Discussed to death in the comments, but I just can no longer get past how unbelievably preposterous all of this is. Like there is literally no way in anything even resembling the real world that a single solitary thing that happened in this episode ever could happen.

Carrie is allowed to physically be present ON THE GROUND in a HOSTILE FOREIGN CAPITAL and in CLOSE PROXIMITY to her main squeeze while the most delicate intel operation in the history of humanity is supposed to go down.

Yes, it is to an extent. A lot of people from there used to go to university in the US prior to 1979, but younger generations will often now study in France. Also, Farsi incorporates a fair number of French words as well ("Merci" is common for thank you.)

The reason Republicans equate Obama with Socialism is because they wouldn't know socialism if Jean Jaures were buggering them with an autographed copy of Das Kapital.

Is this actually some sort of performance art (rather than weak-arse trolling?)

"Who we all love?" Speak for yourself. I would LOVE this show if not for him. Instead I merely like it in spite of him.

Always has been. Really the character has had much more of a "journey" than anyone else, I think.

Hey, great review! Sums up the show pretty well, I'd say. Has some off-putting parts but always worth watching. I hate the cliche "it is what it is," but that is Treme to a Tee.

Yeah, great observation as to the profusion of needlessly complex, comic-book plans in this show. The 15 stage, 800 moving-part plots all end up running together and I can hardly even keep track of who is doing what and why anymore.

Not too terrible an episode. Bonkers crazy setpiece makes up for a lot of the usual deficiencies. So, the "Walking Dead" formula again playing out.

See overrated critic-proof fare such "Treme," "Girls," etc.

Yes, this. The CIA employs a lot of guys like this as paramilitaries. I haven't kept up with the exact details of it (not being part of that world) but my understanding is that there are quite a lot of them.

Good review - and surprisingly good episode given some of the near deal-breaking stuff the show has inflicted upon us this year (Dana Brody, Carrie's likely FAS-suffering little demon baby.)

For my part a solid B/B+ as a series. Didn't really have anything compelling about it, but was mildly enjoyable in a way that real life can be when things are rolling along.

The last time I saw someone phoning something in like this reviewer clearly is, I think it was called "the final 3 seasons of Dexter."

SO fucking true! Alvarez getting thrown into solitary "forever!"

A minus. First thing above a C rate from me since maybe that Tower of David episode.

Was I the only one singing the song "Montage" from "Team America: World Police" tonight? I bet I wasn't.

Omar back in Maryland. And with a shotgun. And on the hunt to avenge an older, murdered father figure type.

Don't you know? The Pinkerton Agency was staffed with a whole lot of devious cocksuckers. They even employed women with long Kraut monikers to seduce henchmen of people they were after.