Umm…. actually the plot was not abandoned. It turned out Tom Walker was alive and was going to be used as the assassin. The house was picked because of the proximity to the airport. Once they found out he was alive and around, it was easily presumed the house could no longer be used by the terrorists. They continued to pursue Walker until his death.

Regarding the house near the airport, it was implied that Tom Walker was going to use it to snipe either the President or VP as they disembarked at the nearby airport, but that plan was abandoned once the couple that owned the house was compromised (although I think you could totally take issue with the fact that the husband gets gunned down in the next episode when they’re on the run, and we’re never really told who killed him).

Regarding Carrie seemingly falling in love with Brody too quickly, I disagree. The first half of the season consists of her watching his every movement using the cameras she installed in his house. The show makes it pretty clear that she’s borderline obsessed with him and the possibility that he’s a terrorist, so I don’t think it’s too far-fetched for her to lose control of that obsession.

And regarding Dana seemingly recognizing Carrie even though they’d never met, it’s been a while since I’ve seen the season finale, but I’m pretty sure she doesn’t recognize Carrie. It’s more that she gets freaked out by Carrie’s unhinged nature and the things she’s saying about Brody.

@mike cupcake: that’s what I was thinking, too. Maybe the source material is more to my tastes.

Just out of curiousity, what ARE some shows that meet your high standards?