I find Elizabeth's change of hard heart a little too quick for me. I'm not ready to forgive her for all the heartless, callous things she's done. Glad to see her change of heart though.
Hate that Oleg is in jail, though I think Stan will somehow save the day for him.
And Philip. What a rock he's been. Great acting by Matthew Rhys.
Leilah: Good catch. Stan is in a very precarious spot. Oleg will tell Aderholt everything he knows about Stan’s involvement with Nina which will lead to Stan’s arrest as a double agent who was trying to throw everyone off his scent by trying to implicate the Jennings. In a real twist, the Jennings will be considered heroes by Gorbechov and the CIA , enter into the witness protection program
5
It's convenient that the sport that Henry is so good at is also a popular sport in Russia. Does that make it easy for him to let his parents grab him and run?
Or: one day he's playing on the US team in an international tournament in Moscow and looks out into the crowd and sees...his parents and sister, who he had been told were dead.
1
I'm not so sure that Henry opts out of spying. Unlike Paige, who has developed a real relationship with Brian, Henry specifically denied any romantic connections. Maybe he'll turn out to be the espionage specialist, instead of Paige.
Furthermore, I was just reviewing William's dying words lamenting never having had a family, envying Philip and Elizabeth, "All American family [!]. Two kids. She's beautiful. He's lucky."
Contrast him with Harvest, whose dying words expressed his satisfaction with his solitary life as a spy, "I did what I wanted."
Which of these two will Philip and Elizabeth choose: family or work? Or is there a way to have it all? Depends on Stan, I guess.
As much as I would like to see the Jennings family stay together and go back to living across the street from Stan and Renee, I don't think it can happen. They would always live in fear of retribution from the anti-Gorbachev KGB rump forces. And I can't imagine Philip and Elizabeth going into the witness protection program without the kids, who would never want to do that -- especially Henry. So, my prediction is there's a gunfight as the FBI closes in on the family. Paige, Elizabeth and Philip die in a hail of bullets, with Philip and Elizabeth trying desperately to save Paige and one another. Elizabeth is the last one to die, but before she goes, she puts on her wedding ring and puts Philip's on his ring finger. We see Stan taking Henry under his wing to protect him, as Stan saw the social worker comforting the Teapots' son after Elizabeth killed them. Oleg goes home to his family, hopefully in a trade for Martha, as another poster suggested here. And, to close, we see Gorbachev leaving his motorcade to wade into a crowd of Americans at an intersection in downtown Washington -- as he actually did in December 1987. Oh, and Renee -- she was just a red herring since all suspenseful dramas need one and since Stan deserves some happiness. And Aderholt and mail robot get a spinoff show of their own.
1
No way American teenager Henry agrees to flee to Canada
3
Right, because if he went to Canada, he's have to learn how to act nice and play hockey.
Oh. Wait. Nevermind...
1
One more day to go!
I agree with those who argue that Stan will have to take the side of the Jennings. Eliz. has essentially saved the START treaty. We're all working toward the same goal now. The mystery is how the FBI will come to realize this. Maybe Arkady will show up to explain it.
The plot is agonizing because we are not privy to what is going on in the upper echelons of the KGB. There's obviously some kind of power struggle going on and until it is resolved, Philip and Eliz's lives are at great risk. (to say the least)
START was signed in 1991, and I used to think the final episode would involve a time jump. Now i am not so sure.
The failed coup against Gorbechov was in Aug 1991. Yeltsin took over the end of the year. I don't think the writers will go there. Maybe they will revisit the fall of the Wall (1989).
Can't wait.
3
Maybe Arkady will show up to blackmail Stan into sending Oleg's coded message. Near the end of season 2, when Stan drove to their safe house apartment in the crummy used car he'd just bought for cash (via Pennysaver?), Arkady and 2 other KGB agents were there with a beaten-up Nina. Arkady knows about Stan's involvement with Nina ("don't tell her you love her so much") and his aborted theft of the Stealth software program Echo.
The only other FBI agent who knew anything about Nina was Gaad, to whom Stan mentioned something vaguely "more" in his relationship with her. (Aderholt also asked Stan about Nina, but Stan brushed him off.)
None of Stan's CI colleagues know that Nina was a double agent or know about his involvement with Echo. (The show hasn't indicated that Stan knows that Nina was a double-agent either.) Stan is in a pretty precarious position going into tonight's final episode.
4
Great theories, Suzanne!
Since the Americans seems to always have duality, I wonder if the hardliner vs. Gorby Soviet factions will be doubled by a CIA vs. FBI feud.
There have been FBI-CIA feuds over Kennedy's death, Watergate, 9/11, and some small ones on this series.
https://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/05/opinion/wedge-on-the-potomac.html
1
Right you are. Stan is totally compromised because of his rel. with Nina. And Oleg hasn’t forgotten.
Less than one hour to go here on the east coast! I’m watching in the morning. The commercials ruin it.
Fast forward 29 years. As Philip and Elizabeth sit on a couch watching the election results one of them says..."Mission accomplished. We got one in the White House!" Series ends.
15
Watching the last few episodes, I've been struck by how the theme of trust -- between husband and wife, parent and child, friends, neighbors, colleagues, negotiating partners, boss and employee, etc. -- has been evident in so many of the story threads. For the ending, I'm going to trust that the show runners will try to satisfy our devotion to the show, and not leave us hanging with an ambiguous, irresolute ending or flummoxed by a shocking and senseless plot twist.
Instead, I'm hoping for an ending that give us some sense of what the characters' fates will be in a context that makes sense thematically. Think of the series finale for Six Feet Under, a show about death that allowed the viewers to see how the main characters would die -- whether along, surrounded by loved ones, prosaically, or in a hail of bullets. Another example -- The Office, where the characters came back together at the premiere of the documentary that framed the show, thus revealing how their lives turned out.
So, how about this -- however the Jennings' get-away run ends -- and I'm not going to attempt to sketch this out as so many others have done so intriguingly -- the show will end with a flash-forward to the fall of the Berlin Wall, leaving us with the knowledge of where all the characters (or at least those who make it past the showdown at the St. Edwards' corral) end up on November 9, 1989 as the Soviet Union and its tragic, grand experiment in Communism begins to crumble.
6
so love the Chevy Chase perspective. (Full disclosure: born and raised.)
Third generation native Washingtonian, have lived in Chevy Chase MD for 38 years. Current Chevy Chase perspective is that the traffic is horrific and P & E would never have been able to escape south on Connecticut ave.
Silly ending - P & E and Paige are on the run, but get caught by the FBI when Philip stops to pick up his new suit from the tailor. Paige appears to get away, but the feds are really following her since obviously she is not a great spy. She leads them right to Claudia, who is writing "Die Nesterenko" in red lipstick over and over again on a mirror and the smell of incriminating Russian soup is all over the apartment. Paige is then taken into custody, after a thrilling 2 second sparring match between her and Stan. Claudia dies in the struggle in the apartment, but not before taking out at least 3 agents with her squirrel pin. Meanwhile, Henry has received a secret phone call, saying things are "topsy-turvy" at home right now. He goes and grabs a pre-packed hockey bag full of stuff and runs out the door into the night. We see him get in a car with Renee driving. We never see the two of them again, causing great frustration and speculation among the viewing audience.
Philip and Elizabeth decide to take a deal where they confess to get Paige a light sentence. Paige is extradited to Russia and goes to live with Oleg's family as she acclimates to her new country. P and E spend a few years in the American penal system, where Stavros visits often, and rubs in how well he is doing in his new job and how good he is getting at line dancing. P&E eventually are sent back to Russia, final shot of them eating at Pizza Hut in Moscow with Mischa, Gabriel, and Martha.
6
Wow, I'd sure feel sorry for Oleg's family if they had to live with Petulant Paige.
5
Elizabeth put Canadian passports and currency in the go bag.
4
Thanks for that! I forgot check on the freeze frame, ha.
It makes sense, based on a season 1 or 2 (I believe) series of scenes when Philip and Elizabeth thought they'd have to grab the kids and run. My recollection from then is that their bug out plan always was Canada, if they had time to implement their planned escape.
Canada is also where Carrie sent Brody, the first stop in his long and tragic exile.
Generally, I'm loving how this season is ramping up toward the end. I always thought Paige would ultimately be killed in the line of duty, which would redirect both Elizabeth's and Philip's priorities, but I love how Elizabeth is coming in from the cold. I also like how loose ends, like Pastor Tim and Stavros, are re/appearing but not threatening - yet.
It was an over-convenience that Tatiana was the assassin. She was a consulate worker, not a field-trained assassin. Maybe they're trying to suggest the failing budget of the KGB?
5
Maybe because Tatiana wanted to harm Oleg - so she had to be killed, and this was the set-up to do it.
1
Since Tatiana failed spectacularly, it should be a huge international incident. Russian member of the Residentura caught trying to assassinate one of their own high ranking diplomats on American Soil during Summit negotiations. I'm sure we won't see too mudh of that in the finale though. not enough time.
1
I found some of Holly Taylor's comments about the end of the in interviews a little too specific.
About the general ending questions, she gave the location where it was filmed, the weather at that moment that COULD hint at a location being portrayed, and used a very indicative and emotive adjective to describe the mood of the last scene she filmed. An adjective that could convey a mood resulting from a very specific set of events.
It was just enough to tip someone to some sense of the mood etc. I didn't appreciate it--I tuned in expecting fully vague to nonexistent description of the end, as is always the case with the actors.
So if you are bothered by any kind of information you begin to interpret in your mind (especially the adjective) avoid her post-filming interviews! LOL!
2
Thank you. No matter what we commentors predict, we want to be surprised and also want to have seen the gun on the mantelpiece.
1
Both Philip and Elizabeth are prepared to die. Philip was ready when he confessed to Elizabeth and Elizabeth when she confessed to Claudia. Still, I predict that they somehow survive and somehow helped by Renee. Paige kills Stan to save her parents.
1
The only reason I could see Philip wanting to live is that he wants to care for his kids.
I've been trying to come up with scenarios that fit with the spirit of the writers so far.
One thing is that Stan may believe Henry doesn't know anything about his parents or Paige. Stan also knows that Paige might be compromised after Henry told him Paige had met Aunt Helen. Red flag.
Stan, who knows exactly where Henry goes to school, just might reach out as the Jennings are on the lam, to save Henry. Stan might trust his instincts that Henry is the innocent, so there is no need to have the local cops go pick him up and deliver him to the nearest FBI office for questioning.
Ergo, if the Stanster and his Feebers scoop up Elizabeth, Philip and Paige, whatever happens to them--live or die or on trial--Henry might still be saved by keeping the truth about his parent's and sister from him forever. Stan could contrive the lie they died in terrible car accident. Stan could make SURE he never finds out. Henry suffers horrible loss but which is the lesser of the evils?
Henry never needs to know the truth. He could be taken in by Jared's family as he already is part of that family anyway.
E, P and P might get close to Henry's school to see cop cars there bringing Henry out and being taken away as Stan tries to save him.
So they have to continue their exit plan--caught or not-- without Big Hank. Tragic, but if Henry can be saved from all this, then something is salvaged.
3
Paige is doomed. Had Pastor Tim come clean and fingered her parents, Stan would have arrested them and she'd have lived. Now, by Pastor Tim covering up for them, she's on the run with them and will die. (The moral of the story is not to lie to the FBI.) The FBI will spot Claudia on their safe house patrol and she will try to talk her way out of it but will eventually kill an agent and then she'll be killed. Renee is revealed as a Soviet spy who will be featured in the spinoff.
5
True. Pastor Tim could not finger the Jennings without fingering himself for holding back information from the Feds all this time, because he has known they were Soviets and up to no good for years.
Even if he was vague and said yeah, there might have been something odd about them but.... When you say that to a law enforcement Fed, the obvious follow from him is, "Why did you not say anything and let us check it out?" It's a no win, once you start talking.
Pastor Tim answered perfectly--he had no other choice without getting himself and his wife in trouble.
2
Doesn't this make Pastor Tim a rather unattractive cynic? "CYA" Forget about the millions of others who might be killed if the spies get their hands on the secrets. Or - is he, like Stavos, being "loyal"?
I think Pastor Tim replied in a way that he thought best for Paige, to keep her parents from going to prison, but it's going to be the exact opposite and will lead to her death. I don't think he's being cynical or covering for himself.
I think the fate of Elizabeth and Philip will rest in Paige's hands. She will be tasked with their killing by Claudia. I don't think we are going to see a wrap of all the characters' lives. No Martha. No rescue of Oleg. I think Stan's new wife is with the Center and she may have to kill Stan in all the final chaos. But, Philip and Elizabeth will live...my guess is they will head to Mexico.
1
Dunno what their escape plan is. Years ago, when P&E thought they'd have to run, it was Canada, I believe. Didn't they have Canadian docs? Can't recall.
Also, Canada is closer than Mexico from DC. And Henry's in New Hampshire--so if they want to go get him, going on to Canada or back to Boston harbor to get on a ship like Timoshev was supposed to do in his exfil is easier.
Canada wouldn't be that hard. Many border roads are two lane affairs with an orange cone sitting in the middle of the road to indicate the border.
Back in 1987 there weren't drones and sophisticated electronics to monitor all the rural roads that cross from the US into Canada along that immense border. Unless they run into a patrol officer by happen stance, they'd get into Canada easy peasey. (As long as they stay off the major feeder roads leading to the official border crossing that will probably be watched.)
My version of the series finale. Stan, who is close to Henry, asks Henry where his parents stay when they visit him (assuming they ever visit him.). He tells him they stay in some remote cabin near the school. Stan finds the cabin, which happens to be their safe house. Stan is there waiting for them when they arrive. Elizabeth wants to kill Stan but Philip says that if Stan wants to capture them, he will have surrounded the house with agents so it would do no good. Stan, Elizabeth and Philip have a long talk and Stan decides to facilitate their flight to Russia. What happens to Paige. Three thoughts: 1) she marries her intern friend and years later reconciles with her parents in Russia; 2) she has a nervous breakdown or 3) she kills herself from the stress and betrayals she’s experienced. My guess is number two.
1
This is one of the best shows I have seen in my life. I love it.
The only thing I am not buying is that Claudia - after Elizabeth tells her that not only did she decide to let Nesterenko live but also killed this mission for the second time but assassinating Tatjana - and Claudia keeps sitting still and eating her fish soup? Not pulling a gun on Elizabeth? This is the same Claudia that in cold blood killed the CIA Director Richard Patterson in Season 1 episode 13. And now she is humbly accepting her fate? When everything she wanted is falling apart? Not putting surveillance on Elizabeth after Elizabeth refused to kill Nesterenko and simply sending another agent to do the job? This is not the Claudia we know. I will be surprised if Claudia just lets it go....
9
Stan adopts Henry
Oleg goes to jail (grim realism--good guy loses)
Paige continues spying, continuing family tradition
Stan leaves FBI in semi-disgrace but opens private security firm
Martha is welcomed back to U.S., but, having found happiness with her adopted Russian daughter, stays in the Motherland.
Philip and Elizabeth--a few possibilities
---Elizabeth gets away, Philip jailed (again, grim realism)
--They both get away, spend life in hiding, without their kids
--They go back to Russia, where, of course, Philip runs into Martha
Elizabeth and Paige die in a hail of FBI bullets. Elizabeth, defiant to the end, Paige trying to save her mother.
Stan and Phillip have a confrontation -- but Stan can't kill Phillip and allows him to walk away unharmed to an uncertain future.
Oleg gets sentenced to 20 years.
Bleak? Sure, any happy ending would be inconsistent with the series.
2
Wow! Over 400 commenters! A first for "The Americans" thread. It will be missed.
What stood out for me in this episode as possible clues are the references to home. Pastor Tim says "This is home now " about Buenos Aires, and Claudia defiantly eats ugla as if to wave the flag of Mother Russia in Elizabeth's face. How the Jennings answer the question of where is home is, I think, a sign of how the show ends.
There are other suggestions. How Oleg missteps the dead drop is inexplicable, as is seeing him in custody. So is the obviousness of Tatiana's wig. Oleg has only one move, to appeal to Stan's decency, in spite of his American clumsiness. There is glasnost among the spies.
The notion of the idealist Paige in the family business was misguided from the start and it had to fall apart. Everything else is collapsing, and difficult truths are finally emerging.
START was the treaty between US and Gorbachev' s USSR. It may be too rosy, but perhaps there is some kind of bridge-building at the end. It has to be called "The Americans " for a reason, right?
4
It's entirely unrealistic to the that The Center would let either Phillip or Elizabeth just quit spying without killing them. So whatever happens, the show has passed the state of believability already by letting Phillip quietly resign from spying.
5
Why? Gabriel said a while back that they could retire and return to Russia as heroes.
4
Prairie-- Gabriel 's comments were made on the assumption that E & P fulfilled all their assignments, and preferably successfully. Now they've defied the Center I truly doubt anyone in their shoes would be welcomed back.
My big fear is that we will get a Sopranos-type ending.
4
Oh gawd yes! My best friend and I were saying this just last night while discussing the possible endings.
She said something like oh save us from the damp squib ending of The Sopranos that meanders and ends up nowhere, please no. I told her I'd thought the same all week since the recent episode.
If that happens, the fans will go mad. LOL
It doesn't matter. We're dying anyway.
So many theories that are way too convoluted and are looking for plot twists, surprises, gimmicks and "deus ex machina" resolutions in the final episode.
There will be no surprises. Everyone will stay true to character - as they have throughout the series.
This is first and foremost about Elizabeth and Phillip's relationship and marriage. Whether they live or die, the finale will be about their efforts to preserve their marriage while doing their job.
Paige has ALWAYS felt deceived by her parents. The experience of deception has inexorably been leading to final disavowal.
Henry left a long time ago (most oft repeated line "where's Henry," has has a different answer every season). He's left the fold and isn't coming back.
Stan, who throughout the series was always trying to reconcile personal affection and loyalty with official duty and patriotism. will act out of this dilemma again with consequences we can't predict - but both his friendship with Phillip and his devotion to duty are real (cf Nina).
Renee will be Renee. Except for some well planted teasers, there is nothing in the plot development that leads to a surprise gimmick here. They are not going to impose new motivations on her this late in the game.
It's Oleg, the consummate humanitarian with clean hands, that I worry about.
The writers have been remarkably consistent in ensuring that their characters act true to character. They aren't going to blow that to give us a "sensational" ending.
20
I agree with the majority of what you say here. I, too, am worried about Oleg. But here is my prediction : He will be swapped for Martha and allowed to go back home. Just a hunch here, but we have seen glimpses of Martha (not so much recently) but enough to tease us into thinking she might show up before the show ends. Only wrinkle here is that she was actually spying for the KGB, even if she was manipulated into it, so maybe my theory is not very sensible...
2
That would be a fan-pleasing ending to those two stories, wouldn't it? Fingers crossed.
Fans want Martha back - but why would the USA? Oleg may be swapped for someone we never saw before, such as happened with Carrie and Goren on #Homeland.
My guess is that Stan will recruit them.
2
I thought so too, but in the preview Stan (small spoiler) is not, as it is said of the Queen, "amused."
The only saving grace in Stan's vicious hatred now is that he (fortunately for P&E) still thinks Gregory killed Amador.
If he knew the truth of that, plus the spying, I think he'd carve out Philip's and Elizabeth's spleens with a dull spoon after bo-garding another beer from Phil's fridge.
OK - here is a possible ending - somehow the Jennings make it out alive. E and P defect to a different country where they can hide out. Henry stays in America and though sad and with permanent trust issues, manages to build a life. Paige goes with her parents. Mischa reunites with Philip over time. Stan takes a demotion to work in personnel or quits the FBI in disgrace, but moves on and has an ok life. Renee is either a spy or not, not calling that one. Oleg gets to go back to Russia due to family connections and it is proven he was working to help Gorbachev.
30 years pass, P and E are sitting at their table having lived happily and peacefully. They have grandchildren and have been productive and relatively normal citizens. Suddenly, an American agent shows up and kills them at their dinner table for all the terrible things they did earlier in their lives (mirroring Dyatkovo episode).
5
It would be unfair if they didn't escape? Uh no it wouldn't!! Elizabeth is a murderer and should answer for her crimes. I hope I didn't invest 6 years just so I can watch some cheesy escape/getaway. I'm just hoping at this point whatever happens that it has a powerful ending. I definitely have not looked forward to a series finale as much as this one in a long time.
6
The last time I liked a series finale (although I didn't like the show ending) was two years ago with #Rectify. That the NYT didn't recap. Best little show that not enough people watched, and that not enough critics reviewed. NYT told me lack of space - yet that awful The Affair gets recaps.
1
Philip and Elizabeth will defect to Stan, who will engineer their placement in the witness protection program. They will be relocated to Fargo ND where they will open a Cinnabon franchise, since Omaha had no vacancy. On the side, Philip will join the local Arthur Murray Dance Studio and become their best-ever Texas Line Dance instructor and Elizabeth will become a locally renowned hair stylist and open an Etsy storefront selling wigs.
Henry will single-handedly win the Stanley Cup and then go on to become a travel industry mogul and venture capitalist, taking large stakes in the nascent TripAdvisor and Airbnb.
Paige will become a nun and make her way to India to become a Mother Teresa acolyte.
Stan Beeman is so humiliated he resigns from the FBI and together with Renee, they open a Cracker Barrel franchise somewhere in deep West Virginia where they spend the rest of their days working side-by-side baking country biscuits 18 hours per day.
Mailbot becomes the Director, FBI Counterintelligence Division, taking over from Dennis Aderholt after he went mad and retired on disability after being blocked from exiting the elevator by the malfunctioning mailbot and elevator door during a snap government shutdown.
Oleg returned home and becomes a transportation oligarch and leader of the Russian disinformation 2016 campaign that swung the US Presidential election to one Donald Trump.
Claudia is forced to take a job as Metro Moscow Squirrel Catcher.
And Martha, poor Martha.
7
Oleg's doppelganger already did that on Homeland. Maybe it's his son with a new name?
2
Nope. Same guy. Oleg ages well. P&E couldn't open a Cinnabon in Omaha because it had been reserved for Saul Goodman, hence Fargo. Bemidji was too small.
1
Based on next week's preview, Philip, Elizabeth and Paige dash up to NH to get Henry. Stan figures that is where they would go and confronts them. In the preview, Stan realizing they are Russian spies says he will kill them, but my guess is that in the end he lets them go or gets killed by his Russian girlfriend before he can capture them. There has to be some kind of final scene between Stan and the Jennings. I then want a flash forward that shows Martha and her daughter, Oleg reunited with his family and then the Jennings in their new life together. In Russia? I like semi happy ever after endings!
2
Arkady appears in the finale, according to imbd, so I think at this point things could go either way with Oleg. Arkady haseither good news or bad news for Oleg's parents.
4
Love this show and have really enjoyed all the comments. Thought for a moment that Claudia had sent Paige to kill Elizabeth. There will be deaths as I believe P and E ultimately love each other more than country.
6
Philip gets a plane ticket out as he as been advising others - escapes to Russia and reunites with Martha. Paige repudiates her spy role and reveals to Henry everything that's been going on. Claudia kills Nesterenko herself before Elizabeth can stop her. Elizabeth kills Claudia, who turns out to be a man, and then takes her cyanide pill.
2
Philip is not in love with Martha. He may run into her again, but he will never again be her lover.
6
"The Americans" has become so dense, I went back and binge-watched Season 1. It was fascinating how S 1 Ep 1 jumps right into the subject that so upsets Paige--Elizabeth seducing an informant. Philip isn't happy about it, either, but he has to admire Elizabeth's professional spycraft. Right away we see that this is a complex marriage. I lost count of the corpses, but still, the saddest death of all is Gregory walking out to court suicide by cop, as Roberta Flack sings "To Love Somebody." Now, that is a tear-jerker.
The last episode had better be extra long, as there are some loose ends/red herrings. I was wondering if "The Americans" ever mentioned Chernobyl--quite a turning point for Russia. I don't remember if it did, but I can easily imagine Claudia working feverishly on the cover-up. Note to producers--I hope you didn't kill off Oleg.
11
Didn’t Elizabeth’s trainer in the flashback look like Sofia??
11
Yes, I noticed that also. I wonder if both characters were played by the same actor?
Absolutely. But the actress is Ella Ayberk, not "Sophia" - Darya Nikolaevna Ekamasov. But both are Russian-born.
3
The mail-robot made an unseen cameo in the elevator preventing Stan and his FBI Auerwolt (forget his name) from getting–they simply waved it off–did anyone else notice that or did I overinterpret?
4
I wonder if the cyanide pill is still in play. Elizabeth has lost everything. Her mission and work for the Center. Her ideology is threatened. Paige seemed to make it clear she has lost her children. I'm thinking if Philip dies she will have nothing left to live for. The tragedy is that she was just starting to know her self.
6
I think Paige will take the cyanide pill and will end up being the only fatality among the main characters.
4
Is Elizabeth even wearing the necklace any longer? I need to watch again--but a friend mentioned to me yesterday that she did not see the necklace last week.
When I am working late, I will never again call my wife and say things are topsy turvey!
22
Here's a fun idea. Let's say they all survive and the show runners decide to do one more season to continue these plot lines. All in favor?
29
The beauty of this show is that it is full of surprises, so anything could happen.
Here is one prediction:
In a sudden change of heart, Pastor Tim rushes back to D.C. to rescue Paige from her mutant parents, leaving his wife - and his wig - behind. But when he arrives, he learns that Paige has already fled town with her parents. In a panic from a pay phone, Paige confesses to him that she is driving the getaway car, a hot-mess of a 1975 Buick with burnt sienna and mud-brown stripes. She and her parents head north toward New Hampshire at first, but when they learn someone has tipped off the FBI to their intended destination, they change course and head Southwest instead. They assume new identities, leaving viewers to question what might happen next.
Pastor Tim trades his red wig for a brown one.
Henry is never seen again.
2
Keri Russell was incredible in this episode. After rewatching this I believe the ending can be seen from her character's perspective. I found Claudia's last words to her as ominous.
5
My prediction: Finale will have too many commercials.
23
I've read several comment boards on the finale of The Americans, but I have yet to see anyone comment on whatever it was that Elizabeth left on Claudia's hallway table. The cyanide locket? Her Directorate S pin? Something else altogether?
My guess is it's the cyanide pill, but why wouldn't Claudia have one already? Anyway, I'll be watching the finale to see if this turns out to be meaningful or just a bit of (very) subtle misdirection.
5
I did not see where she put something down. There does appear to be something small (possibly a locket) on the table as she left. No, on the Directorate S pin.
Elizabeth left her copy of the key to Claudia's apartment.
10
It was the key. Also a symbolic gesture. Elizabeth is done with Claudia and her safe house. Sayonara.
Stan has so very much to lose.
At best, his failure to identify Philip and Elizabeth as the illegals will undermine his professional credibility. At worst, he may himself become a suspect following a review of his relationship with Nina and his efforts to access the very carefully guarded stealth technology. If Philip and Elizabeth escape or die, his last minute pursuit of them may be viewed as an attempt to silence potential witnesses to his complicity.
Once he realizes that he has been deceived by his neighbors and best friend for six years, how can he not come to suspect that a quite possibly innocent Renee is an illegal who has been planted in his life?
His professional career and personal life may very well be at an end.
11
"START," the title of next week's episode, bears within it one of the show's most important controlling ideas, namely, the ambiguity of everything in the mirror world of espionage.
Many commenters have pointed out the show's abundance of instances of duplication: scenes, actions, conversations, etc.
It shows up in relationships, too: marriage. for example, is shown as dual: connection and exploitation; friendship - like Stan's and Philip's: loyalty and betrayal. Parent/child: exploitation and nurturing. Ditto: work. Art as dark and light.
So it is entirely in keeping with the overall tenor of the the show that it leaves us with a duality: end and beginning. The title warns us not to expect "The End" (or "FIN") or "Götterdämmerung" or anything connoting finality or conclusion.
Instead, when Philip and Elizabeth escape the mirror world, expect the end of a double life and the beginning of a life of integrity.
5
I like it. But I expect some ambiguity/duality even at the end.
2
Agree with both of you. And heading up Team Ambiguity will likely be Renee and Henry. We may never know the roles they played or will play in this story.
Ditto, Alex.
I nearly stopped breathing as I watched Episode 9. I am so invested in the characters in this show that my son, another fan, may have to watch and report to me before I dare watch the final episode. I am totally with the NYT reviewer in that I want Philip and Elizabeth to somehow elude capture and start a new American life somewhere. Paige not so much. She's been a troublemaker all along. And Henry has proved that he can make his own way in life. I think the show runners, having seduced us with these very American Americans, owes us a happy ending.
Of course I love Oleg, and Stan owes him, so I'm hoping he gets to go back to the USSR---soon to be Russia---and lives happily with his wife and son for the short time his country has to be a more open society under Gorbachev. There may never be another cable show quite so involving as this one.
24
Agree, Margaret, with you and Mike Hale. I also want a happy ending and for the Jennings to escape to a new life. I have always thought that Stan would help them out with a new life in Witness Protection if they in turn gave information helpful to our government. My one nagging fear that "happy ever after" may not be possible is all the blood that has been shed. There must be an accounting for that, and it is likely to be extracted in the lives of one or more of the Jennings. Am hoping not....
2
As much as I would like to see Philip and Elizabeth escape, it would be too unrealistic. You can't do that much damage and kill so many people and then get away scot free. At least one of them should die and I think it should be Elizabeth. Philip had a crisis of conscience long ago so he merits staying alive. The kids can fend for themselves.
If there's a happy ending, it will negate the seriousness of this whole series.
6
I respect the comments from every viewer but for the life of me I will never understand those who want Elizabeth and Phillip to get away with it and have some walk into the sunset happy ending. They murdered people many of them innocent. You want them to skate on all those crimes in addition to attempting to dismantle our government? Why because they love each other? To each his/her own. Regardless of our opposing hopes for the outcome I know we are all looking forward to an unforgettable finale.
4
I will greatly miss this show! My prediction is that the family (without Henry) will make it to Russia and will talk with Stan over the phone...they may even admit to some of the crimes they committed, but they will ask Stan to take care of Henry for them.
5
I break out in a sweat just thinking about watching the next episode
What a show. It will be greatly missed
12
I really like this show and I'm looking forward to the ending. Based on what's been in this season so far, the last episode needs to be 2-3 hours long.
Henry?
Renee?
The confrontation between Stan and Phillip?
FBI Counter Intelligence agent with spy's over for Thanksgiving?
This is good, but it makes you realize that Breaking Bad's last season was epic. Hank's realization that Heisenberg is his brother in law.
Vince Gilligan is a genius.
10
Amazing episode, to repeat others' comments here. Award worthy performances by Russell and Rhys over the years and in this episode particularly. Margo Martindale--hope I never bump into her on the street as she is one evil broad.
I too will really miss this quality show the way I did when Mad Men ended.....ugh, puts a lump in my throat thinking about losing such quality writing, acting, directing (not to mention set design).
I really thought we'd see Martha this season....she was a riveting character and I secretly hoped that somehow they would reunite her w/her parents so they would experience their granddaughter. But writers often don't know how attached viewers get to some characters....
See you next week for one last meeting of the minds among us devoted fans...
16
I was unclear on what the FBI has on Oleg. He's holding an encrypted message. Is that illegal?
14
I think Oleg used to the head of the KGB Directorate T, focused on gathering scientific and technical intelligence, including nuclear, which would raise red flags for the FBI during the pivotal summit.
In real life, a Soviet Colonel defected from Directorate T in the early 1980's and shared a ton of intel on it with France, which in turn shared it with the U.S.
4
great question!
I'm only guessing, but I think it makes sense that his refusal to decipher the message is the issue.
2
I will miss this show but one thing II will NOT miss is these endless comments about Renee being a spy. I mean, couldn't she just like the guy. Either the Renee/KGB posts are being created by bots, or none of you read anyone else's comments.
10
I agree. When I first started reading some of the reviews it was a surprise to see how many people actually think Renee is a spy. Really? Always possible with writers but my observation is pretty simple.
Why would the Russians have Renee get married to Stan? Well do try and get information right? Why would they encourage her to apply for a job at the FBI? Does that really make sense? Couldn't they get her to plant recording devices on Stan in his clothes? Maybe get him to bring his work papers home?
Seems like a real stretch. My only theory is that American citizens love conspiracy theories and love big surprises.
2
I think you're missing the main reason why everyone assumed Renee was a spy. it was because the show hired a well-known actress in Laurie Holden, so it was assumed logically that she wouldn't be wasted on just another throw-away girlfriend role!
1
Elizabeth and Philip discuss the possibility that Renee is a spy. They discuss it several times. So why shouldn't viewers wonder too?
14
I cannot imagine Philip & Elizabeth returning to the USSR - they have burned too many bridges. As often as I find myself successfully predicting the big plot developments in so many shows, thankfully, I've never been good at predicting anything on The Americans.
I honestly I wish some folks would do a thought experiment and ask themselves if they'd find P&E as irredeemable if they'd been American agents planted in the USSR as "The Soviets." Because as abhorrent as much of their behavior has been, it has always been done in loyalty to The Cause/Mother Russia or their family. "Good soliders" don't generally leave loose ends, and most of their innocent victims can be rationalized (by them if not by us) as "collateral damage." War is hell, after all. Even if it's a cold one.
Given the show-runners great affection for all these characters, and given that Elizabeth and Philip are acting as a team again as we approach the finale, I expect their fates to be one and the same - they either escape to Canada and make their way to South American or Cuba or they die in a blaze of fire. Together.
I love Stan, but he has screwed up so badly so many times, I don't think he survives. And this idea that he'll adopt Henry is absurd. Henry is nearly an adult. I imagine him a ward of the state and allowed to finish boarding school on scholarship after intensive debriefing by the FBI.
Renee, I fear, is a red herring - I'll have mine pickled, please!
22
Of course. If E was an American spy who did the same things in Russia on behalf of America I would want to see her die.
She is a mass murderer. Note I didn't say an American or Russian mass murderer. Give me a redeeming quality of E? Is she a good mother or wife? Seems like a pretty cold hearted person who has gone to the dark side.
10
John it is so comforting to read another voice of sanity other than my own regarding Elizabeth. She has butchered countless people and tried to dismantle our government and if an American counterpart did the same thing NO I would absolutely not be rooting for them to walk away clean no way
funny how so many people say "Elizabeth is a murderer" and forget that Philip pretty much kept up with her (until his sabbatical at least) in terms of body count. He felt bad about it, sure, but he still killed quite a few people, many of them innocent.
1
The final scene will be of Henry looking around his old family home in the suburbs of DC. He asks, "Where is everyone?" as the camera fades to black.....
14
Stunning series. Ok. Predictions:
Super tense final show. So much ends, but like the title, so much STARTs.
Dennis and FBI START scouting the garages and flop houses. They come up on Claudia. She will never give herself up. She mixes a cyanide pill into her soup. Her final meal.
Tatiana did not die but was taken to a hospital where she is watched by Stan. In revenge, she turns on Elizabeth, Philp and provides more on Oleg. Stan and FBI START the hunt.
Elizabeth, Philip and Paige make a run to New Hampshire to pick up Henry, but Stan is on their tales. He corners the four, but not knowing what's really going on, Henry goes to Stan and Stan accidentally shoots him. The ultimate price to pay. The other three get away and head for the Canadian border.
As they get close to cross, Stan, having recovered, is close to apprehending them, but out of no where comes Renee in disguise and injures him. Elizabeth, Philip and Paige see her. They escape to START their new lives.
Renee STARTs a new assignment infiltrating the FBI as an employee. She helps Oleg escape. He returns to the Soviet Union.
Disgusted with her parents and to START a new life, Paige goes to Argentina.
Knowing she can't return to the Soviet Union where she'll be killed or tried for treason, Elizabeth and Philip move to Cuba. They see the fall of the Berlin Wall. START treaty begins. Gorbachev loyalist Oleg brings them to START work on a new Russia. They stand hand in hand in the Kremlin, fade to black.
11
Could Dennis be a double agent?!
8
No.
1
I doubt it but the charactor's interactions with Philip have seemed a bit off the last two episodes imo. Maybe a sign of stress.
3
No, it's too late in the series for that.
It would be unfair for the Jennings not to escape from the Americans for one last time. So I think they are just gonna make it through the line, albeit at the cost of never seeing Henry again.
And my best guess is that Renee will do something to keep Stan busy till they the Jennings are escaping. There MUST be a reason why an attractive middle-aged woman has gotten so close to a paranoid, divorced, conflicted, never-promoted FBI agent.
And as much as I admire Olge's patriotism and loyalty, my best guess is that he will stay in jail for a long time to come.
10
Predictions:
Stan will absolutely get confirmation that the Jennings are Russian spies. He will also get to confront them. His wife, Renee, will be revealed as a Russian spy as well but there will be a twist. Either, Renee will be sent to kill Philip and Elizabeth before they escape or she will be there to protect them and, if necessary kill Stan. If I am right then Renee will be shot by either Elizabeth, saving Stan's life or by Stan, saving Elizabeth and Philip's lives. Someone will make a sacrifice that is big and if I had to bet, I would say Elizabeth will kill Renee to save Stan and he will let them escape.
7
Mike, can you tell us if the finale is longer than usual?
2
Yes, I believe that it’s going to be an hour and a half with commercials.
12
I think Stan will confront Phillip and Elizabeth, and Stan's new wife will turn out to be a Russian "illegal" spy and somehow save them at the last minute.
4
Guernica. The scene with the crashed motorcycle, the driver begging for help while the dying horse heaves beside him, reminded me of Picasso’s painting. A precursor to all the deaths Elizabeth would cause and witness. All wars are brutal, even cold ones.
30
Yes, I thought it was very Dostoevskian image as well. Not exactly the same but he used an image of a horse being pushed cruelly to work too far in his novels. Not exactly the same but the dying breaths and the sadness of it all reminded me of that image.
14
I had wondered if it might have been a setup to learn if Elizabeth could be distracted from her mission. Even if it makes the horse suffer.
Actually, I don't think there were any positive outcomes for Elizabeth in that scenario. Whatever she did would have been wrong.
4
Notice Paige's comment during the confrontation with Elizabeth, something like "When I found out, I should have done what Henry did and gotten as far away from you two as possible." Henry's intelligence, and his distance from the family, has been noted during the final seasons. Some think he will already have turned out to be a spy, but maybe he has just known for a long time what's up and has decided to make his own life with alternate families (ie, Stan, the family who suggested the New Hampshire boarding school.) Maybe his comments to Stan in the car were carefully calculated - maybe being left alone on Thanksgiving was the last straw and he decided to tip Stan off. And if, as it seems from the previews, Phil, Liz and Paige will be on the run, maybe it is Henry who will help capture them.
As for Renee, I've always thought that if she is a spy she's an American one, sent to keep an eye on Stan after the Nina and Oleg fiascos. Can you imagine Stan finding out that both his neighbors and his wife/girlfriend have been deceiving him all these years?
Whatever happens, I am SO going to miss this show.
20
How will it end? Too soon! Elizabeth's horrible memory of the horse/motorcycle crash - whether to leave a comrade dying, crying for help, is ominous indeed.
I fear it will be Philip, not one of the children, who will be badly injured, and she'll face a test of love, patriotism, spycraft, and maybe protectiveness, if her children are near. (But I think it'll just be E&P making a run for Canada - Paige should probably make her own way to South America).
Claudia - those who want to take out Gorbachev - will never forgive Elizabeth for disobeying orders. Even if she escapes the US she will never be free of them.
The Centre will be left with one illegal left in play. Not Paige, but Renee, who's always been a bit too eager to get close to Stan, to make her way into the FBI.
Let us see Mail Robot once more. I love Mail Robot.
10
Here's how I think it all goes down: Elizabeth and Philip set up a final meeting with Stan, ostensibly to turn themselves in, but in reality they get Stan to confess to all the illegal things he did: murdering the young Soviet diplomat, the affair with Nina, giving classified info to Burov, etc. They tell him they have a recording of it and will be sending it to the deputy attorney general. They walk away and move to Canada to start a new life, Philip as the international education director of Landmark (formerly known as EST), and Elizabeth as the internationally renowned author of spy novels, while Stan faces trial for violating the espionage act. Paige gets back with Matthew, who she secretly loved all along, and they move to Africa to work in international relief and development for the United Nations. Henry continues to play hockey at a high level, gets drafted by the NHL, and ends up as an All-Star forward for the New York Rangers. Adderholt gets promoted to deputy director of the FBI, but then is fired by Donald Trump (I realize that 30 years later he is probably retired, but I'm imagining!). Burov returns home and becomes a deputy party secretary under Boris Yeltsin. And Renee--is she a Soviet agent or CIA? I haven't quite figured that part out yet.
10
I think the title of the next episode has a double meaning - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/START_I
3
Felicity wakes up and tells her boyfriend about this insane dream she had...
30
Any viewer who thinks this will have a happy ending is sadly delusional. I believe Elizabeth will die. Stan will be saved by Phillip as Renee first kills Elizabeth and then fails to get Phillip. Orders from KGB. Stan will let Phillip " disappear " as he agrees total the responsibility of the kids. Great series. Maybe a little slow at times but very good acting.
4
I have a very similar take on how it will end, except I think Elizabeth will actually kill Renee to save Stan.
3
My only regret in the time invested in this show is that I didn't discover this comment section before last week. What a great ride this has been, and it could have been better with all the theories and comments I've found here
Let me get in my prediction: No happy endings.
Philip sacrifices himself (arrested, maybe killed, by Stan) to save Elizabeth who returns to Russia but finds herself alone ala Martha. She finds that the party has abandoned her and probably wants her dead, the Gorbachev regime doesn't trust her, and the only real thing she had in her life was Philip and her family
The kids get left behind. Paige is disillusioned and angry enough to spill everything she knowsto the FBI while Henry is befuddled by the entire thing. (I like the idea of Henry already being a recruit that someone posted on here though!)
Stan gets no satisfaction in having been right about the Jennings and helps Olaf get off the hook. The last scene is Renee starting at the FBI with a subtle "is-she-or-isn't-she" suggestion that she is in fact, KGB
Post-credits: mail root keeps chugging on making deliveries, turns a corner, fade to black
12
His name is Oleg, not Olaf.
7
Final shot: Henry handing his hockey blades to a bystander and sliding his feet into his father's cowboy boots. Tight on Stan's widow as she carries the hockey gear from the room.
The End
2
It would not break my heart to see Elizabeth and Philip led away in handcuffs. The show was clever in two ways. The performances were so believable that I was willing to overlook how far fetched the the plot was. (Yes, I know that the series was inspired by actual Russian spies posing as an American family.) Also, the story was told completely from the Jennings point of view. If we draw away from that view, they emerge as singularly delusional, cold blooded killers. Patriotism can be a motivator but it is not an excuse. In a perverted kind of way Bonnie and Clyde were likable. I do not wish for such an end for the Jennings but I would like to see justice served, at least in fiction.
9
and Tony Soprano
Who is the "real" American? Who stands up for American values? For Truth, Justice, and the American Way?
I expect the finale to reveal that, paradoxically, the Jenningses truly are Americans at heart, because they adhere to American values.
Philip, we know, has experienced the ups and downs of life in these United States, so he's no starry-eyed, uncritical admirer. Even though the vagaries of capitalism threaten his livelihood, he does not give up his humanity.
Elizabeth, too, at her deepest level, is revealed to be more American that many Americans, viz., you don't leave a person in need lying in the road, even when you're on a mission (the Good Samaritan), unlike, may I venture to say, some of this country's present leaders.
14
You may well be right; however, the question before the court is, precisely, how deep?
In story telling, often a subsidiary character like Oleg will prefigure or foreshadow in one way or another the course of action to be taken by the main characters.
So when it comes right down to it - and this will be the finale - will Philip and Elizabeth equal Oleg's commitment to his deepest self? Are they capable of such a level? Or will they take a cop out?
My hope is that they both will demonstrate their devotion to common humanity - even it it means sacrificing themselves to the cause.
4
Vinh, great post! Oleg seems to me to be the only character who exhibits near-pure truth and justice throughout the series. Also, bonus, he's never murdered anyone!
Stan took an oath to the FBI to protect the American people and the Constitution, yet he committed the extrajudicial killing of Vlad and has surveilled the Jennings garage/house twice without a warrant.
11
tonight’s episode had more holes than golf course with gophers. philip , from doubter to enthused. oleg and tatiana in moscow, tatiana on to nairobi. paige thoroughly brainwashed and kind of stupid. aderholt in ? is he now stan’s boss? i have always thought philip, who was first one to be ambivalent, then unwilling, would go out as some sort of martyr, saving paige or even elizabeth. but paige may also not make it out, as misguided heroines often do not . my only hope is stan, the great noah emmerich , DOES make it out alive. a good guy from the beginning. i have never lost sight of philip and elizabeth as murderers, cruel, souless human beings enthusiastic about cold-blooded murder. not only as assigned, bad enough, but complete innocents who get in their way. i do not agree with the reporter who believe they deserve a last run. they are evil characters. go get ‘ em, stan. and your slow on the uptake partner, aderholt. claudia, will make it out. home to mother russia, picked up at the airport by gorbachev’s men, straight to the gallows. i do not wish to see any good come to these evil characters. and as this last season has unfolded, their entire operation was unraveling....slowly but surely. now it is ended. philip and elizabeth dead. and stan stands alone , surveying the jennings house with a for sale sign. renee waiting at their kitchen table with a good meal. stan turns and walks inside. renee, stan and henry enjoy a meal. beef stew....and apple pie. fade out.
3
Stan? "a good guy from the beginning"? He killed the innocent Vlad, who didn't even want to be in the KGB, wanted to be a doctor!
You mentioned Tatiana/Nairobi, She never made it there.
What show are you watching, again?
9
Stan's not so great. He cheats on his wife with Nina. He murdered the young KGB agent in retaliation for Amodor, without a shred of evidence that the guy had been part of it, which he wasn't. This motivated Nina to become a double-agent, which could only have happened because Stan allowed himself to be used that way. Stan has repeatedly gone rogue in his obsession for what he perceives as justice, but it's really just revenge. Did Stan really give up Nina so as not to betray his country, or was it really just to save himself? It would be fitting if it turns out that Renee is a spy.
20
always great to see people use the comment section to promote their own anonymous bullying personality.
Can't wait to hear what they tell Henry when they pick him up in NH and have to flee.
8
This thing with Renee is facinating! From her first introduction the writers have never given us any reason to believe she is Directorate S, KGB or anything other than Stan's new love interest other than casting Laurie Holden (an actress of merit and recognition too well known to be simply 'the girlfriend').
Yet, we all (myself included) have hung the fate of Philip and Elizabeth, Stan and perhaps the entire future of Soviet spycraft in the US on Renee's 11th hour reveal.
If Renee doesn't turn out to be anything other than Stan's girlfriend I think Ill be horribly dissappointed no matter what the outcome of the finale.
I've loved this show since the pilot and Keri Russell has been a revelation, a master class is acting. Her commitment and thorough understanding of her character has made Elizabeth Jennings one of the most truly multi dimensional and fully realised portrayal of a real woman I've ever seen on television.
Has anyone else noticed the brilliant Elizabeth line as played by Russell of "hmmmm'?..How many scenes have ended with Elizabeth answering a question or reacting with the wordless "Hmmm" and each time it's facinating how much she can say without saying anything at all. (reaction to Martha's reveal of Clark's sexual prowess being one of my favorite "Hmmm" moments)
I'd love to see all of Russell's 'Hmmm's' edited together on YouTube someday;)
29
P&E have themselves wondered if Renee was Centre. They don’t know, and neither do we.
3
I've believed all along that Renee is simply Stan's wife and nothing more. The fact that Laurie Holden has accepted this minor role shouldn't be so surprising. She may just be a huge fan of the show. Plus, she really hasn't appeared in much since she left the Walking Dead, so she may have needed the work.
It would be unusual for the writers to throw in a twist related to Renee in the very last episode. They haven't written these kinds of "holy smokes" moments up until now, so I don't think they would do that in the finale.
But I've been wrong many times during this series .....
2
Finally some one else mentions “hmm”. It’s been going on since season one and it makes me grin or wince or react in some way every time.
I think that Phillip and Elizabeth will make a getaway to go start their new life as The Americans. All along, Phillip's heart has been pulled towards American way of life and values. Remember, in the pilot, he was dancing in the dept store wasn't he, to country music? While shopping with Paige? A dept store--you couldn't have a better emblem of American capitalism in the 80s than that. He went to EST, he's just generally been drawn to many good things about the American Way of Life. Now, Elizabeth, too, has been disillusioned with the whole Russian Spy thing and is ready to embrace America once and for all--and to realize that that "true self" she was exhorted not to lose by that Russian trainer in the flashback this past episode is only now coming to full flower--and is the self that killed that Russian spy to protect him from the now dangerous and misguided Center. The enemy of my enemy is my friend--which is to say, she's now no longer on the side of the Center and everything it has stood for, which perhaps makes her an American. Paige will stop being a spy. Henry will wonder what's happened to his parents, who will disappear into deep cover somewhere, maybe in the mid-west, or someplace where Phillip can wear his cowboy boots all the time. Stan will realize the Jennings were spies and that they got away. It will make him suddenly wonder about Renee--her desire for an FBI job. Henry might plan to go into the FBI. We'll see Martha with her adopted child in Russia.
5
Some very entertaining posts. Stan says he is going to kill them. I think he does. Paige will escape that demise and Henry will complete school on scholarship, and do well, however with significant baggage, as will Paige.
Who really cares about Renee? She has been a minor character. I think the Martindale actress has done much better acting in other programs.
Stan and the other FBI agents have been depicted as pretty inept. That is sad given today's environment. I have known a few and they are pure bureaucrats through and through. Why would Stan not be aware of the meaning of change in Russian leadership? A bunch of conservative robots.
2
I just want to take this last chance to say how much I loathe Paige. I haven’t believed one step of her journey, and this latest anti-Elizabeth turn feels like the writers are taking desperate shortcuts to wrap up the story. The writing is usually terrific on this show, so this awkwardness stands out even more. Honestly, I want her to suffer as it all falls down around her.
17
Am I the only viewer who was reminded of Hilary Clinton when Stan asked Pastor Tim about the Jennings and the only comment he could come up with was they loved their children? At a debate, Clinton and trump were asked for one good thing they could say about their opponent. Hilary said something like, “His kids love him.”
8
I think her comment was even more generous than that, to the effect that "he's raised some great kids."
1
There are a lot of comments about Stan the bumbling FBI agent. If the writers made Stan realize the truth the show would have been over 4 years ago.
20
The Jennings escape to New Hampshire. The leave their car.
Which is still there for Walter White to find years later.
19
The best ending? Paige will be accidentally killed by Claudia in her attempt to kill Elizabeth on orders of KGB. Elizabeth kills Claudia in revenge. Stan kills Philip in front of Elizabeth as they run to get Henry in New Hampshire. Stan arrests Elizabeth before she can escape or commit suicide, leaving her to rot in prison with the knowledge she is fully responsible for her daughter's death and leaving her only remaining child without parents and the legacy of having KGB/spy parents to haunt him for the rest of his life. Raped by prison guards and in solitary confinement 23 hours a day, she eventually attempts to commit suicide but fails, the resulting injury leaving her conscious/with brain function but unable to move. Lives another 50 years in horrible pain. Stan retires, writes spy thrillers, becomes rich and famous, helps Oleg gain US citizenship for himself and family.
5
How about a double Emmy nomination for Costa Ronin as Oleg in The Americans and Yevgeny in Homeland...a "tie" win for both roles as best supporting actor in a dramatic series...
34
A Waco type siege takes place in New Hampshire. Stan is seriously wounded by Elizabeth. Philip wants to surrender . Elizabeth threatens to shoot him and Paige shoots her mother.
3
Philip opens an Arthur Murray Dance Studio and becomes the studio's most prized Texas line dance instructor ever. Elizabeth becomes a hair stylist and wig maker to the stars. Paige becomes a CIA operative, establishing the Red White and Blue Sparrow Program. Henry single-handedly wins the Stanley Cup. Stan and Renee open a Cracker Barrel franchise in deep West Virginia, where they work side-by-side making biscuits 18 hours per day.
20
According to the preview, the Jennings family is headed North to pick up Henry. However, this is a very long drive from DC (and its further still to the Canadian border). Stan will know where they are headed and will alert the authorities in NH. The Jennings figure this out along the way and need to reach out for help from an old ally. Perhaps we will see the return of Gabriel who will assist with the escape/exfiltration of the Jennings family? I don't see Henry wanting to leave the US, and I think he will ultimately be adopted by the rich family for whom he will work during the summer. I think Renee is a spy and we ultimately see her meeting with her handler after she gets the FBI job. And Stan? Whats to be said of the hard working FBI agent who is really clueless...Stan retires with his government pension and spends time with his memories of all of the missed clues that were placed in his path.
12
Some misc. comments:
I just read that the Washington Summit took place 8-10 December in 1987. Interesting that in the otherwise impeccable set dressing there's been no evidence of Christmas trees, lights, wreaths etc in any of the homes, lobbies, offices et al.
Can't help but notice that the chainsmoking Elizabeth doesn't inhale (good for Keri R).
Hey, rooting for anti-heroes is part of the fun of watching "The Americans," "Breaking Bad," etc. Hate to see it end but dying to know how it'll wrap up next Wednesday. Russell and Rhys both said in an interview that they found the finale "satisfying," so we have to believe it will be.
10
I noticed a small Christmas tree in the hotel lobby which I found odd until I remembered they just had Thanksgiving.
9
Actors usually don't smoke real cigarettes on set these days.
6
Good catch! I clearly missed it.
Just one small not in an otherwise completely believability fantasy.
Are we supposed to believe that Stan was repeatedly in close proximity to a chain smoker and the smell didn't give it away? I just ain't buyin' it.
10
Yes, another of my nits. Makes me think the writers are smokers who have no idea that they reek.
6
Ah, it's TV, after all.
2
no in the 80's so many people still smoked, you did not necessarily notice these things as you did by the 90's when cigarette smoking became more frowned upon and regulated in public places.
4
The wedding rings are important, yes. I think, Elizabeth and Philip are going to die; before that they'll give the wedding rings to Paige who will at least have the consolation that not all was a lie i.e her parents truly loved each other.
3
My theory is that Philip, Elizabeth, and Paige are killed in a car accident while speeding to New Hampshire to pick up Henry. We already see them racing out of Washington in the promo for next week, and the car theme figured quite heavily in the Pilot. Even in this penultimate episode, Stan resurrects the car from the Pilot, noting that the Jennings's car matched the description of the car in the Timoshev incident. The writers, I think, are going to circle back to the beginning; there isn't going to be a shootout or anything like that, they're too good for that sort of cop-out.
A car accident nicely ties up ends insofar as our super spies - Philip and Elizabeth - can do no more damage and the not so super Paige can't spill the beans. It also leaves some ambiguity. Stan can never 100% prove he was correct. Henry can move on with his life without being tainted by his family's actions, and assume they were killed while going to visit him. Perhaps Philip crashes the car purposefully because he fears the FBI is closing in; perhaps it's raining and he simply loses control. We will never know.
11
That sounds as good as any ending, but it would be a bit of a cop out.
4
Oh, Stan will take that house apart, including the electric box that he missed. Elizabeth has a gym bag full of incriminating evidence with her. One illegal or another, if the family is killed in your scenario, will spill the beans now that it will be safe to do so (no retribution from P & E). Stan will prove it under your theory.
4
Along with your theme of car accidents/crashes, in a recent episode we see Philip consistently crashing his Slot Car while playing with Henry. The Americans so like foreshadowing, just sayin.
3
I agree with others that this season has seemed rushed, which is a shame. I'm not sure how we'll get a satisfactory conclusion in only one remaining episode.
I also wonder about Philip's other son -- what was that all about? There was no pay off for all the screen time that episode used up. (Screen time that could have advanced the story and characters we care about. I'm looking at you, Martha.) I expected, at the least, that Philip would find out his son had shown up and been kept from him. Nope.
Between the two of them, Philip and Elizabeth (especially Elizabeth) have a lot of innocent and not-so-innocent blood on their hands. Too much, perhaps for them to be allowed to get cleanly away. I'd been thinking one of them (or Paige due to her minimal training) would be killed off. Now I am not so sure.
I do hope that there's a good face off with Stan and Philip. It's a bit reminiscent of Hank versus Walt (Breaking Bad). The audience needs and wants that confrontation in order to have a satisfactory ending.
I'm predicting fairly unhappy endings for Oleg, Philip, and Elizabeth with Stan taking Henry under his wing.
8
I disagree on Philip's first son - his story was a subplot and a good one, imho. FUTILITY or futile effort is a good subject for a subplot, especially when it highlights the circumstances of our characters and stories and the consequences of our choices.
13
But we didn't get the consequences. Philip certainly didn't.
The consequence is that he will never know his son came looking for him.
I would love nothing more than to see Elizabeth and Philip both sizzle like Ethel and Julius but that's not going to happen. They'll escape and Renee will be the well-positioned sleeper to carry the baton. The Center planned ahead.
2
I cannot understand how someone invests time into a series (I assume someone commenting here has watched most of the show) to root against the heroes - for in story terms they are the flawed heroes of this narrative, not matter what we think of the cold war or the evil of the Soviet Union.
A series, or a story, is not just about the ending.
22
Agreed.
All I know is my TV screen had better not go to black right at the end of the episode. I'm getting a very anticlimactic vibe.
20
Keri Russell was amazing in the flashback. She looked a lot like Felicity!
8
I wondered if they cgied some of Felicity onto Elizabeth.
2
I’m guessing the family (maybe without Henry) will make it to Russia, only to be picked up by the (now hostile) Center/Claudia’s folks. I hope Oleg gets home too, but don’t see that as very likely. Maybe Henry will adopt the frustrated Stan as his new family. The plotting and characters have been reliably consistent through the seasons, so I don’t expect anything too crazy to happen.
4
I mostly agree re: consistency, but what about when an enraged Stan committed an extrajudicial killing? Stan shot Vlad in the back of his head (on Stan's unauthorized initiative of the FBI seizing - or in Russia's view, kidnapping - Arkady's assistant while he was jogging)?
Also when Nina was suddenly executed? I was completely shocked by Nina's death.
11
"You will be executed soon" was one of the best lines in television history.
The usual set of amusing, but fruitless, predictions. Some are hilarious. No doubt intended to be so. All viewers will know within a week what the show's writers have up their sleeve.
Another excellent episode. Ms. Russell continues to have a well-written role, which she performs very well. Less so the role for her fictional and real husband. Mr. Rhys.
My favorite character continues to be Mr. Beeman. The actor, Mr. Emmerich, does wonders with the role in my estimation.
Despite the absurdities of plot, the characterizations are compelling and more often than not, true to life. Marital spats of the two primary protagonists not unlike those of any couple who respect, love and support each other, particularly during times of duress. In the case of the Jennings pair, the ultimate in duress. With regard to the children, they love, respect and support their parents.
Unfamiliar with the actress Margo Martindale. The brief interview with her is a delight.
The cameo of Pastor Tim enjoyable. I like the fact that he is unwilling to betray the Jennings duo to Mr. Beeman. Lying by omission in such circumstances is acceptable to me.
The character assigned to Oleg is complex and appealing. The actor in the role excellent. Any future filmed entertainment role, that requires a Russian character, will include that actor. Mr. Beeman is incredulous that Oleg would ask him for his assistance to assist in protecting Mr. Gorbachov. But Oleg knows Mr. Beeman.
All in all wonderful.
10
I think Matthew Rhys is a fantastic actor.
24
The role in comparison to the role for Ms. Russell, not the acting in the role. Mr. Rhys is a good actor, as are other actors in this series. The believability/quality of the role written for the various actors varies. Some better written, some worse written. Ms. Russell's role, to repeat, particularly well-written in my opinion.
All in all excellent entertainment across the board, even if location shooting in and around NYCity USA, as stand-in for Washington DC USA, is irksome to some viewers.
I quickly tire of the mindless nitpicking by some commenters. If one wants to criticize poorly done filmed entertainment, there is almost everything else out there to choose from. Most of it beyond poor, ghastly in fact, whether initially produced for any distribution: so-called streaming, television or theatrical release.
1
Mr. Murray, I always enjoy reading your invariably well-written posts. Today I chuckled at the contrast when I wrote "snitches get stitches" in a separate post and you far more eloquently state above, "lying by omission in such circumstances is acceptable."
Thank you, comrade!
In a surprise twist, Stan will reveal that he has suspected Philip and Elizabeth as KGB agents this whole time. The show will flash back to the two times Stan entered their home without their knowledge - once during the first season, and again in the final season. Stan will confess that he planted a bug and recorded everything. As Philip and Elizabeth stare back with horror, Stan will say, "I've lived next door for six years. Did you really think I didn't know?"
10
Am I the only one who thinks Elizabeth's stash of cash contained a version of the Canadian 5-dollar bill that didn't exist in 1987?
5
I'm finding this season exciting but a bit rushed. Some aspects of the Jennings' lives are being wrapped up rather unconvincingly.
First, I've never found it plausible that Paige didn't suspect her parents' work involved seduction, especially at this point, now that she's an undergraduate and presumably has read about spies and their honey traps.
Second, it's a pity that the show hasn't done more with Henry's flight from the nest. He also would seem to be at an age where he might wonder what his parents do all day (and night).
Last, it's odd the way Philip's other kid, the Afghan war veteran, was introduced into the show and then disappeared. Not sure what to make of that; it just seems like a loose end.
16
I know they're good, but are they that good?
1
I believe that the Queen was on the five-dollar bill until 1986 .... then Wilfred Laurier. So the bill is probably legitimate if it was a recent stash. But that money was likely in the fuse box for a very long time so the bill should have had the Queen on it. A bit of trivia .... since I'm sure 99.99% of people watching would not have noticed LOL
1
Many thanks to Mike Hale and the NYT for providing these recaps and forum for comments. I wil miss them. Those I especially appreciate are ones that illuminate something in the episode that I missed on first viewing such as the fact that Oleg’s wife was one of the women with whom his mother wished to set him up with. I missed Tatiana as the assassin. Similarly, I wasn’t aware of the symbolism of the owl. I often go back and rewatch episodes after reading the recap and comments.
While it is fun to read everyone’s predictions, very little in the marvelous show has been predictable. That is a credit to the Joes. Kudos also to the brilliant cast and production team for creating authenticity.
My only quipple is that Brooklyn and Westchester look nothing like DC and Northern Virginia!
38
When Oleg and Stan were in the cell together, and Oleg asked Stan, "Do you think it doesn't matter who our leader is?" I got a little shiver down my spine.
102
Ahh...no offense meant to anyone but between the two of them Philip and Elizabeth have compiled a body count of over two dozen. Two of the dead were federal agents. Sorry folks but it's way past time for Philip and Elizabeth's adopted country to give them a fair trial with full due process rights and then the hot shot for each of them.
5
Yeah, in "the old days," like with Walter White, the ending would be bloody, violent, and ugly.
Today? They'll just talk US to death ..
I have to say, this episode reminded me why I used to find Paige so deeply annoying. Is it really that mind-blowing to her that spying involves sex? Does she really think Philip wouldn't have done it too? She comes off (to me at least) as incredibly naive and whiny.
46
I agree that she can be incredibly petulant, but it's not the actress's fault. She's still basically a high school girl who thinks that her parents have a happy marriage and a job that's based on saving the world in incredibly rosy terms. Her problem is that as a character, she's naive but that's not the actress's problem.
18
Recall daughter "Dana" on "Homeland?" Same thing. Just grim.
2
Paige annoys me on many levels. Personally, I think they should have shipped her off to a boarding-Bible school when they had the chance.
9
It's a long shot but I'd love to hear a reprise of Fleetwood Mac's Tusk played to a chase scene. That's how 1.01 opened.
25
"The Americans" will give you the ending that you want, but not in the way you expect it."
Survivors, yes; it will make perfect sense, once we think back over what's gone before; but - if the writers have upheld the high level heretofore attained - it will be a surprise.
I hope to gasp, "Oh, my god. . . !"
15
Philip and Elizabeth will defect to Stan, who will engineer their placement in the witness protection program. They will be relocated to Fargo ND where they will open a Cinnabon franchise, since Omaha had no vacancy. Paige will become a nun and make her way to India to become a Mother Teresa acolyte. Henry will become a travel industry mogul and establish TripAdvisor and Airbnb.
66
What if Stan's girlfriend IS a Russian agent? She's trying to get in a government agency just like they are trying to get Paige in. It fits their M.O.
Stan figures out the Phillip/Elizabeth spy thing and kind of hints to his girlfriend what he thinks or she picks up on it that he's suspicious. She's been there having the Jennings back all this time just in case something ever went down.
Right before Stan can go to the Agency with everything his girlfriend kills him.
We get the staisfaction of him finding it out, but they get off free. I don't really see them both making it out no matter what goes down but this finale could reach some Breaking Bad levels of drama.
As for Paige, I think Claudia takes her back to Russia, and as for Henry...I really have no idea? If Stan doesn't die, he tells them that there was an accident and they've been killed, that he will adopt him? they've always been strangely close, could have been setting this up the whole time. If Stan dies, maybe Dennis steps in and lokos after Henry?
Can't wait for next week!
8
Poor Henry. Phillip cared, but Henry has raised himself.
5
Paige will escape. To Slovenia, and change her name to Melania.
66
Yes!
5
Philip and Elizabeth will be put into the Witness Protection Program and relocated to Fargo ND and open a Cinnabon franchise, since there were no vacancies ion Omaha.
4
Kudos to the VFX department on the young Elizbeth. Very convincing. Plus her acting in it.
18
Um, no.
3
That was amazing. At first I thought they found a look alike actress!
4
Er, yes.
Given her hysterical confrontation with her mother, Paige is most definitely not qualified to be anyone's spy. Missionary, maybe.
6
We know Stan says “I want to kill them!”, it was in the peek at next week. Elizabeth, Phillip and Paige escape. Stan is still a loser, he tried to tell the FBI, The Jennings were spies, and they get away. Too little too late, Stan. And, the topper is WE find out Renee is a Spy, but no one else knows. Stan gets to live with a spy.
Elizabeth, Phillip,Paige leave for NH. Henry does not want to leave school, and they leave him there.
Claudia goes home in disgrace after the plan failed. In Moscow she has to scramble to make a life for herself.
Oleg is imprisoned and exchanged for an American spy.
Martha gets to live forever in Moscow with all her regrets.
The travel agency is taken over by Henry’s friend’s father, and the money goes to Henry for his tuition. The travel agency thrives and becomes Henry’s legacy.
15
I think it's impossible for this end without Stan confronting Philip and Elizabeth face to face. That has been hovering over the show from the very beginning. If it doesn't come to pass, I will be very disappointed.
"Breaking Bad" was the story of a man going from good to bad. Lots of dead bodies at the end. It'll be different with "The Americans." This story develops in the opposite direction, with P & E working from dark to light. Therefore, it likely will not end in their deaths.
President Reagan steps in like a "deus ex machina" to pardon them, in gratitude for the good they have done in saving the Summit. Oleg goes home to his family. Stan retires and Renee eventually goes on to head the agency.
4
In a twist, it will be revealed that Renee is another spy, and she will take up where Elizabeth and Phillip leave off (I think they'll chose to become American in exchange for giving testimony or whatever they'd have to do.) Then we have a spin-off series. Just kidding, no spin-off. But I think it will end with us knowing another spy is doing her thing, this time right in there working at the FBI and living with an FBI agent...Stan.
8
L.L. Bean jacket that Philip was wearing is a 2018 model.
1
As good a spy as Elizabeth may be, she's a terrible fake smoker.
13
I have a lot of sympathy for that. I always think, how far does an actor have to go for craft?
1
Thank god for that.
4
Henry refuses to join the family (despite what he told Stan). He's playing the long con with his rich boyfriend, who has promised to pay for his university and law school education.
Paige, bored to tears with the comparative tameness of being a State Dept clerk, recruits her boyfriend Brian to a life of robbing banks in Oklahoma.
Philip and Elizabeth run into a police road block as they head to Canada. Elizabeth shoots Philip and then takes the cyanide tablet.
Father Andrei serves five years in jail, gets out and moves to Buenos Aires to join Pastor Tim's congregation.
Claudia, once back in the USSR, takes out Oleg's entire family: father, mother, wife and son.
Oleg guns down Soviet agent Renee in revenge. He and Stan move to Miami Beach where they open a hotel catering to Russian tourists.
13
Best prediction so far!!
2
I will stand here (figuratively) and man up to my brazen prediction, made on Twitter, that Elizabeth's cyanide pill would end up going down Claudia's gullet. And don't you know that in that scene when Claudia first pulled out her stew that I was feeling so smug about Elizabeth getting an opportunity to slip it to her. NYET. I was wrong. I doubt we see Claudia again. It was a great scene and I need to watch it again.
I was hoping for more out of Team Nina, Oleg + Stan. As fast as things are moving now, I wonder if we have left Oleg behind too. If he ends up languishing in an American prison, he deserved better.
Amid the well-aimed praises for Keri Russell's performance in this episode and throughout the season, I'd like to point out how impressive young Austin Abrams was in the role of Jackson. He portrayed a cocky pseudo-sophistication in the movie theater, he was earnest yet somehow tentative as Elizabeth played off his interest in escaping his stifling (to him) hometown, and he looked scared as hell when he came to realize he had blundered into a very bad place with a corporate (or, in fact, worse) spy. He showed some nice range for a young actor.
43
Take heart, Mike. On Homeland an important Russian spy (Goren) was traded for an important American spy (Carrie). It only took seven months and at the cost of Carrie's mental state, but it happened.
6
I completely agree. It was a superb performance and there's no doubt in my mind that this young actor will be a star, and very soon. He's immensely gifted. He played it quietly, without showing off, with the skill of a very seasoned artist.
6
Help, please. I'm probably missing something here, but I don't understand what the "surveillance photos" are. Is the FBI taking pictures of every garage in D.C.?
It sounds like they are also watching KGB safe houses. If so, how do they know where they are?
6
“Surveillance photos” refer to Philips meeting with the priest.
3
Photos taken of Philip talking to the priest.
2
The only problem with the idea Philip and Elizabeth successfully running is they have no place to run to. Elizabeth would certainly be summarily executed by The Center for treason in stopping the plot, and there's a good chance Philip would too. They'll never take the chance of going back to Moscow, especially with their children. (Even in the Gorbachev era, The KGB wouldn't look too kindly on their exploits.)
I doubt they have the resources to stay on the run on their own - remember that Philip's old flame was hunted down and killed by The Center years later after she ran. The least bad option, if they don't die or are arrested, is to turn themselves into Stan and make some sort of deal that lets Paige and Henry have a normal life. Paige is not yet exposed as an agent and there's no way Elizabeth is taking that pill for Mother Russia after this.
Other predictions - Renee is an agent, but she stays burrowed, undetected, in Personnel. And we get some sort of flash-forward, past the fall of the Soviet Union. Music choice - Depeche Mode: "Strangelove" in 1987 or "Enjoy The Silence" in a flash-forward.
11
She is under the protection of Oleg's people now which are different from the KGB guys wanting to assassinate Gorby..
5
My money is on this person's predictions. Good strategic thinking. I bet you have it nailed.
3
Arkady will protect Elizabeth and Philip, as well as Oleg, for a job well done. Gorby will promote Arkady for this scheme. Somewhere, a lovely dascha awaits all of them.
7
Renee will swoop in and help the Jennings escape just before Stan and the FBI close in. But she puts them in the hands of the Centre, which renders them back to the USSR. Gorbachev's people protects them and puts them in the same apartment complex as Martha. Philip starts to learn the oil business and becomes an oligarch, with Martha as his bejeweled loving spouse. Elizabeth, disillusioned with Gorbachev, Yeltsin and Putin, becomes an opposition politician. She is eventually poisoned by a nerve agent in 2010.
Paige decides to stay in the US and becomes a lawyer. She keeps in touch with her parents and is asked by Philip to help him buy real estate through Michael Cohen.
Henry was left behind at school because the place was swarming with FBI when the Jennings came to get him. He ends up being adopted by Stan. He plays college hockey and takes computer science at Georgetown. In his spare time, he transforms Dupont Circle Travel into an online discount travel site. He sells out to Microsoft/Expedia for $250 million in 1999.
34
At least one of the founders of TripAdvisor went to Georgetown.
1
Very entertaining post. It's as if you can see into the future.
4
That was hilariou!! Thanks!!
2
I've been in mourning since the announcement that this would be the final season. And I've generally avoided plot speculation. But...
I'm of the opinion that Henry was intended to be the real Soviet sleeper, destined for a deep cover position somewhere in the government. His relationship with Stan may have been deliberately cultivated, and he might have been attempting to protect his cover by throwing Stan a small piece of intelligence during the drive to the bus station.
The actual evidence against Oleg is a single undecipherable note, although it's conceivable that the U.S. could fabricate links to this season's violent events. Oleg can cooperate freely with prosecutors about Philip's and Elizabeth's identities once he learns they have disappeared or died. He may be able to manipulate Stan by threatening to expose Stan's extremely compromising relationship with Nina, and he could force Stan to testify about the information he provided that led to Crandall's capture. A prolonged prosecution (and possibly a short prison sentence) followed by deportation could benefit Oleg by providing time for Gorbachev to consolidate his power.
6
Looks like the last episode will be a race for Philip and Elizabeth against the FBI. I don't see how they're going to escape this time.
3
I love the fairly even split here between those who want Elizabeth and Philip to live or even escape, and those who want them to be punished -- who feel that the show’s makers should take a moral position, as they would on real-life versions of the characters. (That’s certainly a tribute to how real Elizabeth and Philip have been.) I don’t judge fictional characters in that way -- it’s not what I go to fiction for. I want the characters’ fates to make sense within the context and dynamic the show has established. To me, killing off Elizabeth and-or Philip would be a violation -- not a fatal one, but a disappointing one -- of my trust in the show, which for six seasons has asked us to identify with them and believe in their ability to surmount all odds. And one of the great things about the show is that it’s never judged Elizabeth and Philip in that way, except when they judge themselves. If one of them is killed, I expect that it won’t be treated in a moralistic way. (Also, as a technical matter, the pacing and emotional arc of the last few episodes doesn’t feel like it’s leading in that direction -- it feels like it’s leading to danger and tension but not tragic closure. But I could be totally misreading that.) The “Breaking Bad” comparison doesn’t really, because Walter White’s death was forecast from the first episode. A final note: I could easily see Renee being given a Tony Soprano ending: Is she or isn’t she? We’ll never know.
31
Agreed, Mike.
Eliz. has discovered her humanity this season. Team Jennings is back. It would be a violation in tone for the writers to kill them off.
12
I sort of feel a Cone of Silence ought to descend over people such as you and Emily Nussbaum who have already watched the finale. It is hard to read any remarks you make now without thinking they have been informed, at least in part, by what you already know.
If you changed your mind after writing last night's recap and have NOT watched the finale, I withdraw my sniveling.
Regarding your remarks, Philip and Elizabeth can be subjected to some level of justice without getting killed. I think of the scene last night in which Paige renounced her mother, and believe Elizabeth is indeed paying a price for her work. Philip is, too, with the torment he is suffering. I especially think they ought to answer morally for the "civilians" they have murdered, several of whom P and E killed solely to protect themselves.
9
Interesting that you would see a P or E death as a violation. In my mind, the show has been leading toward the conclusion that while they've seemed invincible, they are not. No one is, after all, and they can't beat the odds forever. I'll see a clean getaway as a violation of my trust that the show has been about developing/recognizing them as fallible human beings, not as superheroes. (I agree, though, that it doesn't feel like a major tragedy is coming. Feels more like a sad, "No winners here" final beat.)
7
Any music predictions for the final episode?
2
Maybe too obvious for this brilliantly nuanced show, but the song Mother Russia by Renaissance is moving and beautiful. It came out in 1974, so a bit early for our 1980s musical landscape.
2
This only popped into my head because of the animated cowboy boots (Philip, season one) but the song's too recent and way too long:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItGY5GB1YAQ
1
Allman Brothers Band “Ain’t But One Way Out, and Lord, I just can’t go through that door.” Wrong year, but “slip out that window, babe, ease out soft and slow.”
3
Whatever the end, I think P & E lose Paige & Henry. P & E have to flee, maybe back to the USSR. And so they end up in a country they don't know (to wit, the double dealing exposed by Margot Martindale's character), estranged from their kids and each other. So, not free. With nothing.
6
I think it's significant that when Philip called Henry's school to talk to him last week, nobody knew where Henry was.
7
Yes, I still think we might see Stan grab the kids as leverage.
Wasn't he at hockey practice?
3
I think the point was to avoid letting the audience in on what was on Philip's mind. He would have had to provide an explanation to Henry that would have tipped us off. This way, we know something's up, but are left in the dark as to what it is exactly. Good writing.
2
No, just...no. The penultimate episode is glaringly awful. The Paige scene was just the cherry on top of an absolutely brutal episode in what is looking to be a dreadful ending to this fantastic series. Paige did not have nearly enough evidence to completely void her entire character's motivations and development over the past two seasons. The scenes of Stan typing the most common names in the world into his computer and getting no results - and having that mean something - set the tone for just how much disbelief we will be expected to suspend. He hasn't done this already? What was the point of the scene? Lazy, lazy, writing. Just pathetic.
I could go on but it should be obvious to anyone paying attention that this episode shows that the writers have not only made horrible choices about how to end an entertaining spy thriller (this isn't a documentary) but also seem to have no grasp on what actual character motivation is. Elizabeth's handler would have gunned her down in the apartment and then finished her soup if she heard the confession...again, another dreadful, pointless, unrewarding scene that is completely out of character with the show.
Laughably, frustratingly, disappointingly bad. The show turned into CSI:Moscow right before my eyes.
17
Couldn't agree more. No way in the world Elizabeth would have made it out of Claudia's apartment alive. Even last week, the first time she told her she wasn't going to kill Nesterenko - they would have made certain she was dealt with and not free to wander around and blow up their plans.
Very disappointing too that Paige's finally figuring out what her parents really are all about was so late and given such short gloss over.
And if all 4 of them wind up safe and living the 'happily ever after' in Canada or wherever (as the preview scene with the 4 of them in the car seems to indicate) I am going to be totally mad.
Seems to me once Philip tipped off Kimmy - the writers just checked out and there's been a total drop in the level of drama and realism.
6
I agree and disagree. I have been enjoying this season immensely, especially the latter half. But even though I feel the show reaches greatness here and there, the show also has a lot of head scratching moments and I agree that everything you brought up has been something that has bothered me. Paige, Pastor Tim, Kimmy, Claudia, the lack of any retribution from the Center are just a few things. And I guess we may never know why Philip bought that suit last episode. Glad they spent time on showing us that.
4
I love the show but agree about the writing. Another nit: how on earth was Elizabeth going to act as Nesterenko’s bodyguard? Even if she had nothing else to do, the idea that she could step in at just the right moment to thwart his assassination is ridiculous.
4
I like seeing that imp Peter Jacobson again - even though his character was responsible for Arkady's exile from the USA.
1
Remember how Martha was *just* able to escape? That's going to happen again. Stan and the FBI figured out everything about Elizabeth and Philip. While the whole family is about to be extracted Stan has a clear shot at Elizabeth and is about to take it. Philips, who'll do anything for her, shoots Stan first to save Elizabeth. They all make it back to to Russia. Philip can't stand what he did and has a hard time living with himself. Elizabeth is angry at P as she would have been ok dying a martyr. Their marriage is in ruins and their lives are miserable as we last see them eking out a sad existence in the ruins of a crumbling USSR.
11
Last week I predicted only half in jest that P & E would end up with new identities in Kalamazoo pierogies courtesy of Stan. This was the product of wishful thinking. If only ...
It's ingrained in us to see the "good guys" have a happy ending. And who are the good guys? People who are guided by the conscience to do what they believe is morally right. And that would be every main character in this story, even Claudia as shown by her willingness to return to the Soviet Union and face the music for what she believes in and the chance to fight again one day.
We know Gorbachev is not overthrown. Does this mean that the coded message finds its way back home? If so, it has to be through Stan's efforts. We also know that the safe houses are being watched. It seems we are being prepared for the inevitable capture of P & E. Do they surrender without a fight? Are one or both killed in the process? Does Paige end up reborn yet again in Buenos Aires? She never really had what it took for this line of work. She may also have been the least good of the "good guys" because I could never really understood her motivations for betraying her mother country.
5
The car registration list the agents have been poring over has been mentioned too many times not to be important. I predict they will find Renee's Jeep on the list and Stan will learn his wife is a spy. Then, because he thinks there's only one pair of "illegals" in the DC area, he decides Philip and Elizabeth are just travel agents after all. They come back without ever having made it to New Hampshire, and Henry is none the wiser. The final scene is years later when SALT is being signed. The Jenningses have retired from the spy business, are still living in Falls Church, and have turned around the business by adding an online option to the travel agency.
12
This prediction about the car leading to Renee is brilliant. I bet you're right. Very creative prediction all around.
7
I’d love to see that, but I wonder if the car registration work is going to point to the stack of license plates we saw Elizabeth put into the duffel bag.
2
Honestly, why do folks fixate on Renee as someone's plant? She's exactly who she appears to be. If anything, during her interview she may happen to catch a glimpse of the sketches and remark to Stan they look just like Philip and Elizabeth!
She's beautiful and Stan's lucky.
15
I think it's because, as TV fans, we wonder why someone like Laurie Holden would take the role unless there was something "meatier" to it than what we've seen so far.
4
-Stan remarks on how quickly she got her FBI interview.
-Renee states she will be giving up a higher paying job to work for the FBI. But she can't even be an agent, instead working in mundane Personnel. Why would an 80's career woman do so? She suddenly has a patriotic streak to serve her country, why not seek out a better job in D.C.'s federal-job-rich market?
-Philip gave reports to the Center that Stan was emotionally vulnerable for exploitation. Indeed, the Center used similar intel to have Philip go after the vulnerable Martha.
-Philip even had Marilyn tail Renee, he was so suspicious of her.
-When Stan tells Renee he wants to leave Counter Intelligence, she tries to convince him not to, as Philip did when Martha wanted to leave C.I. And when Philip told his concerns about Renee to Elizabeth, the show cut to an EST lecture about instincts.
- in the first episode Renee is in, Stan tells Philip she is like "a female version of you." The episode is also entitled "Pests" - perhaps she is Stan's ultimate pest.
-Renee refers to "University of Indiana" not IU, which no red-blooded American midwesterner would do. It would be like someone saying "University of Harvard."
I got a strange vibe from Aderholt this episode. Making my last far-fetched prediction for this wonderful series that Aderholt and Renee are sleeper agents for a foreign government!
20
I agree totally. She’s Stan’s wife - someone has to put on those dinner parties at Stan’s House and give him someone to talk to out of the office.
2
Here is the upcoming episode teaser, which should be helpful with all the speculation. And yes, I GET the note from the blogger that they did not see the tease, but it is relevant with speculation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOgIZMLvYXk
Note that the Jennings minus Henry are in a car driving and discussing heading to New Hampshire. At the least this tells us Paige has made at least some peace with Mom and Dad. Whether Henry comes along is the big question.
Caveat, there are shots from previous episodes, including the burning painting, but I have never seen a scene with all of them discussing going to New Hampshire. Any speculation about how all this ends needs to factor what was shown in the tease.
4
It looks like a lot of scenes on this trailer might have been from previous episodes. When they were going to go back to Russia, did they talk about going up to NH to get Henry? The scene in the car, can we trust him, Paige asked Phillip that about Pastor Tim. But the artist's drawings at the end are new, who did they get them from? Is this year's later? The "scenes from the next episode" were not quite the same.
1
Yes several scenes are, but not the one with the NH mention or 3 of them in the car. I don't believe they mentioned going to NH to get Henry in the trip back to Russia a couple of seasons ago. The drawings come from a couple of episodes back, I think - after the mess in Chicago. Stan saying "I'm gonna kill them" is definitely new.
Henry wasn't in boarding school two years ago.
Am I the only one who noticed that the FBI agent who pulled Dennis out of the interview with the priest was Walter Taffet, who conducted the interviews once the bug was found in Agent Gad's office. This episode was a veritable reunion.
10
Hi, a note from your recapper. This comes up fairly often so I'll repeat something I've said before: the "next week on" is not included with the advance screeners. I never see it before I write and file the recaps. (And once the episode has aired, there's no reason for me to go back and watch it after the fact.)
20
I loved the episode. I think Stan should go higher up with the revelation from Olog. That is way beyond his pay grade. I don't think Henry is a spy. If he were, why would he tell Stan all of the information about the weird hours his parents keep when Stan was driving him to the bus stop in an earlier episode? The other thing I was wondering is if in the mid-1980s the FBI could have gotten two agents to tail the priest that quickly? I never thought the FBI was that nimble of an operation. But that is a minor quibble.
3
What to say about this episode? Simply brilliant.
9
START refers to the strategic arms reduction treaty, signed by Gorbachev and Bush Sr. in 1991. So, I say in the finale, at least towards the end, we get another time jump. The fact that they end with this positive development and thawing of relations between the Soviet Union and Americans suggests a possibly amicable ending for the characters. Maybe Stan values his friendship with Philip and Elizabeth more than his obligation to his country --- it wouldn't be the first time he has put personal feelings before loyalty --- so he let's them get away. Maybe he also took what Oleg said to heart, and realizes that what Philip and Elizabeth did in their last stand was good for both countries. The Americans has always been a subtle show, not one for melodrama, so I don't see a last-minute bloodbath. I say all the major characters make it out alive. If anything, I could see either Philip or Elizabeth sacrificing their own life to save the other, but both dying is inconceivable. Tonally, the show has never taken a moral stance against the work that Philip and Elizabeth do, although Paige's tirade this week hinted more at that than ever before. The two of them being captured and forced to atone for what they have done would be an unfitting ending IMO, but it is conceivable.
6
Something about Henry keeps nagging at me but I'm not quite sure what it is. This kid has been mostly out of the spotlight for the duration but I have a feeling he will play a pivotal role at the end. Anyway, why can't P&E tell all to Stan and let him put them in witness protection--too simplistic? I just want them to be together--alive!
5
Henry will likely be the snag in the Jennings escape plan and drive a confrontation that would not otherwise happen. Looks like the FBI will figure out the Jennings' identities soon. P and E are going into hiding already, but may want to contact or take both of their kids with them. Henry would likely not want to go and the FBI may anticipate the Jennings trying to reach out to Henry and plant a trap.
I don't think he is a secret Russian spy but that is a fun theory.
6
You know, I love watching these characters as much as anyone, but there is just no way that Elizabeth could ever atone for the body count she's piled up since season 1 (and likely many more before that). She makes Breaking Bad's Walter White actually appear sort of constrained by comparison. Most of his targets were genuinely dangerous or at the least criminals in their own right. Not so with Elizabeth.
Conservatively, I'd say we've seen her murder at LEAST 20 or more completely innocent, "in the wrong place at the wrong time civilians." That's not even counting the "actual" targets! Her go-to is never to subdue, deflect, knock-out or evade: it's take them out and move on. The ONLY one ever spared was the little kid a few weeks ago. No doubt it's made for a really compelling show, but like Breaking Bad I can't see it ending in anything less than a full scale tragedy.
Finally, any of the Russian illegals that do survive, even if some escape, they will be haunted by the realization that not only was it all for nothing, it was all for the wrong cause too. Definitely, much of the CIA was no "better" in the types of operations they were running around the world. But overall the democratic/capitalist system they were working for is pretty obviously a LOT better than the Soviet one ever was. The US didn't win the Cold War so much as the Soviets lost it by virtue of it being so rotten in the first place.
7
The Soviets lost the Cold War not because of "being so rotten in the first place" but primarily because they could not afford the constant, exorbitant defense spending.
8
I think you should give Gorby and Arkady credit for doing something positive for their country.
5
If Elizabeth can't atone, then neither can Philip. He still killed plenty of people, and he has made it possible for Elizabeth to keep killing.
4
The Americans, final episode prediction: Philip and Elizabeth are devestated to learn that all has been for naught because they never made it to Washington, DC. They'd been in Brooklyn all along. "I wondered about all the brownstones," says Philip. "Yeah, ya'know," agrees Elizabeth, "That wasn't in the KGB manual. We could've used a better map."
33
Fort Greene. Sounds important. Kinda like Washington, though.
1
Ha! ‘All this time we’ve been thwarting the plans of a borough president? What’s a borough?’
2
Phillip and Elizabeth make it it to New Hampshire, and when they go into the school to get Henry, Stan will be waiting for them instead.
30
Unlike virtually every blogwriter I have read online,Cathy paid attention to the upcoming episode teaser. Now the upcoming show tease (I work in the TV promo business) can be a false flag, but there is clearly a scene with the the Jennings minus Henry in a car discussing driving to New Hampshire. Some variant of Cathy's scenario is the greatest likelihood, with either nabbing Henry and heading to the Canadian border or Henry betraying them all at the end to Stan and the FBI (my #1 hunch)
7
We'll know in a week!
How about this. Stan figures out who P&E are and then realizes that they are trying to save the talks and Gorbachev. Stan also realizes that E shot the other Russian spy to save the Russian negotiations. Presented with all of this, Stan is able to turn P&E to work with the US. Since Gorbachev prevails and the Soviet old guard is purged, that is fine with the new Soviet Union and P&E continue their lives in the US. As for Renee, she works for Mossad and when she realizes what happened she keeps quiet and continues with Stan. Martha goes home to whatever fate awaits her.
7
Excellent. Really like the Mossad twist.
1
Perfect. This is now my favorite prediction. Bet you're on the money. Maybe even with the Mossad bit!
I picture the following closing scene: Rene standing over a dead Stan, speaking into the telephone, telling the person on the other line that “the job is done”. And the person on the other line: Gabriel.
47
I don't think Renee has anything to do with the ending - not a spy. just Stan's wife. There will be no Gabriel or Martha or Mischa; there isn't time nor a whole lot to say about them anymore. The finale will be about what happens to Eliz, Philip, Stan, Oleg, and the kids. It could go in a bunch of different directions but I do see Stan catching up with E&P and the latters paying the price for their crimes in some fashion. I feel that Henry survives but part of the suffering of E&P centers around what goes down with Paige - I don't think she survives.
7
Paige will move to NYC and work for Trump.
9
Hahahahaha - that one's the best!
2
@ Phyliss
Paige may be unlikable, but she's not THAT bad.
2
After Paige's genuinely gripping confrontation with Elizabeth, how do you think she will react when she (eventually) learns that daddy was doing Kimmy - someone her very own age? I'm guessing ... she won't like it very much.
5
Boy, did Father Andrei bury the headine! When he casually drops that the FBI is interviewing Father Victor that day...Philip's whole demeanor changes and what followed was a great chase scene. It's all over...the photos need to be developed (remember those days?) and Philip is sure to be ID ed. And now the chase is on. Stan knows exactly where they are heading. Showdown in NH. Bodycount- unknown. I just hope we don't get some everyone is safe and lives happily ever after ending. I don't think we will, but someone must pay.
11
I hope they make it home and become oligarchs.
3
That would be well worth a short follow up season, seeing Elizabeth, with her Marxist/Leninist principles, in Yeltsin's Russia.
Paige: "Murdering innocent people is fine, but SEX??? You whore!!!"
35
1. Renee is definitely a spy
2. Stan and the FBI know for sure that Philip and Elizabeth are spies
3. Philip and Elizabeth get away with Renee's help
4. One final snippet with Martha - there has to be!!!
5. Oleg goes to prison
6. Claudia gets killed
7. Paige stays in US and everyone thinks she's innocent and she gets a job in the State Dept and continues spying
8. Henry???
7
As to #7, I don't think you understand how security clearences work. If you are related to a known hostile or, in many cases, have relatives in areas that we have conflicts with, you don't get one.
5
Stan won't catch them. Very sad!
1
I think Stan should have his own spin-off show, where"slowly but surely" over several seasons, Stan FINALLY figures it out....!
This was the first & only episode where I recognized Pastor Tim as one and the same as Dollar Bill in Billions. In all previous episodes I would stare and stare and could not see the resemblance.
I can't decide if I want the Commies to make it out or not?
6
Thanks for pointing this out. That is some great acting.
1
Claudia accused Elizabeth of wiping out ALL the "good" she'd accomplished in the past by exposing the plot against the Summit and protecting Nesterenko.
If that's true, Elizabeth is now in the clear, with nothing more to atone for.
Here's my take on the ending: knowing that Stan will expect them to proceed to Henry's school in NH, they call Henry, tell him to get out and make his own way to Canada. He tries to cross the border by little-used mountain trail, but he is trapped on a mountain ledge by FBI agents and shot, as in "High Sierra."
P & E & P make it to the ferry to Toronto, but just as it pulls away from the pier, the Feds jump aboard and start shooting, as in "Key Largo." The three owls are shot and fall overboard into the icy waters of Lake Ontario and are drowned.
Stan, still back in D.C., is murdered by Renee in retribution.
2
Somebody please tell me about the owls. I've watched the whole series but am clueless about owls. Now I've seen a couple of vague references, and need to catch up. (I do know a little about Claudia's squirrel brooches.)
1
The commentariat (credit to Wendell for this fun word) have suggested the owls signify wisdom or death.
The Jennings have a lamp with three owls in their foyer that has appeared in various scenes this season, such as when Henry tells Philip that Elizabeth is always unhappy, sharing wisdom.
Erica had an owl statue in her bedroom that appeared above Elizabeth in episode 1 this season. Erica's wisdom transformed Eliz.
Episode 9, the owl lamp is shown with 3 owls but 2 partially obscured before Paige learns of her parents' honeypots, then just 2 as Eliz gets phone call from Philip Elizabeth made her quick departure, then only the largest owl as she packs.
I think there have also been owls shown in Jennings' family room shelves and kitchen table this season that I commented on in previous episodes this season.
2
I think it was mentioned last week that owls, as creatures of the night, signify the isolated life free of normal human relationships characteristic of spies.
Surveillance photos may turn up nothing. Priest may not give up the Jennings. But everyone needs to disappear and fast - the Jennings, Claudia - the whole illegal machine. So maybe, it is only the empty Jennings house that confirms Stan's suspicion. And maybe Renee disappears as well, leaving Stan alone in his home realizing he was completely surrounded by Russians all along.
And I just want to add that I cannot believe how strongly I wanted Philip to escape the FBI! Run Philip, run!!!
61
Mike Hale, I so envy you! You know how this all turns out!
11
I've pointed out before how, throughout the series, Elizabeth has shown affection and love not by verbalizing her emotions, but through food. Some more (and more recent) examples:
In "Harvest", after Philip drops everything, blows off Thanksgiving, and heads to Chicago help with the impossible exfiltration of the blown agent. Elizabeth is grateful and overwhelmed but does not say "I love you for doing this." Instead, she puts the Chicago maps down and asks if P wants to get something to eat.
In the safehouse (in last night's episode), Claudia has made another tasty Russian stew; this time, Elizabeth declines. "No, not now," she's saying. "I no longer have any love for, nor do I harbor any allegiance toward, you and those with whom you stand."
15
First, since someone mentioned: Frank Gaad, Stan's former boss, was not assassinated in Thailand. Most likely, Soviets [KGB] may have been testing to see if Gaad would act as a go between for exchange or other purpose. Gaad bolted, and died in broken glass.
For me, it was just a question of when Oleg would tell--have to tell--Stan why he was really in the US. I expected a pay phone call, but now Oleg has no choice. Stan does.
If and when the family gets to Canada with or without Henry, and if there's time, it was not just common but normal for massive numbers of Canadians to travel to Cuba in the 1980s. Easy and very common. Canada to Cuba to Czechoslovakia or USSR [as Martha did]--all more than possible--if it's safe. But what awaits them--will they be seen as treasonous traitors or not, well, we may have to imagine: we know that Mikhail Gorbachev did of course survive--and Arkady may have lots of "pull." Next week, we may find out about Elizabeth and Philip. Most Americans have never known committed revolutionaries.
12
My bad -- but Stan still holds the Soviet's responsible for the deaths of his friends/colleagues, Gaad & Chris.
Putin came out of the KGB.
Gorbachev and Yeltsin were short thaws before a new dictatorship descended on the Russian people, the Oligarch dictatorship.
2
Loved this show from the pilot because few of the characters, and usually only the minor ones, are one-dimesional, wholly good or wholly evil (though there's been a lot of evil) and that makes them unpredictable.
My guess: Tatiana's death convinces the Americans to alert Gorbachev to what after all is a plotted coup. That opens the door for the Jennings, after some hair-raising close calls on the run, to go back to the USSR or stay on in the US. Elizabeth, who has done a final service to her country, chooses the former. In the new spirit of detente Philip and the kids are allowed to stay and become truly Americans, a new 'START.' An embittered and embarrassed Stan (don't forget who killed his partner) leaves the bureau.
5
I think Stan is going to be too angry to let the Jennings walk. There will likely be a confrontation of sorts. We know that Stan has a pattern of letting his emotions override his work ethic so it will be interesting. But yeah there is a path set up for everyone making it out alive and relatively happy. I just don't think it will happen that way.
5
We love Philip's toe-tapping, cowboy boot wearing, American wanna-be. Elizabeth was never that. Do either of them get to be the hero or get redemption? Remember that Philip said, "It's on us.". They have to pay a price, as hard as it will be. But, I hope they pay it together.
4
Hence, the wedding rings Elizabeth retrieved.
1
Just realized if Paige knew the truth about E and Jackson because she had asked Claudia first and Claudia def would have told her. So Paige really was just resting if E would lie to her. And that means Paige goes along with them but is maybe on Claudia’s side...
1
Testing, not resting
If we have to read this much between the lines and make up our own story details, it shows how bad of a job the writers have done because without this motivation and knowledge, Paige's reaction toward her mom goes completely against everything we know about her at this point.
The episode was bad. Prepare for more awful lack-of-storytelling at the end...
2
The preview showed Paige in the car with Phillip and Elizabeth heading to New Hampshire. Paige knows too much to stay behind whereas Henry doesn't know anything and he has a hockey parent of a wealth classmate in the offing to take care of him.
Renee is: from the Center, sent to spy on the Jennings without Claudia's knowledge, the next generation of spy and we learn that at he end as she begins work at the FBI or placed to take out Stan if needed.
After rooting for Phillip, for the lat two seasons, to rid himself of Elizabeth, I now hope they make it out alive. Both of them.
6
Yes, this is how I see it ending too. Elizabeth’s “redemption” almost comes too late for me. I want Philip to be okay, and am more ambivalent about her. Have always thought Renee was waiting in the wings as Plan B. I assume P and E are in the dark though Claudia may not be.
1
Agreed on Claudia. She's too sharp, too tough and the Center had to think some of their illegals would become disenchanted. Whatever the reason she's at Stan's side, Claudia knows about Renee.
Would like to see where Gabriel falls on the KGB versus Gorbachev thing. He always seemed more measured and less fanatical than Claudia. Maybe he and Martha are living happily together, or he's at least in the godfather role to Martha's adopted Russian child.
I doubt the Center and its minions will have the focus to go after P and E. They're under considerable pressure themselves. And Claudia, their point woman, is also flying the coop. It's unstated, but I think P and E's escape plan is a private one, and unknown to their handlers.
I guess we're all agreed about upcoming derring do in New Hampshire.
I've said this before, but clueless Stan is the functional equivalent of clueless Hank in Breaking Bad.
6
I think Renee will do something drastic that stops Stan from preventing Philip and Elizabeth's escape. We'll see them disappear into some faraway place where they'll live on as Americans.
5
I have to believe Renee is going to kill Stan. There’s no other way to justify her presence. He’ll figure it out, but she’ll murder him before he can do anything about it. I can’t believe she’s on the show just as his wife.
5
I don't understand this point of view. Why is the character of Renee not justified? Stan is not allowed to have relationships and just lives all alone by himself. He is a strong man.
Here is the obvious question if I go to your way of thinking. Why would the writers waste a great opportunity to exploit the Renee spy angle? All this time fans of the show would get to see Renee working behind the scenes to undermine Stan?
As I mentioned before in another post, why would a Russian spy who is married to Stan want to work for the FBI? Like this would give her an 'in' to the organization? Do spouses of the FBI and CIA get brownie points? I doubt it.
5
That presupposes that she's on the pro-Gorbachev side. Let's hope that's true! I really do want the Jenningses, who've finally come to some self-realization, to live free.
2
John, I agree. We saw Stan's marriage break up and his attempts at dating. Either he would have had to continue dating, which would take more exposition, or he could get one girlfriend-and-then wife who wouldn't need to be explained in each episode. Him being married allowed for family dinners with P&E.
Was hoping that Stan would have had proof( I realize he’s suspicious) by now of who P and E really are. I’m left wondering now, will they escape with no consequences for all that they have done? I hope not.
Glad to see Paige stand up to E’s lies. The scene between E and Claudia made me laugh when E says “ you lied to me”. That’s what she and Philip do everyday! That’s seemed weak, Elizabeth just walks in on Claudia having dinner and announces she’s done and walks out the door unscathed.
11
"walks out the door unscathed...."
For now.
1
Spies lie. That's part of the job. They could hardly be effective if they were honest all the time.
3
Some random musings. How will the discovery of Tatiana's murder impact Oleg's situation? She had the weapon for killing Nesterenko on her. So what Oleg has told Stan will now have higher credibility.
P and E can't go back to the USSR - they will be executed for treason. Claudia is in big trouble. It's at least an 8 hour drive to New Hampshire, but on the way to Canada, and the border between NH and Canada was probably easy to cross back in the 80's. But I don't think they make it that far, it's only a matter of an hour before the film is developed, and Stan knows for sure. Does Father Andre crack under interrogation? I think P and E realize that they can't get Henry, and leave Paige behind to help him. Does the FBI get lucky and find the garage that P and E are heading to in time? There were only 15 left to check out. If Renee is a Russian source, then it's possible the Russians will find out that P and E are in danger, and try to exfiltrate or kill them also, but Claudia didn't seem to have a clue, so Renee is a red herring or possibly another innocent victim who gets in the way of Elizabeth escaping. And the cyanide?
15
When Elizabeth tells Claudia that her plot has been revealed, she was premature in that announcement. Claudia is in trouble if and only if the coded message that Oleg has actually finds its way back to the good old USSR.
5
Also, it looked as if Elizabeth was questioning all the "good" that she had done, when Claudia told her she was undoing it all, especially after discovering that she was being used against Gorbachev. Father Andrei's comment to Phillip that it takes a lot for Elizabeth to trust someone - she originally mistrusted Claudia, but seems to have developed trust, which is now gone. I'm very suspicious that this isn't the last we see of Claudia, her demeanor at the end seemed to indicate that she knows much more than she has let on - maybe the KGB will kill P & E, and try to exfiltrate Paige who will refuse. Stan who is busy with Oleg, will send Rene to go pick up Henry, and the two of them could escape to Canada - though I think this is not likely. Rather, I think Henry must have a part in the end - foreshadowed by the S 1 episode where he hits the creepy guy over the head with a bottle. Paige is too disgusted by what her mother has done to continue being a spy. She goes on to write a memoir, after cutting a deal for immunity in exchange for ratting out Claudia - P and E share that Claudia is working to take down Gorbachev.
Also, preview spoiler alert, is Stan taking Oleg to identify Tatiana? Otherwise, where is Stan taking Oleg? I really want Oleg to live and go back to his family - he's the most decent, intelligent, and handsome character in the show, though he looked better without the beard. Phillip too, a bit too cold-blooded.
3
Claudia is in trouble because Elizabeth kills Tatiana and the plot is foiled - she failed at handling Elizabeth. She doesn't know the message was intercepted, so she thinks she is finished. Probably why she does nothing, and Elizabeth is not worried about retaliation.
Philip seemed safe after he got into the taxi. Then he’s suddenly even more worried and calling from the phone booth, presumably because he thinks Father Andrei is his most imminent vulnerability. So the guy who married them finally blows their cover, bringing them together more than ever before. They take their wedding bands on the run. And next week they escape. Together. Stan goes to their house, but nobody’s there. The curtain falls. Then so does the Berlin Wall.
14
Mr. Hale apparently missed the young Elizabeth being told that in America, she should leave the comrade to die and that Philip, since the show started, hated Elizabeth having sex with others. I also envision Trump voters nodding their heads at a Times writer rooting for the escape of spies who have killed so many innocent Americans.
Stan is still portrayed as inept--he doesn't care that Gorbachev is at risk and doesn't yet know about the attempted hit on Nesterenko? Why was Stan looking for arrest records, an almost certain dead end, rather than Thanksgiving flight records, birth records, etc (although they might have taken longer to find back then) and not telling Dennis about the lack of family, frequent dead of night comings and goings, etc.?
Holly Taylor's fight with mom was her best work in the last 3 seasons, although the writers continue to not have Paige ask about killing people.
I do not see Henry willingly going to Russia, but Paige would. The Martha fantasies in the comments are amusing and a tribute to a great portrayal--returning to the US, where she will be imprisoned for decades because she has no chips to trade? Philip dumping Elizabeth to marry her? Right.
13
I think sanctimonious Paige is done with being a spy...OMG if she has to lie and have manipulative sex ... she'd last about five minutes.
3
DSM14... You're right. My head is and has been nodding indeed. P&E and Paige deserve to pay for their crimes against so many innocent American citizens. Waterboarding them would be a good start. A firing squad would be an appropriate ending.
Am I mistaken, or did Paige previouly sleep with an intern, mention the espionage potential of such a relationship--and get shot down by Elizabeth?
1
Oh, what a magnificent monologue by Margo Martindale (Claudia). I was riveted, could not take my eyes off of her. The calm, cold dismissal of Elizabeth, mixed with heavily masked hurt, betrayal and outrage. And, finally, eating a spoonful of Russian stew, which said "Begone, traitor!" Elizabeth's quiet departure was sad. I felt sorry for them both.
40
Test ?
4
So many great scenes! Especially the look on Philip's face when Father Andrei explained that 'jealous' Father Victor was going to rat him out to the FBI. THAT DAY. All the blood seemed to drain from Philip's face. Also extraordinary was Elizabeth, the vein in her forehead popping, dressing down Paige after being called a "whore" by her daughter.
Sensational acting by Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys.
My concern - that the KGB will now kill Elizabeth and Philip because they're traitors to the hand that fed them.
This was a genuinely tense episode - and loads of fun! I loved Pastor Tim being a squirrel yet again in refusing to tell Stan the truth about the Jennings. Pastor Tim - seriously? How cold and manipulative Claudia was, guilt-tripping Elizabeth yet again but this time it didn't work. And it looked weirdly like Oleg was about to nuzzle Stan's neck when he leaned in to whisper the reveal about the plot against Gorbachev.
I don't know where this is going but it's a fantastic ride. Top notch work by the writers and actors. I loved every minute!
Now go get 'em, Stan!
65
Paige is a moron who betrayed her country because her mother told her black people face prejudice in the U.S., which also has too many nuclear weapons. She knows mom kills people, and that's okay because the world needs to be saved, but manipulative, uncaring sex is a dealbreaker. I want Paige be arrested or killed. Philip will probably be killed and Elizabeth will be arrested to mourn her lost family and then her country after a few years in prison. Stan is even dumber than Paige and will discover that Renee is actually a man. And I really, really want to see what happens to Martha, the last member of the stupid squad and the one I actually feel sorry for. She can't go home without being arrested and the government which takes care of her is soon to collapse.
9
The Bangkok poster in the travel agency -- WTF, Phillip! A little reminder for Stan about the assassination of Gaad.
I've been wrong about the recipient of the cyanide pill twice. So I'm done guessing about it. I still think there will be losses on both sides, ambiguity about who will continue the Jenningses' work, and that Phillip and Elizabeth will confirm their love. After all, it's a love story with lots of dead bodies.
8
Great catch about the poster! I miss Gaad.
5
I have loved everything about this show, including it’s historical accuracy and context. These are agents of a foreign government who killed many real Americans, including government and law enforcement officials. To have them escape unharmed would not be a realistic or satisfying ending. I don’t know what they could offer to earn them witness protection. I think the only realistic ending is for them to die or end up in prison, as tragic as that seems. Oleg was threatened with 20 to 30 years!
6
Agree. I can't fathom that some people want E to escape? Seriously. She is a monster. She can redeem herself in prison or in the after life.
I hope the writers are not dumb enough to let the family live a happy life. I can live with some deaths on the FBI side (Stan or Aderholt) because war is hell, even a cold war, but Claudia and at least one of the big 3 need to perish from this earth. Yes, I included Paige.
Look at one the best shows ever, Breaking Bad. Walter did die. Jesse did live but was punished. Skyler was in her own hell. This is an American show about family but E is the personification of evil and all great shows have their villain die or suffer.
I wouldn't mind seeing E have to see Paige die in the crossfire while being arrested.
1
What makes you so certain that having Philip and Elizabeth escape in the final episode means they will have a happy life after that? P & E have both the Americans (FBI and....) and the KGB on their tails. Wherever they go (US or outside), both will have to get used to leading a very paranoid existence, continually looking over their shoulders to see who is stalking them. They clearly cannot go back to Mother Russia, now that E has dealt such a blow to the KGB, and that organization has a very long memory--be assured that someone will be dispatched to eliminate the family. If they stay in the US (or even go to a different country), the FBI will certainly be looking for them with much greater diligence than they have shown to date (maybe even CIA also). I think their lives will be a kind of hell from here on out. There is also the collateral problem of Henry, who I doubt is going to be willing to give up what he has worked toward at school to go on the run. And Paige is about to learn that grown-up spycraft is a lot less pleasant than she has believed. No one will get away with anything when living a life built on lies.
Did no one else notice there were THREE passports?
17
Maybe Henry, as a minor, would be on E or P’s passport?
Good catch!! Very interesting.
Minors have their own passports, even babies.
Tatiana was not in my death pool--great twist. Know I'm being unrealistic, but hope Stan does right by Oleg.
15
I feel stupid did not realize it was Tatiana until I read this recap. Watched on my phone, I will blame the small screen.
1
I only realized it was Tatiana after rewinding to watch how the hit went off so smoothly (on Elizabeth's part). I think seeing Tatiana in the recap tipped me off too - we always knew she was a threat to Oleg and the peacenik contingent in the "new" USSR.
I also thought the wig was intended to make viewers wonder if it was Renee (!) and its falling off to reveal Tatiana was an homage to poor Marilyn last week. (Those wigs can stay put through quite a bit, but not a bullet to the head or face!)
Woke Paige has quite the sting, but Elizabeth still misses no chance to toss some shade on Philip. That Paige crosses paths with Jackson was wayyyyyy too convenient, but P&E won’t go anywhere without their kids. (Whore? Child, if you only knew the homicidal whole of it.) But where do they go? Off the KGB team, do they now hold any value to the FBI that makes cutting a deal possible? Mother Soviet seems too dangerous to return to. Is there any real appeal/ability in trying to stay undercover and start anew? Taking pause to reflect may make those cyanide capsules seem appealing, but their real problem is that Liz’s message outing Claudia and her cohorts is now in FBI headquarters, and hell hath no fury like an apparatchik scorned. I doubt Philip’s veritable Valeriy Borzov skillset will enable outrunning a Claudia directed hit team. I think P&E are going to buy the farm in the finale, and Paige will return to the Claudia’s fold. However, Oleg’s harsh words to Stan may have him thinking of playing outside the FBI box (again) and somehow providing the Jennings clan safe passage. (And if Stan needs motivating, I remember them having developed something to use against Stan in S1 regarding a vacation money refund that could prove embarrassing.) I don’t think we get any Martha, and am on the fence about Renee, but I think Gabriel will make an appearance. Hurry Wednesday!
3
Prisoner exchange as an unreported part of the missile treaty negotiation? They’ve done it before.
Too bad they must have figured out the finale before Oliver North became president of the NRA. They could have had serious fun with another stab at Iran Contra.
4
Yesssss! My return was *almost* as great as Mail Robot's!
Snitches get stitches. Can you get that through your thick head, Father Victor?
Will Father Andrei snitch (like Elizabeth did about Philip's, er, tradecraft to Paige) too and who's going to end up in a ditch?
8
Oh boy it's coming down to the wire.
- Tatiana was certainly not in my death pool. (I didn't think that Tatiana ever did undercover/disguise jobs. She was in the US on official cover, right? KGB must be desperate.) Very smooth move my Elizabeth to shoot her in the middle of the sidewalk in broad daylight and escape by briskly walking across the street. I suppose the people there would be too bewildered to give much scrutiny.
- It would have been neat if Claudia found a way to recruit someone from Elizabeth's team into assassinating Nesterenko - perhaps Paige herself? Claudia would know that Elizabeth wouldn't / couldn't stop Paige. What a devilish twist that would be. It would also put a payoff of the long arc of trying to develop Paige as a spy. Even in this season that plot line has faded.
- Not a fan of the young Elizabeth flashbacks. For one thing, this is baseline exposition that seems out of place for this late in the show (we already know that Elizabeth is rather cold-hearted). And also - the CGI de-aging of Keri Russell was so uncanny. It looked corpse-like. Even mega-budget movies can't get this all the way right yet.
- Still holding out hope for Oleg. I think that Stan has enough of a connection with him to give him some leeway. Even though the FBI correlates Oleg's return to the swathe of deaths cut by Elizabeth, I don't believe that Stan thinks Oleg is up to that level of mischief.
5
Earlier this year, I was convinced that Phillip and Elizabeth would kill each other in their final battle between Mother Russia and the US. I figured that Stan would walk into the house, find them dead, and maybe, just maybe, realize the truth. Now I haven't a clue.
What I still believe: Renee is a cipher; she serves as the character upon whom we can project our speculations, but we'll never know if she is anything other than a pretty, nice, slightly aggressive, woman who loves Stan. AND.......Paige will be the spy of the future, deeply imbedded just as Claudia and the Centre planned all along.
3
I envision the final shot of the series being Renee doing something that reveals she is the next mole the Russians have planted in the US. I mean, the Soviets would know that Elizabeth & Philip's time was probably up anyway. What is the shelf life for two deeply embedded agents?
6
With so many people assuming Renee is a KGB agent, I don't think the writers will go that route since most of the time over the past 6 seasons they have succeeded to not be predictable. I think Renee will somehow save Stan's life or kill one of the Jennings.
I have a good "common sense" question. Why the heck did Stan not enter Elizabeth and Phillip's name into the database after the 'pilot' episode when he suspected them of being linked to Timoshev?
7
Maybe there was no data base five years earlier.
2
And why hasn't he had them followed??
2
The database was only for FBI criminal records. Had no use last night and would have had no use then. The episode title was one GIANT red herring.
How about checking airline manifests though for Chicago or Dallas(?) for the Thanksgiving weekend. That might have revealed something.
5
I’m conflicted as we head into the final episode. I want the Jennings to pay for all they’ve done. I want them to be safe. I want Stan to be the hero who brings down the illegals program. I want him to put his friendship with Philip first. I want Phillip to break free of Elizabeth. I want them to be each other’s country. I want Henry to be outed as a spy. I want him to be just another prep school kid. I want that brat Paige to get what’s coming to her. I want her to find peace. I want to cram that locket pill down Claudia’s throat. No, the owl lamp. No, every wig ever used on the series. I want her to watch her country crumble. The only thing I know for sure is that I don’t want the show to end.
135
My sentiments exactly! I would only add that I want Renee to be a deep undercover agent (whether it's KGB, CIA, or some other as-of-yet-unsuspected intelligence agency), and I also want her to just be a nice lady who feels a midlife calling to do meaningful work, and loves Stan as much as he loves her.
5
They’ve burned their bridge with the Center just when they need the Center’s assistance the most. We’ll see if they’re able to escape when they can’t tap into their vast network.
5
I know that the show’s creator, Joe Weisberg, has long dubbed Elizabeth and Philip as “soldiers.” For the sake of argument, even at this late hour, soldiers, especiallly operatives of a Communist state, a putative workers’ paradise, don’t kill civilians and members of the working class, and still get to be honored as soldiers.
But I write this as a fan of “The Americans,” to express how much I at once admire the show and how long I’ve felt revulsion and disgust while watching it . . .
So, to reflect that mood, I really don’t want to know the true body count, i.e. exactly how many innocent people the Jennings have murdered.
But if any die-hard fan has a total wig count for the series, post it here (:
4
As repugnant as much of the killing has been, if you go along with the "soldier" notion, then all those American innocents could be justified as "collateral damage." It's not like Philip and Elizabeth took any pleasure in all the killing. They were tying up loose ends to ensure the success of the mission and for the sake of a cause they had sacrificed their lives to. And after all, most of those "civilians and members of the working class" were willing capitalists, an evil in and of itself in the minds of the Jenningses.
2
“Willing capitalists”? I was raised in the US, and acquired the tools to critique capitalism only once I entered university. And my abhorrence for Soviet-style Communism? For that, I needed no education.
If I could, I would move to a country that believes in and supports democratic socialism, for the record.
The only thing I'll miss more than the show itself is Mike's recaps which have been outstanding, and the comments after each episode.
Well, the last two episodes have certainly turned everything on its head. I was certain, as were so many others, that Elizabeth would never return from the dark side and would deservedly be killed or swallow the cyanide. I'm not sure I would be satisfied with an ending where the whole family manages to get out of the country .... it would negate the serious nature of the show and end like a romantic drama. One or more of them should have to pay the price.
I think we've seen the last of Claudia ..... she'll return to a changing Russia. Unfortunately, I'm not so sure Oleg will be able to. This will be a long week!
23
In the end, everything might come down to Henry. Throughout the series he's proved to be a pivotal and underestimated character, full of surprises and so much more than the goofy, video game-playing kid that his parents saw. Consider: A couple seasons ago, Elizabeth and Philip found out, via a teacher at his school, that Henry is off-the-charts smart. Taking his future in his hands, he gets himself into an elite prep school and becomes an ice hockey star! In his key talk with Stan this season, we find out that yes, despite his seeming obliviousness over the years, he has, in fact, noticed his parents' constant disappearances and overall strange behavior. In the end, upon Elizabeth, Philip and Paige's arrival in New Hampshire to take him from school, Henry may surprise us all one final time and confide in Stan, who's been more 'family' to him than his real family.
It probably won't go down this way. Deep down, I think the Jennings will manage to escape, but it's an intriguing theory!
I'm dreading next Wednesday.
11
Midway through Season 1, Paige stupidly decided she and Henry would hitchhike home. They were quickly picked up by a concealed weapon carrying weirdo who drove them to a deserted lake where he insisted that Paige drink beer with him. They escaped because a quick-thinking Henry - about 10 at the time - cracked a bottle over the predator's head so they could run away. Nobody should underestimate Henry! Plus Keidrich Sellati is a terrific actor.
19
It's interesting that so many (including our host) wish to see Philip and Elizabeth escape at the end. Not unlike the Sopranos where we found ourselves oddly rooting for the sociopath Tony Soprano, regardless of how many innocents (or other sociopaths) he either killed or had killed. Philp and Elizabeth are spies who have killed innocents all along the way. The fact that they were "trained" or "only following orders" does not matter (to me). I hope they go down in a blaze of gunfire coming from Stan, with Paige left whimpering and crying in a jail cell at the end as a reminder of P&E's last real victim.
11
If the entire family escapes into the sunset, I would be very letdown.
3
I don't feel that way at all and I'll be very disappointed if the Jennings don't escape. Philip—and to a greater extent, Elizabeth—are both loyal Soviet soldiers fighting for their country in much the same way that Stan is doing for his. They are not sociopaths or evil. They are patriotic soldiers fighting a very dirty war in support of their country.
1
Did anyone think it was weird that Claudia was so subdued in the past two episodes when Elizabeth openly defied her? I have to think that there was a big target on Elizabeth's back after the last episode - the Center can's let her live now that she has gone rogue, and that means that Philip is also in danger. It was also a bit contrived that there is a hit in broad daylight in Washington D.C. during the summit, literally at the feet of one of the crucial negotiators, and (1) Nesterenko either has no security with him or else they don't respond and (2) no one calls the police or screams, or follows Elizabeth? Paige's flip out also seemed a bit forced, especially given that she had offered to sleep with the intern a few episodes ago. Also, can someone enlighten me regarding the issue regarding the two priests?
7
Father Andrei works for the Center in addition to being areal priest Father Viktor, also a real priest, is singing to the FBI. He also had an affair homophobic Russian apparatchiks would have frowned upon, indeed, denounced, in that period. His lover was a man from France.
5
The FBI are watching and/or tailing the Russian Orthodox priests in the D.C. area. When Father Victor is brought in for questioning, he believes he is there because of the actions of a couple of other priests. He despises the fact that they have ties to the Soviet government and are not true men of God. So he quickly offers up the name of Father Andrei.
You'll recall that in last week's episode, Philip gave E. a note from the priest asking her to meet him but she was busy so she told Philip to go. As soon as Father A. told P. that Father V. was meeting with the FBI, Philip knew the jig was up. That's why he took off.
3
Agreed, Stacy! Thinking the same as you, how could the Center just allow E to live after not following the order to kill Nesterenko.
3
I think they're going to make it. The Jennings relocate to Canada.
On a separate note. . .for the first few seasons, I thought Keri Russel's acting was fine but not great. A bit wooden for me. But she really turned it on this year. I think she's been outstanding and I am definitely a convert. Awards, please.
20
Surely our friends up north would extradite a known spy to the US.
2
I'm sure Canada would, if they can be found. They have plenty of fake ids and should be able to slip into Canada easily. You didn't used to need anything but an ID, and we didn't have internet-based communications then, so more difficult for Stan & Co. to notify border authorities. Since they probably entered the US through Canada in the 60s, perhaps they have some Canadian identities established. And here I am talking about them like they are real people.
1
They're on their way to Canada. When Elizabeth pulled the bundles of cash in the getaway bag, there was a bundle of Canadian cash ($5 bill on top).
Also, there was a famous case of a couple of Russian spies caught in Canada and sent back. Their two sons, both Canadian born and raised, have been trying to return to Canada. Just like the Jennings family.
4
Does anyone know if Stan would need a subpoena or a warrant to contact the airlines that fly from the D.C. area to Houston? If he's suspicious enough about Philip and Elizabeth to check the computer database (shout out to black and green monitors), why not check with the airlines? It would make his suspicions more credible to Aderholt.
3
They would not have used real names
4
I have wondered why they would fly as a couple, sitting together. Seems they would have been less obvious as two single people, even on the same flight.
2
...but if they were NOT on the flight to Houston, that would mean something as well.
In the real life story upon which The Americans is based, at least one of the kids is questioned by the FBI and denies denies denies knowing anything. I have a sense that Henry will be left behind in the U.S., dealing with that role.
There's a Guardian article written by the kids of spies--The Day We Found Out Our Parents Were Russian Spies--and other articles to peruse for clues while we wait!
19
Maybe they wind up unable to extract Henry --and he winds up adopted by Stan. And Renee?
Cases of the real illegals in NY and NJ, the minor American-born children were deported to Russia with their parents. One South American-born adult child with either a green card or US citizenship stayed in the US, and 2 college-age American -born (I think American-born)were not permitted to stay and had college acceptance/attendances revoked n the US and in other countries.
That's not quite correct. Both sons were born in Canada before the family relocated to the United States. Their Canadian citizenship and passports were revoked and they returned to the USSR. Very recently, both sons' Canadian citizenship and passports were reinstated, but at the moment neither son is residing in Canada. One is working in Asia, the other in Europe.
I have loved this series since the beginnging and I will miss it greatly. My finale prediction: Stan will try to arrest Philip and Elizabeth, but Renee shows up, and since she has been a KGB plant watching Stan all this time, she either wonds or kills Stan, aloowing Philip and Elizabeth to flee across tthe boder to Canada, and presumably from there, to the Soviet Embassy and a trip home. Can';t figure out how they will wrap up th ekids, though. It'll be intersting.
4
Agreed, that Renee is a plant has been suspected for a long time, especially now that she is a candidate for a personnel job at the FBI, where she could get all kinds of useful information on FBI counterintelligence agents. The season has clearly been building up to a major confrontation between Stan and the Jennings. That Renee might interrupt it, and whether or not Philip and Elizabeth are able to get away, we'll just have to wait and see next week.
1
Please forgive my typos, I tried to fix them with Grammarly, but the system didn't take my corrections.
Holly Taylor has said in interviews that she filmed the last scene outside in a blizzard in the early morning hours and that it was very sad. We haven't seen that yet, so it's got to be coming next week.
1
What Claudia meant as a stinging rebuke to Elizabeth - "What do you have left? Your marriage? Your American kids?" - is precisely what she does have left. The only country she can still put her faith in is her family, even though that will require a ton of repair work after her bitterness toward Philip, her estrangement from Henry, and her explosive confrontation with Paige. But Elizabeth has always been about the work...
43
Certainly indicative of an old-school, hardcore Soviet collectivist attitude on Claudia's part.
4
Agreed, and kudos to the J's for subtly and restraint in not having her say that and letting the audience fill that in. Great writing, great acting, this show deserves ALL the awards.
4
Claudia continues to live in an immediate-post-war time warp.
2
Pastor Tim's "do" wins first prize in the wigs competition. And he wasn't even in a disguise !!!
My sister used to have an Eva Gabor wash and wear wig that was the spitting image of what the good pastor was sporting, but he wears it with much greater panache than she did.
This episode was definitely one of the best of all six seasons.
11
For a moment, I thought the blonde assassin would be Renee.
And I don’t think Pastor Tim’s reluctance was about loyalty or fear of indictment. I think it was fear of retribution.
Can’t wait to see how it ends.
41
How great would that have been? Renee (suppose she IS a spy) getting killed out on the street, leaving Stan bewildered and devastated and eventually to finding out the truth about everything this way. If more episodes were left, that really would have been a fantastic and shocking plot line.
But it was Tatiana. I didn’t recognize her at first glance either. And as soon as I did, I asked myself: “Since when is she a field agent who goes on killing missions?”
It’s now more apparent to me why she was so angry at Oleg a couple of episodes ago. She has been reduced to being the clean-up contigency to those people who should actually get things done (Hello there, Elizabeth!). It’s actually quite a nice representation of what was happening to the Soviets in the final years of the Cold War. They became desperate and lost all sense of reason, because they knew they were finished. Some people just didn’t want to admit it (Yes, looking at you, Claudia!)
20
Pastor Tim spoke very highly of Paige but I couldn't help but notice the subtle emphasis that Pastor Tim placed on the words "they didn't go to church". As if by saying that, Stan could surmise they were Communists ..... Paige is not.
24
J-Tee: I agree, that was the clue. Being the bonehead that he is, Stan will not get it.
I didn't recognize Tatiana when I saw that woman sprawled out on the steps. For a second I thought that Isabella Rossellini has made a cameo appearance. Thanks for clearing that up.
19
Ha yes! The similarity is striking.
2
Predictions:
I don't think we'll see Philip's son again. Or Gabriel or Martha.
I imagine Martha returning to the US with her adopted daughter once the wall falls.
Philip, Elizabeth and Paige will head to New Hampshire to get Henry, though I think it would be kinder to leave him there.
Stan will try to head them off in New Hampshire.
As for Renee, she may show up in NH to aid the Jennings in getting away, including shooting Stan. Or she may maintain her cover and infiltrate the FBI.
I feel so sorry for Stan. There are so many layers of betrayal. Martha, Agent Gaad, his own deep friendship with Philip, his uncle status to Henry, his affection for Paige.
7
Martha would be coming back facing charges of treason. When the Soviet Union falls, there may be many places for her to go if the US doesn't care enough to extradite her, but she's certainly not coming back to the US.
5
Gaad did not betray Stan. Gaad was betrayed by Martha, who, for the Love of God, I can't figure out why people here think she's so likeable.
11
I didn't mean that Agent Gaad betrayed Stan, but that Martha's actions betrayed Agent Gaad and cut short his career, ultimately leading to his death with the other Russian agents. Stan was deeply affected by this. And behind all of this we have Philip and Elizabeth.
1
Next week is Renee's FBI interview.
So crucial. Best of luck, Renee.
6
Here’s the degree to which they’re messing with us - it’s ‘next Wednesday’! I wish they’d had Dennis ask ‘oh, what time?’ Stan: 10 pm/9 central.
23
I'd say the odds of her landing a job just dropped. By then, everyone will know they lived across the street from Soviet spies for years, and never knew it.
2
Good recap; yes, her last-minute grab for the wedding rings is important. But what was the book that Paige was talking about? Father Andrei is a fine marriage counselor, but he should have told Philip first thing that he had been ratted out by the jealous priest (who looks like a Dostoevsky character). I am afraid I will never see Martha or Gabriel again--two of my favorite characters.
11
The book to which Paige referred was one she'd bought (or borrowed from a library). It was about espionage and the Cold War, I believe. There were chapters about spies using sex as part of their trade and it upset Paige.
I think that pile of Canadian cash we see as Elizabeth is packing in the last scene suggests a run to the northern border... Montreal?
20
A few episodes ago, Paige told her Mom that she was reading a book about the KGB. They had a conversation about "honey traps" and Elizabeth ducked the truth by saying that "maybe other agents do it sometimes".
5
There are too many reactions and conversations we want to see yet for it all to be contained in one last episode. It’s like the show kicked into higher gear too late, or we need 2-3 more episodes.
52
The rings, a last thought inclusion, are the key and , somehow will be the downfall for P and E. The kids are now out of the way and the shakedown, not necessarily the consequences, will not involve Paige and Henry. Bring it on, I can’t wait.
3
I still don't buy Elizabeth's seemingly sudden change of heart, but I'm glad she wasn't killed during this week's show.
Will Stan let them flee? Will he set Oleg free? Is there to be a final show with no notable deaths? I will miss watching this show, but I won't miss losing sleep over it! These characters have wormed their way into my heart.
14
What has always motivated Elizabeth is that she is a dedicated Communist and a believer in the USSR. In countering the Center's plot, she's demonstrating that her loyalty is to those causes, not to the KGB, and makes her choice understandable. I also think Philip got to her about how they were ultimately always responsible for their own actions, even if they were following orders, that a Nuremberg defense is not enough to excuse some of their past actions and wouldn't justify participating in an overthrow of Gorbachev.
28
The plan was to get Paige then drive to New Hampshire to get Henry (was that on the preview)?
Of course, Stan would know where they are heading.
20
But- this is 1987 and Stan and Aderholdt haven't seen the photo of Philip yet, as there is no digital. By the time they put two and two together and call the FBI in New Hampshire (which is probably a very small office) or Boston the Jennings could be there already. OR- they decide to leave Henry for the time being,(remember the promo just has Paige saying it, not E or P agreeing) knowing the FBI will be at his school, and using false ID go directly to Canada through New York State.
8
Stan can always call Henry and throw a wrench in the works. That's a lot of on screen phone time for Stan, though.
Some people, unlike you and I, prefer to avoid watching the scenes from the following week's show. Mr. Hale may have been trying to accomodate them in his writeup.
But yeah, you are correct. (If I were afraid of spoilers, I'd avoid reading these comment sections!)
1