‘Homeland’ Season 5 Air Date: Filming Begins In Germany, Plus 12 SpoilersShowtime

There will be a fifth season of Homeland, according to Showtime and season 5 will have 12 new episodes. While there is no set air date for the season 5 premiere, filming has begun for the fifth season. What’s more, it is safe to expect the show to return in the fall in September or October, as it has premiered in the fall for the past four seasons.
While you wait for the fifth season to come around, here are 12 spoilers about the new season:
1. Entertainment Weekly reports that the show may steer away from Islamic terrorists in the next season. “We’re not necessarily going to stay now and forever [focusing on] U.S. relations in the Muslim world,” said Showtime’s president, David Nevins, to critics at the Television Critics Association’s semi-annual press tour. “It’s a show ultimately about U.S. foreign policy, U.S. intelligence in the 21st century at a very difficult time. So we’re exploring a few different possibilities and may change it up a little bit.” Nevins added: “The real franchise of the show is how difficult it is to be America in the world in the 21st century, how difficult the choices are. I think that’s a story that will remain relevant for as long as they can come up with new stories.”
2. The show will not be in or about Pakistan. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Nevins revealed: “I don’t think they’ve settled on anything. [Showrunner] Alex [Gansa] is always very adamant he wants to focus on nothing but the season in front of him. But certainly going somewhere else overseas—they’re not going back to Pakistan—is one possibility.”
3. They’re moving to Europe, maybe. Gansa revealed at PaleyFest that the show will be filming in Germany. This does not guarantee the show will be set in Germany, as last season they filmed in South Africa but it was set in Pakistan.
4. There will be a time jump. Gansa also revealed that season 5 will have a time jump and will be moving approximately two and a half years into the future, reports TVLine.
5. The show may eventually return home. “It could be Africa, it could be Europe, it could be back in another place in the Middle East. I don’t expect that show to fall into a formula,” said Nevins to Entertainment Weekly. “I can see it coming back to the U.S. at some point.”
6. Carrie will have a different job. With the time jump, Gansa reveals that Carrie’s job will be different. “Carrie will no longer be an intelligence officer,” he said.
7. Is Haqqani returning? While the season 4 finale of Homeland did manage to wrap up loose ends, fans saw that Haqqani got away, which means the villain is still around for season 5. Whether he’ll be the main focus of the fifth season or someone the show will bring back in a later season is TBD, but know that the character can be back.
8. Will Charlie Hebdo tragedy be affecting the plot? With recent attacks in Paris, it would not be surprising if the creative team of “Homeland” wanted to step away from certain story lines. But according to Nevins, that won’t be the case at all. “I hope [the attacks are] not considered at all,” he said while speaking to Entertainment Weekly. “I really, really don’t want there to be any limitations. I don’t expect there will be. They never shied away from anything difficult. I want them to go right into the teeth of it again.”
9. The future of Carrie and Quinn. The love life of Carrie will be as messy as ever, after Carrie kissed Quinn, then ends it with him, and then realizes she wants to be with him and that he’s off to Syria. With the time jump in mind, it’ll be interesting to see if the two fell back into professionalism, made things work, or if Quinn is even a part of the new season.
10. Is Carrie’s half-brother in the picture? There’s no reason to introduce the fact that Carrie has a half-brother unless the character will appear in the new season for a tangent storyline. It’s safe to assume that, at some point, her half-brother will be appearing and becoming a recurring person in her life.
11. Will Carrie have a relationship with their estranged mother? Carrie’s father’s funeral brought Carrie back to her estranged mother and with a half-brother in the picture and with her father gone, will Carrie foster a relationship with her mother?
12. Will Dana return? Noticeably absent in the fourth season was Dana — Brody’s daughter and Carrie’s child’s half-sister — whose departure was initially left vague and then confirmed by Gansa. Taking into consideration that the show took place on foreign soil, this made sense. But with the show’s alleged return to the countryside, will Dana be back? It’s entirely possible that the fan-hated character won’t be making a comeback as she’s no longer relevant after Brody’s death. But the character’s return would also not be totally surprising, especially in Carrie’s notoriously chaotic personal life and considering that Dana could want a relationship with her half-sister.