I like to watch Homeland, I really do. It has intrigue, suspense, unpredictability, and action. This episode will not disappoint and is one of the better episodes of the series and is full of octane. I won't go into a lot of detail about this episode, but what I do want to mention is my disappointment with the writing in the series that is such bad fiction, that it is not believable. It is so bad, that whenever I watch an episode, I think...that would not happen over and over. To enjoy fiction, you have to believe that something is possible, even if it is merely fiction.
So basically what has gone on during the past few episodes is what appears to be lack of common sense mixed with contradictions. Let me list a few to illustrate, but each episode is replete with such things and this is just a sampling for you to consider:
1. The ex-director of the CIA travels to a hostel area of the world as a private business man without any escort? Are we to assume that he had no intelligence value and was not at risk of capture? Are we to assume that he would never have any value as a trade in hostage negotiations? I am watching Homeland and I ask "what is Saul doing there"?
2. When Saul is captured and is seen next to Haissam Haqqani, Carrie calls upon a drone to blast Haqqani knowing that her friend and former boss, Saul, would also be killed. Quinn steps in and refuses to allow this to happen. Later, when Saul is trying to evade capture and attempts suicide, Carrie leads him directly into Haqqani's men so that he would be captured instead of him taking his own life.
Is leading the ex CIA chief to the hands of terrorists something that would happen in real life? Yes, Saul was Carrie's mentor, boss, and friend....but is this really how the US intelligence system works? If this were an unusual circumstance, would the person be allowed to remain at their post afterwords? Haqqani allegedly was like Bin Laden and so he would have been an extremely high value target.
3. When it is believed that the embassy is at risk and that Haqqani may be entering the embassy via a tunnel, it is visiting Lockhart who calls out the security protocol to the staff. This would not be in keeping with standard procedure and with normal chain of command. Lockhart didn't even know what documents to secure or even that there was a "safe" to take the "list of assets" to. But what fun to watch the writers make such things up as this!
4. When the transport is hit a few blocks from the Embassy, all but 2 marines are sent to assist. Can you imagine this happening for real unless the Americans are assured of safety of the embassy staff and diplomatic (classified) documents. In trade-craft, one of the early lessons that one learns is the value of diversion.
The marine left behind that is with Quinn only has a sidearm. When he and Quinn surprise and kill 4 of Haqqani's men, they run right past the dead bodies snatching only a radio, do not even take any of the AK- 47's or ammo, and proceed to search for Haqqani with only their handguns and half empty magazines.
5. The marines scurry to the ambush site using what appear to be family automobiles instead of military vehicles or some sort of secure diplomatic vehicle. Upon arrival, and knowing that the convoy vehicles were blown up using RPG's in an ambush, they do not even look around to secure the site resulting in them taking hits from snipers. The writers would have us believe that the US military is this poorly trained to enter a site where multiple RPG's have been used and then never look to the buildings nearby?
5. When Fara is being questioned by Haqqani about her being a Muslim and working with the Americans to "kill Muslims", he asked her if her family knew about this (betrayal). She confirmed that they did....but this is contrary to what anyone would do knowing that the terrorist Haqqani would then go after her family. In earlier episodes Fara was very protective of her family so this was another contradiction.
6. Lockhart opens the safe to save a few hostages believing that Haqqani would accept this "family jewels" containing a list of all US assets in Pakistan and then not hurt anyone else. The logic of saving a dozen lives while giving your enemy a hit list for him to execute the dozens of assets and putting everyone standing in the safe at risk of death or capture....this just escapes me. If anyone is that naive, please do not let them enter into the field of "intelligence" for this looked like a bunch of children playing checkers against Haqqani's master chess game. Would people in top posts actually be this naive? The writers would have us believe this is so.
Anyway, I like to watch spy thrillers and Homeland is fun to watch. I just wish that the writing could allow less plot holes, contradictions, and irrational thinking of the serious players. If you like to watch this genre of shows or films, it is hard to turn off your brain when such shortcomings in the writing continues to turn up. If you like to be entertained and do not use your mind, you will really like this series and this episode. I give it an 8, but wish the writing could reflect something closer to reality as good fiction truly can be executed to be believable with some effort.
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