r/homeland • u/NicholasCajun • Dec 21 '15
Discussion Homeland - 5x12 "A False Glimmer" - Episode Discussion
Season 5 Episode 12: A False Glimmer
Aired: December 20, 2015
Synopsis: The clock runs out.
Directed by: Lesli Linka Glatter
Written by: Liz Flahive & Alex Gansa & Ron Nyswaner
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u/beach-bum Dec 21 '15
Allison threatening the doctor never practicing again if he screws up her shoulder, can she become anyone more terrible of a person than she already is?
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u/-redux- Dec 21 '15
Pretty sure they just gave us that scene in order for us not to feel any sympathy for her in the end.
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u/rageking5 Dec 24 '15
Nah, I think it was to show how not in control she felt. She had no idea where she was, or how she was getting to russia. Imo she felt like she needed to assert power so she wouldn't get fucked over, and didn't know this doctor at all. So she tried to act as tough as possible.
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u/peter-salazar Dec 23 '15
That little bit of cruelty on her part was extraneous and unrealistic—sure sign that they're making us hate her in preparation for her to die.
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u/SawRub Dec 21 '15
At least Saul looked super cool when his team gunned down Allison and the Russians.
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u/The_Comma_Splicer Dec 23 '15
Yeah, but why kill Allison? These guys are the CIA. Capture her and get intelligence out of her. At the very least, they need to know exactly what she's told the Russians over the years.
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u/peter-salazar Dec 23 '15
I'm surprised he violated protocol to kill Allison instead of arresting her.
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u/Anaron Dec 26 '15
He didn't need her anymore. He got her handler which is a far better deal. He was also angry about her betrayal to the American people and to himself. In his eyes, she had it coming.
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u/shjinny Dec 29 '15
very God Father execution style! How would they make it legal / explain if this happened for real?
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u/AveragePubgplayer23 Nov 20 '25
i mean treason is punishable by death in many countries, also she was willing to kill thousands of people by misleading BND and CIA and giving them a wrong location, plus killing of a federal agent, so yes it makes her a legitimate terrorist
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u/The_Comma_Splicer Dec 23 '15
Yeah, but why kill Allison? These guys are the CIA. Capture her and get intelligence out of her. At the very least, they need to know exactly what she's told the Russians over the years.
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u/GruxKing Dec 21 '15
Wow I've never seen a letter get cockblocked until now
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u/-redux- Dec 21 '15
That's a hilarious way to put it but the letter-reading just getting cut off like that really made it unintentionally funny for a second. It's like Quinn can't get a break, even in letter form.
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u/zazie2099 Dec 21 '15
"Well Carrie, I'm gone and we never hap-"
"Carrie! Throw that letter away, you need to be propositioned by two older men."
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u/Offthepoint Dec 23 '15
The two older guys want her and the two younger guys can't/won't have her. Thank goodness for Frannie.
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u/Offthepoint Dec 23 '15
It made me nervous when she left the letter in the room. I mean, that's an important piece of paper.
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Dec 21 '15
It reminded me of Joe Pesci's death scene from Casino. He's doing a voiceover, but gets cut off when someone hits him with an aluminum bat.
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u/bored007 Dec 21 '15
I'm surprised they gave Jonas/Carrie that much screen time. Who cares at this point?
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u/peter-salazar Dec 23 '15
They had to establish that Carrie had no chance with Jonas in order to prepare us for Otto's proposal.
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u/rageking5 Dec 24 '15
Eh I didn't mind, it wasn't a ton of screen time. It was showing the after effects of that ordeal on her, and how she needed something normal in her life.
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u/GruxKing Dec 21 '15
That family left the hospital church because they wanted to get away from Carrie's orgasming
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u/LMAODumb Dec 21 '15
What the fuck was that scene?
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u/awakeningosiris Dec 21 '15
Title of the episode "A False Glimmer" and the glimmer during that scene and the glimmer of the end scene is IMO the writers way of writing in an excuse to get Quinn back on board next season if he wants to do so, or for the actor to have an out. What we saw in the chapel and what we saw at the end of the episode has never happened with Carrie before so I think, along with the title of the episode, perhaps theres some ambiguity thats implied.
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u/rockon4life45 Dec 21 '15
I think she was squeezing her hurt hand to feel the pain for whatever dumb reason.
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Dec 21 '15
Was she remembering her past? Seeing herself in that girl? I don't get it
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u/tapeforkbox Dec 21 '15
I interpreted it as her thinking of her daughter. But also being really really alone.
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u/incubated Dec 21 '15
the girl just looked at her and time just flew. nothing out of the ordinary, just some fx
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u/CooLittleFonzies May 16 '26
I thought the same. "What a weird place / time to start orgasming," I said to myself.
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u/SooWooMaster Dec 21 '15
dam, Carrie is getting dick thrown at her from all angles
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u/Electronic_Ad4560 Dec 10 '25
I’m also a highly intelligent bipolar woman and let me tell you men do not like it all that much 😅
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u/eklurks Dec 21 '15
RIP Qasim. You were a great character.
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u/SawRub Dec 21 '15
I like that even at the end, as much as he opposed the plan, until Carrie came along he was willing to just sit by and let it happen. He wasn't very strong willed and the wrong kind of people influenced him, but he was capable of being good as well. Which is a case with a lot of youths being radicalized.
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u/simkessy Dec 21 '15 edited Dec 21 '15
I felt bad Saul him called a terrorist
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u/beach-bum Dec 21 '15
Did Quinn just enter the light? Or was he saved by the light? I thought Carrie was going to euthanize him.
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u/Twizzler____ Dec 21 '15
I still think she is. I honestly thought when the light shined on him that Carrie was going to look back and his eyes were open.
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u/awakeningosiris Dec 21 '15
opening of episode one of season 6 finds carrie still in the chapel with the girl looking at her - what happened between that time and the light in the hospital room was all a dream
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u/VixDzn Feb 22 '16
here's to hoping. I can never look at Berenson ever again without thinking "TWAT"
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u/AlphaHeart Dec 21 '15
I thought Carrie was going to give him one last Romeo + Juliet-style kiss (to revive him or some mystical shit like that) but then God was like "Woooah hold up. Leave him the fuck be" so Carrie just left him like "okay, bye then".
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u/eerel75 Dec 21 '15
I believe that it refers to the end of Quinn's letter : "I wanted the darkness, I fuckin' asked for it. It has me now so don't put a star on the wall for me, don't say some dumb speech just think of me as a light on the headlands, a beacon steering you clear of the rocks". He's somehow already gone and telling (showing) her to do it. It's really mystical, but who cares, that's fiction :)
R.I.P. Quinn, thanks for the show !
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u/Offthepoint Dec 23 '15
I refuse to up vote you because that will make him really dead. I'm staying in denial until next season.
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Dec 21 '15
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Dec 23 '15
What's the point of that though? As soon as she leaves the room the alert will sound at the nurse's station, so she won't be able to make a sneaky exit.
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u/ChristieLadram Dec 23 '15
I thought of that as well, but just assumed she would come up with a quick story , appropriate logistics to get herself out of any trouble for doing this. Or I mean, I dunno, I don't know that much about assisted-suicide but I know all the state laws are different, or some of them.
Since she was his beneficiary though, makes me believe that she may be given weight to make decisions .... Gray area as to next of kin, health care proxy, even if they couldn't have worked it out in real life, in the story I'm sure they could've found a way to make it work. At that point, she just wanted to grant him his dying wish. I need to watch this again actually.
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u/GruxKing Dec 21 '15
Well that was wrapped up rather quickly into the episode
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u/LMAODumb Dec 21 '15
Right!? Shit, well that's over now Carrie can walk around an empty apartment for 15 minutes.
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u/pewpewlasors Dec 21 '15
That feels like a current trend in big TV shows this last season; having most of the major story wrapped up early into the finale, and spending the rest of the episode more like an Epilogue. Fargo season 2 is the first that comes to mind, that did the same thing recently, I know there have been others, but I can't recall them right now.
I like it myself, as I almost always want more out of the story, I want to know more about how things wrap up.
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u/gangstarapmademe Dec 21 '15
"So like I know you only worked for me for about two episodes, I know you're bat shit crazy, just saved thousands of people / saved me once or twice and you're currently in love with two other men, but I'm like a billionaire and I've read your resume so now I want you to be my life partner and us to get married."
Smooth moves.
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Dec 21 '15
This was creepy to me, and he didn't seem genuine.
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u/Anaron Dec 26 '15
It seemed obvious to me that he was interested in her well before that scene. He tolerated a lot from her and went out of his way to help her.
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u/UmarAlKhattab Dec 27 '15
I think it was genuine. He deals with multitude of people. He is not doing the old-fashion way, because he doesn't want to, he is giving her space and time to think about it.
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Dec 21 '15
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u/gangstarapmademe Dec 21 '15
To be honest, that kind of killed the character for me. Plus how will auto even be used? Since I doubt next season is in Germany.
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u/meniscus- Dec 21 '15
WEIRDEST MARRIAGE PROPOSAL EVER
"I read your application, I saw your brilliance"
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u/pallytank Dec 21 '15 edited Dec 21 '15
'Carrie we would make a most efficient pair bond surely you can see this, you have a month to choose, but given the level of your intellect I expect your decision will come in less than a week. I will have ceremony planned by the time you return.' Ah the German ways of love.
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u/dalovindj Dec 21 '15
Now, I will touch you in a creepy physical gesture that foreshadows all of the touches to later come should you choose to accept.
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u/zazie2099 Dec 21 '15
"Think about the scale and the scope of what I'm offering here Carrie."
"Otto, I..."
"I'm pointing at my dick, Carrie. Do you see me gesturing towards my dick as I say 'the scale and the scope'?"
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u/clitbeastwood Dec 21 '15
otto got no game
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u/VERYstuck Dec 21 '15
When you're worth that much money, every move you make is a business decision.
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u/madeInNY Dec 21 '15
Is that what it was? It seemed more like a merger and acquisition
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u/cdnfan86 Dec 21 '15
I promote all my employees to partner status by gently caressing their hand and deeply staring into their eyes.
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u/cdnfan86 Dec 21 '15
TBH I wasn't entirely sure if he was talking about making her a partner with the firm, or life partner. The manner with which he was speaking lead me to believe it was the former, up until he touched her hand.
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u/beach-bum Dec 21 '15
After telling Jonas that Carrie was crazy earlier in the season, was Düring playing the long game to get Carrie to marry him the whole time?
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u/3boyz3Madison Dec 21 '15
That scene seemed so random to me. Now, I see where they were going. Too trite for my taste.
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u/Classic_Wingers Dec 21 '15
I would feel bad for Jonas if it weren't for the fact that he was a pretty big douche to her tonight right after they had sex. He said some pretty honest things and I didn't really see a future with them anyways, but I didn't like that he was totally down for one more romp in the bedroom, followed by squashing her dreams when she was clearly not doing too well.
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u/RichWPX Dec 21 '15
Maybe he told himself if I still don't feel it after this, we are really done. Was prob subpar after the crazy sex off meds anyway.
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u/oggusfoo Dec 21 '15
I did call it, but I'm not so thrilled. I still think the Nazis didn't destroy his families' house because they made some nefarious deal.
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u/peter-salazar Dec 23 '15
But that does not implicate him. We're not responsible for the crimes of our parents.
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u/duckacubed Dec 21 '15
Did Dar Adal just set up a badass spin off prequel show featuring a young Peter Quinn? YES, PLEASE.
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Dec 23 '15
How has Dar still not gotten fired? Did he make a single good decision in this season? He even included a Allison in the operation after learning about her relation to the Russians and this almost lead to the death of thousands of people. It was basically just pure luck that Carrie was around to save the day. And he didn't even thank her...
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u/Strategory Dec 21 '15
Rupert Friend must've asked for too much money, left it open
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u/meniscus- Dec 21 '15
He was considering leaving since last season, that's why the season ended that way. He wanted to direct a movie he wrote I think, and this may also be why they are ending the season this way. He can live or die.
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u/tapeforkbox Dec 21 '15
I think if they keep him around he'll have a long recovery only in a few episodes. I could see him being obsessed with being an intelligence officer or becoming president or something but he'd be less of a main character even if him and Carrie manage a thing.
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u/peter-salazar Dec 23 '15
But now after what the doctors said, it would be totally implausible if he woke up and was fine. "Even if he wakes up, the brain damage will be significant."
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Dec 21 '15
Hitman movie tanked, he'll be back.
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u/Nheea Dec 22 '15
Honestly, I was kind of disappointed about that movie, even though I really like him as an actor (and not only). I hope he will be back.
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Dec 23 '15
I quite liked Starred up (2013) and he was one of the main actors but his role is quite different to Homeland.
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Dec 23 '15
to be fair, hes pretty much dead at this point. Even if he does wake up theyve made it pretty clear he wont be much more than a vegetable.
His bad-ass spec ops days are over for sure, and any other role would be a huge downgrade for him.
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u/GruxKing Dec 21 '15
Are they really gonna give one of the three main characters severe brain damage going forward? I'd rather they kill him off than deal with potato Quinn
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u/pewpewlasors Dec 21 '15
You should really wait longer than 5 days, before deciding to end your friends coma with death.
I don't want to be a Veggie forever either, but give me at least a few months ffs.
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u/eerel75 Dec 21 '15
I'll give you a few months because you asked so. But Quinn didn't ask, and I don't ask either.
I have been in a coma, then hemiplegic (not sure of the english term, had the left side of the body paralysed) and then a few months later fully recovered when I was 3 y.o. I've been sooo lucky.
I have no memories from the coma, so I can't say if it's like nothing, sleeping/dreaming, or being fully aware of everything in a "frozen" body.
What I know is that I have been lucky as hell. Should I be in Quinn's state, my instruction are clear, terminate me. When you had a very exciting life for a long time, I don't see a way of leaving a forever recovering life after that. I have read "The brain that changes itself". It's a great reading for those interested in brain damage and amazing recovery capabilities. But I also have a close friend which is a neuro-surgeon... and I know what are the odds for a miracle.
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u/thedead241 Dec 22 '15
Combined with what the guy below me said, bear in mind that the doctors were pretty certain of what was going to happen to Quinn.
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u/LMAODumb Dec 21 '15
Season 6: Carrie rubs chapstick on Quinn's lips and massages his body parts. Might be more fast paced than this finale.
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u/Twizzler____ Dec 21 '15
yeah man. two in a row of pretty shit finales. this one was a a lot better than last but still. I feel like this shows running on fumes.
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u/actionspoon Dec 21 '15
Pretty sure season six is going to be all about the cia transplanting Dar's brain into Quinn's body.
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u/MedschoolgirlMadison Mar 24 '16
If that's what it takes to get Quinn back lol but I will still watch it (even if it went against everything I studied for) though it reminded me of FRIENDS episode when Joey was trying to explain this procedure to Ross.
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u/Wolfir Dec 26 '15
When Carrie pushed the chair in front of the door, I assumed that meant she was euthanizing him.
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u/eklurks Dec 21 '15
what a stone cold Russian woman. "What is your point?" she and Astrid are quite a match - they should face off and have a terse conversation.
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u/peter-salazar Dec 23 '15
But what is Russian intelligence's interest in trafficking women? I don't get how that benefits them.
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u/tremens Jan 16 '16
Couple of ways. It may be an indirect connection; they assist traffickers in exchange for information, that sort of thing. The other is that a lot of the people with the means to buy sex slaves are people of power and influence, and having direct knowledge and evidence that they buy underage people for sex is a pretty strong leverage tool to bend people when they need them.
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Dec 21 '15
I actually thought that reaction was ridiculous. Like a Russian spy, whose motives are usually based around patriotism, is ok with underage girls being trafficked? I don't expect her to become girlfriends with Allison and free the girls, but her reaction doesn't really make sense. Maybe telling Allison to shut up would have been better.
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Dec 21 '15
I can only assume that people who are successful in that line of work are either psychopathic or extremely good at compartmentalizing.
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u/midnightketoker Dec 22 '15
I thought I was watching Rocky with how they showed every Russian compared to the Americans, practically saying 'at least we're not sociopaths' for no reason but to have another antagonist. Not like I take it seriously enough to be offended, it was pretty fun to watch until they up and ran out of ideas this episode.
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u/thenecrophagist Dec 21 '15
Interesting that Quinn made Carrie his beneficiary instead of his son or the mother of his son.
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Dec 21 '15
Wow, I just now realized that. I'm pretty sure this was a glaring screwup by the writers, in that they forgot he had a baby mama. Season 2 showed that he was still somewhat in contact with them or was sending the money (if I remember correctly).
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u/meniscus- Dec 21 '15
This happened since the end of season 4. He later mentioned that he doesn't have a relationship with them anymore.
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u/n8thagr803 Dec 21 '15
I could not give less of a shit about Jonas and Carrie.
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u/GaGaORiley Dec 21 '15
Ithink she glows when she's with him. I think he represents a normal life that she desperately wants but could never be satisfied with.
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u/nikiverse Dec 22 '15
I thought when Otto told her his offer, that Carrie would be hitting up Saul. She'd think - outside of the CIA, this could be my life! Why do I not want it? Saaaauuulllll.
I just saw the episode so I'm late to the party!
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u/midnightketoker Dec 22 '15
They pretty explicitly drilled that representation into screen time an dialog
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u/GruxKing Dec 21 '15
"Mind telling me why?"
"Because the writers need to fill 20 more minutes of dramatic conflict"
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u/LMAODumb Dec 21 '15
Did Otto just propose? I'm so confused.
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u/jayhat Dec 21 '15
Yes. At that point in his life, as a huge, mega millionaire, business man, philanthropist, he's probably just trying to find someone that will fit in and understand his life/work. He like a lot of rich, powerful, people, is looking for a power-partner. They could make a great power couple. Power relationships are often like business relationships, and may not necessarily be about real love.
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Dec 21 '15
Yeah a bipolar psychotic CIA savant with a terrorist fetish would make a great partner.
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u/TAOW Dec 21 '15
Pretty sure it was a promotion
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u/operator-as-fuck Dec 21 '15
Honestly i'm confused between it being a marriage proposal or a proposal to be a literal partner at the firm. His speech implied both lol
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u/domoku_1 Dec 21 '15
Nooo... Quinn can't die, please.
And what's with the light? When they cut to the radiant light in the chapel I thought it would turn into a dream where Carrie, Quinn and Frannie were in a park, on green grass playing!!
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Dec 21 '15
The way I took it was Carrie was going to put Quinn out of his misery like the end of million dollar baby. She put the pulse ox lead on her finger and was going to somehow kill him(smother, drug who knows) when the light began. I think it was supposed to be a sign from God for Carrie not to kill him and that this was the path she was supposed to be on. This is just how I saw it.
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u/Offthepoint Dec 23 '15
It's the same light she saw in the chapel when she was praying, so there has to be some connection there.
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u/the_wondersmith Dec 22 '15
I took it as him finally being pulled towards light rather than darkness
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u/Malreg Dec 21 '15
More like a light from Quinn himself? His letter does say that he will be a "beacon" to steer her clear from trouble.
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u/theotheramy1 Dec 21 '15
It's so interesting to hear other people's perspectives on this. I took the light to be a second of hope...like she thought it was some sort of miracle for a brief second and it wasn't. It was just the sun.
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u/glassbell Dec 21 '15
Anyone else think that putting Allison up in the house with the human trafficking victims was a bit too obvious of a metaphor for how Allison had been prostituting herself for the Russians, both literally and figuratively. Though, honestly she was forced into it like those girls.
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Dec 21 '15
That's a pretty good observation. I especially liked that when Allison makes note of it herself, the Russian SVR liason is just like, "And your point is?". Allison doesn't say anything else. Very poignant scene.
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u/pie-man Dec 21 '15
that girl that ran that motel where quin porked her is going to be pissed once she finds out she wasnt the beneficiary
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u/xpdooo Dec 21 '15
come on, Quinn's wife and kids are not even mentioned yet.
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u/muddisoap Dec 22 '15
Did he have a wife and kids? I didn't think so...or just a joke?
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u/greatness101 Dec 21 '15
Why would she be pissed? She was the one that told him to go be with Carrie because he still loved her.
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Dec 21 '15
I like how Jonas gave Carrie the D one last time, then essentially said she had to get the hell out, but could "keep the post coital shirt". You can only take on so much crazy, I suppose. Even when the crazy is attached to a hot piece of ass, crazy is as crazy does.
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u/beach-bum Dec 21 '15
Did Carrie just squeeze her wound in order to pass out from pain, or prompt some feeling of life to get her out of her current mental state?
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u/GruxKing Dec 21 '15
Awww Dar is just adarable waiting by Quinn's bed like that!
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u/SawRub Dec 21 '15
Dar seems like one of those people who can't show their emotions, but to him Quinn is the closest thing to a son.
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u/Classic_Wingers Dec 21 '15
What the heck did Rupert Friend do to the writers this season to make them keep his character mostly in beds? I just don't get why they wanted to go that route with his character when he served such a vital role. I can't be the only one who thought he would at least be able to offer the team some important information before returning to his comatose state. Are they writing him off the show then?
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u/DoktorZaius Dec 21 '15
He hunted down and killed the Jihadi woman early in the season and I was psyched. Quinn with names in a killbox? This is gonna be awesome!
Apparently the writers didn't agree. :/
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Dec 21 '15
Honestly I was a bit disappointed. This is the second season in a row in which the episode prior to the finale was amazing yet the actual finale was dull. At least it wasn't like last season when the plot took a 180 and that Taliban leader ended up being an asset.
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u/[deleted] Dec 21 '15
A spin off with Dar Adal finding 16 year old Quinn, that would be awesome.