This season is beyond a joke! I've stuck with it doggedly throughout but it is so poor compared with previous seasons that I'm thinking about skipping to the end and just watching that. I doubt I'll miss anything important. Where's the action and suspense or for that matter, credibility gone? The whole thing so far has been flatter than a pancake.
1
Has anyone seen the book interviews with Jack Barsky, former KGB agent living much as Elizabeth and Philip are, and in the same time period?
By his own admission, he is good friends with the writers of The Americans.
I've been wondering if I can surmise some endings for P&E based on how much the writers so far have culled ideas from Barksy's real life?
One, he had a wife and son back in East Germany who did not come with him when he arrived to be a long-term sleeper. Here, he married a woman and had a daughter. He was estranged from his young son after that.
After a long period, he eventually got on the FBI radar and the FBI went as far as buying the home next door to him to put two FBI agents in there undercover to live to watch him They also bugged his home.
There became a highly religious dimension to his story-- he ultimately became a devout Christian, was baptized and to this day is deeply devout. Hm.
This makes me wonder if the resolution for P&E might also have things in the story that are from the amazing Barsky saga.
He survived resignation from the KGB by lying about having AIDS (he said the Soviets were terrified of AIDS coming in). This was because he would NOT leave his beloved daughter. Then the bug caught him confessing to his wife during a fight about being a former KGB agent. The FBI picked him up and he totally cooperated so they let him stay in the US and that was that!
By his own admission, he is good friends with the writers of The Americans.
I've been wondering if I can surmise some endings for P&E based on how much the writers so far have culled ideas from Barksy's real life?
One, he had a wife and son back in East Germany who did not come with him when he arrived to be a long-term sleeper. Here, he married a woman and had a daughter. He was estranged from his young son after that.
After a long period, he eventually got on the FBI radar and the FBI went as far as buying the home next door to him to put two FBI agents in there undercover to live to watch him They also bugged his home.
There became a highly religious dimension to his story-- he ultimately became a devout Christian, was baptized and to this day is deeply devout. Hm.
This makes me wonder if the resolution for P&E might also have things in the story that are from the amazing Barsky saga.
He survived resignation from the KGB by lying about having AIDS (he said the Soviets were terrified of AIDS coming in). This was because he would NOT leave his beloved daughter. Then the bug caught him confessing to his wife during a fight about being a former KGB agent. The FBI picked him up and he totally cooperated so they let him stay in the US and that was that!
2
You want rampant speculation? Here's some. It *seems* as though Oleg's mother was posted to the same prison camp as Philip's father. Even the slightest glimpse of the chinless wonder we know as Oleg pere makes one think, "He CAN'T be Oleg's father." Are Oleg and Philip half-brothers?
3
Maybe this has already been asked and answered, though I've scanned the comments and I can't find it.
P&E follow Ben to Mississippi and find him in the middle of a wheat field. They continue to follow him, and next thing you know, they're all in Memphis TN... 200 miles away. AND that very same night, while Ben is eating barbecue and smooching with a blonde, P&E are BACK in the wheat field digging up a specimen to bring home to Gabriel as a farewell present.
Am I missing something???
P&E follow Ben to Mississippi and find him in the middle of a wheat field. They continue to follow him, and next thing you know, they're all in Memphis TN... 200 miles away. AND that very same night, while Ben is eating barbecue and smooching with a blonde, P&E are BACK in the wheat field digging up a specimen to bring home to Gabriel as a farewell present.
Am I missing something???
Time takes on a fuzziness in this series just as it does in Homeland where characters move around the planet faster than you can say; "Beam me up Scotty".
Memphis is only 15 minute drive from Mississippi.
@ Elaine — Yes, you (and Charles) are missing some basic geography, as Hilary points out . . . although she doesn’t refer to quite the right travel points, since Ben, and P&E, aren’t starting out their drives to Memphis from the far northwest corner of Mississippi (from where, indeed, a drive to Memphis would take only 15 or 20 minutes).
The onscreen caption when the scene opens in Mississippi states that it’s in Bolivar County. That’s along the east bank of the Mississippi River. It’s about 100 miles south of Memphis (depending on where you start in the county), NOT 200 miles. So, it would be about a 2-hour drive from the wheat field to Memphis (or back).
Therefore, there is no logistical-geographical problem in the Mississippi-Memphis narrative.
— Brian
The onscreen caption when the scene opens in Mississippi states that it’s in Bolivar County. That’s along the east bank of the Mississippi River. It’s about 100 miles south of Memphis (depending on where you start in the county), NOT 200 miles. So, it would be about a 2-hour drive from the wheat field to Memphis (or back).
Therefore, there is no logistical-geographical problem in the Mississippi-Memphis narrative.
— Brian
2
Don't overthink this. In detective fiction, it is always the least developed character who turns out to be the villain.
Ergo, Henry is behind everything. He's a double and triple agent working for and against everyone. There is no one he is not betraying.
Except, perhaps, Doug.
Ergo, Henry is behind everything. He's a double and triple agent working for and against everyone. There is no one he is not betraying.
Except, perhaps, Doug.
9
I believe it's possible that Gabriel may disappear into the 'heartland' of the U.S., Canada or South America rather than return to the U.S.S.R. or defect to the west.
Just because Ben's work is altruistic doesn't mean the midges aren't intended as a weapon. The wheat varieties are being tested for pest resistance in Illinois. Why would midges be sent to Topeka? Deirdre may be collaborating with a western agency.
I skinny dipped in the Bloomington quarries in 1979. They were very popular, with most everyone swimming in the nude. Nothing death defying about them.
Just because Ben's work is altruistic doesn't mean the midges aren't intended as a weapon. The wheat varieties are being tested for pest resistance in Illinois. Why would midges be sent to Topeka? Deirdre may be collaborating with a western agency.
I skinny dipped in the Bloomington quarries in 1979. They were very popular, with most everyone swimming in the nude. Nothing death defying about them.
3
I kind of hope Henry is in his room on his computer playing war games with NORAD.
7
I enjoy this show but there is one thing I just can't accept: Why would KGB think that establishing a "sleeper" type spy cell of a family WITH A CHILD, would be worth the risk? I mean this show is SO much about Paige, and if there was no Paige (children) things would be a lot less risky. Many couples do not have children and you could have a childless couple work as a spy family very successfully with 10x less risk (and complications) involved of the whole thing blowing up in your face because of your children. I bet you this show is going to turn on some big way because of Paige--but that s not hard to guess it would be so. To have a spy family with your own flesh and blood children is just nutty--the risks are ENORMOUS of thr whole operation, years and years of planing just blow apart. I have to wonder if in real life there was ever a spy family like this.
6
@ John — The answer is, Yes, the Soviet Union, and then Russia, operated plenty of “Illegals” with children in the U.S.
In the network of Illegals famously exposed in 2010, most of the agents — four married couples — had children.
Rudolph Herrmann and his wife, actual Illegals from the era of the show (they were established in North America in the late ’50s or early ’60s (but it seems that only he was operationally active)), had children. And in the early ’70s, he disclosed to their elder son, then in his mid-teens, their actual identity, and successfully recruited the son into training as a second-generation agent.
So, “The Americans” is, beyond question, on solid ground in depicting an Illegals family with children.
— Brian
In the network of Illegals famously exposed in 2010, most of the agents — four married couples — had children.
Rudolph Herrmann and his wife, actual Illegals from the era of the show (they were established in North America in the late ’50s or early ’60s (but it seems that only he was operationally active)), had children. And in the early ’70s, he disclosed to their elder son, then in his mid-teens, their actual identity, and successfully recruited the son into training as a second-generation agent.
So, “The Americans” is, beyond question, on solid ground in depicting an Illegals family with children.
— Brian
9
Well, today a lot of couples don't have children. Back then childless couple were not really the norm, at least in the suburbs. I can see how having kids would have provided more cover in that era - and how not having them would have drawn more attention/risk to them.
Look up: Richard and Cynthia Murphy
Look up: Richard and Cynthia Murphy
2
The main artistic license seems to be that most of the couples were recruited together. In other words they were really a couple already. Not subject to Soviet matchmaking
2
Can the producers follow this advice and "Leave Paige Out" of the rest of this series?! I read nothing but rave reviews of this child actress and cannot help but wonder; are her parents critics?! I'm so sick of seeing her "nervous face" which is in absolutely every single scene with her!!! She is killing this show for me. Killing it. Please write her off the show. Falling down an elevator shaft would be acceptable at this point.
28
Sally Draper was much more edgy.
2
Yes..Paige is getting annoying. She is only slightly more tolerable than the awful Dana Brody from Homeland.
3
Go to your room
1
So Mischa just gave up and went home? What was the point of that story arch??
6
I know! I keep thinking that he is connected to Burov in some way. The camera always lingers on the photograph of Oleg's dead brother in his army uniform and he looks a lot like Mischa. We see so little of Philip's mother in his flashbacks, is it possible he and Burov are half brothers? Or that Philip's first love is/was (we don't know for a fact that she's dead) related to Burov? I know I'm making it into more of an American soap opera, and the point is that millions of people worked in the gulags and were traumatized and destroyed by it, but I still feel like there are more connections here that will eventually be born out in later episodes.
2
When Gabriel turned his back on Philip to leave the safe house, I thought for a moment Philip was going to shoot him
1
I did too. I was braced for it.
When Gabriel said goodbye to Elizabeth, notice how he put his hand under her jaw and cheek and looked at her as if to say "you poor ideologue, the cause is not as pure as you think". With the ambiguity of his return to Moscow (I think he was forced to return as opposed to exit on his own terms), is he now more in the Phillip camp of "why are we doing this?" His statement of "keep Paige out of this" sure makes one think that.
With regards to Renee, I would bet she is CIA before I would bet KGB. The CIA doesn't like to be strong armed by anyone, especially some mid level FBI agent. I'm sure they want to keep a close eye on Stan, as they still are probably concerned about his friendship (albeit awkward) with Oleg.
With regards to Elizabeth, all I can say is why Keri Russell doesn't win the Best Actress Emmy award every year is beyond me.
With regards to Renee, I would bet she is CIA before I would bet KGB. The CIA doesn't like to be strong armed by anyone, especially some mid level FBI agent. I'm sure they want to keep a close eye on Stan, as they still are probably concerned about his friendship (albeit awkward) with Oleg.
With regards to Elizabeth, all I can say is why Keri Russell doesn't win the Best Actress Emmy award every year is beyond me.
13
The CIA is not allowed to conduct operations on US soil. That's why domestic counterintelligence is the job of the FBI.
3
Patricia - your comment would make sense if one believes both the CIA and FBI only play in their assigned sandboxes.....
1
"Elizabeth loves her daughter, but she’s still clueless about the depth of Paige’s anguish,"
in this episode, Elizabeth lied to her daughter about the wheat research and kept Paige believing that the American government was conspiring to starve Russia to death.
That was the source of Paige's anguish in this episode. And that was caused by Elizabeth's choice to lie. She can't be clueless about her daughter's anguish if she's feeding her propaganda to keep her upset.
I think this lie is going to blow up in Elizabeth's face because it's going to radicalize her daughter in an American, not a Soviet KGB-approved, way.
in this episode, Elizabeth lied to her daughter about the wheat research and kept Paige believing that the American government was conspiring to starve Russia to death.
That was the source of Paige's anguish in this episode. And that was caused by Elizabeth's choice to lie. She can't be clueless about her daughter's anguish if she's feeding her propaganda to keep her upset.
I think this lie is going to blow up in Elizabeth's face because it's going to radicalize her daughter in an American, not a Soviet KGB-approved, way.
7
I didn't catch the U. of I. slip, and given how many of you did, perhaps it was intentional on the writers' part. To go off topic for a second: it wasn't as bad as the moment in Netflix's "Girlboss," which I just reviewed, when the main character runs to catch a San Francisco cable car and yells "We're going to miss the trolley"
3
I noticed the slip, but am not sure it was intentional, although I believe she is KGB. I know it is "IU" because I know IU alumni; the writer may not. University of Pennsylvania alumni are similarly shocked when UPenn is confused with Penn State.
Of course, it could be an intentional effort to stir up debate among viewers as to whether she is a spy.
Of course, it could be an intentional effort to stir up debate among viewers as to whether she is a spy.
5
Burov's mother was in a prison camp and Phillip's father was a prison guard..any relationship? Gabriel did terrible things...wonder if these things happened at a prison camp? Discuss.
1
I'm wondering the same thing. But, as Gabriel revealed in his last monologue, millions of people were in the gulags and still processing that trauma. It may just be a pattern of things coming to light. I think the show is dangling these things because we want there to be a connection, but it's even more horrifying that there isn't, and that just about every late 20th century Russian family has such similar skeletons in their attic.
3
In what years were P&E born?
Did the firm (the KGB) force them to have children?
Do they speak Russian in the rezidentura? Do we not hear it (nor Claudia and Gabriel's Russian accents) because it would be expected to distract viewers?
Did the firm (the KGB) force them to have children?
Do they speak Russian in the rezidentura? Do we not hear it (nor Claudia and Gabriel's Russian accents) because it would be expected to distract viewers?
1
1) Philip and Elizabeth are in their early 40's sco means ther were born in the early to mid 1940's
2) They were " expected" to have children. They waited a little longer( about 2-3 years ) than their Soviet handlers wanted. Elizabeth was " not ready" before then.
3) Yes. All scenes in the Rezidentura take place in Russian and all the actors who work in the Rezindentura are native Russian speakers (Oleg, his boss, Nina) who have some hand in the translation but the initial translation is done I believe by a sometimes NYT writer who is also a native speaker.
Claudia and Gabriel are part of the illegals program I. Which the spy's were according to lire not permitted to ever speak Russian. Only Elizabeth has done so amd only while recovering from a gunshot wound when she told Phikip to " come home" in their native language ( they had temporarily seperated.)
Interestingly, one of the real life illegal who was caught and sent back to Russia was interviewed and noted how hard it was for him after 25 plus years in the west to write in Russian's Cyrilic alphabet rather than in English.
2) They were " expected" to have children. They waited a little longer( about 2-3 years ) than their Soviet handlers wanted. Elizabeth was " not ready" before then.
3) Yes. All scenes in the Rezidentura take place in Russian and all the actors who work in the Rezindentura are native Russian speakers (Oleg, his boss, Nina) who have some hand in the translation but the initial translation is done I believe by a sometimes NYT writer who is also a native speaker.
Claudia and Gabriel are part of the illegals program I. Which the spy's were according to lire not permitted to ever speak Russian. Only Elizabeth has done so amd only while recovering from a gunshot wound when she told Phikip to " come home" in their native language ( they had temporarily seperated.)
Interestingly, one of the real life illegal who was caught and sent back to Russia was interviewed and noted how hard it was for him after 25 plus years in the west to write in Russian's Cyrilic alphabet rather than in English.
4
They came to the US in their early 20th, in the early 60s, so they must've been born around 1938/40ish.
Have you watched this show from the beginning? No, Elizabeth at one point said 'I'm ready. I think you'll make a great father."
Again, have you watched this show at all? I mean, any season before this one? Yes, they speak Russian at the Rezidentura. And why would Claudia and Gabriel have Russian accents? They don't. They are as deep cover 'real Americans' as E&P. Why would they have Russian accents???
Have you watched this show from the beginning? No, Elizabeth at one point said 'I'm ready. I think you'll make a great father."
Again, have you watched this show at all? I mean, any season before this one? Yes, they speak Russian at the Rezidentura. And why would Claudia and Gabriel have Russian accents? They don't. They are as deep cover 'real Americans' as E&P. Why would they have Russian accents???
3
Do you get some dubbed version of the show? The one I watch has Russian with subtitles when they're in the rezidentura.
1
So maybe Ben isn’t trying to save the world. Perhaps he is developing a pesticide that might be toxic, which would account for all the secrecy and security. The company is keeping it hidden from the US government, not developing it on its behalf.
1
Why would the company that grows the wheat be putting up a security fence? Really? Maybe because one of their employees got killed in the lab? Perhaps?
4
Just how many TV series is that cute little imp, Peter Jacobson, in at any given time? I expect to see him once again on the remaining Law & Order show.
8
Several comments: totally fascinated by show, but several things beginning to "bother me:"
-the depressive, morose behavior of Paige - all situations not withstanding, is getting a bit "old" - they need to move on....
-although I will accept some "disbelief" in the plot, and grant some artistic license (this is only an hour show), but some situations are hard to accept as happening within a realistic framework - it questions the credibility of the show at times...
-Stan can't be as dumb as he seems? can he? if he is a counter-intelligence agent, then I think we have some concerns....
Oh well - still a great show......
-the depressive, morose behavior of Paige - all situations not withstanding, is getting a bit "old" - they need to move on....
-although I will accept some "disbelief" in the plot, and grant some artistic license (this is only an hour show), but some situations are hard to accept as happening within a realistic framework - it questions the credibility of the show at times...
-Stan can't be as dumb as he seems? can he? if he is a counter-intelligence agent, then I think we have some concerns....
Oh well - still a great show......
Opera? if only this weak series could even approach bad opera much less sublime opera. don't you all ever tire of the repetitive story line, the unnuanced characters etc?
For once, I hope this damn (great) show throws us vets from the 80s a bone by having that super-wheat plant Gabriel is taking back to 3CP turn out to be Grizzly Jr's secret personal weed project.
What an elegant and glowing farewell scene between Gabriel and Philip! As Gabriel recalled the atrocities he had experienced as a young man in Russia, Frank Langella's eyes allowed us into those horrors of the past. His whole bearing slumped imperceptibly with the weight of those memories. I think there was something left unsaid in that scene. We don't yet know the whole story about Gabriel's outcome. He showed not only weariness but subtle elements of revulsion about his former life. There are still some surprises left with Gabriel.
5
O f course she's a spy. No American would refer to Indiana University as the U of I. It's IU, and everyone knows that.
60
And Joe Weisberg is a Chicago boy, so you're darn tootin' he'd know Indiana is IU! The "U. of I." is the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana campus.
I think many people know that; but I bet quite a few people make that mistake.
3
Although I believe she is a spy, I saw that scene from a different angle. Stan was daydreaming, non-responsive. Rene tells a more and more outrageous story to test whether Stan is listening ... she and her companions skinny-dipped off the quarry rock where Breaking Away was filmed? Have you seen that quarry? Death-defying act. She made the story so outrageous until he finally gave her s look and they both had to smirk. I did not catch the I U reference. I have always heard it called Indiana. As always, the writers of the show have us following two different tracks, each one plausible.Was Rene caught in a mistake no American would make or is she just a BS artist who claims to know something about any place you mention. (I thought the writes brought some anxiety to the surface when she was babbling on about Pittsburgh ... thought she might catch Elizabeth in a trap/ not knowing intimately the Pittsburgh neighborhoods.).
1
So far this season we see the principal characters becoming increasingly disillusioned with their work--Philip, Oleg, Gabriel, Stan and even Elizabeth. At the same Paige is becoming more interestied in and accepting of her parents' work (in part because they lie to her about the wheat and conceal the darker aspects --murder and sex--of what they do). The disillusionment of the main characters will surely increase if and when Philip learns Mischa was sent away, if and when Oleg leans that he was fathered by someone in the prison camp, and if Stan's recruit Kovelsky is arrested or killed. While the first episodes have been relatively quiet, the seem to be setting up potentially exposive events.
4
I would love to see Paige stumble across some classic books by Robert Conquest such as The Great Terror, Harvest of Sorrow or Stalin. As the Soviet Union imploded there was a great demand for these tomes as authoritative chronicles of the Soviets own history even though they were Western and written decades before. Another eye opener would be Arthur Koestler's Darkness at Noon with a similar early provenance.
Especially loaded would be Philip & Elizabeth's reaction when Paige queried them.
Especially loaded would be Philip & Elizabeth's reaction when Paige queried them.
6
I was hoping that Gabriel was going to return to the USSR and keep in contact with Mischa, as a surrogate father. But I am thinking more and more that he is going to return 'home' and commit suicide in Sergash. He seems to have come to the conclusion that he has wasted his life in support of a regime which has brutalized him, and in which he no longer believes. What does he have to live for now?
Love this show but I'm hoping things start moving faster towards the endgame. We're more than halfway through this season and the next and final one is billed for less than the standard number of episodes (at least I think; I recall reading this on this blog!). Time is running out!
Season three was really just peak Americans in my book. I fondly remember the days when:
- P&E thwarted the CIA's Afghanistan strategy
- P&E collapsed Annalise's body into a suitcase
- Liz trained Hans and the gang took down South African intelligence agents, executing Venter by burning him alive
- Martha's bug was found and she was investigated by counterintelligence; Phil killed and framed the FBI's tech guy
- Phil revealed his real appearance to Martha, in a positively chilling scene, after we learn more about the true depth of his and KGB's con job of Martha
- Liz encountered the old woman at the robot repair shop and sadistically killed her with her own heart medication
- Oleg and Stan did an undercover sting on the soviet defector
- Gaad, Stan and the FBI were still actively looking for the KGB illegals
- Nina was still alive and kicking and Arkady was still in the mix
- P&E revealed their true selves to Paige and she tells Pastor Tim about it
Such a thrilling, tense, emotional and rewarding season. By comparison what has happened this year? Practically nothing that we didn't already know.
Season three was really just peak Americans in my book. I fondly remember the days when:
- P&E thwarted the CIA's Afghanistan strategy
- P&E collapsed Annalise's body into a suitcase
- Liz trained Hans and the gang took down South African intelligence agents, executing Venter by burning him alive
- Martha's bug was found and she was investigated by counterintelligence; Phil killed and framed the FBI's tech guy
- Phil revealed his real appearance to Martha, in a positively chilling scene, after we learn more about the true depth of his and KGB's con job of Martha
- Liz encountered the old woman at the robot repair shop and sadistically killed her with her own heart medication
- Oleg and Stan did an undercover sting on the soviet defector
- Gaad, Stan and the FBI were still actively looking for the KGB illegals
- Nina was still alive and kicking and Arkady was still in the mix
- P&E revealed their true selves to Paige and she tells Pastor Tim about it
Such a thrilling, tense, emotional and rewarding season. By comparison what has happened this year? Practically nothing that we didn't already know.
3
I do miss the hunt for the illegals, Gaad, Nina, Arkady, Martha, etc. I do expect that to heat up again as it will probably be key to the endgame.
I thought the reveal to Pastor Tim was stupid and not realistic, a rare slip in the show. It also lead to 'too much Paige' in the storylines for my taste; but it's not awful.
I thought the reveal to Pastor Tim was stupid and not realistic, a rare slip in the show. It also lead to 'too much Paige' in the storylines for my taste; but it's not awful.
Red Herring?
Remember the Connors from season 2? KGB couple, the Jennings friends. Their teenage son Jared murdered them during their theme park vacation.
Remember why?
Jared had been recruited by Kate, a gorgeous KGB "honeypot," without his parent's knowledge. When they found out, they forbade Jared to see her. Jared killed them because he loved Kate. He then had to kill his sister because "she would have gone to the police."
After Jared's death, P&E discuss him w/ Claudia who told them the Center has a program to develop new agents "with clean American backgrounds" - and that the Center wants Paige. Philip said they can't have her & Claudia responded "It's not up to you."
P&E have been obsessing about Paige - & ignoring Henry. Henry told Stan he had a thing for his teacher. Could the teacher be a KGB honeypot recruiter? Henry's a math prodigy. Wouldn't the KGB like him?
Yes creepy. But Claudia warned them. Jared was recruited behind his parents backs. After Philip told Claudia they couldn't have Paige, wouldn't the Center recruit Henry without telling the Jennings?
Red herring #2?
After seeing Ben with another woman, Philip says to a shocked Elizabeth: "It's okay to care."
Elizabeth replies "Not for me."
??
Are we (& Philip) being fooled into believing Elizabeth loves Phillip? Did Elizabeth decide she'd be a better agent if she pretended to love Philip instead of being in a cold KGB-arranged marriage? Is Elizabeth even colder than we think? Ice cold?
Remember the Connors from season 2? KGB couple, the Jennings friends. Their teenage son Jared murdered them during their theme park vacation.
Remember why?
Jared had been recruited by Kate, a gorgeous KGB "honeypot," without his parent's knowledge. When they found out, they forbade Jared to see her. Jared killed them because he loved Kate. He then had to kill his sister because "she would have gone to the police."
After Jared's death, P&E discuss him w/ Claudia who told them the Center has a program to develop new agents "with clean American backgrounds" - and that the Center wants Paige. Philip said they can't have her & Claudia responded "It's not up to you."
P&E have been obsessing about Paige - & ignoring Henry. Henry told Stan he had a thing for his teacher. Could the teacher be a KGB honeypot recruiter? Henry's a math prodigy. Wouldn't the KGB like him?
Yes creepy. But Claudia warned them. Jared was recruited behind his parents backs. After Philip told Claudia they couldn't have Paige, wouldn't the Center recruit Henry without telling the Jennings?
Red herring #2?
After seeing Ben with another woman, Philip says to a shocked Elizabeth: "It's okay to care."
Elizabeth replies "Not for me."
??
Are we (& Philip) being fooled into believing Elizabeth loves Phillip? Did Elizabeth decide she'd be a better agent if she pretended to love Philip instead of being in a cold KGB-arranged marriage? Is Elizabeth even colder than we think? Ice cold?
19
Elizabeth did get to chose her fellow male agent. She did turn one suggested partner down before accepting Philip.
1
That shout back to Jared is brilliant! Yes yes yes!
For Renee to be KGB, planted there mostly to "watch" Henry and Paige and what they might say within Stan's home, is an easy one to imagine. But for 5 seasons now, every "easy thing to imagine" that I've "imagined" has been totally wrong!
However, IF Renee is there to honeypot Henry and only using Stan to get loads of time inside the house, then that would be such an amazing turn of events, it would be a totally devastating moment--for Stan and Philip and Elizabeth if they realize their boy is being targeted and used that way.
It could break things open in ways that I had not even thought of.
For Renee to be KGB, planted there mostly to "watch" Henry and Paige and what they might say within Stan's home, is an easy one to imagine. But for 5 seasons now, every "easy thing to imagine" that I've "imagined" has been totally wrong!
However, IF Renee is there to honeypot Henry and only using Stan to get loads of time inside the house, then that would be such an amazing turn of events, it would be a totally devastating moment--for Stan and Philip and Elizabeth if they realize their boy is being targeted and used that way.
It could break things open in ways that I had not even thought of.
Gabriel told Elizabeth and Phillip "different stories" on Paige. What each one wanted to hear about letting her in on the family business. I am not sure the last statement, made to Phillip was the definitive one.
This episode reveled in ambiguity, and self-doubt, and how or whether to control it. Gabriel, at the end of his career, still isn't sure if he did the right thing. He doesn't know what that will be for Paige either, so best to confirm Phillip's and Elizabeth's differing positions on Paige, and let them continue to figure it out.
This episode reveled in ambiguity, and self-doubt, and how or whether to control it. Gabriel, at the end of his career, still isn't sure if he did the right thing. He doesn't know what that will be for Paige either, so best to confirm Phillip's and Elizabeth's differing positions on Paige, and let them continue to figure it out.
12
I have always been very suspicious of Gabriel ... obviously an extremely calculating (and based on what he said to P, awful) character. My view is that he intentionally told them the two different stories, knowing that it would lead to significant strife between P & E. Not sure at this point what his objective was is doing that - perhaps he thinks P can be prodded to defect (with the kids), but E is rigid and always will be lost to the Cause. Whatever the reason, it puts to end the assertion that the Mischa lie was his only one. He couldn't believe both stories, so he either lied to P & E on a major matter, in the same day. He's told them whatever he's needed to to manipulate them over the years; it's pretty pathetic -- given what he's asked them to do -- that that's the closest thing they have a father figure.
12
@ Architect — No, Gabriel didn’t tell Elizabeth and Philip conflicting stories about Paige. To Elizabeth, he praised how they had raised her, and how well she had turned out. But he didn’t endorse bringing her further into the family business.
And his parting words to Philip, “You were right about Paige. She should be kept out of all this,” are not disguising uncertainty, but are the final product of long, careful thought, and reflection on his life and work — and on those of Paige’s parents.
— Brian
And his parting words to Philip, “You were right about Paige. She should be kept out of all this,” are not disguising uncertainty, but are the final product of long, careful thought, and reflection on his life and work — and on those of Paige’s parents.
— Brian
10
I went back and listened to it, right after the episode. Can't remember word for word now, but Gabriel raised the issue - not Elizabeth - and then E said something to the effect of whether they were giving her too much to handle, and he said No, and then something like she has a big heart. Then he threw out to Phillip, as a total parting shot, the very direct statement re Paige. I'll double check, but I expect that I will maintain that it was two different stories.
2
Elizabeth may be "tough", but I think Ben's two-timing hurt her more than she cared to admit. While Philip is, of the two of them, the one most overtly conflicted in his feelings about Mother Russia, there are several chinks in Elizabeth's exterior as well. For example, she feels guilt about the innocent lab techie killed in Kansas. And if Paige has a meltdown, who knows how that will affect her mother? Stan may be "turning" Kovalenko, but in the end Philip may "turn" his wife.
1
" two timing " ?
Ben was just going out on a date. Maybe not even that. He didn't promise monogamy.
You want two timing ?
Donald Trump and Chris Christie.......... that's the real thing!!!
Christie deserved it, and so would Elizabeth.
On the other hand, Elizabeth is much prettier.
Ben was just going out on a date. Maybe not even that. He didn't promise monogamy.
You want two timing ?
Donald Trump and Chris Christie.......... that's the real thing!!!
Christie deserved it, and so would Elizabeth.
On the other hand, Elizabeth is much prettier.
It's KANSAS.
7
Mississippi is where Philip and Elizabeth dug up the wheat plants from the field.
3
Kansas...Mississippi...whatever. To a New York Times writer, there's no difference. But I'd really enjoy seeing a Mississippi wheat field, actually.
10
This New York Times writer grew up in Iowa, and has been in Kansas more than a few times, though not Mississippi. It's kind of moot, though, since I suspect all those scenes are filmed within an hour's drive of New York City.
6
I dread (due to the darkness into which I always get sucked) and can't stay away from each episode. This could be the best show on TV right now and among the top 10 ever. There isn't a character that doesn't ring true at least 98% of the time. The only large hole in the plot at this moment seems to be Henry; we know little about him beyond being written off as a secret genius and temporarily exiled from the plot. Doesn't he have some kind of inkling that all is not "normal" in his family? How will that loose end be tied up? And after years of being neighbors and "best friends," how can Stan - and Matthew - not have a clue about the secretive family across the street? Somehow, I think Matthew and/or Henry may become the weak pillar which will crumble and collapse this fragile house of cards (allusion intentional). My heart breaks for everyone caught in this spider web.
12
This is such a strange and outlandish series. I've watched four seasons and have become weary of it but still have been reading the recaps of season 5 to keep in the loop. I'm not sure why this series has garnered such lavish praise. Are we (the viewers) really supposed to believe this couple can continually outmaneuver everyone with their seemingly endless stash of disguises, run a business the true nature of it remaining totally undetected by everyone, keep up a somewhat "normal" family and social life yet still find time for to sleep and meals? Where is the reality? I think I'm through suspending my belief. I hesitate to tell people I've devoted so much time to this show because as the old saying goes - there are more holes in it than there are in Swiss cheese. It's time to wrap it up - don't you think?
7
I agree! Even if Paige is an introvert, it is unreal that she has no girlfriends.
1
If you want a documentary, there are cable channels for those. What matters here is character development, not the realism you find missing. I work for an opera company. You could sail an aircraft carrier through the "holes" in those plots, yet many are great art and continue to thrill us as theater, not just for the music. And the high level of acting in "The Americans" is a pleasure in and of itself. That's an element you can't experience in reading recaps. Frank Langella has been really magnificent. I enjoy the show for what it is rather than pooh-poohing it for what it isn't. But you do you!
16
Suspension of disbelief is part of the package when we view the great majority of dramas, whether the big or small screen -- and for good reason. Documentaries give us real life, while the best fictional stories ('The Americans" included) play with reality to keep us engaged and on the edge of our seats.
13
Gabriel's comment about Paige was:
1) Ominous?
2) Reassuring?
1) Ominous?
2) Reassuring?
5
The Americans attempt to show a Mississippi street scene while using a Brooklyn NY street failed dismally. Also their ersatz Rock Creek Park scene is another reason why the show should have been staged/shot in Washington DC. Another episode where what happened in Moscow was at least equal to what happened in the USA.
2
In the story, they are in Memphis, TN for that scene. Beale St neighborhood of Memphis not so far off what they portrayed.
10
- Did anyone else notice that Paige wasn't wearing her crucifix post break-up?
- Did Oleg's brother really die in Afghanistan? I have a feeling there is more to Oleg's brother than meets the eye.
- I enjoyed the significance / metaphor of the Breaking Away clip in the scene with Stan and Renee. Stan, P&E, and Oleg are all showing signs of "breaking away". My money is on Oleg being next...
- Did Oleg's brother really die in Afghanistan? I have a feeling there is more to Oleg's brother than meets the eye.
- I enjoyed the significance / metaphor of the Breaking Away clip in the scene with Stan and Renee. Stan, P&E, and Oleg are all showing signs of "breaking away". My money is on Oleg being next...
29
i had the same thought about oleg's brother.
6
I missed Paige not wearing her crucifix, after the break up with Matthew.
Was wondering also about Oleg's brother. Something is up with him? Maybe he didn't die?
I think Henry is going to shock us all, if we ever see him again!
Was wondering also about Oleg's brother. Something is up with him? Maybe he didn't die?
I think Henry is going to shock us all, if we ever see him again!
1
Please do not insult the poor Russians sent to Afghanistan with some conspiracy theory about Oleg's brother. There really was a war, soldiers really did die, and nobody's death had to be faked.
2
What about the Jennings's failure to tell Paige that the U.S. is trying to develop a super-wheat, not trying to starve the USSR into submission?
57
Intentional manipulation, since growing super wheat is a wholesome, generous and very admirable thing to do compared to actively trying to starve millions of people. Gotta keep Paige's sympathies with the Soviets.
18
And certainly avoid mentioning the dude with the mistakenly broken back.
1
Renee is a CIA agent.
I was hoping Ben was having a secret tryst with a guy.
Don't we all fantasize we could be a Deirdre: an otherwise lonely unloveable person except when the target of a hunky foreign spy trained to sexually satisfy his target thus compliant to the target's whims just to maintain ties ... until of course the foreign spy decides that your usefulness is over and unceremoniousy breaks your back and dumps you in some field. But it'd've been good while it lasted.
I was hoping Ben was having a secret tryst with a guy.
Don't we all fantasize we could be a Deirdre: an otherwise lonely unloveable person except when the target of a hunky foreign spy trained to sexually satisfy his target thus compliant to the target's whims just to maintain ties ... until of course the foreign spy decides that your usefulness is over and unceremoniousy breaks your back and dumps you in some field. But it'd've been good while it lasted.
16
Yes, or FBI. The firm wonders if he has turned.
5
That makes a lot of sense (or FBI as noted below, although he'd might recognize an FBI agent, and it's the CIA that has a beef with him now). She might have been put in place with the CIA expecting him to object to pressuring Burov or in anticipation of such an operation.
2
I would do the same thing if I ran counter-intel for the FBI.
I thought that Elizabeth was jolted re: Ben not just because she kinda likes him, but also (moreso?) because not seeing it coming makes her not a very good spy.
Paige needs to find a nice boy whose parents are Soviet spies. Then she won't have to lie. Could have been Mischa --except for the whole part about having the same dad. . .
O Henry where art thou???
Prediction: We will definitely see Gabriel again. Whole show is shifting to USSR.
Paige needs to find a nice boy whose parents are Soviet spies. Then she won't have to lie. Could have been Mischa --except for the whole part about having the same dad. . .
O Henry where art thou???
Prediction: We will definitely see Gabriel again. Whole show is shifting to USSR.
24
I had a similar reaction. Aside from the thwack to her self-esteem, Liz realizes that she misjudged his integrity. So now she must reassess everything about this guy. Is he truly "feed the world" idealist like she thought? Or is Ben just another schemer with a clever cover? Apart from getting Liz into his bed, Ben may have a professional agenda far less wholesome than she thought.
8
Some predictions, based on (possibly specious!) character analyses:
- Paige will start to break, and either Gabriel or (more likely?) Claudia will quickly direct Philip and/or Claudia to take her out; one or both of them will refuse, and there will be a Shakespearean settling of scores. Paige will suffer mightily, if not die.
- Poor Oleg's a goner, too good or his world -- esp when he unreels his mother's sad backstory.
- Henry will be an early com[puter genius, recruited by the CIA or NASA right under P&E's nose.
- Stan will indeed go to the press, but will be abandoned and hung out to dry by the FBI, and the press will cooperate.
= Gabriel will join 'the opposition' back home, and quickly become lost in the miasma of Yeltsin, Gorbached & the coming KGB ascendance.
Or maybe there'll be a happy ending - hahaha
- Paige will start to break, and either Gabriel or (more likely?) Claudia will quickly direct Philip and/or Claudia to take her out; one or both of them will refuse, and there will be a Shakespearean settling of scores. Paige will suffer mightily, if not die.
- Poor Oleg's a goner, too good or his world -- esp when he unreels his mother's sad backstory.
- Henry will be an early com[puter genius, recruited by the CIA or NASA right under P&E's nose.
- Stan will indeed go to the press, but will be abandoned and hung out to dry by the FBI, and the press will cooperate.
= Gabriel will join 'the opposition' back home, and quickly become lost in the miasma of Yeltsin, Gorbached & the coming KGB ascendance.
Or maybe there'll be a happy ending - hahaha
1
Brian
And now Ben's gotten this super strain of tainted wheat into the Soviet Union through the efforts of Elizabeth and Gabriel.
And now Ben's gotten this super strain of tainted wheat into the Soviet Union through the efforts of Elizabeth and Gabriel.
1
Either Gabriel's defecting - which still gets my vote - or he's rotten to the core & deserves misery in Moscow.
Why did Gabriel want Elizabeth to filch the document on "people part of a well-organized opposition at home"? Looking for help? Gabriel told Philip he'd done brutal things because he was "scared" & "believed I was acting in the service of a higher purpose." "Believed" - past tense. He also said he has no close relatives in Russia. And significantly, his final words to Philip were keep Paige out of the KGB for her sake - perhaps his parting gift to the Jennings.
Why go back?
I don't believe he is. Researching this, there's 1 KGB defection to the west in the 1980s. Oleg Gordievsky was KGB rezident in London but passed information to MI6. Abruptly ordered back to Moscow in 1985, he was interrogated but got word to MI6 - which arranged an elaborate escape. While jogging in Moscow, Gordievsky boarded a train to Finland where he was met by MI6 who smuggled him back to London. He was sentenced to death in absentia. Gordievsky is 79 & currently lives comfortably in England.
Why defection? Gabriel's tired & has self-awareness he pointlessly did brutal things. He has a conscience. 2nd - Langella is the best thing about "The Americans" & too great to dispatch.
Last the show has not played the "defection" card. They'd likely use a long-running & seemingly loyal character we wouldn't suspect. Gabriel fits the bill.
Run Gabriel run!
Why did Gabriel want Elizabeth to filch the document on "people part of a well-organized opposition at home"? Looking for help? Gabriel told Philip he'd done brutal things because he was "scared" & "believed I was acting in the service of a higher purpose." "Believed" - past tense. He also said he has no close relatives in Russia. And significantly, his final words to Philip were keep Paige out of the KGB for her sake - perhaps his parting gift to the Jennings.
Why go back?
I don't believe he is. Researching this, there's 1 KGB defection to the west in the 1980s. Oleg Gordievsky was KGB rezident in London but passed information to MI6. Abruptly ordered back to Moscow in 1985, he was interrogated but got word to MI6 - which arranged an elaborate escape. While jogging in Moscow, Gordievsky boarded a train to Finland where he was met by MI6 who smuggled him back to London. He was sentenced to death in absentia. Gordievsky is 79 & currently lives comfortably in England.
Why defection? Gabriel's tired & has self-awareness he pointlessly did brutal things. He has a conscience. 2nd - Langella is the best thing about "The Americans" & too great to dispatch.
Last the show has not played the "defection" card. They'd likely use a long-running & seemingly loyal character we wouldn't suspect. Gabriel fits the bill.
Run Gabriel run!
53
If Frank Langella doesn't win an Emmy for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, there's no justice in the world. (Sorta like in Russia...)
23
Actually, Irina defected, and it got her killed.
3
Uh-oh. You mean as opposed to Rupert Friend on "Homeland"? This could get ugly.
And if you've never seen Langella in the very early (and very funny) Mel Brooks film "The Twelve Chairs" do yourself a favor and find it someplace. He was an incredibly handsome, dashing young actor. What a wonderful and diverse career this fine actor has had...with hopes for many years and many roles more.
And if you've never seen Langella in the very early (and very funny) Mel Brooks film "The Twelve Chairs" do yourself a favor and find it someplace. He was an incredibly handsome, dashing young actor. What a wonderful and diverse career this fine actor has had...with hopes for many years and many roles more.
10
"You're losing it" was the greatest Gabriel line in the series! The delivery was masterful on his way out the door. Ironically, Philip is losing it.
I also noticed Gabriel expressed no surprise that Stan had a girlfriend. He did not say "He has a girlfriend? Since when?" He simply showed he knew and denied knowledge that she was KGB. It may come out later when Philip and Elizabeth talk that neither of them informed Gabriel about Renee.
If she is KGB, she's likely a special and very secret agent run by Granny to keep her own eye on the Beeman and Jennings back and forths. She doesn't trust Philip. And her attitude for some time has been that she thinks Gabriel's gone soft where the Jennings are concerned.
I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn she took matters into her own hands to be sure nothing is leaking into the Beeman household with the Paige/Matthew fiasco et al.
It could be a way to further erode Philip's trust in the organization he works for, if he finds out Granny two-timed all of them behind their backs to essentially plant somebody at the Beemans to be her eyes and ears where the Jennings are concerned.
If Philip feels he was not trusted to manage the situation with Stan, that could be a big further negative for Philip's state of mind. Lord help Philip if he finds out Gabriel, someone he trusted, kept his son from him and sent him home. So many betrayals are beings set up.
I also noticed Gabriel expressed no surprise that Stan had a girlfriend. He did not say "He has a girlfriend? Since when?" He simply showed he knew and denied knowledge that she was KGB. It may come out later when Philip and Elizabeth talk that neither of them informed Gabriel about Renee.
If she is KGB, she's likely a special and very secret agent run by Granny to keep her own eye on the Beeman and Jennings back and forths. She doesn't trust Philip. And her attitude for some time has been that she thinks Gabriel's gone soft where the Jennings are concerned.
I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn she took matters into her own hands to be sure nothing is leaking into the Beeman household with the Paige/Matthew fiasco et al.
It could be a way to further erode Philip's trust in the organization he works for, if he finds out Granny two-timed all of them behind their backs to essentially plant somebody at the Beemans to be her eyes and ears where the Jennings are concerned.
If Philip feels he was not trusted to manage the situation with Stan, that could be a big further negative for Philip's state of mind. Lord help Philip if he finds out Gabriel, someone he trusted, kept his son from him and sent him home. So many betrayals are beings set up.
37
Gabriel knows about Stan's girlfriend because Elizabeth has continually given him status reports about Stan. Philip has commented at least twice to Elizabeth that she tells Gabriel too much about Stan.
8
Exactly Fiona! And it was the WAY he said "You're losing it" that knocked it out of the ball park. Great catch Fiona. I thought I was the only one who noticed how brilliant that line was. So out of character but equally authentic.
2
Was Renee's reference to that university in Bloomington sloppy script-writing or a sign that she is just a not-very-well-prepped Russian spy? Anyone who has spent time in Indiana (as she claimed she had) knows that it isn't the U. of I.
26
I caught that too. And, at first, I thought that Stan looked at her funny when she said that. I thought "there! she just gave herself away". But then Stan seemed to brush right past it. Maybe he's a better FBI agent than we think.
5
I thought exactly the same thing. Anyone who has any connection, however tenuous, knows it's I.U. Bad writing or a slip?
3
Well, at least she didn't say "University of Indiana." The look Stan give Renee was priceless. For a moment there, I thought for sure he was going to say something. And yes, there is the U. of I. - the next state over. Was this sloppy writing? This is what happens when too much time is devoted to Paige. Even the writers go brain dead....
7
So why are Phillip and Elizabeth continuing to lie to Paige about the wheat? She still believes that the U.S. government is planning to poison the Soviet wheat supply and her parents are doing nothing to dispel that belief. Is this spy craft or merely inadequate parenting?
Gabriel's denial about Renee was more the non-denial denial. He states that the KGB might have planted Renee without telling him just in case Phillip asked that question. If this thinking isn't paranoia-inducing what is?
And there was another bit of humor. When Elizabeth tells Phillip that Paige has broken up with Matthew, Phillip responds "Thank God". And Elizabeth doesn't even react. "Thank God" from two KGB agents? Now that is funny.
Gabriel's denial about Renee was more the non-denial denial. He states that the KGB might have planted Renee without telling him just in case Phillip asked that question. If this thinking isn't paranoia-inducing what is?
And there was another bit of humor. When Elizabeth tells Phillip that Paige has broken up with Matthew, Phillip responds "Thank God". And Elizabeth doesn't even react. "Thank God" from two KGB agents? Now that is funny.
28
Both.
1
@ Wezilsnout — As had been discussed here before, idiomatic expressions that invoke a deity are common in many languages, and their frequent use by non-believers is not a sign that the speaker’s non-belief is questionable. It means that natural usage has long since drained the expression of theistic content. (Native speakers of American English who are Jewish may exclaim “Jesus!”, and we don’t regard it as worthy of note — much less, a betrayal of their beliefs. In that usage, it’s just an interjection expressing surprise, and has no religious content.)
And, obviously, a basic premise of the show is that P&E were trained to speak English exactly as native-born Americans do. It’s no more remarkable that one of them would say, “Thank God” (as Elizabeth did on hearing the news that Pastor Tim had been found safe, after going missing in Ethiopia (“Munchkins”, season 4, ep. 10)), than is the fact they were conducting that discussion in English, not in Russian.
— Brian
And, obviously, a basic premise of the show is that P&E were trained to speak English exactly as native-born Americans do. It’s no more remarkable that one of them would say, “Thank God” (as Elizabeth did on hearing the news that Pastor Tim had been found safe, after going missing in Ethiopia (“Munchkins”, season 4, ep. 10)), than is the fact they were conducting that discussion in English, not in Russian.
— Brian
Another episode in the key of low: low key. Given this is # 7, I'm starting to feel the producers and writers are holding their cards much too close to their vests. A few shocks along the way - most coming earlier in the season - but still no major plot developments that have opened up genuine new and unanticipated avenues of speculation or possibility. Not only is little is being revealed, but the show insistently seems to offer less each week. The needle is barely moving at this point. Minimalism seems to be the operative word here. Typically at this point in a season, were waiting for the "other shoe to drop," but this season they're still holding on to the first shoe.
25
There is some incredible ensemble acting in this series. "Slow" episodes tend to be my favorite. No one stares (obliquely) into the camera like Keri Russell, and Matthew Rhys. You don't have to have any dialog or action for scenes like that.
Oleg and Stan are a close second, and Paige's "blank look" is starting to fill in with something. When there is a scene, like Stan and his boss in the secure conference room, and you see one character "acting" and the other (Stan) acting, it's a jarring reminder of how high the quality of this series is.
Oleg and Stan are a close second, and Paige's "blank look" is starting to fill in with something. When there is a scene, like Stan and his boss in the secure conference room, and you see one character "acting" and the other (Stan) acting, it's a jarring reminder of how high the quality of this series is.
4
They're lulling us into a stupor before dropping a lot of shoes.
5
ITA, ff!
1
Having had relatives who worked for the U of I (Univ of IL), Renee's reference to it as being in Indiana leapt out at me. And Stan was so preoccupied with his workplace drama that he didn't even notice.
Kudos to Rhys' direction of this episode. It was interesting that both P & E are contending with marks who are more independent than we've seen previously. Their separate parting scenes with Gabriel underscored how differently each sees the mission--suspect Paige's fate will be pivotal by season's end.
Kudos to Rhys' direction of this episode. It was interesting that both P & E are contending with marks who are more independent than we've seen previously. Their separate parting scenes with Gabriel underscored how differently each sees the mission--suspect Paige's fate will be pivotal by season's end.
8
The U of I instead of IU jumped out at me too. But Renee was not supposed to have attended and was only passing through Bloomington so it's credible that she may have made a mistake not uncommon to those not super familiar with the Indiana school.
6
Renee did not say that the University of Illinois was in Indiana. She called Indiana University "U of I", instead of the correct "IU". She could explain that error easily because she was visiting a friend who went to IU (so it wasn't her own school), and it was probably 20 years before. I lived in Bloomington-Normal, home to Illinois State University, for 20 years and worked at a popular restaurant near campus.......visitors from out of town, and state, would often call it the "U of I" by mistake.
2
I agree. But I wonder if this error on Renee's part is just a script mistake.......or will Stan have reason to question her about it, later.
1
If we are now done with the wheat, Paige's romance and Mischa, there needs to be a new primary story and I suspect it will be that Renee is a spy, Stan's blabbing will lead to Soviet surveillance of Stan and the KGB will try to imprison or kill the TASS woman--perhaps with Elizabeth and Philip getting the assignment--Claudia is much more ruthless than Gabriel.
Will Philip react to Stan being targeted the way Stan reacted to Burov being targeted?
I am sorry to see the last of Frank Langella, but glad to see the last of the predictions he would defect, which seemed absurd.
How was Ben two-timing Elizabeth if they, to our knowledge, never promised each other exclusivity and knew she was just a sometime visitor to Kansas and this was just a fling?
Will Burov learn form his mother's file that she became an informer in the Gulag? A mistress of a high official (who might even be his real father)?
In fairness to heartbroken Mathew, "tried to grab her" is an overstatement--he only grabbed Paige's hand, to try to get her to talk it out.
Note that Philip and Elizabeth lied to Paige that America was still trying to poison Soviet grain--an easier sell than stealing it and perhaps Elizabeth still wants her to follow in her footsteps.
Will Philip react to Stan being targeted the way Stan reacted to Burov being targeted?
I am sorry to see the last of Frank Langella, but glad to see the last of the predictions he would defect, which seemed absurd.
How was Ben two-timing Elizabeth if they, to our knowledge, never promised each other exclusivity and knew she was just a sometime visitor to Kansas and this was just a fling?
Will Burov learn form his mother's file that she became an informer in the Gulag? A mistress of a high official (who might even be his real father)?
In fairness to heartbroken Mathew, "tried to grab her" is an overstatement--he only grabbed Paige's hand, to try to get her to talk it out.
Note that Philip and Elizabeth lied to Paige that America was still trying to poison Soviet grain--an easier sell than stealing it and perhaps Elizabeth still wants her to follow in her footsteps.
18
I was a bit surprised by that continuation of the lie. While they didn't need to spin it as America is not bad, they could have said it was just a 'super-wheat' America was keeping for itself (whether true or not).
Well the most speculative of speculations is that Philip and Oleg are half brothers. That camp Olegs mother was in Kraslag ( according to the Internet) was a lumber camp. Which of course is the type of camp where Philips father worked. And we know she "did what [she] had to do to survive ". Did that include sex with guards like Philips father? Did he raise that baby with his wife?
32
I think that would be way too soapy for this series, and it would disappoint me. More likely that she assisted in brutality at the camp.
Also, pick up the pace! I appreciate the impact of occasional quiet moments, but this episode consisted of nothing but. It was easy to doze off...
Also, pick up the pace! I appreciate the impact of occasional quiet moments, but this episode consisted of nothing but. It was easy to doze off...
4
Often the most outlandish things on The Americans are drawn from real life. Like the sting on Young Hees husband. That apparently was drawn from something done in real life. So who knows?
5
This is the first I've heard this theory and I agree that it would be way out of character for the show. Too soapy indeed. Beyond that, what would be the point of this revelation?