'Homeland' Season 8 Episode 8: Heartbroken fans cry after Max's death and wonder if Carrie is a curse

Maury Sterling's character Max Piotrowski was always running on borrowed time the minute he was captured by the Taliban. And as painful as it seems, the character's death on-screen felt like it was a real thing
PUBLISHED MAR 30, 2020
Maury Sterling as Max Piotrowski (Sifeddine Elamine/SHOWTIME)
Maury Sterling as Max Piotrowski (Sifeddine Elamine/SHOWTIME)

Spoilers for 'Homeland' Season 8 Episode 8 'Thenrody(s)

Maury Sterling's character Max Piotrowski was always running on borrowed time the minute he was captured by the Taliban. And as painful as it seems, the character's death on-screen felt like it was a real thing.

"Soul crushing" and "heartbroken" were the terms fans used when they took to Twitter to pay their respects to the character, who was an integral part of 'Homeland' since the show's inception. 

Max was captured by the Taliban and despite Carrie's (Claire Danes) valiant attempts to rescue the CIA agent, he is ruthlessly killed by Jalal Haqqani. His death may have been foreseen by fans, but they did not see this coming, not this way at least. "Not forgiving the writers" tweeted a fan after she saw his death scene.

Another thought it was a swift scene and it sucked. "Well f***. That went sideways fast. Damn it. RIP Haqqani and Max. @MaurySterling @NumanAcar @PatinkinMandy @CostaRonin.

A fan had a theory after Max's death: "The anguish of Carey realizing she had taken Max for granted was so powerful. How she realized she had used him, then probably realizing she was just as used as Max."

And safe to say, he was right. "The unsung hero of @SHO_Homeland, the utility man, the clever quiet kid with a good heart, who would do anything to avenge Fara’s death... Man, that was harsh," another fan tweeted

"Nooooooo. Not Max. That broke me," said a fan. For most Twitterati, his death scene, as expected, was quite shocking and brutal. "Quinn. Now Max. Really? He couldn’t have lived?!?!" asked an aghast fan. "Max killed by Haqqani Jr. long after Fara was killed by Haqqani Sr. This storyline, the heartbreak.." tweeted another. 

The other question fans had: "Is Carrie cursed? Everyone she loves died! Brody, Quinn, now Max. #Homeland." The other theory was if this was the last straw for Carrie. "Will this make Carrie snap, like we who are watching? It was your job, Saul! #Homeland".

"Episode title 'Threnody(s)' was a bit of a spoiler, but a great one nonetheless.," tweeted a fan. This tweet sums up how 'Homeland' fans are feeling right now: "Ugh, when a bad guy and a good guy die....and you’re heartbroken about both!"

What are your thoughts on Max's death and the sort of ending given to Sterling's character?

'Homeland' Season 8 airs on Sundays at 9 pm ET on Showtime.

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