Is Peter Quinn (Rupert Friend) really done with the "Homeland" series or is he not?
Quinn became the latest television show casualty after "Homeland" season five finale "A False Glimmer" showed Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) taking off his lifeline in the hospital after he wrote in a letter that he longed to welcome death. In that heart-wrenching scene, Carrie sees a flash of white light and the season finally bids its goodbye.
A lot of fans are not pleased that Quinn is dead, and are hoping for his return in the sixth season. However, Entertainment Weekly strongly believes that it's about time his character left the show for good, not because they want to see the end of Quinn, but because his death would serve a higher purpose for "Homeland."
For one thing, it would be impossible for the Sarin gas not to have its effects on Quinn. "The doctor was pretty clear: Quinn almost certainly has major brain damage. So even if he lived, it's hard to imagine him playing a role within Homeland's espionage-driven storytelling," they said.
At the same time, Quinn's entire story arc has been built upon the depression and repercussions dealt with CIA agents, which Carrie has been trying to avoid.
"This season opened with Quinn's bitter speech about his experience leading special forces in Syria, then showed him killing whatever name was put in a dropbox, and later we saw him trying desperately to commit suicide after sustaining his wounds that required hospitalization," they said.
And his desire to end his life became even clearer after Carrie read his letter. "This death, this end of me is exactly what should've happened. I wanted the darkness," Quinn wrote. "Just think of me as a light on the heavens. A beacon. Steering you clear of the rocks."
Television tends to exaggerate reality, and "Homeland" has already pushed the envelope as far as Quinn's survival is concerned. He miraculously survived one injury after another. He even lasted several hours after inhaling the deadly Sarin gas. Granted, he was given a shot of atropine beforehand, but his sudden recovery does not seem very realistic. "Homeland" has done a great job so far trying to make the story as real as possible, and they even showed Saul Berenson (Mandy Patinkin) and Carrie trying to get Quinn out of his coma, but to no avail.
"If Quinn's eyes suddenly snapped open it would be an epic eye-rolling fake-out and it would have emotionally invalidated much of what we've seen," they said.
