Homeland
Season 4
Blu-ray cover art
Starring
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes12
Release
Original networkShowtime
Original releaseOctober 5 (2014-10-05) –
December 21, 2014 (2014-12-21)
Season chronology
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Season 5
List of episodes

The fourth season of the American television drama series Homeland premiered on October 5, 2014, and concluded on December 21, 2014, on Showtime, consisting of 12 episodes.[1][2] The series started as a loosely based variation of the two-season run of the Israeli television series Hatufim (English: Prisoners of War) created by Gideon Raff and is developed for American television by Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa.[3] The fourth season was released on Blu-ray and DVD on September 8, 2015,[4] and became available for streaming on Hulu on August 1, 2016.[5]

Cast and characters

Main article: List of Homeland characters

Main

Claire Danes, Mandy Patinkin and Rupert Friend (left to right) portray lead roles Carrie Mathison, Saul Berenson and Peter Quinn, respectively.

Recurring

Special guest

Guest

Episodes

See also: List of Homeland episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code		U.S. viewers
(millions)
371"The Drone Queen"Lesli Linka GlatterAlex GansaOctober 5, 2014 (2014-10-05)4WAH011.61[6]
Carrie, now operating as the CIA station chief in Kabul, authorizes an airstrike on an Islamabad farmhouse believed to be the whereabouts of Taliban leader Haissam Haqqani. However, reports soon emerge that the airstrike occurred during a wedding, killing Haqqani and 40 other civilians. Among those killed were the family of medical student Aayan Ibrahim, who survived the airstrike and has a video of the wedding he was filming on his mobile phone at the moment of the strike. One of Aayan's friends uploads the video online against his wishes, creating a rift between the United States government and Pakistani armed forces. Carrie travels to the Islamabad embassy to meet with its station chief, Sandy Bachman. Before Carrie arrives, Sandy leaves the embassy unprotected to meet with the secret source of his intelligence on Haqqani. At the same time, Sandy's identity is leaked to the Pakistani press as the one responsible for the airstrike. Carrie and Quinn attempt to pick up Sandy, but a violent mob surrounds their vehicle and beats Sandy to death. Carrie and Quinn narrowly escape.
382"Trylon and Perisphere"Keith GordonChip JohannessenOctober 5, 2014 (2014-10-05)4WAH021.61[6]
Carrie and Quinn return to Washington; Lockhart recalls Carrie from her posting in Afghanistan as punishment for the botched airstrike. Carrie struggles to form a bond with her infant daughter Frannie, who has been under the care of Carrie's sister Maggie in her absence. Quinn, meanwhile, lapses into alcoholism while coping with the events in Islamabad, for which he feels responsible. He has a sexual encounter with his landlady and is later arrested for beating two men at a restaurant. When Carrie bails him out, he gives her the name of Jordan Harris, a former Islamabad case officer who was removed from his posting despite an exemplary record. Carrie tracks down Harris and learns that Lockhart had him transferred out of Islamabad after Harris reported that Sandy was buying information using state secrets. Carrie uses this information to leverage Lockhart into placing her in charge of the Islamabad station, taking over for Sandy.
393"Shalwar Kameez"Lesli Linka GlatterAlexander CaryOctober 12, 2014 (2014-10-12)4WAH031.22[7]
Carrie arrives in Islamabad as the new station chief and learns that it has been placed on lockdown under Martha's orders. However, Carrie has set up an alternate base of operations with Fara and Max, aiming to establish contact with Aayan (who has been threatened out of talking to the media). After Aayan refuses to speak with Fara, Carrie makes contact herself, posing as a journalist, and offers Aayan protection as well as safe passage to London where he can continue his medical studies. Saul arrives in Islamabad to meet with U.S. ambassador Martha Boyd, and old friend and colleague, as well as offer Carrie assistance. Meanwhile, Quinn submits his resignation to the CIA, but faces pressure to stay from Dar Adal, who goads Quinn with his failure to protect Sandy. While watching video footage of the mob's murder of Sandy, Quinn discovers evidence that it was a premeditated attack and reports this to Carrie, who implores him to return to Pakistan. Quinn reluctantly agrees.
404"Iron in the Fire"Michael OfferPatrick HarbinsonOctober 19, 2014 (2014-10-19)4WAH041.35[8]
Aayan discovers that he has been expelled from his university for stealing medicine samples. With nowhere else to go, he accepts Carrie's offer. Carrie receives confirmation from Aayan that the man who threatened him was ISI agent Farhad Ghazi, the same man Quinn identified as having coordinated the attack that led to Sandy's death. Carrie and her team begin surveillance on Ghazi. Dennis Boyd, the ambassador's husband, is approached by ISI agent Tasneem Qureishi, who has discovered that Dennis was Sandy's secret source of U.S. intel. She uses this to blackmail him into becoming her informant. Fara follows Aayan and discovers that Haqqani – his uncle – is alive, having never died in the airstrike, and is receiving deliveries of medicine from Aayan. Carrie realizes that she can use Aayan to get to Haqqani. She installs Aayan at a safehouse, claiming that they must wait several days for his passport and visa, a ploy which buys her time to interrogate him and earn his trust. As part of her recruiting strategy, Carrie seduces Aayan.
415"About a Boy"Charlotte SielingMeredith StiehmOctober 26, 2014 (2014-10-26)4WAH051.52[9]
Carrie interviews Aayan about his relationship with Haqqani, his uncle, but he panics when she broaches the rumor that Haqqani may be alive. On his way back to the United States, Saul spots Farhad Ghazi at the airport, but is captured by Ghazi's men, who are working with Tasneem. Fara and Quinn follow a cleric who was seen to be accompanying Haqqani, but are unable to proceed past a checkpoint, unaware that a kidnapped Saul is being transported in the cleric's car. Quinn confronts Carrie over her lack of assistance in the mission in favor of recruiting Aayan, and accuses her of sexually exploiting the boy. Aayan later confides in Carrie that Haqqani is alive.
426"From A to B and Back Again"Lesli Linka GlatterChip JohannessenNovember 2, 2014 (2014-11-02)4WAH061.54[10]
Carrie gives Aayan his new passport and rehearses him on the details of his identity. He and Carrie are attacked by several men at the safehouse, but Aayan is able to escape. The break-in is revealed to be a ruse engineered by Carrie to prompt Aayan to seek refuge with his uncle, Haqqani. Dennis Boyd later tracks down the safehouse and reports back to Tasneem that Carrie has procured a new identity for Aayan along with evidence of Carrie's bipolar disorder. Quinn learns that Ghazi never left Islamabad and that Saul is unreachable. Carrie, Fara and Max use a GPS tracker in Aayan's passport to monitor him as he travels to a rendezvous with Haqqani, where a CIA drone is positioned overhead. However, Haqqani emerges with a captured Saul, aware that he is under watch, and executes Aayan for leading him into a trap. An enraged Carrie orders a drone strike even with Saul present at the site, but Quinn talks her down, allowing Haqqani and his men to leave with Saul in tow.
437"Redux"Carl FranklinAlexander CaryNovember 9, 2014 (2014-11-09)4WAH071.55[11]
News of Saul's capture reaches the United States, prompting Lockhart to travel to Islamabad. With Saul's presence protecting him from an airstrike, Haqqani holds Saul captive at a compound near the Afghanistan border, where he plots to negotiate Saul's release in exchange for several prisoners. Dennis breaks into Carrie's apartment using a key given to him by Tasneem, and replaces her medication with a hallucinogenic substance. Carrie unwittingly takes the replacement drugs and begins suffering increasingly severe paranoid delusions while following one of Aayan's contacts. Carrie is soon taken off the streets by the police and delivered to a house where she has a vision of Nicholas Brody. Carrie breaks down crying in his arms, unaware that it is a hallucination and that she is actually in the presence of ISI colonel Aasar Khan.
448"Halfway to a Donut"Alex GravesChip JohannessenNovember 16, 2014 (2014-11-16)4WAH081.66[12]
Carrie awakens in Khan's house with no memory of how she got there. She surmises that she has been poisoned, but Khan denies his involvement. Khan later learns from Tasneem that the poisoning was engineered to remove Carrie from Islamabad, and that his intervention foiled the ISI's plans. Over live video, Haqqani presents a captured Saul to the U.S. embassy and names the prisoners he wants released, but Saul begs the U.S. to refuse Haqqani's demands. That night, Saul escapes his captivity, and is guided by Carrie and Quinn to a nearby CIA refuge. During a meeting between the U.S. embassy and the ISI, Carrie realizes that the Pakistanis already have Saul's location. Unable to extract Saul, Carrie reluctantly directs him back into the hands of the Taliban, refusing Saul's wish to die rather than be recaptured. Lockhart decides that the U.S. will accept Haqqani's terms in the prisoner exchange. That night, Khan informs Carrie that Dennis Boyd is the ISI's mole in the embassy.
459"There's Something Else Going On"Seith MannPatrick HarbinsonNovember 23, 2014 (2014-11-23)4WAH091.77[13]
Carrie has Dennis detained at the embassy with Martha's help. During the prisoner exchange, the Taliban use a young boy wearing a suicide vest as leverage to ensure the release of the five prisoners. Saul refuses to move, hoping to prevent the exchange from succeeding, but Carrie convinces him to get up. However, their convoy is struck by two RPGs on the way back to the embassy, prompting Lockhart to send the embassy's security forces to the scene. Dennis realizes that the security personnel are being diverted from an incoming attack on the embassy, and admits to Martha that he told Tasneem of the embassy's hidden underground entrance. As they speak, Haqqani and a troupe of armed soldiers use the tunnel to enter the embassy.
4610"13 Hours in Islamabad"Dan AttiasAlex Gansa & Howard GordonDecember 7, 2014 (2014-12-07)4WAH101.95[14]
Carrie and Saul escape the Taliban's assault on their convoy; Carrie phones Khan for help, but Tasneem forces him to stall his backup, revealing to him the ISI's allegiance to the Taliban. Haqqani and his soldiers storm the embassy, slaughtering numerous personnel. Lockhart, carrying a package detailing the CIA's informant network in Pakistan, joins Martha and Dennis in a secure room. Haqqani and his men begin killing off survivors of the attack until the package is handed over. When Haqqani threatens to kill Fara, Lockhart relents and gives up the package in exchange for her life, but Haqqani executes her nonetheless, and ultimately manages to escape. The White House cuts relations with Pakistan and prepares to evacuate the remaining embassy staff; Quinn, however, goes rogue and kidnaps Farhad Ghazi in hopes of locating Haqqani. Carrie is given permission to stay in Islamabad for five more days in order to find Quinn.
4711"Krieg Nicht Lieb"Clark JohnsonAlexander Cary & Chip JohannessenDecember 14, 2014 (2014-12-14)4WAH112.11[15]
Quinn visits his former lover Astrid, a German intelligence officer stationed in Islamabad, and receives her help in locating Haqqani's current whereabouts. He has Aayan's ex-girlfriend upload a video of his execution to the internet, prompting public protests intended to draw Haqqani out of hiding, and assembles a bomb that he plans to detonate during the demonstration. Tasneem sends a group of pro-Haqqani counter-protesters to the scene in response. While searching for Quinn, Carrie is devastated to learn from her sister that their father has died of a stroke. She arrives at the protest and manages to talk Quinn down from detonating the bomb, but attempts to kill Haqqani herself when he arrives to greet his supporters. However, Khan prevents her from shooting Haqqani, alerting her to Dar Adal's presence in Haqqani's vehicle.
4812"Long Time Coming"Lesli Linka GlatterMeredith StiehmDecember 21, 2014 (2014-12-21)4WAH121.92[16]
Dar Adal informs Saul that he made a deal with Haqqani, who agreed not to harbor terrorists in Afghanistan in exchange for being removed from the CIA's kill list. Dar assures Saul that the video evidence of his capture by Haqqani will not be publicized, preserving Saul's chances of becoming CIA director. Carrie returns home from Islamabad for her father's funeral. She and Quinn reunite and share a kiss later that night; Quinn suggests to Carrie that they leave the CIA together, but Carrie believes she is incapable of upholding a relationship. Carrie tracks down her estranged mother, who apologizes for abandoning her family and assures Carrie that her bipolar disorder does not prevent her from having a healthy relationship. Carrie attempts to call Quinn, but he has already accepted a high-risk mission in Syria with Dar's group, believing Carrie turned him down. Carrie visits Dar Adal and confronts him over his dealings with Haqqani, claiming that Saul would never approve; however, she is dismayed to find Saul already at Dar's house, and realizes that he in fact agreed to the deal.

Production

On October 22, 2013, Homeland was renewed for a fourth season, consisting of 12 episodes.[1] Production and filming for the fourth season began in June 2014, shifting production to Cape Town, South Africa.[17] Executive producers for the fourth season are Alex Gansa, Howard Gordon, Gideon Raff, Alexander Cary, Chip Johannessen, Meredith Stiehm, Avi Nir, and Ran Telem.[18]

Casting

Nazanin Boniadi, who had a recurring role in the third season as Fara Sherazi, was promoted to series regular for the fourth season.[19] Several actors were cast for the fourth season in June 2014, including new series regular Laila Robins, as well as Corey Stoll, Suraj Sharma, Raza Jaffrey, and Michael O'Keefe, who all have recurring roles.[20][21][22] In July 2014, Nimrat Kaur, Mark Moses and Art Malik were additionally cast in recurring roles.[23]

Reception

Critical response

The fourth season received positive reviews from critics, with particular acclaim for the second half. On Metacritic, it has a score of 74 out of 100, based on 22 reviews.[24] On Rotten Tomatoes, the season received an 82% rating based on 49 reviews with an average rating of 8.0/10. The critical consensus reads "Homeland is back on top, with a renewed energy and focus not seen since its first season."[25] Verne Gay of Newsday gave the season premiere an "A+" grade and wrote that the show "feels as fresh, important and relevant as yesterday's news – or tomorrow's news. A bracing, intelligent start."[26] Matthew Gilbert of The Boston Globe noted it has improved over its previous seasons, and wrote, "The rebooted Homeland promises to be an engaging, streamlined CIA thriller with a few big ideas about America and the war on terrorism."[27] Mary McNamara of the Los Angeles Times also noted the series improvement and wrote, "Early episodes are strong, if not as shattering as the inaugural season."[28] The season finale was well-received, with Rotten Tomatoes giving the episode a 100% rating based on 12 critic reviews, saying "Subverting expectations, "Long Time Coming" makes for a smart, sharp, and satisfyingly subdued finale for an excellent season of Homeland."[29]

Accolades

For the 21st Screen Actors Guild Awards, the cast was nominated for Best Drama Ensemble, Claire Danes was nominated for Best Drama Actress, and the series was nominated for Best Stunt Team.[30] For the 72nd Golden Globe Awards, Danes was nominated for Best Actress – Television Series Drama.[31] For the 67th Directors Guild of America Awards, Lesli Linka Glatter won for Outstanding Directing – Drama Series for the episode "From A to B and Back Again", and Dan Attias received a nomination in the same category for directing "13 Hours in Islamabad".[32][33] For the 5th Critics' Choice Television Awards, the series was nominated for Best Drama Series and Mandy Patinkin was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.[34]

For the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards, the series received five nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series, Claire Danes for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, F. Murray Abraham for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, and Lesli Linka Glatter for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for "From A to B and Back Again".[35]

Criticisms

Laura Durkay of The Washington Post criticized the show for perpetuating cultural stereotypes and Islamophobia.[36]

According to media reports, Pakistani officials were unhappy over the depiction of Pakistan in the fourth season. Nadeem Hotiana, spokesperson of Pakistan Embassy, said, "Maligning a country that has been a close partner and ally of the US is a disservice not only to the security interests of the US, but also to the people of the US."[37] A source was quoted as saying, "Islamabad is a quiet, picturesque city with beautiful mountains and lush greenery. In Homeland, it’s portrayed as a grimy hellhole and war zone where shootouts and bombs go off with dead bodies scattered around. Nothing is further from the truth."[37] The alleged Islamabad scenes were filmed in Cape Town, South Africa.[37] The officials also lashed out at "absurd" portrayal of terrorist treatment in Pakistan, saying, "Repeated insinuations that an intelligence agency of Pakistan is complicit in protecting the terrorists at the expense of innocent Pakistani civilians is not only absurd but also an insult to the ultimate sacrifices of the thousands of Pakistani security personnel in the war against terrorism."[37]

References

  1. ^ a b Hibberd, James (October 22, 2013). "'Homeland' renewed for fourth season". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 6, 2014.
  2. ^ Hibberd, James (July 18, 2014). "'Homeland' season 4 intense first trailer". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 18, 2014.
  3. ^ "Homeland – Listings". The New York Times. Retrieved December 30, 2011.
  4. ^ Lambert, David (July 17, 2015). "Homeland – Street Date, Updated BD/DVD Box Art for 'The Complete 4th Season'". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on July 19, 2015. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
  5. ^ Long, Stephanie Topacio (August 1, 2016). "Now streaming: Showtime's hit political thriller 'Homeland' lands on Hulu". Digital Trends. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
  6. ^ a b Kondolojy, Amanda (October 7, 2014). "Sunday Cable Ratings: MLB Baseball Tops Night + 'The Strain', 'The Real Housewives of New Jersey', 'Alaska: The Last Frontier' + More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 9, 2014. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
  7. ^ Bibel, Sara (October 14, 2014). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'The Walking Dead' Wins Night, 'Talking Dead', 'Boardwalk Empire', 'Homeland' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 16, 2014. Retrieved October 14, 2014.
  8. ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (October 21, 2014). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'The Walking Dead' Tops Night + 'Talking Dead', 'The Real Housewives of New Jersey', 'NFL Countdown', NASCAR Coverage & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 23, 2014. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
  9. ^ Bibel, Sara (October 28, 2014). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'The Walking Dead' Wins Night, 'Talking Dead', 'Boardwalk Empire', 'Real Housewives of New Jersey', 'Homeland' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 30, 2014. Retrieved October 28, 2014.
  10. ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (November 4, 2014). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'Walking Dead' Tops Night + 'Talking Dead', 'Skyscraper Live', 'The Real Housewives of New Jersey' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on November 6, 2014. Retrieved November 4, 2014.
  11. ^ Bibel, Sara (November 11, 2014). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'The Walking Dead' Wins Night, 'Talking Dead', 'Real Housewives of Atlanta', 'Homeland', 'The Newsroom' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on November 11, 2014. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
  12. ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (November 18, 2014). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'The Walking Dead' Tops Night + 'Talking Dead', 'The Real Housewives of Atlanta', NASCAR & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on November 20, 2014. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
  13. ^ Bibel, Sara (November 25, 2014). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'The Walking Dead' Wins Night, 'Talking Dead', 'Real Housewives of Atlanta', 'Homeland', 'The Newsroom' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on November 27, 2014. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  14. ^ Bibel, Sara (December 9, 2014). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'Eaten Alive' Wins Night, 'Real Housewives of Atlanta', 'The Librarians', 'Homeland', 'The Newsroom' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on December 26, 2014. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
  15. ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (December 16, 2014). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' Tops Night + 'Kourtney & Khloe Take the Hamptons', 'The Librarians' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on December 20, 2014. Retrieved December 16, 2014.
  16. ^ Bibel, Sara (December 23, 2014). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' Wins Night, 'Watch What Happens Live', 'The Librarians', '90 Day Fiance', 'Homeland' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on December 25, 2014. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
  17. ^ Bacle, Ariana (April 4, 2014). "'Homeland' moves production to South Africa for season 4". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  18. ^ "The Multi-Award Winning Showtime(R) Drama "Homeland" Set to Begin Production in South Africa This Summer" (Press release). Showtime. April 4, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  19. ^ Seikaly, Andrea (March 14, 2014). "'Homeland' Makes Nazanin Boniadi a Series Regular". Variety. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  20. ^ Snierson, Dan (June 3, 2014). "'Homeland' recruits two actors for season 4, including 'House of Cards' alum". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  21. ^ Snierson, Dan (June 5, 2014). "'Life of Pi' star Suraj Sharma joins 'Homeland' for season 4 – EXCLUSIVE". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  22. ^ O'Connell, Michael (June 11, 2014). "'Homeland' Adds 'Smash' Star, 'Roseanne' Alum for Season 4 (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  23. ^ O'Connell, Michael (July 31, 2014). "'Homeland' Adds Trio to Season 4 (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 2, 2014.
  24. ^ "Homeland : Season 4". Metacritic. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
  25. ^ "Homeland: Season 4". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  26. ^ Gay, Verne (October 2, 2014). "'Homeland' review: A restart kick-starts the fourth season". Newsday. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
  27. ^ Gilbert, Matthew (October 5, 2014). "'Homeland' back on solid ground". The Boston Globe. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
  28. ^ McNamara, Mary (October 3, 2014). "'Homeland' and Carrie still fighting the good fight". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
  29. ^ "Long Time Coming – Homeland: Season 4, Episode 12". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  30. ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb (December 10, 2014). "SAG Awards: Modern Family, Thrones, Homeland, Boardwalk, Cards Lead Noms; Mad Men Shut Out; HTGAWM, Maslany and Aduba Get Nods". TVLine. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
  31. ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb (December 11, 2014). "Golden Globes: Fargo, True Detective Lead Nominations; Jane the Virgin, Transparent Score Multiple Nods". TVLine. Retrieved December 11, 2014.
  32. ^ Schwartz, Ryan (January 14, 2015). "OITNB, Game of Thrones, Transparent Among Directors Guild Nominees". TVLine. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
  33. ^ "DGA Awards: Alejandro G. Iñárritu Wins Best Feature Film Director For 'Birdman', TV Winners Include Lesli Linka Glatter 'Homeland' & Jill Soloway 'Transparent'". Deadline.com. February 7, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  34. ^ Li, Shirley (May 6, 2014). "The Critics' Choice TV Awards 2015: And the nominees are..." Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 7, 2015.
  35. ^ Hipes, Patrick (July 16, 2015). "Emmy Nominations 2015 – Full List". Deadline.com. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
  36. ^ Durkay, Laura (October 2, 2014). "'Homeland' is the most bigoted show on television". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
  37. ^ a b c d Schram, Jamie (December 27, 2014). "Pakistani officials furious over 'Homeland'". New York Post. Retrieved December 29, 2014.

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