Exclusive: Claire Danes Takes Us Inside ‘Homeland’ Season 5

Homeland is (almost) back.

Yes, the fifth season of Showtime’s critically acclaimed series will return on October 4, and picks up where the Islamabad-set Season 4 left off: Saul (Mandy Patinkin) is freed, Dar Adal (F. Murray Abraham) cut a deal with the Taliban, and Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) has left the CIA to work for a benevolent billionaire’s private security firm in Berlin. Season 5 explores the relationship between information and the intelligence community, will reportedly tackle many real-life storylines, including ISIS, Putin, Snowden, and the Charlie Hebdo shooting.

While precious little is known of Season 5, The Daily Beast has brought you an exclusive look at Carrie Mathison’s arc—one that begins in a loving relationship and domesticity, and quickly spirals out of control.

“This season, Carrie’s realizing that she can’t fully disown her past, and she’s going to have to reconcile that with her current reality. That’s going to be a very painful experience,” says Danes.

The Emmy and Golden Globe-winning Danes takes us behind the scenes of Season 5, describing how Carrie is drawn back into the world of spycraft and espionage in this exclusive featurette, which sees her snorting drugs, hitting the bottle, donning a wig, getting kidnapped, and much more: