- As station chief in Kabul, Carrie makes a critical decision when her counterpart in Islamabad delivers urgent intelligence. Back in the States, Saul struggles to adjust to his new role in the private sector.
- As CIA section chief in Kabul, Carrie ignores warnings about major collateral damage to sanction a drone strike on a hard-to-find Taliban leader, resulting in mass killings at a wedding in his family in Pakistan, which she calls their own risk. Orphaned moderate med student Aayan Ibrahim, the target's cousin, recorded the attack on video, which his relative Rahim posted on Internet behinds Ayyan's back. CIA informer-handler Sandy Bachman's identity becomes public and he's lynched by a mob, Quinn shoots two assailants during a disastrous attempt with Carrie to extract Sandy. CIA director Andrew Lockhart recalls both during the scandal investigation and orders Carrie to stay in the US, but Quinn gives her a tip to question archive-buried collaborator Hank Wonham.—KGF Vissers
- Carrie is now CIA section chief in Kabul, Afghanistan working on the Taliban file. With Sandy Bachman, Islamabad, Pakistan section chief, providing much of the intel, Carrie primarily is to check off the names on the kill list. The latest target on that kill list is Haissam Haqqani in Islamabad. With the Pakistani government in the know, Carrie's team is able to carry out a bombing which does indeed kill Haqqani. However, forty civilians attending a wedding at that site are also apparently killed in the process. While she tries to find out the validity of these wedding party and civilian death claims, Carrie tries to justify her actions in ordering this strike while she also tries to figure out why Sandy's intel would have been faulty when it has always been accurate. Despite having assurances that the Pakistani government was in the know about the strike, both Martha Boyd, the US ambassador to Pakistan, and CIA Director Lockhart have to do damage control, which means bringing Carrie in to Islamabad for a debrief. Some of the victims are family members of university student Aayan Ibrahim, who narrowly avoided being killed himself. While he is still in shock over his loss, his activist friends want to hold those who dropped the bomb to account. And Saul is now working for a defense contractor in New York City, this move in an effort to support Mira in her life and give their marriage a real shot at succeeding. But with the Taliban file gaining traction and news of this latest strike hitting the airwaves, Saul may begin to get itchy feet in not being able to control the situation to his satisfaction.—Huggo
- Carrie is now the station chief in Kabul. She gets a call that there is actionable intelligence that a highly sought after terrorist named Haissam Haqqani is at a location. The only option is an airstrike. She speaks with Sandy (Corey Stoll), the Islamabad station chief. He tells her the info is from a source that has been reliable on several other occasions but won't tell her anything about the identity of the source. Carrie is given the authority to engage. After assessing all of the factors she gives the go-ahead, primarily because Haqqani is dangerous and the source has been right before. Two bombs are dropped on the building.
Carrie is late for an online chat with her sister Maggie (Amy Hargreaves) back home. Maggie is taking care of Carrie's daughter Frannie. Originally Carrie had been scheduled for a position which allowed her to bring family and the fact she ended up in a war zone is a source of frustrations for Maggie. Carrie rarely sees her daughter, even online.
At the target people attempting to find survivors in the wreckage of the attack.
Saul (Mandy Patinkin) is now working for a private contractor and a high level government pitch meeting with his boss doesn't appear to be going well when Saul suggests ideas counter to his company attaining the contract.
Carrie watches TV coverage reporting that 40 civilians were killed in the attack, which was at a wedding. Carrie realizes that if the wedding report is verifiable it will be a political nightmare.
Sandy and his deputy Quinn (Rupert Friend), meet with the US Ambassador to Pakistan, Martha Boyd (Laila Robins). She's upset about the potential PR backlash. Sandy is convinced the wedding claim is nonsense and thinks it was Haqqani who put his family members at risk. Quinn seems bugged by this.
A young male survivor of the bombing named Aayan (Suraj Sharma) wakes up ans is told that his parents are dead. He rushes to the wreckage and finds his mother's body laid out in a makeshift outdoor morgue.
At that moment Carrie is looking at a live drone shot of the area. She sees Aayan who is looking up into the sky, right into the drone's camera lens. Carrie sees that there were far more civilians at the site than they had been led to believe by Sandy's source. Quinn calls Carrie to fill her in about what happens at the embassy. He thinks the attack "feels different" and doesn't like that Carrie is so focused on the CIA being "bulletproof on this."
Saul comes home and tells Mira about his bad day. He is shows uncertainty about the private sector and their being in New York for three years, but Mira isn't having it. "It's my turn," she says.
Aayan is a student at a medical school in Islamabad. He shows up and tells his roommate Rahim what happens. Aayan's cell phone survived the attack and he has a lengthy video from during the wedding, right up to the moment of the lethal attack.
The pilot who carried out the attack confronts Carrie at a bar. He calls her and the other higher-ups "monsters."
During a study session Rahim suggests Aayan needs to go public. The Americans are publically denying that there was a wedding and this is bothering him. Rahim thinks Aayan should post his video online. Aayan doesn't have any interest in getting involved with politics.
Carrie is woken by a call from director Lockhart. He tells her video of the wedding is online. He orders her to go to Islamabad, meet with Sandy and finds a way to "spin this."
After watching the wedding video Saul tries to call Carrie but she doesn't pick up.
Aayan returns to his room and yells at Rahim for posting the video without his knowledge. He demands he call his cousin and have it taken down.
Shortly before Carrie's arrival Sandy tells Quinn he's not feeling well and needs to lie down. This is a ruse so he can discreetly leave to meet his contact. He heads onto the streets of Islamabad.
Quinn meets Carrie at the airport. He tells her that Sandy has been pretty shady with regard to the asset. Quinn talks to Carrie about what happened with the civilians and is bothered that she seems so cavalier. At this point they see on TV that Sandy has been exposed as the local CIA Chief through the Pakistani media.
Sandy goes to the apartment where he usually meets his asset but finds the locks have been changed. His asset doesn't respond to texts. Quinn calls him to tell him his cover has been blown. He and Carrie are coming to meet him and set a pick-up location.
Sandy moves out onto the streets and is immediately recognizeded. Just as he is cornered on a street Quinn and Carrie pull up and he jumps in the car. As the mob grows they try to drive off, but find their path blocked by traffic. The crowd begins smashing the windows. Quinn tells Carrie there is a gun in the back seat but she's unable to find it. Quinn shoots several of those in the mob but they're unable to prevent Sandy from being pulled out and beaten to death. Quinn manages to drive away.
Carrie and Quinn return to the embassy. She wants them to head inside quickly and brief Martha. Quinn says he needs a minute, and Carrie doesn't seem even remotely sympathetic. She goes inside and has to wipe blood off her face before meeting Martha.
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