The episode focuses on the return home of Marine Sergeant Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis), rescued after eight years as a prisoner-of-war in Afghanistan.
[2] In flashback, Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) is shown in Iraq, where she is working as a CIA case officer.
Back in present day, Carrie arrives late to a meeting at the CIA Counterterrorism Center, where she was reassigned following the Iraqi prison incident.
Carrie later confides in her co-worker and mentor, Saul Berenson (Mandy Patinkin), that what she was told by her informant in Iraq was that "An American prisoner of war has been turned."
Saul flatly rejects the possibility of the CIA conducting any investigation into Brody, who is now a beloved war hero.
Jessica Brody (Morena Baccarin), Nicholas' wife, is shown having sex with Mike Faber (Diego Klattenhoff).
Jessica is shocked to receive a phone call from Brody himself announcing his return, and she heads to the airport with their children, 16-year-old Dana (Morgan Saylor) and 12-year-old Chris (Jackson Pace), to greet him.
She enlists her friend Virgil, an independent contractor, to install hidden cameras and microphones throughout Brody's house, which Carrie can monitor from home.
The episode received a total of 2.78 million viewers with additional broadcasts, on demand, and online viewings.
[4] Entertainment Weekly's Ken Tucker gave it an A-, stating "It's the fall season's most intriguing, tense puzzler.
[6] Michael Cuesta received a nomination for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Drama Series, losing to Patty Jenkins for the pilot of The Killing.