What. An. Ending.

While viewers continue to process the unexpected conclusion to "New Car Smell," our TV Fanatic Round Table team has gathered to break down the latest installment of Homeland.

Below, staff members Carla Day, Dan Forcella and Carissa Pavlica are joined by Alix Sternberg of The TV Chick and Jim Halterman of JimHalterman.com as they discuss yet another incredible hour of Showtime television...

-----------------------------------

What was your favorite scene from the episode?
Carla: Without a doubt, it was when Carrie went to Brody's hotel room and laid it all out for him. Brilliant performances by both Claire Danes and Damian Lewis. I think it was just as therapeutic for the viewers as it was for Carrie to just get it all out. And watching Brody call Carrie crazy and obsessed, only to then realize she knew the truth. Wow. It was an epic moment.

Dan: While the hotel room scene was seriously thrilling, everything was so up in the air during the bar scene that it was probably my favorite scene of the episode.

Carissa: Watching the bag go over Brody's head when he was caught. I was imagining the millions of double thoughts that must have been going through his head, how he had been there before, how he had found himself there again, where he was going, what would happen this time... an entire script could be written just on those images.

Alix: I am going to go with the obvious answer here and say the hotel room scene. But my favorite moments of the entire show was when Carrie professed to Brody "I loved you" and at the end, when Brody is on the ground, and Carrie says "If only the circumstances were wildly different." Such powerful words. Danes and Lewis are absolutely brilliant in their respective roles and this scene was one of many showcases for their talent.

Jim: The moment when Brody has left Carrie at the hotel bar and Quinn and Saul are watching her in the monitor. There are so many layers going on here with Carrie and you see so much on Claire Danes face while she says nothing (just give her the Emmy already, okay?). It was the most tense scene for me because you just know that Carrie is going to do something (which she does) and you can't wait to see what that something is going to be.

Carrie outing Brody as a terrorist: Well played or dumb move?
Carla: It was a rash move on Carrie's part, but I wouldn't call it dumb. She knew what she was doing and did it for sound reasons. Whether Brody read her or not, we'll never know. The CIA may have been able to infiltrate his network through surveillance, but with him in custody they will be in a better position to do it more quickly.

Dan: Well played for sure in the short run. I'm going to guess it ends up being a dumb move in the long run, though. I think they could have done more for their attack against Nazir by continuing the surveillance on Brody.

Carissa: Well played. She couldn't give him time to think about it. For that reason alone, she made the right more.

Alix: I don't think Carrie takes any of her actions lightly, ever. She knows Brody better than anyone else, and if she thinks she got made, I'm inclined to believe her. I would have liked to see a little more of Brody the Congressman but Brody the Terrorist will move the story along. I trust these writers to bring amazing storytelling each week, so I think it was well played.

Jim: Well played, most definitely! Carrie may not follow the rules but she gets the results... even if her own well-being is put at risk.

Can we trust Peter Quinn?
Carla: I think so. He hasn't done anything suspicious and has done a good job so far.

Dan: If my history of watching eight seasons of 24 taught me anything, it's that you never trust the dickhead who is new to the fold. Never.

Carissa: It's too early to tell, but I disagree with Dan. On Homeland it's not necessarily the new guys we need to worry about, but the stodgy old farts who are set in their ways and a part of the old boys club, unwilling to take chances and too busy patting each other on the butt that are cause for concern. They need more people like Carrie, who are willing to throw tradition out the window to get the job done. Peter may be a lot like that. Time will tell.

Alix: Can one ever trust the new, super good looking guy? I'm going to go with probably not. Although he is really nice to look at, so I will be sad if he is a bad guy.

Jim: I love how we, the viewer, is put in the exact same place as Carrie by looking at this self-important ass and saying "Who is this guy and why are we letting him drive this operation?" But, of course, that's what also makes him an intriguing character right off the bat. And, as we'll see in next week's episode, there's definitely more to this guy.

Will Jess and Mike hook up again?
Carla: Really have no clue about this. It depends what happens with Brody. If he makes it back home, then probably not anytime soon. If Brody stays locked up, then Jessica could easily move on with Mike.

Dan: Yes, and I assume it will be shortly. She's going to need something to spice up her life now that her husband isn't going to be mysteriously disappearing from her side every day.

Carissa: Probably. It is certainly an easy route to take. I'd like to hope she thinks about why she would be doing it before jumping into bed again. She's better than just needing sex.

Alix: I think so. I'm guessing that whole night cap scenario wasn't set up to only be dropped quickly. Jess is going to keep turning to Mike for support and we know where that has lead in the past.

Jim: I sure hope so!! Poor Jess is so on the outside of what's going on while Brody spins out of control and, come on, she needs the release.

Better for Dana: Xander or Finn?
Carla: Are teenage boys ever a good thing for a teenage girl?

Dan: To answer Carla's question: yes, teenage Dan was a great idea for many the teenage girls back in the day. And to answer the original question: the Veep's kid without a doubt.

Carissa: The better question is how far and how fast should these poor boys be running from Dana. She is her daddy's girl and that spells trouble.

Alix: Finn. He's interesting and isn't just interested in getting stoned. He can stay.

Jim: Hmmmm...Xander was very sweet but kinda boring, which can be good for stability but lackluster for story. Finn is a bit of wild card with some Daddy issues (I mean, if my Dad were VP, I'm sure I'd have a few, too!) and he will surely put them in a precarious position primarily because he's a young kid trying to impress his new girl. (Again, watch next week's episode... things definitely take a turn with these two).