She really wanted some family leave and got it.
We all got a chance to take some time, the writing staff and the rest of the crew.
I remember saying that we were really hoping to wind up in Israel and ultimately had to abandon that.
Credit: Sifeddine Elamine/SHOWTIME
It also felt more current than Israel.
You had your usual research trip to D.C. to speak to insiders there.
What did you learn this time?We talked about Donald Trump.
And thats how our story this season begins.
The Saul-Carrie story has been the one constant through eight seasons.
And we really get to bring that story to a close.
Its the reason that I stuck around for eight seasons.
And I hope we did some justice.
This season feels more grounded than recent seasons, with a very sincere portrayal of all the characters.
Im glad that you felt that way about this one too.
They go to sleep every night concerned about the safety of the country.
Clarie seems pretty riveting this season.
I also liked what you did with Carrie and her mental health this time.
We definitely wanted the final season for her to be on firm mental footing.
But shes battling with a hugely traumatic event in her life, which was her captivity in Russia.
One of the big ideas this season was Carrie would slip on Brodys shoes.
The Moroccan government is very particular about anything that you bring into the country.
Even if you bring a fake weapon into the country, it has to be registered.
So imagine doing big military set pieces and having to register every bullet and account for it.
Also, if youre telling a story in Afghanistan, we want actors who could speak Pashto or Dari.
But the Moroccan security services kept us completely safe and everybody got home fine.
It ended up being remarkable and rewarding.
Its an interesting thing, we get hammered from both sides.
Nobody seems to be able to extricate themselves from it.
Its just a rats nest, a terrible, terrible, terrible situation there.
Will it become a haven for terrorism again?
And what about all the women who can now go to university and can actually lead productive lives?
Should you just abandon all those people?
What happens to the hundreds of billions dollars spent there?
All the people that die there, all the U.S. soldiers.
Did they die in vain if we just pull out?
All these are huge questions.
