Ep 2. Grace

Carrie Mathison is a CIA agent who is convinced that a recently released Iraqi war prisoner, Nicholas Brody, has been turned by al-Qaeda and is planning a terrorist attack on US soil. In episode 2, titled "Grace," Carrie continues her surveillance of Brody by setting up cameras in his home. She finds herself getting emotionally involved in his life and begins to see him as a sympathetic character rather than a threat. Meanwhile, Brody struggles to reintegrate into his old life and experiences flashbacks to his captivity.

The episode begins with Brody struggling to sleep and experiencing what appears to be a nightmare. As he wakes up, he goes to the window and looks outside, clearly unsettled. He then goes downstairs to the kitchen where he finds his wife, Jessica, and children eating breakfast. He tries to join in the conversation but appears disconnected and distracted.

Carrie and her team are watching Brody's every move on the surveillance cameras they've planted in his house. Saul, Carrie's colleague, questions her about her emotional reactions to Brody and reminds her that he is their enemy. Carrie insists that she's just doing her job, but Saul is not convinced.

At school, Brody's daughter Dana gets into a fight with another student after they insult her father. Brody is called in to meet with the principal who suggests that Dana may need counseling due to her father's absence. Brody is visibly disturbed by the suggestion but agrees to talk to Dana about it.

Later that day, Brody is in his backyard when he hears a loud noise. He investigates and finds a deer stuck in his fence. He tries to free it but ends up shooting it when it becomes clear that it won't survive. Jessica finds him crying in the woods and tries to comfort him, but he pushes her away.

Back at the CIA, Carrie is studying tapes of Brody's behavior and picks up on some subtle signals that suggest he may be hiding something. She tries to persuade Saul to let her confront Brody, but Saul insists that they need concrete evidence before they can act.

As the episode progresses, Carrie becomes more and more obsessed with Brody and begins to lose sight of her professional responsibilities. She follows him to a liquor store and watches as he buys a bottle of scotch and drinks it in his car. She then takes advantage of a chance meeting with Brody's daughter to try and gain more information about him.

Brody is struggling to adjust to life outside of captivity and we see him having flashbacks to his time in Iraq. In one particularly disturbing scene, he imagines his captors coming back to kidnap him and he defends himself with a pair of scissors. When he snaps out of it, he finds himself holding the scissors to his own throat.

As the episode ends, Carrie's obsession with Brody leads her to break into his home while he is out. She finds evidence that confirms her suspicions about his involvement with al-Qaeda, but she is soon caught in the act by Brody's daughter. The episode ends with Carrie trying to explain her behavior and Brody's daughter looking at her with a mix of fear and distrust.

Overall, "Grace" is a tense and emotionally charged episode that sets the stage for the rest of the series. We see Carrie's growing obsession with Brody and the toll it takes on her personal and professional life. We also get a glimpse into Brody's struggle to adjust to life back home and the traumatic effects of his captivity. The episode ends on a cliffhanger that leaves us wondering what consequences Carrie will face for her actions.