We talk about our (mis)adventures in the city and other fandom/hiatus goings-on.

(Alternate titles: "Wink Wink, Nudge Nudge," "Like in a Batman Kind of Way," "It Was on the Way to Red Lobster," "Her Name's Gonna be Robin.")

Welcome to #HYHPodAndWhine, a Very Special Episode of the HYH podcast in which we took your questions. From Saul and Dar to Carrie/Quinn love to #quinnspiracy2k17, we cover literally the entire spectrum during this marathon discussion. Obviously there was wine, and lots of laughing, and some dog barks.  

(Alternate titles: "You Person," "Psychic Break," "Shitfight," "I Have Some Feelings About That, But Maybe Not For Right Now," "Better Dressed Rats," "No Emo Shit," "Smoldering Care,""I Deserved It," "Judith Warner: Drink!") 

In this episode we check in nearly two months after that "what the hell just happened here?" finale. We're all in different and strange places. While we locate where we've been and where we think we're going, we recap the events of the last few months and offer our own take. Turns out a "two months later" time jump is kinda weird. Writers, take note. 

(Alternate titles: "I Have More to Say," "Other Level Bad," "Ashley Talks About Herself in the Third Person," "More Than Hookers?", "Why Do People Think We Can Explain Shit," "I Am Legitimately Fucked in the Head.") 

My fabulous mother joins me again on the podcast, this time for a discussion of the season finale of season six. I get her take on what we've all been talking about the past few weeks, and we reflect on the season overall and try to connect the dots. Later we wonder what the future might bring for the show and talk about things we've cried and quit over in our respective TV pasts. 

(Alternate titles: "Real Life is Difficult Enough," "No Inhibitions about Stuff," "The End in Mind.")

We discuss the finale of season six, "America First." We work through our various reactions--sadness, confusion, rage, shock--and attempt to parse through each of them. Throughout we reflect on Peter Quinn: who he was, and what he stood for. We close the episode by discussing the depth and complexity Rupert Friend brought to the role. 

(No alternate title this week but I wanted to leave you with the final lyrics of the song that opens and closes this week's episode, "Powderfinger" by Cowboy Junkies: 

Shelter me from the powder and the finger
Cover me with the thought
That pulled the trigger.
Think of me
As one you'd never figured
Would fade away so young
With so much left undone
Remember me to my love
I know I'll miss her)

It's telling that I inadvertently referred to this episode as a debate... there is quite a lot of (healthy) disagreement among us on the various virtues--or lack thereof--in the penultimate episode of season six. Because apparently that's my new M.O., I get really earnest about Carrie and Quinn while Ashleys describes her increasing uneasiness and frustration with Quinn's characterization. We close with another pop quiz about our finale predictions as we head into the home stretch. It gets pretty... bananas. 

(Alternate titles: "Live Podcasting the Homeland FYC Panel," "We Know You're Done," "Meat Face," "Who is the We?") 

Welcome to our 40th episode! This week Friend of the Pod Jordan joins us to discuss "The Flag House" and our varying levels of anxiety around how the season may (or may not) wrap up. We delve into fandom trends, what the future holds for Carrie (and Quinn),  as well as Mira, motherhood, and dear, dear Max. Our conversation ends with a classic HYH pod-style quiz show in which the question of the White Jesus Light is finally addressed (...sorta). 

(Alternate titles: "Saving Sara," "Crosstalk," "They  Clearly Belong Together," "All Caps Conversation," "It Was a Mountain Lion. Thank You," "On the Borders of Quebec.") 

This week we play catch-up, addressing the question of a feminist Homeland and patting ourselves on the back for being prescient on Brody matters. Just what does it mean for Carrie to connect the dots from Brody to Quinn? What is Quinn's actual endgame? What is Carrie's? What is Dar's? And on a scale of 1 to 10, how epic was Saul's takedown of Carrie? (We don't actually answer that last question but we all agree it was at the very least a 15.) 

(Alternate titles: "A Different Direction," "Sober-ish," "Dumpster Diving," "This Is No," "Mustache Tweaking.") 

Better late than never (and better two hours than three)! Our discussion of "alt.truth" spans the spectrum of man pain and feminist heroines. As we discuss just what the writers are doing with Peter Quinn this season we also speculate on what we can expect from the last third of the season. And when we revisit our varying interest in Carrie and Saul, things really take a turn. 

(Alternate titles: "Two Women Do Not a Panel Make.")

This week is all about downward spirals: Homeland's into darkness, Carrie's into madness, Quinn's into tragedy, and Dar's into villainy. On the way Ashley tells a tale of old country roads and 3-hour detours, we wonder aloud just how fake of a friend Keane really is, and we speculate about what's to come in the rest of the season. (It takes us 40 minutes to get to Quinn and Dar, in case you're wondering.) 

(Alternate titles: "Fucking Homeland," "Drunk Founding Fathers," "Everyone's Learning Something," "...And Then I Opened Another Bottle of Wine," "Rock Bottom.")

This week on the podcast schedules and routines are disrupted. We discuss "The Return," which was in many ways a departure from what we've seen elsewhere on Homeland this season. Ashley tries to convince us of some particularly gruesome foreshadowing and I try not to inadvertently cause a ruckus. We also discuss the utilization of Quinn, the saga of Carrie and Saul, and politicians real and fictional. 

(Alternate titles: "I'm Breezy," "She Doesn't Have a Strong Chin.")

This week we are discussing "Casus Belli," including our initial gut reactions (very polarized!) and 48-hours-later mellowed reactions. We also dissect Carrie's behavior, whether she was manipulating Quinn, and just what that shut door means. Finally we delve into spy plotting. Lots of questions, very few answers. 

(Alternate titles: "Franny and the Nanny," "A Really Bad Fucking Day," "It's a Verb.")

This week a special guest joins me for a bonus episode of our pod. My mom, who has for years indulged my thoughts and rantings and general wonderments about this show, adds in some commentary of her own about Sunday's episode, "Casus Belli." 

We talk about unspoken promises and our reactions to watching what unfolded on screen. We delve into discussions of bad parenting, nefarious Dar, and crazy crocheters. 

I close by picking her brain on a few burning, long-standing questions re: Carrie and Quinn. 

(Alternate titles: "What Could I Defend," "Call Tree," "I Get It All," "I Hope She Wasn't a Knitter," "Forever and All-Time," "They Should've Done a FaceTime.") 

In this, our 33rd episode, I come dangerously close to unironically reciting "that is a mischaracterization" à la manic Carrie in "The Vest."

We also get around to discussing Homeland's latest, "A Flash of Light." There are certain things we disagree on (just how much does it matter, one episode later, that the cookie scene was cut?). And certain things on which we wholeheartedly concur (Dar telling Carrie "I'm not Saul" is certainly a life highlight). 

We take a few other detours to expound on a changed Quinn, what it means for Carrie to be a capable mother, Charlie Rose, and whether Alex Gansa is a romantic at heart or not. 

(Alternate title: "No One Wants to Talk About Jonas")

"The Covenant" was a strange and interesting and provocative episode. This week we tackle its most divisive scene--yep, that one. Did it make you angry or distracted? Or did it surprise you, in a good way? 

We also take on some of the other questions this episode posed, like what exactly gold cigarette packs mean? Why does Saul have a mystery sister? Did Carrie and Roger have a dalliance? Are parallels (aka my life's work) totally intentional or just happy accidents? 

#WhatDoYouHaveSaul 

(Alternate titles: "Gaslight," "In a Tank," "Supercilious," "'It's Carrie' ... 'Exactly.'")  

This week we explore the confounding, surprising beauty of "The Man in the Basement." We start at the end, with the devastation of the last scene between Carrie and Quinn, and work our way backward. What does it all mean? Why didn't she say more? What exactly is said and understood and what falls through the cracks, like so much else? 

We take a few brief detours to talk about Carrie's growth, female friendship, bedside parallels, and epic Saul takedowns. 

(Alternate title: "Did you know Claire Danes was at the March?")

Horrifying and/or awkward celebrity real life run-ins. Fast forward mishaps. Heart-of-Homeland hot take (for real) (really). Endearing Paley-ness. Déjà vu. STAUNCH HAPPY CARRIE DEFENSE. 

It's a roller coaster from start to finish. 

(Alternate titles: "Good Intentions," "Lots of Love and Monney," "Tim Daly is 60 Years Old," "Authentically Don't Understand.")

(The original "Halfway to a Donut" HYH podcast is titled "Escape or Die Chick" and I still think that is the best episode title ever, followed closely by "Sexual Death.")

Maybe you heard, the first episode of season six was released three weeks early. 

Well. We go through the whole big thing. 

How best to parse through unexpected or even unwanted reactions? How best to deal with that pit in the bottom of your stomach? How best to describe the dynamic between Carrie and Quinn (we search for the perfect metaphor)? How best to explain it all, days, weeks, or even months later? How best to adjust to a Homeland world so different from our own? 

(Alternate titles: "Hmmh!!!")