‘Homeland’ Season 4 Finale Recap: Carrie And Quinn’s Relationship Tested; What Happened In Episode 12, ‘Long Time Coming’?

Season 4, episode 12 of “Homeland” started with Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) back in the U.S. mourning the loss of her father, Frank Mathison (James Rebhorn). However, before Carrie was able to properly say goodbye to her father and spend time with her daughter Frannie, she was paid a visit by two-timing CIA agent Dar Adal (F. Murray Abraham) in “Long Time Coming.”

Dar was last seen by Carrie in the backseat of an SUV with Taliban terrorist Haissam Haqqani (Numan Acur) in Islamabad. She refused to give him the intel he wanted, the location of Peter Quinn (Rupert Friend), and played dumb to her knowledge of his actions. She told him that she believed that Quinn was still overseas and she would let him know of his whereabouts if she heard anything. Her promise, however, did not stick.

Meanwhile, Saul Berenson (Mandy Patinkin) was clamoring for the chance to earn a spot back in the CIA. With CIA director Andrew Lockhart set to resign, Dar met with Saul and promised to put him name on the short list of his potential successors, under one condition. Dar admitted to have reached out to Haqqani and told Saul he had taken his name off the kill list in exchange for a commitment not to harbor terrorists in Afghanistan. Dar also added another incentive for Saul. He gave him the alleged only copy of his secret footage with Haqqani.

“Not every choice we make is blessed with moral clarity, especially in our business,” Dar said, later adding, “Come back. The agency is waiting for you with open arms.”

After being missing in action overseas, Quinn showed up to support Carrie at her father’s funeral. After a day of mourning Frank and spending time with Frannie, the twosome shared a passionate kiss. Despite Quinn expressing his desire to leave the CIA and start a normal life with Carrie, she refused.

“Quinn, I’ll just f--- it up,” Carrie said, blaming her bipolar disorder on her inability to have a working, romantic relationship.

“I’ve seen you at your worst,” Quinn said. “Look, Islamabad was ugly. It was a black hole and I don’t want anything like that in my life ever again. I want to get out. Stay out. But I can’t do that on my own. I’ve learned that. You want out too. We can get out together.”

After Carrie refused to give him a definite answer about their relationship and did not allow him to accompany her on a surprise visit to see her estranged mother, played by Victoria Clark, their relationship hit a bump. While her visit with her mom did help her become more aware of her ability to have a romance with Quinn -- her mom admitted it was her wandering eye, not her dad's bipolar disorder, that made their marriage fail -- her realization about her feelings for Quinn came too late.

When Carrie reached out to Quinn she discovered his phone number had been disconnected. In a desperate attempt to find him, she visited Dar only to learn he and decided to rejoin the CIA for a mission in Syria and/or Iraq despite his desire to quit. After Dar refused to let her speak with Quinn, she revealed she had seen him working as a double agent in Pakistan.

“I saw you in Islamabad. In the back seat of an SUV with Hassaim Haqqani,” Carrie told Dar.

“What are you playing at, Carrie?” he asked.

“I call it give me what I f---ing want,” she said, threatening to go to the Washington Post to expose him.

While Dar told her to speak to Saul and find out his thoughts on the situation before talking to the press, Carrie refused, adding: “You make a deal with Haqqani. You dishonor every officer, every solider at the embassy who died at his hands. Saul would spit in your face.”

After Carrie’s statement, Dar lead her outside of his home. She exited only to find Saul sitting, presumably having taken Dar up on his offer. Season 4 ended by showing Carrie visibly shaken and driving away from Dar’s house.

What did you think of the Season 4 “Homeland” finale? Sound off in the comments section below.