TV Show Review

TV Review: HOMELAND: Season 5, Episode 8: All About Allison [Showtime]

Miranda Otto Mark Ivanir Homeland All About Allison

Showtime‘s Homeland All About Allison TV Show Review. Homeland: Season 5, Episode 8: All About Allison was the best episode of the season so far (thanks largely to the acting and the use of flashbacks). Not only did the viewer get extensive background on Allison Carr (Miranda Otto), the viewer got to know more about Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) as well. As the title of the episode suggested, this episode was mostly about Allison’s personality and character. Most people have an Achilles heel, especially fictional ones. Carrie’s is her bipolarism. Saul’s is Carrie. With Allison it turned out to be something far more simplistic. Greed. Allison just couldn’t help herself.

When Russian Intelligence Agent Ivan Krupin (Mark Ivanir) told CIA Intelligence Officer Allison Carr that he knew her, that he even knew what she was thinking at that moment, he was telling the absolute truth. He must have been studying her for months, perhaps years. He knew that a pulchritudinous man and money (beyond her wildest dreams) would bend and possibly break her steadfast resolve. Seeing that psychological profile come to fruition (i.e. the beginning of the recruitment process) was the highlight of Ivan’s career up to that point, yet he spoke of it and behaved as though it was just another day at the office. An act, but a good one, a soothing one to his recruitee. Ivan immediately wanted Allison to know that she was in good hands.

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When Allison swore in Arabic (something along the lines of Ya A’andeen zak omek), the viewer had a good idea what profane English words she was saying. I loved the fact that she wanted her betrayer (Acrobat) to know exactly how she felt about him in that moment.

Carrie’s discovery on Acrobat’s computer was a truly unbelievable error in judgement on Allison’s part (not Acrobat’s. He had no spy training, no classes on covering his tracks, and those of his recruited ‘assets’).

I couldn’t believe Allison, the greedy fool, ended up going to Saint Lucia with Acrobat after he betrayed her and ruined her life (implied by the image on Acrobat’s computer). Did Allison really say to herself: “F*** it. I’m caught. I’ve been turned. I might as well enjoy myself…and him.”? From the digital evidence (the gargantuan moron took a picture of a person – after reporting him dead to CIA – of a individual that is supposed to be deceased), it would seem that was the case. This was an instance of a smart, stupid person: smart when it came to executing her job’s directives, stupid when it came to common sense.

Allison REALLY threw caution to the wind when she left Baghdad and traveled to Saint Lucia. It is a good thing that Allison has a handler now, one that thinks for her in some instances.

CIA Special Operations Group Operative Peter Quinn (Rupert Friend)’s segment of All About Allison was surprising. Up until this episode, Quinn had been effectively playing his travel companions, telling them what they wanted to hear and what they didn’t want to hear to validate his mercenary cover. Seeing the tables shift was a rewarding turn of events. The discovery of the gas masks upped the threat that Bibi (René Ifrah) and his compatriots posed, evidenced by Quinn’s surprised expression when looking at the gear. The player was being played the entire time. The question is, why did Bibi bring Quinn in the first place? Why the ruse? Why didn’t they tie him up at the apartment hospital and keep him under armed guard until they returned? These are questions that I am looking forward to the answers to during the next episode of Homeland entitled The Litvinov Ruse. I’m guessing that title ties directly into Quinn’s storyline.

Leave your thoughts on this review and this episode of Homeland below in the comments section. For more Homeland reviews, photos, videos, and information, visit our Homeland Page, visit our Homeland Google+ Page, our TV Show Review Facebook Page, and consider subscribing to us by Email, “following” us on Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, or “liking” us on Facebook for quick updates.

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Rollo Tomasi

Rollo Tomasi is a Connecticut-based film critic, TV show critic, news, and editorial writer. He will have a MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University in 2025. Rollo has written over 700 film, TV show, short film, Blu-ray, and 4K-Ultra reviews. His reviews are published in IMDb's External Reviews and in Google News. Previously you could find his work at Empire Movies, Blogcritics, and AltFilmGuide. Now you can find his work at FilmBook.
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