‘Homeland’ Season 6 spoilers: The time gap in Season 5 may backfire in Season 6

“Homeland” Season 6 will have to deal with a time gap very carefully. Otherwise, it will render a lot of story angles redundant.

[Spoiler Alert] There was a time gap of two years between Season 4 and Season 5. However, show producers may be criticised if they show a time gap again when Season 6 hits screens.

Otto Düring (Sebastian Koch) has just proposed to Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) and the two are set to meet the month after to discuss about the proposal. It may not be in good taste to begin “Homeland” Season 6 two years later as that will make the entire Otto-Carries-Jonas triangle redundant. Jonas (Alexander Fehling) was last seen dumping Carrie even after they made love.

Similarly, it would also be in bad taste and illogical to suddenly show Peter Quinn (Rupert Friend) fit and chasing terrorists after he suffered a chemical weapon experiment and a severe brain haemorrhage. In fact, in the final scene of the Season 5 finale, Carrie walks up to Quinn’s bed who is in coma, and removes the pulse monitor from Quinn’s finger.

Related: ‘Homeland’ Season 6 spoilers: A completely changed Peter Quinn and grave troubles for Carrie Mathison

Although it was not shown whether Carried pulled the plug to end Quinn’s suffering and let him die in peace, “Homeland” fans are waiting to find out what happens to Quinn. Thus, a time gap of more than a few months may be met with criticism.

A big time gap will undo all the brilliant work that culminated in one of the best season finales of 2015, writes Melty.

Season 5 began with Carrie immersed in German culture. She had left her past behind, vowed never to join the CIA, and was happy with her daughter Frannie (Lotta Pfitzer). She also works for Otto’s Düring Foundation. The time gap shown in Season 5 was appreciated as it brought out Carrie’s other side of being a good mother, which was debated till Season 4. The time gap also brought out the differences between Carrie and her mentor Saul Berenson (Mandy Patinkin).

“Homeland” Season 6 resumes in New York City but the questions remain. Will Carrie and Saul be friends again? Is Quinn alive? Even if he is, will he be the same again?

“Quinn is severely damaged. There is no question about it. The life-or-death question remains. But if he should live, it will not be in any way, shape or form the way he has lived to date,” said Showtime programming president Gary Levine.

"Homeland" season 6 is expected to premiere in October in the US.