After a harrowing start on the Homeland Season 4 Premiere, we found Carrie back on foreign soil, taking over her post as Station Chief in place of the slain Sandy Bachman.

The move away from the United States is most appreciated. Not only is America a reminder of all previous seasons of Homeland, it's too difficult to reconcile the two different sides of Carrie's personality -- the incredible government agent and the horrific mother.

Until there is a plan in place for Carrie to deal with her motherhood, I'd rather just be like Carrie and pretend Frannie doesn't exist. 

Watch Homeland Season 4 Episode 3 Online

It's so interesting that she cannot deal with her personal live in a meaningful manner when she can be so completely focused and in control with her job. Even when everyone else thought she was crazy to be either tracking or trusting Brody, she was always spot on

So Carrie was full speed ahead in Homeland Season 4 Episode 3 and seemed ready to do whatever it takes to find out what Bachman was up to that lead to his death. Quinn was drowning his sorrows in booze and a woman he barely knew as he planned to escape the CIA all together. They come from completely different trains of thought, but they need each other. Maybe they're the yin and yang of it; together they have just enough from both practical and emotional levels to even each other out.

No matter how many times I see the Bachman death, I don't see it as a situation where Quinn could have done more to save Bachman or that he only stopped himself because of his fear for Carrie's life. It's also hard to tell what Dar Adal learned from being strangled. Did it show Adal that if pushed Quinn would do whatever it took to save himself and therefor didn't act out of fear for Carrie? 

That was a hard scene for me to follow, but it did put the spark back into Quinn's eyes and gave him the push he needed to look further into the Bachman killing. 

Carrie was faced with a less-than-warm welcome by the fellow who was going to be Station Chief prior to Carrie claiming it. Given his decision to usurp her power before she even got there and to be drunk when she arrived proved that he didn't deserve the job anyway.

It was interesting to learn Saul and Martha have history. Of course! Saul was in the business forever. Who wouldn't he know? But he was once engaged to the woman, and that meant his thoughts on Carrie held a lot of weight. I'm excited to see those two women work together. It's not something we see all that often on TV; two women running things in a war zone. People always mull around the "what would war be like if women ran the military" or something silly like that. Let's find out!

It can't possibly be long before Saul is in Islamabad full time, right? Maybe his marriage to Mira will fall apart and he'll need to get away. The story feels more balanced when he's around, and I'm intrigued by the thought of him taking direction from Carrie; the student leading the teacher. 

As it was, even before he suggested that she find her own group of people she could trust to work with her, Carrie had already done it. Her team included Fara, who is now a competent asset, especially with work closer to her home.

Fara made the initial run at Aayan, but didn't seal the deal. Aayan wanted to work with the press and the idea that he could go to America almost did the trick. Will they need to continue the ruse or might Aayan have something really pertinent to share that he wants to get off his chest no matter who is asking?

I'm really pleased there is a central mystery wrapped around Bachman's death, including his treasonous activities to get data and who might have given him the green light to carry them out. The discovery that his murder was choreographed really made my head spin. 

I want to know who Bachman went off Embassy grounds to meet all the time, what secrets he shared and what jeopardy the US might be in because of it. What does Aayan know? I'm starting to think there was an inside group using specific targets they no longer wanted as their leaders as leverage for information for a larger plan of attack. Take out the well-known terrorists so unknown can rise in their wake.

Did you feel better about the installment now that Carrie has some distance between her and Frannie? What do you think of a new season where the focus is off of Brody and his family? Hit the comments!

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Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.