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Homeland Season 1 Episode 6

The Good Soldier

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AIRED: Nov 06, 2011

8.2

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Episode Summary

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Reeling after losing key players in Nazir's plot against America, the CIA orders polygraphs on everyone who came in contact with them, including Brody, which Carrie sees as an opportunity to finally learn the truth.

TV.com Episode Review

Homeland: The Lying Game

A million incredible things happened this week, but none of them were crazier than the squeaking hydraulics of a parked car.

By Tim Surette, Nov 08, 2011

Fan Episode Reviews (5)

How did Brody do it?

9.0

By DexterMorgan2, Mar 08, 2013

Homeland is definitely heating up at this point now with the terrorists exposed and on the run with someone trying to kill them and the best part of the episode with the polygraph tests where Carrie thought that Brody would be found out for assisting in the suicide from the last episode I thought that somehow Brody would get out of it but he passed the polygraph test when he was asked about the razor and it is possible it wasn't him but he passed when he was asked about being unfaithful to his wife and we know he was lying about that This was a fantastic episode in the middle of the season with a lot more to come.moreless
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Carrie & Brody are amazing!

9.5

By emmiegirl, Nov 25, 2011

I cannot stop watching - my jaw is on the floor half the episode!These two characters are fantastic. The intrigue is amazing and I keep waiting with bated breath for one or the other to get the upper hand, but they just ebb and flow. It is obvious they each think they are in control and playing the other, and I cannot wait to see how far these two are willing to take it. Delicious.

This episode unsettled all my previous assumptions about Homeland. Following this episode, there is no one trustworthy at the CIA, nor in the Marines, or even the terrorists for that matter.

What was up with that first polygraph Saul took? It was so fishy the way he just jumped up and ran out following that failure response - which it appeared as if the polygraph administrator was going to let him skate on anyway. My suspicions have been aroused. And Estes' comments about his marriage - is the polygraph room the Langley CIA agent's emotional dumping ground?

I was disappointed with the drunk MarineoutingJess and Mike at a memorial reception (tacky), but I am so glad that secret is exposed. I thought is was worst mother of the year time when Jess asked her teenage daughter to keep that secret, and thought it was so sad that their son is obviously torn about his relationship with Mike - the only father figure the boy has known. The dynamic between Brody and Jess is pretty unsavory and unhealthy for them both, so hopefully Jess will take this opportunity to rectify the situation and make a break for it.

This show is fantastic, and this episode was a sterlingexampleof the magic and suspense being built long-term. I cannot wait to see how far things will go.moreless
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6.5

By thefanof, Nov 21, 2011

This show excels at creating good and awkward moments, that is one of its high points, but tonight it sacrificed character development and it ruined a potentially explosive moment. The revelation that Mike and Jessica were sleeping together should have had a big shouting match between the two before the brief exchange of punches. Missed moment there and for that I can't give this episode that high a score because they really missed a moment there.moreless
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It took a while, but I'm now officially hooked on Homeland.

9.0

By MollyHolzschl, Nov 17, 2011

Drawn to the show mostly by the buildup, I found the acting more impressive than the script. I wasn't sure how the storyline could sustain a series. There was no "grey" in the morality - either the CIA would prove Brody a traitor, or he would prevail as a hero. Uncomfortable either way.

This episode was a game-changer for me. The show's edginess is starting to emerge, with the duplicitous nature of many of the players revealing themselves. This layer of complexity adds a morally ambiguous flavor, which lends to a far more intriguing thriller. I left the episode really anticipating the next, and that alone is a strong indicator that I'm now hooked on Homeland.moreless
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Fascinating, multi-layered drama

9.0

By lthomas72, Nov 14, 2011

Despite initially tuning in solely for The Damian Lewis Factor, I was drawn into this series by the character of Carrie, played so masterfully by the wonderful Claire Danes. Unusually for a protagonist, Carrie is a highly intelligent and driven but mentally unstable young woman, something that we see all too rarely in TV drama series these days. Carrie's mental illness is a big part of who she is and why she's very good (and bad) at her job, given as she is to massive leaps of logic and non-linear thinking. She's gutsy, arrogant and, although passionate, a very atypical female lead in as far as her head always seems to be "in the job" in one way or another, as she casually revealed in this episode during her speech about her ex-boyfriend who came second to the job.So far Carrie has been hell-bent on her one course of action: to prove the intelligence she was censured for receiving in Baghdad and to reveal Sgt Brody as the turned POW. This mission has cost her dearly so far, and is continuing to affect her relationships and work life despite so far appearing to be entirely without basis.In this episode though we see how Carrie's relationship with her suspect is being shaped in two ways. On one side - the smart, stable side - she feels more strongly than ever that Brody must be the mole (being the obvious choice to have slipped their prisoner the razor blade) and is pushing harder than ever to pull this notion into the light. On the other side though, she has made a connection with Brody that she's finding it hard to define.

One the moments I found most interesting in this episode was just before Brody hit Mike. Until he saw Jess making her way over, Brody was completely calm and in control, despite having heard firsthand for the first time that his best friend has been schtupping his wife while he was gone. Brody already knew this and, seemingly, accepts it as something that doesn't greatly concern him any more, but as soon as he saw that Jess would see this he lunged at Mike and punched him enough times to make it seemed like he gave a sh*t and then disappeared in his car - to later prove he's perfectly capable of acts of emotional spontaneity when he appears to open up to (and then jump) the conflicted and very drunk Carrie.And then finally the flat polygraph on top of this? Everything we're being shown tells us that Brody is a profoundly damaged and altered man with an extremely complex and possibly hopelessly confused agenda. Saul, on the other hand, may very well be our mole :Dmoreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Claire Danes	Carrie Mathison
Damian Lewis	Nicholas Brody
Mandy Patinkin	Saul Berenson
Morena Baccarin	Jessica Brody
David Harewood	David Estes
Diego Klattenhoff	Mike Faber

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Hrach Titizian	Danny Galvez	Guest Star
Omid Abtahi	Raqim Faisel	Guest Star
Marin Ireland	Aileen Morgan	Guest Star

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Episode Photos

Damian Lewis on Homeland from "Just Let ...

© 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc.
Mandy Patinkin and Sarita Choudhury on H...

© 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc.
Damian Lewis on Homeland from "Just Let ...

© 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc.
David Harewood on Homeland from "Just Le...

© 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc.

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NOTES (4)
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- International Episode Titles:
  Germany: LÃ¼gen (Lies)
  France: Aveux (Confessions)
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- Additional credits:
  Deborah Ball - Hair Department Head
  John R. Bayless - Make-up Department Head
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- Original International Air Dates:
  Canada: November 29, 2011 on Super Channel 2
  Australia: February 19, 2012 on TEN
  United Kingdom: March 25, 2012 on Channel 4/Channel 4 HD
  Finland: February 10, 2013 on MTV3
  Germany: March 3, 2013 on Sat.1
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- This episode had 1.33 million viewers on its original airing.
  
  Homeland drew its biggest audience yet, the Sunday 10PM airing was up +23% vs. the series premiere on October 2. HOMELAND delivered 1.33 million viewers at 10PM and 1.61 million viewers for the night. HOMELAND is currently averaging 4.1 million viewers per week on all platforms (including On Demand, replays and DVR), making it SHOWTIME's biggest freshman series to-date.
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