Is "Homeland" now reality TV? Fake news is now spread from fake social media accounts under the direction of you know who! In episode 4 of "Homeland" Season 7, a picture is taken of a boy in a hospital, who was shot by the FBI during a standoff with his separatist family. The identity of the person that took the photo is unknown. The boy is recovering after an operation to remove the bullet, and is in no danger of dying. His family, meanwhile is holding an FBI agent hostage. The image that was taken of the boy is cropped so that he is shown lying unconscious on the operating table.
As tensions mount during the standoff, the image is posted on social media, stating that he is dead -- killed by the FBI. This, of course, is fake news being spread to spark an armed confrontation between his separatist family and the FBI. When his family hears the news and thinks their son is dead, they kill their FBI hostage, which results in a predictable bloodbath as the FBI storms their compound.
Are the Russians coming?
The concept may sound familiar, as social media is currently being used by foreign governments to sow the seeds of hatred and discontent within America, all too effectively. One government, Russia, is taking sides -- both sides in fact -- to ensure that we continue to demonize those we disagree with, instead of reaching a compromise on hot-button issues.
Season 7 of "Homeland" is giving the viewer a first-hand glimpse of how social media can be weaponized in a battle of information warfare.
Unusual is the new usual. How can they stop these lies from spreading? #Homeland #Showtime pic.twitter.com/bkYjQaF4oG
— Homeland (@SHO_Homeland) March 22, 2018
This is Saul Berenson’s headache, as President Elizabeth Keane’s new National Security Advisor this season.
On and off her meds
In past seasons of "Homeland," Carrie has gone off her meds deliberately, because it clears her mind, helps her see connections, and find terrorists. In the current season, she is struggling to stay afloat, both on and off her meds, as she attempts to prove that President Keane and her Chief of Staff is disregarding the rule of law and has murdered a disgraced general, convicted of treason.
To prove this, she is working with an FBI agent, Dante, and some of her ex-spy cohorts, running an operation based out of her sister’s house, to find evidence of President Keane’s treasonous disregard of the constitution. As the season is progressing, Carrie is uncovering conflicting evidence during her off the books illegal operation, and she finally turns to Saul for help. In the most recent episode, Saul is trying to find connections between the FBI/separatist massacre and the Russian informational warfare. Carrie is trying to figure out why she was wrong about President Keane’s Chief of Staff being involved in murdering the general.
The best scene of the season
In The Best scene of the season thus far, Carrie pleads with Saul and asks for his help, and Saul, who is busy with his own investigation, starts asking Carrie pointed questions about her relationship with FBI agent Dante.
Carrie starts to realize that maybe all of this is connected to the Russians. Her head starts spinning, figuratively, as she realizes that she has it all wrong. She now surmises that President Keane had nothing to do with the general's murder and that Dante may be working with the Russians to frame the president's administration. Saul tells her to lay low until she hears from him. At this point I am thinking: Saul, when have you ever known Carrie to follow your instructions? Stay tuned.
