Whew, a powerful Homeland 7.6 tonight which does what Homeland always does best, an episode which changes everything.  Plus this one had some other good features -

Such as Costa Ronin, showing up tonight in a role that he does best - a Russian spy (Oleg in The Americans, Yevgeny in Homeland) in the U.S.  Except Yevgeny has little of the humanity of Oleg, as he makes clear in the speech he gives to his older fellow spy, Ivan, who is wedded to the Soviet ways of spying.  They kept the world safe, Ivan says.  Yeah, but it destroyed our country, Yevgeny truthfully says.  And he therein is the clearest spokesperson for Putin we've yet to see in the real news, fake news, or just plain narrative fiction.

But there was nothing plain about tonight's episode 7.6.  It also featured Carrie drugging and seducing the FBI agent Dante whom she thought was her ally, but was really playing her for his profoundly nefarious plan.

And that's the plan that changes everything.  Because this FBI guy is in fact in cahoots with Wellington's mistress to set him (Wellington, the President's Chief of Staff) up, with an eye towards bringing the President down.  So the twist here is President Elizabeth Keane is a not a Trump in woman's clothing after all - Keane is really Hillary, and Putin's operatives here in America are indeed trying to bring her down.

I'm happy to see this, because I didn't like Keane acting like Trump in even the slightest way.  She's much more convincing, sympathetic, and real as a Hillary Clinton kind of President.

I said in my review of an earlier episode this season that I was a little disappointed in Homeland.  I'm glad I kept watching.  Tonight's 7.6 was one of sharpest to come down the pike in the entire series.