One of the biggest questions going into season 4 of Homeland is whether or not the Brody family will be featured at all.

The next season of Homeland will have to go in a vastly different direction after the tumultuous events of the season 3 finale. In the finale, Nicolas Brody (Damian Lewis) was hanged to death in Iran, signaling the end of an era for Homeland.

Since Brody can no longer appear in the series going forward, it is also unlikely that viewers will see Jessica (Morena Baccarin), Dana (Morgan Saylor) or Chris Brody (Jackson Pace) ever again. Both Baccarin and Saylor were demoted from series regular to guest star status for season 4, indicating that they will not have any main storylines like they had in the first three seasons.

Brody's legacy will likely last through Carrie (Claire Danes), whose love for him blossomed over the course of the first three seasons.

Homeland season 3 was racked with critical and fan backlash, mostly because of its focus on Dana in addition to its lack of Brody through most of the season. Now that Brody and his family will no longer be the focus, it remains to be seen how the public reacts to season 4.

Homeland showrunner Alex Gansa spoke with The Hollywood Reporter recently about the backlash and encouraged fans to be patient.

"It's great that people are so passionate about the show, and it's great that people are talking about it. It's great we're getting the best numbers we've ever had," Gansa explained. "All that accrues to the benefits of Homeland. We're just working as hard as we can to make it as compelling, entertain and be true to the characters as we can. That's what we're doing, and it's for other people to judge."

Homeland season 4 is expected to return in fall 2014 on Showtime.

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