With "Homeland" off the air since the third season concluded in December, the show is certainly missed. The hanging death of Nicholas Brody certainly created a stir and brought some much needed attention to "Homeland's" sagging fortunes; the once-popular show needed a clean slate after sinking ratings and critical backlash. The melodrama between Brody (Damian Lewis) and his bipolar lover Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) also definitely contributed to the increased attention. 

What can fans and critics expect to see in Season 4? First, new story lines are bound to emerge. One such development surrounds Mathison's status in the CIA. She's been promoted to Station Chief. The diehard CIA agent's larger role in "Homeland" will take her to the Middle East, or Istanbul, Turkey, to be exact.

Next, after shooting primarily in Charlotte, N.C. for the past three years, South Africa will be the new home base for the production, at least for as long as a Middle East stand-in filming location is needed.

But just because "Homeland" is moving to a different location -- it was primarily set in Washington D.C. before -- doesn't mean that your favorite characters are getting the boot. Mathison will get to assemble her own team of spies, counter-insurgent personnel and strategists in order to ensure the safety of American and Turkish citizens. Series creator Alex Gansa name dropped some of those very characters in a recent interview.

"And as she mentioned to Sen. Lockhart, she gets to choose her own people. So Quinn, Fara ... Virgil and possibly Max may come along with her," Gansa told TVLine. "We get to bring some of our familiar faces overseas."

And let's not forget the most important addition: Carrie's baby. That's right Mathison is surely growing by the day and by the time Season 4 comes around she'll likely be ready to pop. But how will the medicated operative manage to raise a child in light of all that happened in Iran? Only time will tell, but we can't wait to find out. 

With what seems to be a new focus, will "Homeland" become a born-again sensation among discerning Cable TV viewers worldwide? Or did Alex Gansa and Co. neglect to breath new life into the show for far too long?