Homeland (TV Series) Separation Anxiety (2015) User Reviews

Give season 5 a chance

[tete-carvalho · 8/10 · 28 December 2015]

OK, so I just finished watching season 5. I know this episode doesn't really make a case for the whole season, but I promise the rest is all worth watching! I know a lot of people may not have faith in this show after season 4, but for me this season brought back the action we were used to at the beginning. I know we all still miss Brody, and the producers have taken us to places we thought they wouldn't go. But the storyline is thrilling and the acting is just amazing. I had very little expectations after last season, but i'm not disappointed.

Not a lot happens in this particular ep, but it introduces the places and people necessary for the rest of the plot. So don't be fooled, keep watching!

Two years have passed and many things have changed but not the quality; that remains high

[Tweekums · 9/10 · 12 October 2015]

Two years have passed since the end of Season Four and protagonist has left the CIA. She is now working as head of security for a wealthy philanthropist Otto Düring; head of the Düring Foundation who wants her to organise a trip to a refugee camp in Lebanon; something she strongly advises against. Meanwhile a couple of hackers manage to steal a large number of CIA files, some of which detail a covert arrangement where the CIA carried out spying operations in Germany for the Germans to bypass laws preventing German Intelligence from doing so; if these become public it could have serious implications for relations between the two countries. These hackers pass the files onto a journalist working for the Düring Foundation who expects Carrie to verify them. She refuses and finds herself in a difficult position; her new colleague thinks she is a CIA apologist and her old mentor, Saul Berenson, thinks she is working for the enemy. This isn't her biggest worry though; getting guarantees of safety for the trip to Lebanon will mean contacting a Hezbollah chief who has reason to hate her. She isn't the only one whose life has changed since the last season Peter Quinn has been working in Syria to find targets for assassination and now he too is in Germany to eliminate certain targets.

This might not be the most action packed of episodes but it does a great job establishing the various changes that have happened in the last two years. It was nice to see that Carrie seems to have genuinely sorted her life out and now appears to be a good mother, have a safe job and be in a relationship… of course how long this will last when the series really gets going remains to be seen. Likewise it was interesting to see Quinn's life had gone in almost the opposite direction; he is seen as a lone-wolf assassin who is taking part in operations he knows the CIA will disavow if he is caught. There is some tension; when Carrie is grabbed off the street and taken to see the Hezbollah chief the danger feels real even though it is a meeting she requested. The cast does a fine job making the story believable; a task helped by a story that features so many details that could have been taken straight from the morning paper; ISIS, refugee camps and Edward Snowdon to name just three. It is impossible to guess what way the story will go from just this episode but I have a feeling that we are in for quite an adventure; I certainly hope we are!

As usual, great kickoff and lots of expectations!

[andrehedlund · 9/10 · 7 October 2015]

Homeland starts off with a lot of shoes to fill after a great fourth season. I honestly thought Brody's death would at least make the show lose its tension and need-for-more-every-episode feeling, but I was terribly wrong. The way things developed has definitely proved that Homeland has found the secret of success.

The 5th season puts Carrie away from her troubled past CIA life in Germany working for a billionaire humanitarian and, shockingly, as a stable mother, girlfriend and perhaps even a devoted Christian. At the same time, two hackers manage to attack the CIA's net by pure luck and steal classified documents on illegal surveillance done by the US government on behalf of Germany. Quinn looks colder than ever after two years on Syrian soil leading special forces against ISIS and the Islamic State. Saul and Dar Adal are still working side by side at the top positions of the agency in Europe. Then, at the drop of hat they are connected again and Carrie sees herself in the middle of her old life.

What makes the first episode so great? The fact that it has put together three of today's world's greatest concerns: government espionage, the refugees issue and terrorism. Homeland seems to pick its story lines straight from today's news in every major newspaper in the world and it doesn't really bother spoon-feeding the spectators with easy explanations.

Once more, Homeland has impressed and another great season is here. The old feeling of I-can't-stop-watching-it has returned and judging from the kickoff Season 5 will blow our minds.

Peter Quinn - Great job!

[predrag-dr-petrovic · 10/10 · 19 October 2015]

This is the first time that I have heard the truth being said on the TV show. This truth is our present, our lives and our future. Just take a look at what Peter Quinn says at the beginning of his report from Middle East. All he said was the exact truth that is happening in our real lives. I am not going to give spoilers here and quote his words but if you didn't see this episode, go for it. Season 5 has the great impact on viewers since it pictures the situation in the world today, especially in Germany where Muslim radicals and extremists are in great numbers and this number rises after latest flux of migrants coming from ME in thousands every single day. To cut the long story short, I didn't have a superhero since I was 9, now I'm 40 and my superhero is Peter Quinn :) If the CIA is really dealing with terrorists in Germany like here in SE05E01 and E02 then they have my FULL SUPPORT

Homeland is back! Wow!

[victoria-226 · 10/10 · 10 October 2015]

Homeland is back better than ever! Wow! Great season opener! Can't wait for next episode. We see Carrie trying to find peace and center herself for the first time ever. She is consciously making the choice to have a life that is not surrounded by danger and turmoil, strife and war. She is struggling against the forces of perhaps, who she is and not what surrounds her. Incredibly, not a lot is said in this episode yet you get a sense of so much. Remarkably, when it comes to Quinn, I get the sense that he is not so much struggling against who he is but has decided to surrender to the circumstances, almost the opposite of Carrie. He is someone else, yet he has given up on the fight to be that and has surrendered to the forces that seem to surround and engulf him. Wow! Welcome back Homeland.

Good start

[Abdulxoxo · 7/10 · 18 October 2020]

Not exactly a pulsating opening episode but it tells us what to expect this season and i think going to be good. the story is based in Germany which is refreshing. some new characters introduced that I'm sure will play a vital role this season. My issue is the lack of Continuity from last season, I know it's been two years but the last season left some questions unanswered like the Ambassador and her husband situation etc I guess it's left to us to imagine or figure how it played out.

Not a very good beginning

[LittleStorpingInTheSwuff · 7/10 · 12 June 2018]

The season opener set the stage for season 5, but it's only mildly exciting. We obviously knew that Carrie and Saul would be back, but their relationship has changed. For better or worse remains to be seen.

I am not a Showtime subscriber so I didn't watch "Homeland" as it was aired. I am now watching the episodes that I have and will keep looking at them. But for me, the season 5 opener wasn't as exciting as most viewers rated it. Of course I will keep looking at "Homeland".

disappointing

[mor2moradi · 3/10 · 15 March 2021]

It was a disappointing beginning for season 5. Carrie quit for CIA and goes to Germany and the story should go with her. this is not a good way to bring Carrie to the story.