Brody finds a payphone! (Showtime)

These questions regard last night’s episode of Showtime’s Homeland. Please answer the prompts with specific examples from SUNDAY’S EPISODE, though supplementary material will be accepted as a secondary source. Please write legibly. No. 2 pencils only. You have an hour to finish this test. See below for questions and sample responses.
1. The only personal item in Quinn's bare-bones apartment is a copy of Great Expectations in which he keeps a picture of his newborn son, John Jr. There is a character named John in Great Expectations: Mr. Wemmick, the man with "a post-office of a mouth" who serves as the go-between for Pip and his lawyer, Jaggers. How may Quinn be comparing himself (John Sr.) to Wemmick here? What other similarities might he see between his current situation and the plot of the Dickens novel?

The most obvious comparison between Quinn and Wemmick, besides the aforementioned "go-between" status, would be that they both go by their last names, as a way of protecting themselves against the world. (That's why his baby's mamma waits for Saul to give John X a last name and isn't forthcoming with one.)

Additionally, Wemmick builds himself a replica of a castle with a moat to live in to protect himself from the outside world; Quinn lives in a secure fortress of solitude and apparently spends more money on security measures devices than decor.

Wemmick's split personality is revealed with his love for his fiancé, which humanizes him in Pip's eyes. The only link Quinn has to the outside world is the mother of his son and his child.

So even while we hate Quinn for trying to kill Brody, we must remember what Pip says of Wemmick, "there were twin Wemmicks and this was the wrong one."

2. The title of the episode, "Two Hats," refers to Quinn's two jobs (analyst/assassin), but several characters conspicuously wear hats over the course of the episode: Nazir, Quinn, Quinn's real boss (F. Murray Abraham!) and, of course, the oft-behatted Saul. We have many expressions involving hats in English beyond the titular one: we do something at the drop of one, talk through one, keep things under one, etc. Which of these or other idiomatic hats are evoked by the characters' various chapeaux?

It struck me watching this episode how the writers have finally found a use for Mike, who now wears "two hats": He is both a source of comfort/security for Jess and the Brodys, and is the apparent go-between for the CIA and the family. (How good is he laying down the law as Dana's new daddy? So good!)
"Keep it under your hat" could be the alternate name for this entire series, while "I'll eat my hat" is usually what I find myself saying in regards to the realism of Homeland. As in: "If it turns out that Carrie is the last person to know that Estes and Quinn have a hit out on Brody, I'll eat my hat." I've eaten several hats this season, BTW.

3. It is clear from Estes comments and Quinn's actions that CIA brass still considers Brody a terrorist and a threat. In light of the two details that Brody apparently chooses to leave out of the retelling of his abduction--Nazir thanking him for saving his life in Beirut, and the two of them praying together--how justified is such a judgment? Has Homeland tipped its hand, or do we still not know where Brody's true allegiances lie?

Ah, nope. We know where Brody's true alliance lies at this point: With Carrie and his family and the good ole' U.S. of A. Of the two things he leaves off his confession, Carrie knows about one of them (that Brody is a secret Muslim), and the second one seems more like one of those lapses that she would forgive him for once Brody becomes "a hero." We don't even know why the CIA would plan on killing Brody once Abu Nazir is dead, or why Brody's life is contingent on Nazir staying alive...a plot device that will inevitably lead Carrie into letting Nazir escape so Brody can live.

4. What is the significance of Nazir's CIA code name "Sandman"? Reference at least two of the following in your answer: "Mr. Sandman" by the Chordettes, "Enter Sandman" by Metallica, "The Sandman" by E.T.A. Hoffmann, the Sandman series by Neil Gaiman, the Spider-Man villain The Sandman.
1. In many of the Spider-Man continuums, William Baker/Flint Marko commits some criminal act in order for his daughter, Suzie, to live a better life, and in doing so sacrifices his life for hers. While Isa ended up dying, it was the impetus for Abu Nazir to wage a more personal war on American soil.

2. The Chordettes sing: "Give him a pair of eyes with a come-hither gleam, Give him a lonely heart like Pagliacci":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX45pYvxDiA
In the Italian opera Pagliacci, the titular character is the iconic "sad clown" who sings to his audience that actors have feelings too. When his wife Nedda is unfaithful to him, he kills her. One could say that "Mr. Sandman" (in this case Nazir) created a "dream" for Carrie much in the style of the song; he has an unfaithful wife, and is constantly trying to convince Carrie and the CIA that he, too, is a human being. ("Do you believe me?" Brody asks Carrie. "Because that's the only thing I care about.") Although, unfortunately, Damien Lewis does not have "wavy hair like Liberace."

5. These days Carrie seems to be holding it together slightly better with each passing episode. On a scale from one to electroconvulsive therapy, how far off the deep end will she fall if the CIA succeeds in killing Brody off?

It depends on how you define "crazy." We saw what would happen if Carrie believes Brody is dead in the beginning of this episode ... she handles it with remarkable professionalism. However, if she knew Estes and Quinn were behind it, it wouldn't take much for her to go all vigilante on the CIA and start taking them out, one by one. Is that crazy? Maybe, but if Brody was gone, I doubt I'd watch the show either, which could effectively lead to them canceling the series and "killing" all the characters.

Claire Danes and Damian Lewis (Getty Images)

No surprise here: Showtime has renewed its Emmy juggernaut Homeland for a third season of twelve episodes. Last night's episode was the series's highest-rated ever, with 1.75 million viewers. The show has continued to grow (and, critics say, stretch credulity a bit) since its Emmy win for Best Drama in September (a first for Showtime) immediately preceded the season launch. Hope you like Claire Danes and her shockingly emotive face--she'll be weeping for years to come!

Teresa Giudice, who has not won an Emmy--yet!

One was a big Emmy winner; the other one less so. But the cable dramas toplined by Claire Danes and Caroline Manzo both had fantastic Sundays. Homeland, the somewhat surprising Emmy champ for Best Drama, scored its best night ever with 1.7 million viewers, as part of pay-cable network Showtime's best Sunday night ever. Meanwhile, basic-cabler Bravo announced that its Real Housewives of New Jersey reunion (only part one--there's a second part forthcoming in a week's time!) was the top-rated unscripted cable show of the week and most popular episode of the season with 3.5 million total viewers (2.1 million between 18 and 49). Both series, too, are showing season-over-season growth--between Carrie Mathison's meltdowns and Teresa's dissembling, could Sunday at 10pm become the go-to spot for ever-more-popular women in peril for years to come?

Under Nevins's predecessor, Robert Greenblatt (now at NBC), the Showtime model was predictable enough to get parodied on Saturday Night Live. Don Cheadle and Kristen Bell weaving stories of corporate intrigue would seem to be as far from that model as one could get -- if Showtime's other current projects (the Matt LeBlanc comeback Episodes, the Roseanne-for-the-2010s Shameless, the forthcoming Claire Danes espionage drama Homeland) weren't even farther afield. Nevins told the Daily Beast in January that he intended a broader Showtime to compete more directly with HBO, saying of his network, "It's not like programming a network where you're trying to find shows with compatible sensibility so that you can get The Simpsons into Family Guy." Meanwhile, Greenblatt, who oversaw Showtime's renaissance, is at work saving NBC, which currently airs its urbane, zany comedies in a three-hour block on Thursdays. At least someone's learned from success.

ddaddario@observer.com :: @DPD_

Fresh off batting away scathing reviews for Sex and the City 2, the erstwhile Miranda will play the best friend to Laura Linney's cancer stricken lead in a recurring guest star role, which will mark the first time since Sex and the City that Nixon has appeared on cable television. Her casting also makes The Big C even more of a must-see. Besides Linney and Nixon, the new series also features Idris Elba, Oliver Platt, Gabourey Sidibe and Brian Cox.

Between The Big C, Weeds (which added Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alanis Morrisette to the cast once again this season) and Nurse Jackie, you have to wonder why Showtime seems to have cornered the market on strong, female roles, while other cable channels (think: HBO) have not. Whatever the reason, it'll probably be a good idea to re-subscribe to Showtime before too long. The Big C premieres August 16.

If you're already having withdrawal symptoms because Lost is off the air for good, then perhaps a mystery show with the tag line "By the end of the summer, answers will be known" is for you. The NBC miniseries Persons Unknown comes from writer Christopher McQuarrie, who won an Oscar for The Usual Suspects (and didn't win one for Valkryie), and is sure to provide plenty of paranoid thrills. To wit: The series follows a group of strangers who get kidnapped, stranded in an abandoned town and aren't allowed to leave. And did we mention that there are cameras following their every move? Think of this as The Truman Show filtered through the mind of David Lynch. But let's just hope this one is more like Lost and less like FlashForward. (NBC, June 7)

SIDEBAR > WHEN GOOD TASTE TAKES A VACATION

The amount of joy you get out of The Good Guys depends solely on your tolerance for mustache jokes. If it's high-as it is in our case-you'll probably fall head over heels in love with this clunky throwback to the ridiculous cop shows from the '80s. Bradley Whitford (wonderfully 'stached) and straight-arrow Colin Hanks co-star as two mismatched Dallas police officers who are constantly assigned to the most menial of crimes (or Code 58s, as they're known-which was also the original name of the series). Fox aired the pilot last month, and while it was tonally inconsistent-too jokey and then not jokey enough-any show that features Mr. Whitford, a 1978 Pontiac Trans-Am and AC/DC is probably a good enough bet for the summer. (Fox, June 7)

Not in the mood for the 'stache, but still want to see cops battle robbers? There's always Memphis Beat, which, ironically, stars a mustache-less Jason Lee (ironic considering he spent the better part of four seasons of My Name is Earl rocking one). Beat feels like any good generic cop show should, but the fact that it comes from executive producer George Clooney and co-stars Alfre Woodard and DJ Qualls should be enough to make it more tolerable. And Mr. Lee, who still has a lifetime pass for his work in Mallrats and Chasing Amy. (TNT, June 22)

And wait, there's one more cop show! Rookie Blue is a Canadian procedural about five rookie police officers who join the force. Think Grey's Anatomy plus Southland plus sex minus mustaches. (ABC, June 24)

O.K., enough with the cop shows. How about some trashy teen fun? Based on Sara Shepard's series of best-selling books, Pretty Little Liars is like an assembly-line-manufactured combination of Desperate Housewives, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Veronica Mars and Gossip Girl. And if you're like us, that's kinda music to your ears. Four girls spend a year lying about the disappearance of their friend, only to find someone who may or may not be her sending them threatening texts about secrets and lies. Throw in some indie rock on the soundtrack, and you've got a winner. (ABC Family, June 8)

Following in the footsteps of its highly popular series Burn Notice, USA premieres Covert Affairs, a spy thriller co-starring Julia Roberts look-alike Piper Perabo as the C.I.A.'s newest recruit. So basically, it's like Alias, but blond. The fun here-besides the death-defying stunts-is the supporting cast, which features not only Peter Gallagher but also 24 vet Gregory Itzin (the awful President Logan) and ER star Eriq LaSalle. (USA, July 13)

You might remember Scoundrels as the show that actor Neal McDonough was fired from due to his refusal to participate in sex scenes with co-star Virginia Madsen, because of his religious beliefs. Or maybe you just know it from those incessant promos that have been running on ABC for weeks. Whatever the case, Mr. McDonough's replacement, JAG star David James Elliot, and Ms. Madsen star as a husband and wife who just happen to lead a family of small-time thieves. If this brings us one step closer to Ms. Madsen winding up on Desperate Housewives, we'll take it. (ABC, June 20)

And speaking of Wisteria Lane, The Gates is like Desperate Housewives with vampires. Because if Twilight has taught us anything, it's that people just love vampires. (ABC, June 20)

Our most anticipated show of the summer? Try The Big C. The latest Showtime dramedy stars Laura Linney as a suburban housewife diagnosed with cancer who tries to overcome her sickness with a sense of humor. Bill Condon (Dreamgirls) directs the pilot, and Oscar nominee Gabourey Sidibe (Precious) co-stars, so we're sold. That Oliver Platt also appears is just gravy. (Showtime, Aug. 16)

And if all those new shows aren't up your alley, old favorites like Entourage (now with more fame!), True Blood (now with more sex!), Weeds (now with more melodrama!) and Mad Men (now with more workplace day drinking!) return as well. Phew. On the bright side, all this TV means your sunscreen budget will be borderline nonexistent. Happy watching!

editorial@observer.com

SIDEBAR > WHEN GOOD TASTE TAKES A VACATION

"I don't know, I just thought it would be funny!" Ms. Siegal explained to the audience. "And this is Bernie Kruger, he's my doctor! He's the one who keeps me looking this way."

Matthew Blank, the CEO of Showtime, got up to introduce the show and asked to see a show of hands of how many doctors were actually in the room. Several hands went up. "And they're all mine!" joked Ms. Siegal. Alas, Blythe Danner and Alan Alda, who were seated in the back of the room, arrived without their doctors.

Ms. Falco was not in the screening, but arrived at the dinner afterward at the Hotel Plaza Athenee, where a caravan of yellow cabs brought over the small audience after the screening.

"Jackie's just kind of a regular gal. She's just trying to get through her life and she has ways of dealing that are kind of unconventional," Ms. Falco, dressed in slim black pants and floral silky top, told the Daily Transom of her character. Did Ms. Falco visit New York hospitals to prepare for the role?

"I actually did, but the most helpful thing I did was all the medical documentary shows I had watched on television for years. I am addicted to them. I don't know what that says about me, but it's sort of funny that I ended up doing this show," she said. "Going to New York hospitals was less helpful than I thought it would be. I just felt so in the way. It's an emergency room—people are not happy to be there."

And were emergency room patients ever star-struck by Carmella Soprano standing over them as the real doctors worked? "Oh yeah, all the time. Like, 'What the hell is she doing here?'" she replied.

Nearby the chef Rocco DiSpirito was seated with former Fox News contributor Bill McCuddy.

"I like hospital-based dramedies  from St. Elsewhere all the way to Scrubs. And I like Edie, I think they made her an interesting character," Mr. DiSpirito told Daily Transom. "It's nice to see her back on TV. She has these great big blue eyes—they're impressive."

We wondered if the chef can relate to Nurse Jackie as she pulls long shifts with the assistance of little packets full of powdery pick-me-ups. Naturally, he laughed and dodged.

"I would say nurses do something slightly more heroic than chefs," he said. "I have done the Heimlich a few times though. It's always something to do with chicken for some reason."

The pitch for the show sounds... well, like every other Judd Apatow based rip-off we've seen in the last few years. Still, we guess it's about time that the Apatovian comedy style returned to television. And while Mr. Apatow isn't directly involved in this project, we're sure Mr. Rogen will be a capable fill-in. Plus, the dude has massive clout, so unlike Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared, Mr. Apatow's failed (and awesome) ventures into television comedy, Mr. Rogen's project should stick around for a little while. Expect the usual repertory players to appear here as well; we may be biased towards Jay Baruchel, but this would be a perfect vehicle for him to star in.

This is also great news for Showtime, since they've gotten lapped by HBO during the last year. It's been very easy to take pot shots at the former king of pay cable, but HBO has collected such a large variety of talented people in recent months that it's only a matter of time before they get back on top. Meanwhile Showtime, which seems to get off scot-free, has seen its shows go directly into the tank. With this project, the Steven Spielberg/Diablo Cody match-made-in-bizarre The United States of Tara and Edie Falco's Nurse Jackie, things are looking significantly better for Showtime in 2009. As long as Mr. Rogen keeps Kevin Smith far away from this new series, everything should be fine.

Of course this isn't actually news, since the network ordered the series in the spring and was set to face a "significant penalty" if the pilot wasn't picked up. But who cares! Any excuse we have to extol the virtues of our favorite Friend is an opportunity we'll take.

They'll start with shows from CBS, including The Young and the Restless, and the original 90210 and Showtime's Dexter and Californication. YouTube said it is in discussions with other media partners, but declined to elaborate. According to the Wall Street Journal, they will sell commercial slots for advertisements sewn into the full-length shows.

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