Homeland (season 7)

The seventh season of the American television drama series Homeland premiered on February 11, 2018, and concluded on April 29, 2018, on Showtime, consisting of 12 episodes.[1] The series started as a loosely based variation of the two-season run of the Israeli television series Hatufim (חטופים; English: Prisoners of War) created by Gideon Raff and is developed for American television by Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa.[2]

Homeland
Season 7
Home media cover art
Starring
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes12
Release
Original networkShowtime
Original releaseFebruary 11 (2018-02-11) –
April 29, 2018 (2018-04-29)
Season chronology

Plot

Carrie has left her job in the White House and is living with her sister Maggie. She takes on the Keane administration to secure the release of the 200 members of the intelligence community who were arrested under President Keane's orders the previous season.[1]

Cast and characters
Main article: List of Homeland characters

Main
Claire Danes, Mandy Patinkin (left to right) portray lead roles Carrie Mathison and Saul Berenson, respectively.
Maury Sterling, Jake Weber and Costa Ronin (left to right) portray Max Piotrowski, Brett O'Keefe and Yevgeny Gromov, respectively.

Recurring

Guest

Episodes
See also: List of Homeland episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code		U.S. viewers
(millions)
731"Enemy of the State"Lesli Linka GlatterDebora Cahn & Alex GansaFebruary 11, 2018 (2018-02-11)7WAH011.22[10]
Carrie and Frannie are living in Washington, D.C., with Carrie's sister Maggie and her family. Carrie has left her job at the White House and is actively working to ensure the release of 200 federal employees Keane has arrested since her inauguration. She attempts to get Dante Allen, her contact at the FBI, to testify in Senator Sam Paley's Congressional investigation into Keane's misconduct, but Dante refuses. Saul, still in federal prison, is offered the position of National Security Advisor by David Wellington, Keane's chief of staff; Saul refuses unless the 200 federal employees are released. Carrie has Max install surveillance on Wellington. General Jamie McClendon, who spearheaded the conspiracy to assassinate Keane, is sentenced to life in prison, but dies from poisoning as soon as he enters custody.
742"Rebel Rebel"Lesli Linka GlatterPatrick Harbinson & Chip JohannessenFebruary 18, 2018 (2018-02-18)7WAH021.12[11]
Carrie spots an unknown woman enter Wellington's apartment on camera. She posts a screenshot of the woman on a 4chan thread attempting to identify her, but is tricked by a hacker into downloading a virus that encrypts her hard drive with ransomware. Carrie lures the hacker to a face-to-face and beats him until he unlocks her computer. Brett O'Keefe, now a fugitive, takes shelter in Lucasville, Ohio with the staunchly right-wing Elkins family, and makes a broadcast accusing Keane of arranging McClendon's death. In an effort to mend public perception, Wellington convinces Keane to release the 200 federal employees she arrested, and appoint Saul as National Security Advisor. Wellington places Saul in charge of the manhunt for O'Keefe.
753"Standoff"Michael KlickAnya Leta & Ron NyswanerFebruary 25, 2018 (2018-02-25)7WAH031.26[12]
Dante identifies the woman in Wellington's apartment as Simone Martin, Wellington's girlfriend who received a parking ticket close to the prison where McClendon died. Carrie breaks into Simone's apartment to take photos and collect evidence from her computer, but police arrest her shortly thereafter; Dante later bails her out. Saul arrives at the Elkins' property in Lucasville with the FBI and attempts to negotiate with O'Keefe. However, the family calls in armed reinforcements, leading to a standoff with the FBI. Realizing that the White House is losing control of the O'Keefe situation and needs a jolt of public approval, Wellington discreetly authorizes an airstrike on a Syrian weapons convoy that Keane had previously rejected.
764"Like Bad at Things"Alex GravesChip Johannessen & Patrick HarbinsonMarch 4, 2018 (2018-03-04)7WAH040.93[13]
During the standoff at the Elkins' compound, their teenage son J.J. is shot by an FBI patrol; in response, the family patriarch takes an FBI agent hostage. Paramedics collect a wounded J.J. from the scene; at the hospital, an unknown intruder discreetly takes photos and leaks them to the press as evidence that J.J. was left to die in the hospital. Saul calls O'Keefe to warn him that the report is false, but O'Keefe neglects to tell the Elkins family, who are enraged by the news and execute the FBI agent in their captivity. The FBI, listening in, order an assault on the compound, leading to a firefight that results in several casualties, largely on the Elkins' side. O'Keefe survives the assault and is arrested by the FBI.
775"Active Measures"Charlotte SielingDebora CahnMarch 11, 2018 (2018-03-11)7WAH051.32[14]
Amid concern over possible violence at an upcoming memorial for victims of the Lucasville massacre, Keane urges the wives of the slain FBI agents to attend the service. The event ultimately proceeds without incident and earns Keane a public relations victory. Saul visits Ivan Krupin in witness protection and presents his theory that Russian operative Yevgeny Gromov was responsible for the fake news story that sparked the Lucasville shootout. Carrie assembles a team of former CIA colleagues along with Dante and Max to follow Simone Martin in hopes of connecting the McClendon assassination to Wellington. Three team members interrogate Simone and learn that she withdrew $50,000 as payment to eliminate McClendon; they demand a larger ransom, expecting that Simone will report the incident to Wellington, her presumed handler. However, Simone simply visits Wellington for sex, without saying a word of the day's events.
786"Species Jump"Michael OfferAnya Leta & Ron NyswanerMarch 18, 2018 (2018-03-18)7WAH061.25[15]
Simone is subpoenaed by Senator Paley's subcommittee; at the proffer session, she requests immunity in exchange for naming the individual who ordered her to deliver a cash transaction linked to McClendon's death. Carrie realizes that Simone plans to implicate Wellington, who Carrie believes is innocent based on her surveillance; she explains the situation to Saul, who helps Carrie realize that Dante is likely setting her up to target Wellington. Carrie drugs Dante and has the rest of her newly-formed team search his apartment while he is unconscious. Saul learns that a viral video of Wellington confronting Simone was disseminated by the same social media network that planted the fake story about J.J. Elkins; he surmises that the network originates from Yevgeny Gromov. Ivan comes out of witness protection to confront Yevgeny, but he is drowned by Yevgeny's men that night.
797"Andante"Lesli Linka GlatterPatrick Harbinson & Chip JohannessenMarch 25, 2018 (2018-03-25)7WAH071.28[16]
Saul informs Wellington that Simone intends to implicate him in the McClendon investigation on behalf of Russia. A stunned Wellington sends a letter of resignation to Keane, who refuses it. Saul forces Max to join his task force; they learn that Dante and Simone concurrently traveled to the same European cities, and decide to pursue Dante. Carrie has an argument with her sister and leaves with Frannie; Dante allows them to stay with him at his apartment. Carrie tracks down Dante's ex-wife, who tells her that their marriage broke down due to Dante's resentment towards Carrie while stationed in Kabul four years ago. Dante visits Maggie's house under the guise of collecting Frannie's belongings and finds evidence that Carrie has compiled on him. He confronts her at his apartment that night, leading to the two of them having sex. However, they are interrupted when Saul's men charge in and arrest Dante.
808"Lies, Amplifiers, Fucking Twitter"Tucker GatesPatrick Harbinson & Chip JohannessenApril 1, 2018 (2018-04-01)7WAH081.22[17]
Carrie interrogates Dante, but he requests a lawyer. She takes a break to visit Maggie, who admonishes Carrie over the trauma she has inflicted on Frannie, and has her decide between seeking treatment and giving up custody of her daughter to Maggie. Keane, facing pressure to resign by Senator Paley, has Wellington warn Moscow that the U.S. will treat Simone's testimony as a hostile act. The plan backfires when the Russian ambassador notifies Yevgeny, who assembles a team to extract Simone (who is revealed to be his lover) from the safehouse where Paley is keeping her. Carrie and Saul have an agent posing as a lawyer poison Dante using ink from a pen used to sign paperwork; Dante, believing the Russians have poisoned him, admits to Carrie that Simone helped the Russians kill McClendon, before entering cardiac arrest. Saul and Carrie learn that Simone has escaped, leaving Dante (whose survival is in question) as their only witness.
819"Useful Idiot"Nelson McCormickDebora CahnApril 8, 2018 (2018-04-08)7WAH091.24[18]
Dante awakens in the hospital, and informs Carrie that the Russians use a secret Twitter code that alerts Yevgeny's agents to dissolve their network. Saul and Wellington inform Senator Paley of the Russians' subterfuge, including Paley's own unwitting role. When Saul's team deploys the Twitter code, Yevgeny realizes that Dante is cooperating with the authorities, and defies his handlers by tracking down Dante at the hospital. Dante calls Carrie and warns her that Yevgeny is in his hospital room; Carrie, who is picking up Frannie from school, rushes to save Dante, nearly hitting Frannie with her car. She arrives at the hospital only to learn that Dante is already dead, and suffers a severe psychotic break triggered by the shock of nearly killing her own daughter.
8210"Clarity"Dan AttiasHoward Gordon & Ron NyswanerApril 15, 2018 (2018-04-15)7WAH101.28[19]
Keane's Cabinet pushes to collect enough votes to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove her from office; in response, Keane preemptively fires four Cabinet secretaries she distrusts. When Keane refuses to reverse her decision, Vice President Ralph Warner is forced to present the Senate with documents declaring Keane unfit for office. Carrie undergoes another round of electroconvulsive therapy following her psychotic episode in the hospital. With Dante dead, Saul makes plans to exfiltrate Simone from Russia, and requests Carrie's help in overseeing the mission. Carrie declines so she can focus on her upcoming custody hearing. At the custody hearing, Maggie testifies that Carrie is incapable of providing Frannie with a stable home environment. Carrie decides to give up the custody battle and accepts a visitation agreement granting her access to Frannie every other weekend. She takes up Saul's offer to lead the Russia operation.
8311"All In"Alex GravesPatrick Harbinson & Chip JohannessenApril 22, 2018 (2018-04-22)7WAH111.39[20]
Senator Paley visits Dar Adal in jail for insight on Saul's motives in Russia. In Moscow, Saul and Carrie sit down with SVR and GRU representatives including Yevgeny, as a ruse to lure Yevgeny away from Simone. As they speak, Carrie's special ops team storms Simone's safehouse, only to be ambushed by armed guards. Carrie devises an alternative plan: confiscate $300M hidden across U.S. banks by SVR General Yakushin, and use it to leverage him into finding Simone. Yakushin sends an armed battalion to the GRU headquarters where Simone is being held, sparking chaos and violence on the streets. Carrie convinces Simone to come with her, given that Simone is now expendable to the Russians. Carrie and Simone wear wigs matching each other's appearance and escape in separate cars; Yevgeny follows Carrie's car, believing it to be Simone's. In Washington, Keane is relieved of her command.
8412"Paean to the People"Lesli Linka GlatterAlex GansaApril 29, 2018 (2018-04-29)7WAH121.30[21]
Carrie diverts Yevgeny and his men long enough for Saul and his team to make it to the airport with a disguised Simone in tow. Saul and the others depart for the U.S. with no choice but to leave without Carrie, who is captured by Yevgeny's team. Three days later, Simone testifies in Congress and confirms that the GRU plotted to sabotage the Keane administration; Paley is arrested as a conspirator. Keane is reinstated as President, but in her first public address, she resigns. Yevgeny visits an incarcerated Carrie and threatens to withhold her medication unless she makes a statement naming the CIA responsible for the entire crisis, but she refuses. Seven months later, Saul secures Carrie's release in exchange for several Russian prisoners. When he receives her, he finds Carrie in severe delirium after months in captivity without any treatment for her bipolar disorder.

Production

The series was renewed for a seventh and eighth season in August 2016.[22] For this season, Maury Sterling, Jake Weber and Linus Roache were promoted to series regulars; Sterling has been recurring since the first season, while Weber and Roache both first appeared in the sixth season.[3] The seventh season began production on September 11, 2017, filming in Richmond, Virginia.[23][24] Filming wrapped in Budapest, Hungary on March 29, 2018.[25]

The writers initially planned for the series' seventh and eighth seasons to comprise a two-season arc, but current events surrounding the U.S. government convinced them to instead continue the arc from Season 6 into Season 7. Showrunner Alex Gansa said "Given the swirl of news about the Administration’s war with its own intelligence community, “It was just hard not to do it. It was hard to say ‘OK, let’s go tell a story in Paris. Let’s go tell a story in South America.’ Something very significant is happening in all our lives right now”.[26]

Reception

Critical response

The seventh season of Homeland received generally positive reviews from critics, who particularly praised the second half. On Metacritic, the season (based on the first episode only) has a score of 65 out of 100 based on 6 reviews.[27] On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an approval rating of 80% with an average rating of 7.7 out of 10 based on 19 reviews. The site's critical consensus is, "Though it lacks the series' patented agonizing suspense, Homeland's seventh season remains an engaging drama by embracing its pulpier elements and pitting Claire Danes' magnetic protagonist against the White House."[28]

Accolades

For the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards, the series received two nominations–Mandy Patinkin for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series and F. Murray Abraham for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.[29] Alex Gansa won the Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Episodic Drama for "Paean to the People" at the 71st Writers Guild of America Awards.[30]

References
  1. Otterson, Joe (December 12, 2017). "Homeland Season 7 Sets Premiere Date, Drops First Trailer". Variety. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  2. "Homeland – Listings". The New York Times. Retrieved December 30, 2011.
  3. O'Connell, Michael (July 18, 2017). "'Homeland' Ups Trio to Series Regulars for Season 7 (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  4. Nemetz, Dave (September 15, 2017). "Homeland Adds Morgan Spector, Mackenzie Astin to Season 7 Cast". TVLine. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  5. Sandberg, Bryn Elise (September 28, 2017). "'Homeland' Adds Dylan Baker to Season 7". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  6. Petski, Denise (September 26, 2017). "'Homeland' Casts Courtney Grosbeck; Necar Zadegan Joins HBO's Alan Ball Series". Deadline. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  7. Wagmeister, Elizabeth (November 1, 2017). "'Homeland' Adds 'House of Cards' Alum to Season 7 in Mystery Role (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  8. Wagmeister, Elizabeth (December 11, 2017). "'Homeland' Enlists 'The Americans' Actor for Season 7". Variety. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  9. O'Connell, Michael (December 19, 2017). "'Homeland' Adds James D'Arcy for Season 7". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 1, 2018.
  10. Porter, Rick (February 13, 2018). "Sunday cable ratings: 'Homeland' premiere steady, 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' improves". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on February 13, 2018. Retrieved February 13, 2018.
  11. Porter, Rick (February 21, 2018). "Sunday cable ratings: NBA All-Star Game scores for TNT". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on February 22, 2018. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  12. Metcalf, Mitch (February 27, 2018). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 2.25.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on February 27, 2018. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  13. Porter, Rick (March 6, 2018). "Sunday cable ratings: 'The Walking Dead' at lowest point since Season 1". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on March 7, 2018. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
  14. Metcalf, Mitch (March 13, 2018). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 3.11.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on March 13, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  15. Metcalf, Mitch (March 20, 2018). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 3.18.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on March 21, 2018. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  16. Porter, Rick (March 27, 2018). "Sunday cable ratings: 'The Terror' gets decent start behind 'The Walking Dead'". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on March 28, 2018. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  17. Porter, Rick (April 3, 2018). "Sunday cable ratings: 'The Walking Dead' falls, NCAA women's championship off a little". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on April 3, 2018. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
  18. Porter, Rick (April 10, 2018). "Sunday cable ratings: 'Walking Dead,' 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' improve". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on April 11, 2018. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
  19. Metcalf, Mitch (April 17, 2018). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.15.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on April 17, 2018. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  20. Porter, Rick (April 24, 2018). "Sunday cable ratings: 'Westworld' Season 2 opens on par with series debut". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on April 24, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  21. Porter, Rick (May 1, 2018). "Sunday cable ratings: 'Westworld' and 'Fear the Walking Dead' dip". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 1, 2018. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  22. Ausiello, Michael (August 11, 2016). "Homeland Officially Renewed for Season 7 and Season 8 at Showtime". TVLine. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  23. Littleton, Cynthia (July 11, 2017). "'Homeland' Heads to Virginia for Season 7". Variety. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  24. Sandberg, Bryn Elise (September 28, 2017). "'Homeland' Adds Dylan Baker to Season 7". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  25. Glatter, Lesli Linka (March 29, 2018). "It's a wrap on @SHO_Homeland Season 7 in Budapest...another amazing journey with an extraordinary group of people...very grateful!!". Twitter. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  26. Birnbaum, Debra (February 5, 2018). "'Homeland' Boss on Season 7's Trump Inspiration, Alex Jones and RIP Peter Quinn". Variety. Retrieved February 8, 2018.
  27. "Homeland: Season 7". Metacritic. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
  28. "Homeland: Season 7". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 13, 2018.
  29. "Emmys: Netflix Beats HBO With Most Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. July 12, 2018. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
  30. Schwartz, Ryan; Gelman, Vlada (February 17, 2019). "Writers Guild Awards: The Americans, Mrs. Maisel and Barry Among Winners". TVLine. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
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