14:00 - Quinn is worn down

24:24 - Saul turns Javadi

35:00 - Fara, Dar Adal, and Senator Lockhart

44:12 - Javadi's potential manipulation of Carrie, thoughts on Season 3 so far

55:50 - Show close

DON'T FORGET: You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or leaving us a voicemail at 336-793-2509. Thanks for listening!

Is "Still Positive" the best episode of the season so far? In this episode, Andrew and Charlie discuss how all the different storylines feel like they're starting to move forward at an exciting pace. Carrie turns the tables on Majid Javadi, but then he does what he can to turn them back. Is Saul becoming more like him? Is Dar Adal really in cahoots with Lockhart or does he have another plan? What does Dana moving out mean for the show? And how is Carrie pregnant? Tune in to find out.

SHOW NOTES:

0:28 - Intro and clip

3:43 - Carrie is pregnant?!

11:25 - Saul is still having a bad day

16:19 - Dar Adal and Senator Lockhart--are they in cahoots?

21:24 - Saul vs. Javadi

28:30 - Dana moves out

36:21 - Potential romances

42:02 - The first half of the season

46:05 - Show close

DON'T FORGET: You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or leaving us a voicemail at 336-793-2509. Thanks for listening!

In this episode, Andrew and Charlie discuss whether the Dana Brody subplot finally goes too far in "The Yoga Play." This episode finds Dana's love life affecting Carrie's spy life. Why does the show feel stuck in stasis? Is the titular strategy suspenseful during the episode? What about in the long run? What does Javadi want? And what does Saul's terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day mean for the show moving forward? Tune in to find out.

SHOW NOTES:

0:28 - Intro and clip

3:17 - General thoughts on the episode

6:27 - Dana's subplot is now affecting Carrie

12:12 - Does Javadi see through the play?

15:37 - Carrie's meds and the yoga play

22:14 - Quinn's safety

26:13 - Jessica and Carrie are buddies now

28:29 - Saul has a bad day

35:57 - Time for a bottle episode?

38:00 - Javadi's motivations, the mother and kid

43:55 - Show close

DON'T FORGET: You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or leaving us a voicemail at 336-793-2509. Thanks for listening!