New Normal (Homeland)
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"New Normal" is the tenth episode of the fifth season of the American television drama series ''
Homeland A homeland is a place where a national or ethnic 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 ethnic natio ...
'', and the 58th episode overall. It premiered 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 December 6, 2015.


Plot

Saul (
Mandy Patinkin Mandel "Mandy" Bruce Patinkin (; born November 30, 1952) is an American actor and singer, known for his work in musical theatre, television, and film. As a critically acclaimed Broadway (theatre), Broadway performer he has collaborated with Step ...
) is absolved when Krupin ( Mark Ivanir) admits that the Russians orchestrated the bombing of General Youssef's plane. Carrie (
Claire Danes Claire Catherine Danes (born April 12, 1979) is an American actress. Prolific in film and television since her teens, she is the recipient of three Primetime Emmy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards. In 2012, ''Time (magazine), Time'' named he ...
) and Saul are convinced of Allison's (
Miranda Otto Miranda Otto (born 16 December 1967) is an Australian actress. She is the daughter of actors Barry Otto, Barry and Lindsay Otto and the paternal half-sister of actress Gracie Otto. Otto began her acting career in 1986 at age 18 and appeared in a ...
) guilt, and become frustrated when Dar Adal ( F. Murray Abraham) refuses to make a final judgment without more evidence. Dar also suggests to Saul that quietly shuffling Allison down the ranks of the CIA might be a better solution politically than the massive scandal that would erupt if it was exposed that a Russian agent had risen to CIA station chief. Saul attempts to get a confession out of Allison, but when recounting the deaths of CIA colleagues he believes to be attributable to Allison, he explodes in rage at her and is taken away by security. Bibi Hamed (
René Ifrah René Ifrah is an American actor born in Germany and raised in Brooklyn, New York City. He is best known for his role as Homeland (season 5), Bibi Hamed on the Showtime (TV network), Showtime series ''Homeland (TV series), Homeland'', for whi ...
) releases a video to the public in which he demands that the
UNSC The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, an ...
officially recognize the Islamic State, or he will unleash a chemical attack on a major European city in 24 hours. Also included is footage of the effects of the
sarin Sarin (NATO designation GB nerve_agent#G-series.html" ;"title="hort for nerve agent#G-series">G-series, "B" is an extremely toxic organophosphorus compound.Rupert Friend Rupert William Anthony Friend (born October 1981) is a British actor. He first gained recognition for his roles in ''The Libertine (2004 film), The Libertine'' (2004) and ''Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont'' (2005), both of which won him awards for ...
). Carrie and Astrid (
Nina Hoss Nina Hoss (; born 7 July 1975) is a German stage, film, and television actress. She is known for her collaborations with director Christian Petzold in films such as '' Barbara'' (2012) and '' Phoenix'' (2014). Roles in other films include '' T ...
), assuming Quinn to have been killed by the gas, repeatedly watch the grisly video looking for clues to where it was recorded. They make note of a mosaic on the floor which the BND is able to trace to a specific artist. Laura (
Sarah Sokolovic Sarah Sokolovic is an American film, television, and theatre actress, who starred in '' Homeland'' as Laura Sutton and has a recurring role on '' Big Little Lies''. She has also performed on stage, including in ''The Shaggs: Philosophy of the ...
) and Jonas (
Alexander Fehling Alexander Fehling is a German film and stage actor. He is best known for portraying Master Sgt. Wilhelm in the 2009 Quentin Tarantino World War II film '' Inglourious Basterds'', and as Jonas Hollander season 5 in the Showtime original series ' ...
) interview a suspected jihadist, Faisal Marwan, who was freed by the German government along with Zayd. Faisal is looking to file a suit against the German government. Faisal also reveals that Zayd told him about an attack in Berlin. Unsure of what to do with the info, Otto (
Sebastian Koch Sebastian Koch is a German television and film actor. He is known for roles in the 2007 Academy Award-winning film '' The Lives of Others'', in Steven Spielberg's '' Bridge of Spies'', and as Otto Düring in the fifth season of the Showtime s ...
) calls Saul for help. He agrees to turn over Faisal but asks Saul to guarantee his safety. Faisal is captured by BND agents once he leaves the building. Bibi learns that an empty container of atropine was found, and realizes it was administered to Quinn. To flush out the traitor, he orders a search of everyone's bags. Much to Qasim's (Alireza Bayram) surprise, Zaheer is killed when his bag has no atropine inside. Bibi later reveals to Qasim that he switched the bags to protect Qasim since he is family but threatens Qasim's life if he is defiant again. Dar notifies the BND that Quinn had infiltrated a cell in Berlin led by a nephew of Abu Al-Qaduli. With this information, the BND determines Bibi's identity. By cross-referencing locations of Bibi's recent credit card purchases with buildings that feature the work of the artist, the BND is able to narrow its search to a handful of locations. When investigating one of the addresses, Carrie and Astrid find Quinn barely clinging to life, as well as the body of Zaheer. Quinn is taken to a hospital and placed in intensive care.


Production

The episode was directed by
Dan Attias Daniel Attias (born December 4, 1951) is an American television director and producer. He is also director of his only feature film ''Silver Bullet'' from 1985, based on the novella by Stephen King. Attias' career has spanned five decades, duri ...
and co-written by executive producer
Meredith Stiehm Meredith Stiehm ( ; born 1968) is an American television producer, writer, and trade union leader who has served as president of the Writers Guild of America West since 2021. She is the creator of the hit crime drama ''Cold Case'' and the FX (TV ...
and Charlotte Stoudt.


Reception


Reviews

The episode received a rating of 64% with an average score of 6.8 out of 10 on the review aggregator
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
, with the site's consensus stating "'New Normal' takes an exciting new turn but at the expense of a long-gestating spy story set up by ''Homeland's'' previous episodes". Price Peterson of ''
New York Magazine ''New York'' is an American biweekly magazine concerned with life, culture, politics, and style generally, with a particular emphasis on New York City. Founded by Clay Felker and Milton Glaser in 1968 as a competitor to ''The New Yorker'' a ...
'' rated the episode 4 out of 5 stars while remarking on its effectiveness in connecting the season's plot lines and conveying the horror of the characters' circumstances. Scott Collura of
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
rated the episode 8.0 out of 10, saying that the key scenes involving Allison and Quinn were compelling, but also noting that it "felt a little desperate" in integrating Quinn with the other lead characters. Ethan Renner of ''
The Baltimore Sun ''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local, regional, national, and international news. Founded in 1837, the newspaper was owned by Tribune Publi ...
'' felt that the episode was "somewhat of a letdown", citing some "clunky plot devices" and one-dimensionality of the Jihadist group's characters.


Ratings

The original broadcast was watched by 1.74 million viewers, an increase in viewership from the previous week of 1.42 million viewers.


References


External links


"New Normal"
at Showtime * {{Homeland 2015 American television episodes Homeland season 5 episodes Television episodes directed by Dan Attias