How Homeland Season 5 Will Be Different From Season 4
While it wasn’t immediately obvious that Showtime’s Homeland would last very many seasons, Sunday night featured the Season 5 premiere, which is once again almost completely rebooting everything about the acclaimed drama except the characters. The biggest change involves the location, as the bulk of Carrie’s story will take place in Berlin, Germany, where the series actually filmed. Here’s co-creator and showrunner Alex Gansa explaining how this new location changes the show.
Even though we’ve only gotten to see just one episode from Season 5 so far, the show definitely feels like a different monster than what Season 4 was like (which was itself in stark contrast to the Nicholas Brody years). And much of it absolutely has to do with the changes going on in the world immediately surrounding Carrie, and by extension Quinn and Saul.
Last season kicked off with explosions and people being dragged out of cars and killed in the street, and it centered on Carrie being in the middle of a hunt for a terrorist in Islamabad that saw her making all kinds of ethically challenging decisions. In comparison, Season 5 began with the non-explosive threat of a hacker who obtains some ridiculously sensitive government documents, and even though there’s a scene where Carrie gets “kidnapped,” the situation isn’t what it seems and she’s not quite in danger. Plus, she’s got a boyfriend that isn’t married and isn’t a P.O.W.
Because Homeland is a smart show that can get bogged down by its own storytelling, I’m interested in seeing the drama play out in a more subdued way that doesn’t involve people getting bombed all the time. And it sounds like the location is playing a large part in informing the surveillance-filled narrative. Here’s what else Gansa told THR.
Of course, time will tell if Homeland Season 5 will indeed feel truly different from the previous seasons, and if Carrie and Saul can repair their broken friendship on either a professional or personal level. Find out when Homeland airs on Showtime on Sunday nights.
CINEMABLEND NEWSLETTER
Your Daily Blend of Entertainment News
Nick is a Cajun Country native and an Assistant Managing Editor with a focus on TV and features. His humble origin story with CinemaBlend began all the way back in the pre-streaming era, circa 2009, as a freelancing DVD reviewer and TV recapper. Nick leapfrogged over to the small screen to cover more and more television news and interviews, eventually taking over the section for the current era and covering topics like Yellowstone, The Walking Dead and horror. Born in Louisiana and currently living in Texas — Who Dat Nation over America’s Team all day, all night — Nick spent several years in the hospitality industry, and also worked as a 911 operator. If you ever happened to hear his music or read his comics/short stories, you have his sympathy.