Homeland RECAP 12/8/13: Season 3 Episode 11 “Big Man in Tehran”

Homeland_season_3_Episode_11

Tonight on Showtime their Emmy Award winning drama series, HOMELAND continues with a new episode.  On tonight’s show called, “Big Man in Tehran” Saul is going to stare into the precipice between success and failure.  Did you watch last week’s season episode?  If you want to get caught up before tonight’s episode,  you can read a full and detailed recap right here.

On last week’s episode Brody embarked on a high-stakes mission, but his fragile condition threatens the operation. What Brody did not know is that if he asked for asylum in Tehran Dar Adal had that covered as he had drones with bombs.  Meanwhile, Quinn made an uncomfortable discovery about Carrie that she is pregnant; and Fara was forced to rejoin the team due to a sudden crisis.

On tonight’ show Brody asks for asylum and they are wondering if he has turned again and whether Brody is an asset or whether he is a serious liability. Carrie is freaking out because she just does not ant anyone to abandon Brody and you know she is going to try her best to make sure that does not happen.  It also seems like Senator Lockhart and Saul give the order to get rid of Brody.

Tonight’s episode is going to be another action packed one, which you won’t want to miss. So be sure to tune in for our live coverage of Showtimes’ Homeland Season 3 episode 10 — tonight at 10PM EST! While you wait for our recap, hit the comments and let us know how excited you are about the return of Homeland tonight.  Check out the sneak peek video below!

Tonight’s episode begins now – Refresh Page for Updates

Saul is visiting someone in a holding cell. It’s Alain – Mira’s lover (and spy) who complains about the conditions he’s being kept in. Saul tells him that’s what you get when you spy on the US. Alain says he’s not a spy and Saul says they caught him red-handed. He says he caught him with his wife. Saul tells him not to antagonize him since he’s there to get him out. He tells him he’s got an op going in Tehran and he knows Mossad has agents there and he needs two. Alain tells him to talk to Tel Aviv himself.

Saul says that they’ll ask too many questions if he goes to them directly. Alain tells him it won’t be any different if he asks. Saul says he better hope it is and calls him the greaseball who f-d his wife. He says that no one wants him in CIA holding – not the CIA and not Mossad. He tells him to make it happen.

Brody tells an interrogator the rehearsed tale about how Abu Nasir arranged for him to get out. He says that he was shot but doesn’t know who by. They asked why he was an addict and he explained he used drugs for pain but stopped. The interrogator asks if he has AIDS. Brody says he doesn’t know why they’re giving him a hard time when he just wants asylum. Javadi asks if that’s what he thinks they’re doing.

Brody says he just wants someplace safe and thought he would be welcome there. Javadi asks why he thought that and asks if he thinks they like traitors. Javadi asks who sent him. The interrogator asks Brody if he wants a break and he says yes but Javadi tells the interrogator to keep going.

Carrie checks into her hotel in Tehran. She tips the bellboy and he leaves. She heads immediately back out of her room and down the stairs. She steps out into the loading area and out onto the streets.

Javadi comes to work and a man tells him General Akbari wants him right away. Javadi looks nervous but heads upstairs. The receptionist sends him to the hall to wait.

Carrie walks the streets of Tehran and arrives at a gated house where she rings the buzzer. She tells the man she’s a friend of Fara’s and he lets her in after checking to see that no one on the street is looking. He brings her in the house and she asks if he has something for her. She goes to the table where there’s an open DHL package and she asks where it is. He demands to know what’s going on.

Carrie says knowing more will put him at risk and he says that sending contraband to his house puts him at risk. She tells him it didn’t go through customs – that the labels were faked. He asks if she’s CIA and she says she’s a friend of Fara’s and he says then his niece is CIA too and he thinks she’s working against his country. She hands him a photo and says Fara asked him to give him that.

Sherazi asks if Fara still wears the Hijab in America and Carrie tells him that Fara’s heart is still in Tehran. He asks if his brother approves of what Fara is doing and she says he’s grown to accept it. He gives her the cellphone and asks if there’s anything else she needs.

Javadi is finally called in to see Akbari. The general is watching tapes of Brody’s interrogation. He asks if Javadi believes him and he says they are still working to verify the story. He says he’s not sure. He says they need to be careful. Akbari says he went easy on Brody and he says he is treating him like a guest in their country.

Javadi says Brody has been tortured enough for one life time and Akbari says they have to know he’s telling the truth before they let the world know he’s there. Javadi suggests that Akbari spend some time with Brody himself to see what he thinks. He flatters him into thinking his expert opinion would help suss out the truth.

Carrie steps out onto the balcony and uses the phone she got to call Saul. He asks how the uncle was and she says dodgy at first and then okay. She asks how he did and he says he has Mossad agents on the ground ready to meet her. He says they don’t know what’s going on other than a close quarters assassination. He says he told them to bring weapons for her to choose from. She says they’ll meet at the uncle’s house.

Saul tells her he has a satellite over her hotel and she says she’s on the balcony. He asks if she’s in a head scarf and then says he’s joking and can’t see anything. Carrie looks at herself in the mirror and sees that she’s showing. She tells him she has a big day and needs to get off the phone. She touches her bells thoughtfully.

At Sherazi’s house, Carrie meets with the Mossad agents. She tells them they aren’t acting trustworthy and says they asked for the best Mossad men in Tehran. They tell her they will help with the assassination and she says she doesn’t know where or when but the target is the head of the IRGC. They tell her they can’t get to Akbari and she says they have an asset in place and they just need to get him to safety afterward.

They hand her a tube of cyanide and says he will need to be very close to Akbari. They tell her they have C4 and can create a diversion. They ask who will get the cyanide to the assassin and she says she will take care of it. Carrie comes back to the hotel and the concierge says there are two men there asking about her. They tell her to come with them and she goes without protest. Then she asks where they are taking her and says she’s done nothing wrong. They tell her to be quiet.

They bring her down into the bowels of the building to meet Javadi. She asks if it’s necessary and he says she shouldn’t even be there. He tells her getting Brody out is not the mission – Akbari is. She agrees. She asks what’s up and he says Akbari is going out tomorrow with a secure convoy. He says he doesn’t know where he’s going but that he suggested a meet with Brody.

Carrie gives Javadi the cyanide delivery device and she asks if he can get it to Brody He says he’ll find away. He recognizes it as an Israeli device.

Saul tells everyone they expect closure on the Brody operation tomorrow. He explains to the group that Brody is being given the cyanide weapon and the plan for his extraction.

Brody is getting a medical check.

They ask how Brody will get to Akbari and Saul explains that Akbari is coming to Brody. He says the Mossad agents will set off a bomb when Akbari is in the room so the distraction can allow Brody to get to him and then escape to the waiting Mossad agents. Saul says he hopes to get him to a safe house that day.

We see the Mossad agents working on the motorcycle bomb. The doctor lays the cyanide device on the table and Brody palms it.

Saul asks the group for comments and Quinn asks why Carrie is still in Tehran. Saul says she wants to be there. Quinn isn’t happy.

Brody lays down in his cell/room and tries to relax. He falls asleep and then is woken abruptly by a guard who gives him clothes to wear. The guard stands there watching as Brody dresses. He asks where his shoes are and the guard turns to look while Brody rolls the vial up in his sleeve. The guard hands him his shoes. Brody looks at the intended escape door – it’s red – as he is walked past. Carrie pulls up on the other side of that door and waits.

One of the Mossad guys watches from up high and says they are taking Brody somewhere. She tells him to get back there now. The car pulls out with Brody and she calls Saul to tell him. They realize that Brody isn’t headed for the convoy which is going elsewhere. The Mossad agent gets in the car and isn’t happy to be working with Brody – the most wanted man in the world.

Quinn tells them that Brody and the convoy are converging on each other. Akbari’s men block off a block and Brody asks where they are going. They tell him they are almost there. Carrie is two blocks behind Brody. Saul tells them Akbari went in the house and asks who owns it. Saul tells Carrie the meeting is on in a house 100 yards ahead.

The armed guards look at the cars that draw near and then Carrie tells the Mossad guy to stop. The other agent on the cycle with the bomb on it pulls aside of them and then drives around. She says the operation is on and tells him to call his partner to find a good place to park the bomb bike. He leaves it in an alley nearby. She tells Saul the diversion is set.

She sees Brody brought out of the car. He looks around cautiously. A door opens and Akbari walks out of the house into the light of day. They stare at each other high noon style across the square. Brody walks toward him and palms the cyanide device. They tell the bomber to get ready. Brody gets close and the men nod at each other. Akbari abruptly gets in his SUV and drives off. Brody palms the device and looks confused.

Carrie says he’s gone and Brody never got close enough to him to act. They continue with Brody toward the house and he’s taken inside. Saul demands they figure out who owns the house. There is a woman there who sends out the men escorting Brody. She pulls off her face scarf and says – Nicholas. It’s Nasreen – Abu Nasir’s widow.

Dar asks Saul why they’re doing it and he says Brody lived in their house for two years and he’s using her to vet Brody. Nasreen tells Brody she can’t believe he’s there and he says he didn’t know she was living in Tehran. She says she came after Nasir died. He tells her that he’s sorry that Nasir is dead. She tells him he was like a soldier and he says he’s a soldier back from war.

She says he achieved a great victory. He tells her it came at a great cost and tells her that his daughter tried to kill herself after he bombed the CIA. She says it’s hard without faith and he says his daughter had faith in him. He asks if she has found peace and she says sometimes and sometimes she wonders why God took her son and husband and not her. She says in these times she thinks like his daughter did that life is unlivable.

He agrees you have to climb out of the rubble. Nasreen asks why he came to Tehran and he says he had nowhere else. She asks what he wants there and Brody says he wants to stop running.

Carrie is outside the house and joins the other people assembling. Nasreen walks Brody to the door and as he walks out, many of the people touch him. Other say Allahu Akbar (God is great). One man calls out – why are you here? Brody turns to look at them and he holds up his hands and says – by the grace of God, I am here to seek asylum. This is the only place in the world I can find peace. The crowd claps and chants his name and shows their love.

Carrie watches horrified. Brody gets in the car and his guard tells him he’s a big man in Tehran. The crowds reach out to touch is hand though the window and run behind his car down the street. Carie goes running in the other direction. Brody hands his hand out the open window and busts the cyanide container into bits and tosses it.

Six days later – Saul watches Brody being interviewed on TV. The interviewer asks him about the US declaring him an enemy. He says there is a wide gulf between what America says it is and what America actually is. Brody switches to Farsi and insults America. Lockhart and Dar come in and ask what he’s watching and he says it’s the latest insult. He tells them the President called, is furious and demanded immediate action.

Lockhart tells him he got the same call. He says he knows the Brody part of the operation was a long shot. Dar says Brody will never get near Akbari according to Javadi. He’s in the hands of Iranian PR people. Lockhart says they tried to extract Brody but he didn’t show up for the rendezvous. He says Brody has gone from asset to serious liability.

Saul says he needs to know what Brody is thinking and Lockhart says he’s thinking what he’s saying – that he loves Iran and hates the US. Lockhart says he’s spending time with the people who brainwashed him. Lockhart says Brody could expose Javadi and that’s the asset they need to protect. Lockhart wants them to take out Brody and reminds him the President wants it resolves.

Dar says they know where Brody prays every day and says they can have Mossad take him out. Carrie is on the line with Saul and says they need to change up the plan. She says Brody is just keeping up his cover. She thinks Brody didn’t show up for the meet because he must still think the assassination plan can work. She asks what’s going on and Saul tells her to come home.

Carrie says they can’t abandon him there and that she has always been right about Brody. He says he knows and they’ll talk when she gets back. She’s silent. They end the call and Dar tells Saul he doesn’t think she’s coming back. Saul says he knows and they need to get it done. He says – do it now. Dar walks out.

Carrie walks around the hotel room and then makes a call to Massud – she says she needs one more favor.

At the mosque, Brody is taking off his shoes when a man approaches him. He greets him and the guy slips a phone in his pocket and says he’ll be getting a call. Brody asks his escort to wait and he walks outside. The phone rings – it’s Carrie from across the courtyard. He looks around and spots her. She says she has a car and needs to get him out. She tells him that him not leaving is making the CIA nervous. She says she thinks they’re cutting their losses.

The CIA team watch Brody from the satellite and ask where Mossad is. They notice that he’s on the phone. She wants to just leave. Brody say she has nowhere to go. He says he can’t go back to the states and she says they can go somewhere else. She says she has contacts. She begs him and then sees the agents. She says it’s happening and tells him who to watch out for. She says she’ll talk him through it.

The team notes that it’s happening and he tells her to get out of there and tosses the phone into a bush. He heads into the crowd at the mosque and the Mossad agents follow. It’s the same guys Carrie was working with. They lose sight of him and the CIA guys realize Carrie warned him. Carrie looks around and then walks into the market. She gets a call and answers – what. She says that he’s still working for them.

Saul says she’s a major f-up. He tells her to get on the next plane out of there and she hands up on him. Saul is furious.

Brody runs to a door and bangs on it. He’s at Nasreen’s home and tells her someone just tried to kill her. He says he needs to talk to Akbari. She says he’s a very private man. He says he has information for him about Javadi that he must know right away. He begs her to please contact him. She agrees to help.

Brody is brought to a government building and searched for weapons before being allowed entry. They give him an ID tag and escort him in. Javadi watches from upstairs with a look of concern on his face. They bring Brody upstairs and into Akbari’s office.

Dar comes in and tells Saul that Javadi called to tell them that Brody is at IRGC headquarters. Javadi thinks he’s going to Akbari and Lockhart says Brody knows they just tried to kill him and that he’s going to burn Javadi and tank the operation. He stomps out. Saul looks like a deer in the headlights.

Brody is escorted in and Akbari sits behind his desk. Akbari says Nasreen called and said he wanted to talk. He dismisses his guards and comes around his desk and says it was there in that office that he first heard Brody’s name. He says that Abu Nasir told him he had found in him a sword for Allah. He asks why anyone would want to kill such a treasure and he says – to stop me telling you about Javadi.

He says Javadi wants his job and Akbari says he knows that. Brody goes on and says – the CIA has planned it for him. Akbari says – the CIA? Brody nods yes and he says Javadi would never work with the CIA. Brody tells him that he embezzled millions from the IRGC and they caught him. He asks how he knows and Brody says he was part of the plot and was supposed to kill him so Javadi could take over.

Brody says he came there to redeem himself and Akbari says – thank you Nicholas. He says he’ll deal with Javadi. Brody asks if he spoke with Abu Nasir about him in this room and AKbari says yes. Brody says it all started her. He looks around and grabs a heavy crystal ashtray and slams it into his head. Akbari crumples and Brody sets it down gently. He smothers Akbari with a throw pillow until he dies. He cries while he does it. Once the general goes still, he removes the pillow and checks his pulse.

He grabs up a phone and calls Carrie. He tells her Akbari is dead and that he’s in his office. He tells her to get him out of there. OMG! The best cliffhanger ever on Homeland!! GRR! Can’t wait to see what happens on Sunday’s finale!