Super Powers

Carrie goes crazy once again... What is this the 47th time in 4 seasons and change? Got to be honest, it's getting a little old, sorta spinning the wheels. Claire Danes is very capable at playing crazy, can we have her character do something different now...well, so long as it's not sleeping with yet another terrorist...

"Super Powers" delves into Carrie's psyche as she grapples with the aftermath of the attempted ambush and the mounting threats against her. Realizing the severity of the situation, Carrie decides to leave Berlin for a safe house, but not before experiencing a troubling hallucination that suggests her medication is affecting her perception of reality. In parallel, Saul and Allison's investigation into the data breach continues to uncover unsettling truths about potential moles within the CIA. The episode also highlights Quinn's escalating violence as he carries out his assassination missions with increasing detachment.

A memorable scene involves Carrie's hallucination, which blurs the line between reality and her mental state, offering viewers a visceral glimpse into her ongoing struggles with bipolar disorder. Another standout moment is the confrontation between Saul and Allison, which is charged with tension and undercurrents of mistrust. Themes of mental health and the personal cost of espionage are prominent, with Carrie's fragile state serving as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by those in her line of work.

Directed by Keith Gordon, "Super Powers" is a compelling exploration of the psychological toll of espionage. The script is particularly strong in its portrayal of Carrie's mental health struggles, providing a nuanced and empathetic perspective on her condition. The cinematography uses tight close-ups and disorienting angles to convey Carrie's unstable mental state effectively. Editing plays a crucial role in maintaining the episode's suspense, especially during the hallucination sequences. The pacing is well-balanced, allowing for both introspective moments and high-stakes espionage drama. This episode stands out for its deep character study of Carrie, though it risks alienating viewers looking for more action-oriented plotlines.

Okay so, in order to get to the bottom of who wanted to kill her, she has to get off her meds, why? that's a bit retarded thing to do or is it an excuse to have Carrie go all crazy again? Claire Dane is already an amazing actress, she doesn't need to act as a bipolar person inorder to showcase her acting ability. that's the point right? If I remember correctly, she gets all crazy at least one episode in each season and the reasons before are more believable but in this case it just felt forced. I wonder what's the excuse for the next season's gonna be.

This is a good episode overall, plot's moving forward and the acting, camera work, score are all dandy.

Otto, the multimillionaire German "philanthropist" who's Carrie's boss, tells her that he didn't like Saul because Saul acted as if he was "entitled". Seriously, a multimillionaire who calls somebody else entitled...

To compound the absurdity, in the next scene we have Otto shipping Franny home in his private jet. That is definitely not entitled.

Carrie has a heartbreaking goodbye with her daughter, to prove what a much better person she is now and then she reverts to her screaming, crazy version without meds, with ginger German boyfriend (who looks a bit like Brody). Why did she exactly stop taking her meds? Could somebody care to explain in a way that actually make sense?

Then Carrie and Ginger have sex because that helps the investigation 🙄

At least we have Quinn who behaves like a normal, heartless killer should. The only relevant events take place in the last five minutes, although it looks like Carrie and Quinn spend most of their time shooting each other.

PS we understand that Carrie wants to atone for her past, but a contrite Carrie is not much interesting and if erring is easy, atoning is much harder, therefore we' might be in for a long, boring haul of contrite Carrie.

Damn, she is good! Her scenes of the bipolar Carrie as nothing short of spectacular. In fact Carrie off her meds is more interesting to watch than 'normal' Carrie. It is obvious why she has won as many awards as she has. The story line was good too, not more soap opera garbage that too often ruins an otherwise excellent episode, like in the season 4 finale. This one is near perfect.