Ep 1. Tin Man is Down

At the start of Homeland season 3 episode 1, titled "Tin Man is Down," it’s been a few months since the events of the previous season. Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) is living in a state of isolation as she receives electroconvulsive therapy to combat her bipolar disorder. She’s lucid, but her famous intuition appears to be gone. Saul Berenson (Mandy Patinkin), meanwhile, has taken over as the head of the CIA, after seeing very public failings in operations by the agent he’d trained up so well. He’s working carefully to make sure won’t happen again on his watch and has launched a black-ops mission in Iran, hoping it will lead to success where past clandestine operations have failed.

The episode opens with a beautiful, dreamlike sequence in which Brody is conspicuously absent. Indeed, he’s not seen until almost halfway through the hour, and his name is only mentioned in passing by his daughter Dana. In his place, Major General William C. Haskins is on America's most wanted list in Pakistan, but in part because of a limited network of informants on the ground in the country, the agency isn’t sure if he’s still alive. Also, Javadi, the Iranian intelligence chief whom Carrie had hoped to use to pull off a coup against Iran's government, is nowhere to be found. It’s a poignant moment for viewers, as it seems like the show’s longtime villain Sergeant Brody (Damian Lewis) is truly out of the picture.

It's clear that the focus is on exploring the toll the various conflicts and stresses of the previous two seasons have taken on the central characters: Carrie and Saul. Saul is now less Ruthless, he has tried to balance political action in a very seductive process with cutting-edge technical intelligence. Carrie, on the other hand, appears more together, thanks to the effects of anti-psychotic medication. But in reality, she’s still struggling with her illness, but trying to stay in control. She gets an offer from a law firm to come work for them, a recognition of her courtroom success in the past season.

Meanwhile, over in Tehran, the CIA's asset has apparently gone rogue. Saul signs off on an assassination of the asset, but not before the man uploads a video announcing his defection from the US side. It's a whole new level of tension as the CIA tries to swing into damage control, spinning the situation to make it seem like the agent is a criminal, not a US asset.

Amidst all of this, the Iranian Mossad sneaks onto US soil and attempts to assassinate the head of the CIA. It’s a stunning, tense moment that leaves the show’s main protagonist with some serious soul-searching to do. There are also some new characters who will play a part in the season, most notably Fara Sherazi (Nazanin Boniadi), a young, smart CIA analyst with a lot of heart and a strong sense of duty.

"Tin Man is Down" is a reminder that between the eerie music, dramatic CGI landscape shots, and pervasive sense of anxiety and dread, Homeland is a show that knows exactly what it's doing when it comes to creating tension and drawing you in. It's like being plunged into a world of uncertainty and danger. The first episode sets the stage for what will surely be a fast-paced, suspenseful season, full of twists and turns. The stakes are high, and the show does not disappoint. For fans of the series, this is a must-watch.