Blind Spot (Homeland)
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"Blind Spot" is the fifth episode of the first season of the
psychological thriller Psychological thriller is a genre combining the thriller and psychological fiction genres. It is commonly used to describe literature or films that deal with psychological narratives in a thriller or thrilling setting. In terms of context and co ...
TV series ''
Homeland A homeland is a place where a cultural, national, or racial identity has formed. The definition can also mean simply one's country of birth. When used as a proper noun, the Homeland, as well as its equivalents in other languages, often has ethni ...
''. It originally aired on
Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...
on October 30, 2011. The lone survivor of the al-Qaeda group that held Brody for eight years is captured. Saul and
Carrie Carrie may refer to: People * Carrie (name), a female given name and occasionally a surname Places in the United States * Carrie, Kentucky, an unincorporated community * Carrie, Virginia, an unincorporated community * Carrie Glacier, Olympic Nati ...
are to interrogate him, with Brody's help.


Plot

Carrie (
Claire Danes Claire Catherine Danes (born April 12, 1979) is an American actress. She is the recipient of three Primetime Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. In 2012, ''Time'' named her one of the 100 most influentia ...
) visits her father, Frank (
James Rebhorn James Robert Rebhorn (September 1, 1948 – March 21, 2014) was an American character actor who appeared in over 100 films, television series, and plays. At the time of his death, he had recurring roles in the series '' White Collar'' and ''Hom ...
), with the intent of pilfering some of his pills (he also has
bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder, previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of depression and periods of abnormally elevated mood that last from days to weeks each. If the elevated mood is severe or associated with ...
). She manages to get some, but her visit is cut short when she gets a call telling her that the CIA has Afsal Hamid (
Waleed Zuaiter Waleed F. Zuaiter (; born January 16, 1971) is an Arab-American actor and producer who has performed in on-stage productions in Washington, D.C.; Berkeley, California; and New York City, as well as several film and television productions. He live ...
) in custody, who was the lone survivor of the raid where Brody (
Damian Lewis Damian Watcyn Lewis (born 11 February 1971) is an English actor, presenter and producer. He is best known for portraying U.S. Army Major Richard Winters in the HBO miniseries '' Band of Brothers'', which earned him a Golden Globe nomination ...
) was rescued in Iraq. Meanwhile, Saul (
Mandy Patinkin Mandel Bruce Patinkin (; born November 30, 1952) is an American actor and singer, known for his work in musical theatre, television and film. He is a critically acclaimed Broadway performer, having received three Tony Award nominations, winning ...
) is at the airport, picking up his wife Mira (
Sarita Choudhury Sarita Catherine Louise Choudhury (born 18 August 1966) is a British actress, known for her role as Mina in the Mira Nair-directed feature film ''Mississippi Masala'' (1991). Choudhury has played roles in American and international films and tel ...
) as she returns from India. Saul similarly gets a call about the captured terrorist and has to leave immediately, not even able to take Mira home. Carrie and Saul arrive for an interrogation of Hamid. Sgt. Brody has also been summoned. Brody recognizes Hamid as his guard when he was in captivity. Flashbacks are shown of Hamid severely beating Brody and then urinating on him. Saul conducts the interrogation alone in the room with Hamid, while Brody and Carrie watch on camera and are able to talk to Saul via an earpiece. As the interrogation progresses, Brody feeds Saul details of his captivity, so that Saul appears all-knowing. Saul then offers to protect Hamid's family from Abu Nazir, if he is willing to talk. Hamid is then left in the interrogation room with the lights blinking, the air conditioning on full, and intermittent blasts of loud
metal music Heavy metal (or simply metal) is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and United States. With roots in blues rock, psychedelic rock and acid rock, heavy metal bands developed a ...
are played. After many hours of this treatment, Hamid is seemingly ready to cooperate. He says he does not know much, but gives up an e-mail address to which he once passed along a message. The address is eventually traced back to the university where the previously investigated Raqim Faisel is working. A short time later, Raqim's home address is ascertained. Brody meets with Estes (
David Harewood David Harewood MBE (born 8 December 1965) is a British actor and presenter. He is best known for his roles as CIA Counterterrorism Director David Estes in ''Homeland'' (2011–2012), and as J'onn J'onzz / Martian Manhunter and Hank Henshaw / C ...
) and makes a plea to have a face-to-face with Hamid. He argues that he has earned the right to confront his torturer, and that he needs to put that chapter of his life behind him. Estes knows such a thing should not be permitted, but ever the careerist, he is persuaded. With guards present in the room, Brody sits across a table from Hamid who is having a meal. After some taunting by Brody, Hamid spits in his face. Brody grabs Hamid out of his chair and wrestles him to the floor. The altercation is quickly broken up. Brody goes home to find that he missed Chris' (
Jackson Pace Jackson Pace (born February 19, 1999) is an American actor. He was a series regular in the Showtime television series ''Homeland'', playing Chris Brody from 2011 to 2013. He also portrays Gage in the AMC zombie hit series '' The Walking Dead'' ...
)
karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the ...
match, but Mike (
Diego Klattenhoff Diego Klattenhoff is a Canadian actor known for his portrayals of Mike Faber in the Showtime series ''Homeland'' and as FBI Special Agent Donald Ressler in ''The Blacklist''. He has also appeared as Derek in '' Whistler'', Ivan in ''Men in Tre ...
) was able to give Chris a ride. After a tense confrontation with Mike, Brody later goes into Chris' room to find him praying. Chris says that for eight years, he and the family prayed for Brody to still be alive. Now, they pray that he is going to be okay. Saul calls Carrie to inform her that Hamid is dead. He had somehow obtained a fragment of a razor blade and slashed his own wrist. Carrie, along with a team of agents, raid Raqim and Aileen's house but it is now empty. Carrie initially suspects a tip-off from within the CIA, especially with Hamid also mysteriously ending up dead. Saul is home with Mira, who is at the end of her rope. She says she is tired of her life revolving around Saul and his all-consuming work. As this conversation is going on, Carrie shows up. She has learned of Brody's meeting with Hamid and has a tape of the camera footage with her. She is furious that Brody was allowed to have contact with Hamid, and points out that in the melee, Brody pulled Hamid into the blind spot of the camera, giving him ample opportunity to pass Hamid the blade. Saul is also angry that Brody was permitted to meet with Hamid, but refuses to take Carrie's suspicions up the
chain of command A command hierarchy is a group of people who carry out orders based on others' authority within the group. It can be viewed as part of a power structure, in which it is usually seen as the most vulnerable and also the most powerful part. Milit ...
, as there is still no hard evidence. Carrie says she will take it up with Estes, whether Saul approves or not. Saul counters that if she does so, she will be fired. Carrie storms out after a nasty argument. Carrie goes to Langley and cleans out her office. She then shows up at her sister Maggie's (
Amy Hargreaves Amy Hargreaves (born January 27, 1970) is an American actress who has worked in film, television, video games and theater. She had a recurring role on ''Homeland'' as Maggie Mathison. In 1994, she starred in ''Brainscan'' with Edward Furlong. I ...
) house, now an emotional wreck. In tears, she tells Maggie "I think I just quit my job." She complains about now having nobody's support, not even Saul's. The episode ends with Carrie unable to sleep and contemplating her future.


Production

Co-executive producer Alexander Cary wrote the episode, his second of three writing credits for the first season. It was directed by
Clark Johnson Clark Johnson (born September 10, 1954), is an American-Canadian actor and director who has worked in both television and film. He is best known for his roles as David Jefferson in ''Night Heat'' (1985–1988), Clark Roberts in ''E.N.G.'' (1989â ...
, his first of the two episodes he directed for the first season.


Reception


Ratings

The original broadcast had 1.28 million viewers, which was an increase of 180,000 viewers over the previous episode.


Reviews

Emily VanDerWerff of
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
gave "Blind Spot" a grade of A, and declared "Homeland’s not just the best new show of the season; it’s the best show currently airing on TV". Jesse Carp of Cinema Blend thought the interrogation scene was "one of the most memorable in an already unforgettable series".


References


External links


"Blind Spot"
at Showtime * {{Homeland 2011 American television episodes Homeland (season 1) episodes Television episodes directed by Clark Johnson