Homeland (TV Series) New Normal (2015) User Reviews

The video of Quinn is released

[Tweekums · 9/10 · 14 December 2015]

After her arrest in the previous episode Allison is questioned further but continues to insist that her Russian contact was working for her rather than the other way round. Saul and Carrie are convinced she is lying but such concerns must be put aside when terrorists release the video showing Quinn being poisoned by sarin and promise to carry out a major attack in a European city in twenty four hours. Carrie is shocked by the video but insists on seeing the uncut footage in case Quinn managed to give any clue. Meanwhile there is tension amongst the terrorists when it became apparent that one of them had given Quinn an antidote in an attempt to save his life.

This is another solid episode; it gets off to a good start with Allison's interrogation… if we hadn't been shown her working for the Russians it would be easy to believe her claims as they are fairly convincing at times. With the release of the terrorist video we get the disturbing sight of Quinn apparently dying in a particularly unpleasant manner; this is shown more than once as Carrie reviews the footage. While there isn't a huge amount of action there are some tense moments and as the episode ends the season is clearly approaching its finale as the terrorists are seen driving to the site of their planned attack. As expected the cast do a fine job; the scene between Miranda Otto and Mandy Patinkin as Allison is interrogated by Saul was particularly good.

It's two steps forward, one step back for Homeland season 5

[foleyjd · 6/10 · 18 December 2015]

Last week's episode of Homeland was for the most part a thrilling ride. After several episodes of building (and at times delaying) Saul and Carrie finally teamed up to go after Allison, making for probably the strongest episode since season 4 hit a hit streak mid- way through its run.

So that makes the decision to divert the attention this week all the more perplexing. Okay they had to give some focus to the Quinn side of things but the need for this plot in the first place is questionable. I like Quinn as a character and I think he is well- performed but he is often misused and never more so than this season.

Initially the Quinn plot seemed to be in there just to give Quinn something to do, but now it looks like its gonna take center stage at the back end of the season. The other problem with the Quinn plot is that it is the same plot Homeland has done before and that 24 has really done before. Its just another generic Muslim terrorist group attacking somewhere important, which Homeland has now done a few times to many.

I also think that when Homeland begins to stray from its main cast, into more current affairs time stuff, it always come across as the show pushing its own importance. The reference to the Paris attacks in this week's episode, the frequent mentions of both Assad and ISIS throughout the season just make it seem like the show is insecure about topical-ness.

New Normal isn't awful at the same time. There's some quite good stuff in the episode, particularly at the start before they hit the reset button with Alison. The scene between her and Saul is well performed and any scene shared between Mandy Patinkin and F Murray Abraham are always gonna be fun.

Depending on the way the next few episodes play out my issues with New Normal may subside, but as of now I felt that it sort of epitomized this season, the second Homeland really starts to get going it stands back for an episode or two and slows everything down.

Incredible Quality

[oliverdearlove · 3/10 · 12 January 2018]

I realise that this is a drama and not a slice of real life.

Allison is suspected of being a Russian agent but, hey ! there is an emergency so let us get her back on the job. Ivan Krupkin - a known Russian head of station ( on the other side) is also happy to pile in on the CIA side.

Saul Berenson - having stolen documents from the CIA defects to Israel - it is obvious from get-go that he is Jewish - but the Israelis find he is too hot to handle and HE goes back to work for the CIA

Quinn who has been shot and stuck back together with sticky stape and a few stitches, gets beaten up - gassed with sarin and still crawls down a railway platform.

Carrie is as mad as ever but no one seems to notice

and the makers expect us to take it as a drama of quality

what

[mor2moradi · 2/10 · 19 April 2021]

One of the weakest episodes of this season. So there is 39 place for search and the one that Carrie goes to search is the one. This is ridiculous.

Starwars

[LNeilsonLaw · 2/10 · 11 June 2023]

Of course Homeland started out portraying the "intelligence" of the CIA. It has now evolved into the incompetent bungling of an agency that is populated by idiots, terrorists, psychos, spies, counter-spies and counter-counter-spies, or in other words, the Keystone Cops. Evidently, the writers believe they can sell this premise by injecting unbelievable twisted plots, outrageous coincidences, cliff-hangers and superheroes. What we have now is a sci-fi thriller that has become largely predicable and could pass as a Starwars sequel.

The previous episode evidenced that Peter Quinn indeed has nine lives, although he has used up several of them thanks to a bullet proof vest, atropine and a benevolent doctor. How many more times can Quinn pull life out of the jaws of death? Of course Carrie and Astrid prove equally incredible as they narrowed a potential search of 1500 buildings down to a possible 39, and despite the entire service searching buildings, the dynamic duo just happen to get lucky with the 1 in 39 to find Quinn, still alive I might add.

Finally we have super hero Carrie, aka Wonder Woman, with only the aid of a group picture, rush to the train station and pick out Qasim out of the 1000s in the station and then single-handedly kill the terrorist seconds before releasing the gas.

By now, the episodes have become tedious and mostly unbelievable. However, I will continue to struggle through the remainder of the series only because I vowed to watch the whole thing, but more importantly, to watch some impressive performances by a handful of the actors. I will just have to learn to live with the inane scripts.