" And why does it work? It works because Carrie is brilliant and brave, a woman who is willing to put herself out there and who knows what questions need to be asked, what fears need to be played on — “Are you a monster Brody?” — but also because she’s not just pretending to love him. Carrie’s not trying to get the truth out of Brody with a lie of her own. And it works because Brody is not just a monster. He’s a wreck of a guy who still gets comfort from curling up on a cement floor, who still thinks his torture cell is home, and who actually does take succor from Carrie’s generous comprehension of him. This is what’s so radical about “Homeland”: In some profoundly non-cheesy way, it’s Carrie’s heart — in conjunction with her head — that is sorting this mess out. Her emotional IQ is smarter than everyone and everything else on this series. "