As the current season of Homeland has the viewers hooked, lead actress Claire Danes dwells on her intriguing character of Carrie Mathison and what keeps her passionate about the role
Why did Homeland Jump two years aheadIJ
Well, the two year time jump allows us to be in a new place, a new environment, which is Berlin and we get to see these characters having metamorphosised into very different versions of themselves and, you know, they’ve gone in kind of surprising directions. Saul is more hardened and kind of calcified and has really kind of embraced corporate life. Quinn, after having experimented with becoming a civilian and becoming a more balanced, rounded, feeling person, has really kind of doubled down. He has gone into the deep end, to the deep-he’s been in Syria and is kind of more emotionally removed and frozen than ever. And Carrie has, for the first time ever, settled into true domesticity, domestic bliss even. She has found a way to fully invest in her relationship with her daughter, be really present with her and actually take pleasure from that. And she’s fallen in love with a sane, handsome, supportive, balanced guy and they’re living together and she’s working for a benevolent billionaire
What are the themes in Season 5IJ
The primary themes of Season 5, I think are atonement. You know, one of the reasons why we’re filming in Berlin is because that’s a very real idea. And it echoes Carrie’s personal trajectory and also all of the characters. I mean, at this point, we’ve all been through their history together and seen the carnage that they’ve all collected and they’re a little corrupted.
I mean, not only that, they’ve done really valiant work also and very positive work but, you know, we also know what the cost is. So, yeah, I think atonement’s the biggy.
How different is Carrie and Saul’s relationship in this seasonIJ
So Carrie and Saul at the start of Season 5 are not on the best terms. It’s pretty acrimonious and contentious and they’re both-they both feel betrayed by each other and Saul has become a real company man and Carrie rejected the company. And I think they’re both reeling from that. But there is a deep, commitment to each other that they can't deny and I think they will rediscover over the course of the season. But, yeah-it’s not cosy initially.
Are Quinn and Carrie meant for each otherIJ
I think that they are in some ways. The intimacy that Quinn and Carrie share is very real and very strong; it just exists within the realm of work. I mean, work for them is serious stuff and romantic. They have experience of being alienated and isolated in a way that most people can’t imagine. So, ironically they find, kinship in each other for that reason. But, I think they are— in some ways way too similar to ever really be together.
Why do you think filming in Berlin is a great location for this seasonIJ
Berlin has a really rich culture of espionage. It’s a really complex city. It’s very, very layered and urbane and it’s kind of dark in a really wonderful, exciting way and it is really graphic. I mean, it’s just so fun to film. There’s graffiti everywhere but the graffiti means something different to this place than in most places. I think because of the Berlin Wall, it signifies freedom and healthy rebellion. So it’s a really fun city too and has a unique character and energy.
Do you like living in BerlinIJ
I like it here. I mean, I work a lot so I don’t have many chances to go explore as a tourist. But, you know, I am working with a German crew and I think that’s such a gift. It is an incredibly wonderful way to learn about how a place really works by actually building something real with its inhabitants.
It is huge. It would take a long time to get a thorough sense of it. I’m living in Kreuzberg which is super cool. I’m very proud of our choice but it was kind of an accident. But it’s fun and I’m raising my two-and-a-half-year-old son here and there are these amazing parks. It’s been a really great experience in that respect.
What can viewers expect from Season 5IJ
Well, it’s never boring in Homeland-land— it is never boring. I always marvel at just how dense each episode is and how reckless the writers are. I mean, they have no fear of running out of material or, you know, imagination. So, yeah, a high concentration of thrills and there are a lot of loop-di-loops and I think it’s very classic Homeland. There are recurring tropes but they’re contextualised differently and the characters are further revealed and illuminated and enriched and that’s kind of great. I mean, we get to know them even better.
After five seasons, what keeps you passionate about playing Carrie MathisonIJ
She is the same that she’s ever been but her conflicts and her aspirations have been kind of challenged and explored more and more thoroughly. Her relationship to her illness continues to
evolve and I think it’s really interesting—this season we see her re-engage with it. She’s been really healthy for some time and she forgets that her sanity is tenuous and needs constant nurturing and I think that’s probably true for a lot of people with mental conditions. And I think that she learns again and probably more deeply that she can’t really credit her brilliance to her illness. last season she discovered that she was capable of attempting love or a real relationship and here we see her be in one for the first time ever and that renders her kind of vulnerable in a way. She’s so experienced in so many areas but in that one, she’s still pretty green and unsure. So I found that really interesting.
Watch Homeland Season 5 every Monday, 10pm only on Star World Premiere HD