Some interesting info from this year's PaleyFest: at a Q&A panel Friday night, Homeland showrunner Alex Gansa spoke about some big changes for the show's upcoming fifth season.
Variety reports that according to Gansa, the next season will jump ahead 2.5 years, and will be located in Europe (probably shooting in Germany). Gansa went on to say that Carrie will no longer work for the CIA.
Later, Gansa apparently stressed the connection Germany and Europe play in Western security issues regarding terrorism, so even though Carrie is no longer in intelligence, it seems like she'll be drawn into that web again somehow.
Regarding a potential romance between Carrie and Quinn, the writers room was reportedly divided on the issue, with the men against it and the women for it. (As a woman I can say I am definitely against it. The two work great as friends, but romances on the show aren't really handled very well, and it would be a shame to ruin their dynamic). However, the last episode that had the two sharing that kiss suggests that the women won out (for once, that doesn't make me happy).
The panel, which included executive producers Alexander Cary, Chip Johannessen, Patrick Harbinson, Meredith Stiehm, director and exec producer Lesli Linka Glatter, and composer Sean Callery (along with Maury Sterling, who plays Max, and Claire Danes) also addressed the controversial tub scene where Carrie considers drowning her daughter, saying it was a "challenge" to the audience (to keep watching the show?)
Danes was also asked about her infamous "cry face," to which she replied, "I swear to God it's just what my face does, it's just how I cry." (Who asks these questions?)
Last season, Homeland went through a big reboot after Brody was written off (finally) from the series, and for the most part, it really worked. The writing was taught, the drama was very, very high, and it seemed like Homeland had righted a ship that had appeared beyond rescue.
That is … until the finale. The likely reinstatement of Saul (Mandy Patinkin) to the CIA, and the whole side-story regarding Carrie's mother felt like it was part of another show, or at least, a different season of this one. If that's indicative of how Season 5 will pan out, that's not great news. It's also disappointing that the show won't immediately investigate the relationship between Dar Adal and Haqqani (a scene which should have ended the season instead of that strange coda).
Still, having Carrie in a different part of the world and doing who knows what (Danes apparently joked around and said "making beer"), well, Homeland is good with politics, and it's good with its thriller action. Relationships and domestic issues, though, not so much. If Carrie isn't part of the CIA, let's at least hope she's doing more than just experimenting with home brews.