'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
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.

GET THE BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT STORIES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

Paramount+ drops all episodes of the ‘Among Us’ adaptation just after an announcement at the Summer Game Fest.
5 hours ago
Peter McFerrin faces off against Seth McElroy and Jackie Goncalves in Saturday's episode of ‘Jeopardy!’.
8 hours ago
After a lengthy break following Season 2, Paramount+ has shared a major ‘Lioness’ Season 3 update as Joe faces dangers that hit closer to home.
8 hours ago
The three-part docuseries explores the fascinating story of doomsday cult Eternal Values and its leader, Frederick von Mierers
19 hours ago
Throughout the previous episodes, Carter skipped school and looked upon Dwight as some sort of a mentor
21 hours ago
Fan-favorite Netflix show is set to premiere its upcoming season next week on June 11.
21 hours ago
'NCIS' Season 23 finale ended on a cliffhanger after Wilmer Valderrama's Nick Torres confronted Mateo [Patrick Keleher]
22 hours ago
Here's everything we know about Sadie Sink's new FX series 'The Marriage Plot'
23 hours ago
The next season of the crime drama series will see Jon Hamm's Coop deal with the aftermath of Owen Ashe's death
23 hours ago
Katie Robbins and Ellen Pompeo previously collaborated on Hulu's limited series 'Good American Family,' which premiered in 2025
1 day ago