Mere hours from episode 4, my forecast is Stan will intercept Elizabeth and pause for a moment. Philip will shoot her before she murders Stan.
I surely hope that Philip, out of his love for Elizabeth, does not tell Stan that Oleg is in town to disrupt the summit.
Correction. Mere hours from Episode 7, not 4. I was using a Soviet calendar.
1
AIDS seems most unlikely. Hitherto, not a single mention of AIDS; the laws of story telling require that you do not bring a major plot point into the picture without first putting it in the frame.
2
Elizabeth is totally worn out - sleeping on the job in episode 1, laundry hanging out of the hamper. HIV? She was the one who got sick from the vaccine - sign of a compromised immune system? Renee is a puzzle. If she got clearance to work at the FBI, she's not an illegal. Perhaps she is just interested in Stan's spy work, and will be the one to point out that Elizabeth doesn't know about Walden and Thoreau. I found this lapse puzzling because Ghandi, MLK, Tolstoy, Emma Goldman, and anti-Nazi resistors drew upon the essay "Civil Disobedience". With the folks away, Henry will drop in at the Beeman's and talk about the paper he is working on.
3
Laundry - Really? She's working the equivalent of 3 jobs, all highly stressful. Whyt shouldn't Philip do the laundry? Believe it or not, by the 1980s, husbands were doing the laundry.
2
I've come to the conclusion that Elizabeth could drop an atom bomb on the Capitol and it wouldn't make the news.
3
Just a reminder that Victory Day, May 9th, is upon us, when Russians celebrate the surrender of Nazi Germany to Allied forces. As it happens, it falls on Wednesday this year, the same day as "The Americans."
So as you watch the next episode, take a moment or two to remember the sacrifices of all the Allied forces, but particularly those from the Soviet Union, in bringing about the victory over fascism.
Celebrate with some very cold vodka, served alongside pickled vegetables and mushrooms, herring and potatoes , caviar, Russian salad, and 'vareniki' dumplings.
12
And keep your leftovers in Tupperware, no need to send down the disposal.
6
I love that Scott Cohen (Erica's husband) played a spy for Russia on Allegiance, before joining The Americans.
3
To Matthew Rhys fans--
If you want a laugh, go to youtube and search for "Kathleen Turner, Matthew Rhys". You should get an old audio clip from a LA Theater Works radio theater production of The Graduate.
Matthew Rhys must have been a kid. It's a hoot!
I
2
Just watched Anderson Cooper's interview of Rhys about that production. He is delightful--thanks for the tip.
cg, I watched that too! If you really have time to waste, there are pictures online of the London West End production. Turner and Rhys in the sac, no less.
The producers should be given an Emmy - nay, EGOT - for their use of music. Any music predictions? Here are my 1987 picks!
-"Tonight, Tonight, Tonight," Genesis
-"Don't Get Me Wrong," Pretenders
-"Notorious", Duran Duran - Elizabeth & pals getting ready for the raid, drinking olive oil, frozen vodka / cut to Standerholt eating deep dish pizza trying to figure out Chicago's diagonal streets with 6-way intersections / cut to Oleg's Transportation Planning textbook
-"Brilliant Disguise," Springsteen - P & E killing each other, reconciling or both / cut to Renee reading in Cyrillic / cut to Paige in disguise at an FBI potluck but no one notices because of those delish sweet potatoes
-"I Think We're Alone Now" - Gabriel and Pastor Tim, having been secretly messaged by Philip and Paige, reunite at O'Hare baggage claim smoothly pre-TSA, then have the CTA Blue Line car alone to themselves because of Pastor Tim's wig evolution in its three years in Buenos Aires
-"Something So Strong," Crowded House - Oleg's dad to his diplomatic immunity as he swoops into Chicago to get the illegal
-"Nothing's Gonna Change My Love for You" - me to Mail Robot
6
"Everywhere" and "Little Lies" from the Fleetwood Mac "Tango in the Night" album - released in 1987, almost every song charted. Or, "Isn't it Midnight" from the same album. All played on TA ironically, of course.
2
I watched this episode again tonight. What a beautiful episode, so simple and streamlined. The actor who plays Henry did a beautiful job, he's very talented. The bitter scenes between Philip and Elizabeth are appalling and scary. The determined, workmanlike plodding of the F.B.I. is interesting and reassuring. I especially enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner with Stan's speech about valuing our country and being wary of those who would harm her.
The writers are doing a fine job of pointing this thing like a guided missile to whatever end is coming. I'm so grateful to them and the show's creators for this superb series.
18
Walden was being taught in secondary education at least as early as the late 1800s, when it became part of the canon.
Elizabeth hasn't done her homework on this. Good thing she didn't cite her ignorance in Stan's presence.
8
Crikey. Something lacking in your emotional intelligence here. Philip is horrified that Henry is so perceptive. He got the kid as far away from the family business as he could, and now Henry's come home to a chill even a corpse would recognize.
And Philip isn't on a marital white charger. As far as he's concerned, they've done enough hurt for several lifetimes; he understands only he can stop his wife now.
And in the most terrible irony, it may well be true what another commenter suggested--that Elizabeth is sick with AIDS. Which Philip now may have transmitted to Kimmy; he hasn't spared her after all. Let's hope this show that has killed off so many innocents won't go quite this dark.
6
Given that the writers of this show don't miss a trick, I'm thinking the Phillip and Henry trip to the toy-car races foreshows an actual car chase. Also, that incident when Elizabeth killed the poor, horny, sailor boy who tried to pick up Paige in the season's opening episode was probably a foreshadowing technique intended to introduce the 'Elizabeth killing spree.'
And Elizabeth has become so unsympathetic this season, I'm guessing they are setting us up for an Elizabeth downfall that could even be her death.
In the historic incident of Russian agents living in New Jersey as American residents, I believe that after their identity was discovered, their children went back to Russia with them.
A true tragic ending for poor Henry.
3
A few of the older kids stayed in the US.
5
Anne:
Perspective of the children:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/07/discovered-our-parents-wer...
The story also indicates for doubters like SCA that the "illegals" were required by the KGB to have families.
Bravo, Henry! Molodéts!
You put your finger on the beating pulse of this show!
And you did it your way, not through book learning, but by innate human sympathy.
You brought home a book, "Walden." In going to Walden Pond, Thoreau's object was to examine his life:
"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."
So, in a sense, you did likewise when you observed to your father that Elizabeth "has a good life, doesn't she?" His response is paradoxical; at the same time a true statement - materially, she does live a good life - and a lie - morally and ethically, she lives the opposite (or does she?).
You echo the question this show asks "What would it be like if you devoted your whole life to one way of living, to one set of values, and then, upon examination, found that they were false and destructive? What is a good life? How do you tell?"
The answer this show gives is remarkably similar to that of the recent movie "Hostiles": "This is how Life works: a person can change; even after a life spent doing a nation's dirty work, you can reclaim your humanity by acknowledging the humanity of others, even that of your greatest enemy."
5
I think Stan is on to the Jennings and has been for a while.
2
I disagree. I think Stan would have mentioned his suspicions to Adderholt (sp?), and would have even gone as far as to bug their house, or assigned an Agent to tail them.
12
Susan, I agree with Mollie that Stan would have shared this with the FBI if he was suspicious but I think you are on to something. Stan does seem to be trying to bait Philip slightly, and Philip's reactions to things (like learning about the deaths of the two Russians) have not been entirely normal, and Stan would pick up on that. And Philip has been acting kind of stressed. But I think at this point Stan is just picking up on a vibe and as a trained agent he is trying to learn more by saying things to Phil and watching his reactions. He may just be a concerned friend at this point but I think it is leading somewhere. We know he was suspicious way back in season 1, enough to sneak into the Jennings' house and check their car.
3
I haven't worked out a solid theory yet about where this is going, but there was a mystery for all of season 2 about who killed that other spy family. In the finale it turned out to be the son, who had killed his parents and sibling b/c the parents objected to his relationship with and recruitment by another KGB agent.
Henry seems WAY too smart to not have figured out anything shady about his parents' "work", or what his sister might be up to (he is about ten times smarter than Paige). Wouldn't it be fantastic if he turned out to be the key to their demise (either by death or by turning them all in to Stan). And, if the Center really has been keeping extra eyes on the Jennings family (Stan's girlfriend is usually mentioned as the candidate), wouldn't it be brilliant to have secretly recruited the genius younger child before having the parents dabble (and be distracted) with incompetent spy Paige?
6
Well, it would hardly be "fantastic." Henry is a loving son and brother.
And Paige is hardly "incompetent." She is young. She has been born into and raised by a family where there is no concept of "truth." She has tried to build outside family-like connections, as very many young people do, and just as many young people (and not so young people) do, she is experimenting with different sorts of ideologies--all because of that hunger for a genuine family.
Every storyline has shown Paige not just willingly swallowing what various people tell her. She thinks, she questions, she doubts, she worries.
The demonization in this thread, week after week, by some commenters, of a kid conceived and born as cover for her parents' espionage work is a little bit troubling to me. It's rather a miracle that Philip turned out to have normal human impulses. It's the ultimate tragedy for this family that Elizabeth is so much slower to learn.
8
SCA - It was shown long ago, in a conversation between E and P, that the Center expected them to have children, as a cover.
Paige is hardly a questioner. She accepts what E and that demon-Claudia tell her at face value.
5
Paige was searching for her own identity and the truth about her family for a long time. Once she got in the game, though, she turned astonishingly compliant. The writers seem to have decided to use Paige strictly for plot advancement, rather than developing this character. That's been one of the few disappointments of this show.
7
Just noticed something intriguing that got by me when I first saw it. The final episode is "Start."
Are they taking us up to the signing of the START treaty in (I think) summer of 1991?!
That means the Berlin wall is gone, Germany has been reunified by fall, and if they take us to December 1991, the USSR breaks up.
We'd get to see all our (still living) characters dealing with the end of the whole era they'd given their lives to.
If Liz is still around, she's going to go mental.
Fingers crossed that Start means START, Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty that Gorbachev signed. Wow.
8
Wow, great find! Negotiations for START began in 1982 with a key treaty in December 1987 which could come into play since it's currently Nov. 1987 in the show.
4
Isn't START also a great title for the last episode?
Before Philip defects or dies or escapes, he will ask Stan for amnesty for Martha and she will come home. Alison Wright has been busy doing other things (on Broadway, for one), so I don't think she will appear on screen. We will get this info in some kind of explanatory coda at the end, as has been suggested earlier. We'll also get info on Pastor Tim. He and Martha were the two innocents who everyone thought were doomed, but they survived.
5
It's easy not to remember that these are very very bad people. And just as with many other very bad people, terrible events in their past, in their childhoods, have fouled their moral barometers.
What has made this so interesting is the ways in which parenthood has changed Philip and not changed Elizabeth. Those who are not assets or potential assets are of no interest to her. She was as surprised as anyone, feeling that need to reach out to Henry.
It was brilliant of the writers to show that Stan and Oleg are the ones truly alike here. They hate using people; they understand that the world is such a dark place that sometimes the good and the innocent end up being sacrificed in order to save as many others as possible.
17
Wasn't it a completely out-of-character security breach for Elizabeth to call home from a pay phone in Chicago? After all, this is a woman who put beef stew down the disposal not long ago. If the Jennings' phone records were traced by the FBI (which they would be if they fall under suspicion), then they'd have a call from her in Chicago (where they know the spies are) to her home while she's supposed to be in Houston. I guess it's possible this lapse is meant as another sign of how she feels she may be about to die.
4
I think the Centre has the Jennings phone lines protected. Remember, how in other seasons, calls were routed through a central switchboard whenever a Soviet wanted to get a message through. I think when Eliz calls home on assignment she goes that route. Her call wouldn't show up on any records.
Ordinary phone calls, of course, would.
6
How the heck is Elizabeth pretending to be a nurse for a dying cancer patient but has time off for Thanksgiving, scamming an intern (who really didn't seem interested) and then going to Chicago? Did she quit her nursing job or does it just have the world's most flexible hours? And how has dumb as a box of rocks Paige not seen the news reports of the triple murder at the warehouse she was staking out? She really is too stupid/immature/oblivious to be a spy. There's no way that preview with Stan and Phillip isn't a fake out. No way Phillip is confessing. I can see the ending of the show being either some group of them going to witness protection with Elizabeth being expelled to Russia in exchange for a US spy and then them being murdered on the way (a la Mr. & Mrs. Teacup). Or maybe they will wimp out with a flash forward to the cold war ending and the Jennings having to figure out a way to live in the US for real. Been a great ride -- I was so happy to see the mail robot I yelled Mail Robot!
11
Yes, Paige. Even in an episode when she barely appeared (yea) we still got an annoying Paige. Her demeanor when she jumped up and tried to insinuate herself into E's Chicago mission was so Little Miss Important Spy when pressing to go along. She just doesn't get it. Her mom was rushing out the door and clearly had not included her. By her attitude of the query delivery, it was as though she was just assuming her inept help was necessary for that big mission! Wmoahhhha LOL
2
And both "nurses" left Erica to go on the Chicago mission. I guess there are more fill-ins that help Erica out. But I was wondering that too. Seems like Elizabeth has had WAY more on her plate than one person could reasonably handle all season.
6
I got it wrong. I just re-watched the episode. The illegal in Chicago was not compromised by having a sexual encounter with an FBI agent but was recruited, sexually, by a male Soviet asset. Another of my theories out the window! I should have known better .... FBI agents don't sleep with sources the way the Soviet agents do (at least, I don't think they're supposed to lol).
6
I'm going to rewatch, but I think the Chicago illegal (Harvest) had a sexual encounter with an engineer at Altheon, the company that makes the radioactive sensor the Soviets are trying to get hold of. Harvest was doing a honey-pot, trying to entice the engineer to give up information, maybe the sensor itself. I''m guessing the engineer caved so quickly to the FBI because it was a homosexual tryst.
Altheon is the company in Newington, Va. that Eliz broke into during the blackened sequence in which she murdered several security guards. She was trying to get the sensor, but failed. I guess that's when the Centre switched to the Altheon in Chicago.
--BTW, does anyone know what this sensor is supposed to do? Does Eliz? Or is it just a MacGuffin?
8
As I understand it, the sensor would be alerted to incoming Soviet missiles and immediately trigger the launch of American missiles in return. Handy to have!
3
I’m guessing the radiation sensor would be a an important part of the triggering of the Dead Hand all out nuclear response by the USSR if their leadership had been taken out by a preemptive strike by the US.
2
Patriotism can be a runaway train. Elizabeth is on it. What a cautionary tale for our political extremism. What does it take to undo a belief that becomes tyrannical? Hear me trumpsters? If we can admire Philip, there’s hope.
13
One final thought before I go back to grading exams: the Rotten Tomatoes summary for the Final Episode says the following:
EPISODE INFO
In the series finale, the Jennings face a choice that will change their lives forever.
Here's my guess: Philip and Elizabeth have to decide whether 1) to go to jail for life in the U.S. (or be executed) or 2) be allowed (by the grace of Stan?) to go back to Russia Forever, never to be admitted to the U.S. again, but ** they must leave Paige and Henry in the U.S. and never see them again. ** Obviously, they will not have revealed Paige's complicity, which would remain forever secret.
At any rate, that's my guess...at the moment.
9
You all can't see how this is going to end?
Four way shoot-out: Elizabeth, Paige & Claudia v. Stan & Dennis v. Renee (aka undercover white supremacist) v. Stavos (going postal), with Oleg and Philip locked in the back of a car, banging on the windows and begging them to stop.
Screen goes dark.
Beside lamp turned on, revealing Martha in bed, "Honey, Honey! You won't believe the dream I just had."
The other bedside lamp is switched on. From under the bedcovers emerges Chris Amador, "Alright, Martha. What is it?"
"I was a secretary in this crazy little FBI office in DC. Nothing made sense in this place....."
"That's it, Martha, we're never going to talk about breaking up again."
21
that's really good.
2
This is brilliant: so none of the horrible murders happened, no children face tragedy as orphans, and the Evil Empire dissolves peacefully into the mist!
2
If you trace things back to early season one, it's striking how many of the story lines through the six seasons would not have developed had Martha and Chris not broken up.
7
Is the Key Theatre intern the same intern Paige had a one-night stand with? In other words, is Elizabeth picking up a trail she forced Paige to drop?
Is the "cute" boy (not the wingman) in the bar that Paige beat last week the same guy as the intern she slept with, or was that the first time she met him? (If it isn't, I found her "cute" one-liner "If you ever want to get laid, get another wingman" comment very crass and more shocking than her quick resort to violence. Paige has come a long way from her making-herself-clean-for-Jesus stage of just a few years ago....
These brown-haired intern-types all look the same to me . . . .
5
Helen I think these are three different boys/men. But I am not sure. I was asking the same question as I watched the episode They do indeed look alike and they didn't have much screen time.
1
No, interns for different members of the then USA Congress.
Yes, things can be a bit confusing at times, particularly if the watcher is not paying sufficiently close attention or listening close enough to dialog, whether young, male Congressional intern speech in English or those speaking Russian. Both require careful attention from non-native speakers.
Although all frat boys do look alike, no, the Key Theater intern is not the same employee Paige had the one-nighter with. This intern works for Sam Nunn. The other works for Florida Congressman Charles E. Bennett, longtime member of the House Armed Services Committee.
7
The reference to "Three Men and a Baby" probably is related to Stan and Renee's desire to have a family, but being "too old."
I wonder if they will end up adopting Ilia?
3
Stan is a real gentleman: notice how he used the word "we" to describe the couple's predicament, not shifting the blame to Renee?
9
Pleased to see another of Erica's portraits: Elizabeth's reflection in the chrome plating surrounding the pay telephone's keypad.
A sign that her call is a crie-de-coeur to Henry? ? ?
6
Rififi! Oh, I thought it was kovefe! I thought maybe we had yet another link between Trump and the Russians.
14
best comment of the season
Does anyone think it odd that Henry finds "Walden" boring? I mean, you'd expect it to be right up his alley. It feeds into one of the controlling ideas of the show: be yourself, not an automaton; don't just follow the rules as laid out by society or your government.
"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away." - Thoreau
10
Actually, this is very disturbing, for if Henry does not respond to this most American of books, it must mean. . . that he is not American!? Is he in fact a Russian agent? All one can say at this point is, "More will be revealed."
5
Maybe we're being over hasty. As I understand it, "Walden" is a reading assignment over Thanksgiving break. So, most likely, Henry has barely gotten into it yet.
I don't think that he will complete the book until the end of the break, but then his estimation of its worth will undergo a complete reversal.
If so, I predict it will give him the courage to do something he has put off doing for a long time.
1
Her lack of knowledge of Thoreau reveals that Elizabeth did not have an American high school education.
4
At first, I thought Philip's message to Oleg and his going to E were not connected. Philip is spying for Oleg to protect the negotiations, so why would Oleg care E was going to rescue a Russian spy? However, maybe Philip was warning Oleg to get out of the US because the Russian spy in Chicago was about to be caught.
10
I hope you are right -- and that Oleg follows Phillip's instructions.
3
Sorry if this comment is a repeat ..... there was a blip in my computer as I submitted.
If in fact Henry is gay, that wouldn't be thrown into the storyline for no reason at all. I'm thinking about a conversation between Stan and Aderholt. Didn't Aderholt say that the Chicago illegal had been compromised because of a gay hook-up in a bar? If that was Henry, it would mean he’s not working for the Soviets but for the FBI. But that's so bizarre .... particularly if you recall Stan's raised eyebrows when he heard that. If Henry is working for the FBI, which he has shown such a keen interest in, Stan would not allow him to be used in that manner .... especially not at that age. My mind is working overtime lol However, why mention that it was a gay encounter if it doesn’t mean anything? The story would work just as well as if it had been a woman. I just don’t think they’re raising the gay issue simply to be socially progressive.
2
Henry may be gay, but I don't think it is connected to the Chicago agent if he is. If I recall, it wasn't a random bar hookup that outed the agent. The Russian Agent in Chicago was honeypotting a man who worked for Altheon, the company that makes those all-important sensors. Dennis (who is consistently the most intelligent and logical FBI agent on the show) put together that the Russians were targeting Altheon and they found out about the illegal in Chicago by questioning Altheon employees.
10
To everyone who thinks Henry might be somehow involved in the "gay seduction " in Chicago .... do remember that Henry is a 16 or 17 year old high school kid. Highly unlikely he'd be recruited and used in such a manner at his age. I find this theory interesting but preposterous.
3
Oleg was brought back for a reason and it seems plausible that the Residenza will try to kill him and the Jennings too when they learn Philip is meeting with Oleg. There's a poetic justice if the Jennings are killed by their 'countrymen' as we've seen that to the Russians, everyone is expendable.
Henry and Paige may come home and find their parents dead - that's a trauma the Russians have visited on children again and again.
I also like this idea because it's a way for Stan and Aderholt to survive. I want them to live and prosper.
4
Elizabeth's partner in Chicago was Marily, for those who asked here.
2
Sure, Philip's coded message could have been "I'm out" and he may have been going to Chicago out of love for Elizabeth. But I didn't read it that way. I thought Philip had discovered something important about what Elizabeth was up to, communicated that to Oleg, then was going to Chicago to follow through, find out more, maybe stop her. I think the double murder, the horror of the child discovering his parents dead, shook Philip to his roots. Elizabeth thinks he is still part of the team, but is he?
19
Phillip has been taking off his mask. Last week he revealed his 'real' self to Paige. This week, with Elizabeth, he laid bare his refusal to send Kimmy into danger. And in the previews he seems to be ready to confess to Stan. The public stakes in this show have always been the 'spy secret' and natural end to the plot is for the whole thing to break down -- unless there's a twist and we find out Stan has long been an 'inside' mole who now whisks everyone away to safety.
The private stakes have been the marriage. Now we discover if the couple who were strangers and came to love, will persist as lovers or not.
And what of the children?
1
As pointed out by others, Erica's insistence on Elizabeth drawing is about getting her to see. The act of drawing is about looking far more closely than one usually does. Done on a consistent basis, it sharpens your powers of observation like nothing else. So far, she's drawn things around the room. Things outside of herself. What I'd love to see would be for Erica to give her arguably the greatest drawing challenge for most people: a self-portrait (trust me, I've done a few). Elizabeth spends little time on self reflection and a really good long look at herself in the mirror as she draws might trigger a wake-up call. Don't think it will stop her from going through with her mission but could make things interesting.
The cyanide pill. I think if she gives it to Erica out of mercy, it will not result in a police investigation since this is a terminally ill woman whose time may have just run out. So I don't see her sketch of Elizabeth showing up as evidence.
Philip's note to Oleg: go see Stan Beeman. But if you're interested in an all expenses paid cruise down the Volga river, give Jennings Travel a call.
Bu seriously, this is a terrific show that hopefully more people discover when it's done like "The Wire". It's a slow burn and requires dedicated viewing. Great performances across the board and it's incredibly hard to predict what will transpire. Sad to see it go.
23
I think Philip tipped Oleg off because he knew that his love for Elizabeth wasn't enough to get her to walk away. The only way she could be stopped would be to get caught or killed, and as much as he wants her mission to be thwarted, he knows he needs to be by her side when it all comes down - perhaps even to the point of killing her himself if he felt that was the only way to keep her from further imperiling Paige and Henry. They are the cause he's become a true believer in, and he will do whatever he needs to do to protect them and give them a chance at a life far different from what he and Elizabeth had.If Oleg's people can't derail the coming train wreck -which I'm speculating was the crux of the coded message - he's determined to be on hand whatever fate awaits.
8
I don’t think Phillip is going to help her. What was that trade off with the visiting Russian about. I think he’s gone over to his side. Can’t wait to see how this all ends.
3
I wonder if Philip is trying to have it both ways, heading to Chicago to grab Elizabeth while setting up the capture of the asset there. He's clearly communicating his moves to Oleg--unlikely that Philip at this stage makes another U-turn. Both of them are more aware than the FBI and anyone else in high US places of the fissures within the USSR. The brutal killings of Gennady and Sofia more than made up for the absence of murder this week. In the earlier episode when Elizabeth jumped the Navy security guard who was hitting on Paige, I thought she was beginning to infuse her "work" with personal animus. There would likely be anger toward defectors, but the bloodiness of last week was reminiscent of Macbeth. She snaps at Philip, accuses him of wanting sex with Kimmy--another excess. But she may be responding to his brazen admission to Kimmy that essentially blew his cover. The real question: how turned off is Philip, how close is he to defecting?
Agree with Pastor Tim (Kelly AuCoin, we miss you!) about the tannery. That jarred me too; if the father of the classmate owns various businesses, Henry would be more likely to be trained in some office job. Then again, we're back to the animalistic theme. Regarding Henry: it's clear that his perspective is cutting through the veils. Henry has emotional intelligence as well as the garden variety.
8
Hi, I'm not Kelly AuCoin just a fan! :)
3
I don’t want it to end but I’m really anticipating this final group of episodes. Incredible building of the narrative and suspense! I think now I tentatively agree with those who speculate that Philip will die; Elizabeth will be captured but they will also have taken Paige and Henry as leverage. Will she ultimately choose to save her children and honor her husband by giving up all the information, especially as she sees the summit unfold? Or will Paige be the one to turn? Absolutely the best show on TV, huge kudos to everyone involved. What a story.
13
What's with Henry's summer job at a tannery in West Virginia? For a genial math whiz at an elite East Coast prep school, I'd imagine him to make more money caddying at a golf course, or interning at one of his peer's family businesses. I lived near a tannery for years; it's brutal work and of course the smell is, indeed, nasty.
I suppose it does show Henry's work ethic, planning (it's only Thanksgiving and he's already worked out a summer job), and resourcefulness (also getting a connection for Dad). Which would help immensely if the Jennings have to make a quick escape. But about that connection Henry wants his dad to make - how would a tannery business owner help a travel agent?
The show didn't mention anything about Black Monday, Oct. 19, 1987, when the stock market crashed, about a month before this episode. Maybe it spurred Henry to get the tannery gig and Philip's frustration at the car track/firing of Stavos (Elizabeth didn't kill anyone this episode, but Philip killed 3 jobs). Please don't let this tannery foreshadow Henry's demise - I want him and Mail Robot to continue living their best lives!
10
Continuing the animal theme, the Jennings have a strange lamp of three owls that is in the shot of Henry/Philip discussing Elizabeth's phone call. Possibly foreshadowing of the slaughter of Henry's family while he survives?
Also, when Philip calls Elizabeth at the end of the episode, there is a Meat Market sign in the background. Stan says "mmm" several times in this episode (rude!) at different points around food. One is right after a cut away from Elizabeth & Paige, but Stan is looking right at Henry. Then a triple "mmm" after Philip explains why E. is in Houston. Another is a cut right after Elizabeth calls from Chicago, which to me looks like could be near the Lincoln Park Zoo. Last "mmm" is after talking about Renee at the office potluck.
Are the writers painting Stan as the wolf, setting up one or more of the Jennings for slaughter? After being ineffective all series, perhaps Stan will kill 3 of the Jennings and Renee. Maybe in the line of fire, self-defense, or he snaps - as he did when he killed Vlad - when he realizes he has been BFF's with the KGB.
When Philip & Stan are having breakfast, a cereal box shows the California Raisins with a father/son, (lot of interpretations to "Heard it Through the Grapevine" possible here - not much longer would you be mine) Later Oleg decodes near a cereal box whose only word visible is "toasted" (he does have many enemies).
* I realize my theories are very ridiculous, just re-watching with closed captions on! *
Tim, If you're comparing Stan to "the bug bad wol," then who is Little Red Riding Hood in this?
Also, wolves are quite shy around humans. They are truly a misunderstood (an scapegoated) species.
2
Another owl: on Erica's dresser in Episode 1, above Elizabeth as she sleeps and Erica draws her. Claudia has a brooch with three squirrels in this episode also.
Hi PrairieFlax, I was thinking more of the Russian tale "Peter and the Wolf," although the plot doesn't correspond at all. Also thinking how Henry says his favorite class is American Literature, but other commenters have noted some parallels with Russian Lit (which I'm completely ignorant of). Anyone know the significance of the squirrels or owls?
1
'Rififi' is a dated French slang word. It means trouble, infighting. I remember my parents using it from time to time.
20
I'm interested, as a total aside, in seeing if this show can generate anything approaching the kind of tidal wave of late-arriving viewers that Breaking Bad did in its wrap up. As for tonight's great ep, a lot's made of her call to Henry, but maybe the most interesting moment of the season for her character was seeing Liz drawing on "her time," even if she was disguised like an aspiring meth addict. The mail robot touch was really nice; all great dramas need a little humor now and then. Oleg may be the person most at risk. Now the FBI is looking hard at him as a catalyst in the dots they've connected, but we know he's there to thwart Liz. But what about Philip? His visit to the garage indicates he's decided to work against his wife, but the ending makes me think his heart's going to get him in trouble. This Chi-town extraction's danger seems a little overwrought - just consider how easy it was for Edward Lee Howard to elude FBI surveillance and escape to the USSR back about then - but next week we should know if there really will be the collision course for the Jennings and Stan - or if something much less subtle, but perhaps equally satisfying might occur. My prioritized most-likely to die rankings after this week: Aderholt, Oleg, Philip, Paige, Elizabeth, Renee, Stan, Claudia, Henry, Mail Robot.
11
Philip has a soul. And a conscience. But Elizabeth, confronted with Betty, watches her swallow the pills that will kill her. Now the conscience reappears as an artist, an angry avatar, demanding and harsh, insisting that Elizabeth draw, push past her ideology and commit her emotions to canvas. We want Elizabeth to be like Philip, but do not confuse wishes with facts. This story is about more than a marriage.
9
Philip's arc is the most fascinating to me, especially considering where I perceive he is now: disillusioned with the Soviet system, disillusioned with the American system. At Thanksgiving, Stan's comments about the Soviet Union mimic almost exactly what Elizabeth (& perhaps others on the Soviet side) says about the U.S. - "They want to harm us, believe me." Philip has surely heard that line from both sides now, but he knows better. I may be projecting, but he seems to conclude that the hope for a fulfilling life is in a good family. Or perhaps in oneself. Hence the Thoreau reference - American existentialist.
23
Yes, I think the writers are giving us us a few red herrings with Stan. When he tells Philip about the murder of Gennadi and Sophia, and this oddly specific toast at thanksgiving, it is almost like he is trying to turn Philip. I don't think so, the show has not been sneaky in that way and we see how excited the FBI is to find the one illegal in chicago, but I think Stan's behavior with Philip is a bit odd in these past couple episodes. Maybe he has some private suspicions and is throwing stuff out there to see if anything sticks.
2
Anthony Arkin also has a great character actor brother, Adam, who played an ill-mannered character, a really great character, on Northern Exposure.
7
Yes - the Arkins are a very talented family.
1
He also starred alongside Mandy Patinkin in "Chicago Hope." He's still around, but directing mostly, I believe.
1
Elizabeth actually made it through an entire episode without murdering anybody!
23
I will truly miss The Americans, one of the best shows that has ever been on TV. With only three episodes left, it's hard to believe that the ending is close.
Every Thursday, I look forward to Mike's synopsis of the latest episode but I also love reading viewer comments. The theories are very creative (!) and we will soon find out what happens to the Jennings.
I can't imagine that Elizabeth (or Oleg) will live but I hope that Phillip does. I too wondered about the blemish on Elizabeth's face but I would be surprised if she has AIDS. When the artist is onscreen, I want to change the channel, and am glad that she is getting less screen time as the character's personality (I do realize that she is dying) makes me cringe.
19
Or will Philip kill Elizabeth? or Elizabeth kill Philip?
or will Philip turn Elizabeth in to Stan? On line, listing the titles for the last few episodes, anyone can see that the title of episode 9 (the penultimate one) is
"Jennings, Elizabeth".
The use of the last name first sounds bureaucratic, as if the person named is listed somewhere, as a "person of interest" or in a morgue or prison. It implies, or seems to imply, that E has been caught, or is about to be. I know nothing more about what happens after the 2nd May episode than any other ordinary viewer, but that title is now public, and it fuels interesting suspicions.
11
That's how people from Soviet and Eastern bloc give their own names, though: last name first, then first name. I remember finding it jarring when watching the Olympics one summer and the gymnasts, when asked by an American reporter "what's your name?", would say "Comaneci, Nadia" etc. I asked a Hungarian friend at school about it and she told me it was commonplace when introducing oneself or asked one's name: last name first.
2
Interesting scenes with Elizabeth and Sen. Nunn's intern. She cautioned Paige to keep her distance only to find herself pursuing him. But on two separate occasions, she can't snare him, whereas it would have been child's play for Paige. This realization makes Elizabeth even more desperate to salvage something.
Elizabeth is looking increasingly bedraggled, used up and sick. She can no longer do the job. If Gabriel were still there, he would have pulled her out of the field and sent the family home. But Claudia is no Gabriel. She will push Elizabeth until she drops, like a mule that's been worked to death.
41
I think Paige was pursuing a different Intern.
16
Yes, as I think was mentioned earlier, paige’s friend worked for a Florida Congressman. Jackson works for Nunn, from Ga.
As William said, "They keep wanting more."
5
I want Stan to bump into a 40-something Robert Mueller in the halls of the FBI in the final episode, final scene... and lock eyes. #HindsightIs2020 #RussiaWinsIn2016 #IAmOnTeamStan
34
Does anyone wonder about MARTHA? Time is getting short. If they leave her out, I'll be mad.
20
I think Martha has joined the list of estimable characters whose arc has played out (sigh): Gabriel, Mischa, Matthew Beeman, Sandra Beeman, Oleg’s parents, Anton Baklanov … who else?
And then there are the fully drawn characters who each died a vivid, violent death: Chris Amador, Nina, Gregory, Annelise, Fred (the guy who wore special shoes on the factory floor and died in the phone booth while talking to Philip), Lucia (the daughter of the Nicaraguan journalist who vowed to kill Larrick), Kate (Claudia’s replacement), Jared, Frank Gaad, William, Hans, General Zhukov, Sofia and Gennadi … who else?
And, of course, the walking wounded: Kimmy, Young Hee and Don, Yousef, Pasha and his parents, Sofia’s son Ilya, Stavos (:-) … who else?
10
I disagree. Martha is in a class by herself, and I suspect we'll see her once more as the series ends.
4
I look in the opening credits every show for her name.
Ah, the irony of religion, that opiate of the masses, playing a part in bringing down E&P. Did Paige’s long and fraught relationship with Pastor Tim (4 seasons!) end up endangering the family and E&P’s mission? Nope. Will mom and dad’s glancing connection with Father Andrei end up helping sink them? From what Dennis says about Harvest and the Russian Orthodox priest, looks like it just might.
22
"Favorite printable line of the episode:..."
She lets you touch her feet?
16
Neither of the two recaps I read mentioned the fleeting remark about Erica's feet. You wouldn't think Elizabeth would give it a second thought, yet she did. It was a hint of humanity, along with the art, that Elizabeth has derived from her work with Erica.
16
Chicagoland experienced a wave of thunderstorms last night, and TWICE The Americans was interrupted by breaking weather soundblasts. Was only able to hit the "exit message" button after missing several lines of dialog. One was during Henry's car ride home from the bus station---no biggie, but the second time was with E and the other Russian in Chicago. Something about patchouli and Erica's feet?? Is the other Russian also one of Erica's "caregivers"?
4
cg - yes, the woman in the Chicago hotel room with E was Marilyn. In a red wig. Marilyn, whom we usually see as blond & wearing a hat, is also one of Erica's caregivers.
6
Another excellent episode. Praise be to all involved in this series that they all collectively have maintained such high quality in all aspects of the production, not least in the quality of the plot and subplots. I suspect that this will continue until the end of the series in whatever episodes remain. Are there two more?
As usual for me at least, I find the urge on the part of most commenters here to speculate on this, that and the other thing with regard to the as yet unknown unfolding of the plot/subplots almost as entertaining to witness as the series' episodes themselves. Please keep up the speculation on plot, fellow commenters!
Regarding the title of this episode and the foreboding that a reference to rififi entails, I am relieved that this episode eschews any physical violence. The human emotions depicted in this episode are notable however. The actor who plays the Jennings son looks like one of my nephews, who is a few years older than the character. Even more amusing is that my nephew's mannerisms, actions, speech are almost identical to that of the character/actor. The young actor in that role has been very good all along at every age.
What might occur next and how the varied threads of the plot/subplots are or are not resolved is anyone's guess. Speculation no doubt fun, but fruitless in my opinion. Just about any twist or turn is possible. I look forward to the final few episodes.
9
Four more episodes.
2
"Mother's expecting you." - Did anyone else think of Mike Pence? :)
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2018/mar/27/does-mike-pe...
7
I do my best to never think of Mr. Pence. I do the same with regard to Mr. Trump.
39
Congratulations to you if you're successful! I would like to wipe my mind clean of them!
2
Losing myself in wonderful art--like this series, The Americans--is the only thing keeping me from plunging into despair in the Time of Trump! Every time I turn on the news, something new scandal or outrage is breaking, and then they break into *that* with yet more breaking stories. It's exhausting; it's horrifying; it's deeply anxiety-provoking. I'd much rather hang out with fictional Soviet spies, violent and murderous though they may be.
1
I love the predictions and theories but can people please stop referring to the "scenes from next week"? Some of us avoid them on purpose.
6
The mail robot seemed sinister in the elevator with Stan and Dennis. I thought it might be bugged and secretly recording their conversation. I yelled out "stop talking in front of the mail robot!"
29
Unlikely. For comic effect, I suspect. Very amusing. The then current "high" technology: a machine squeezes the two humans into the corners of the elevator. Not only that, the mechanized mail deliverer deserves a cameo appearance before the end of the series, in my opinion.
17
Just watched the German spy series Deutschland 83, that you mentioned in an earlier post. Utterly riveting! Season 2 is supposed to air this year, but no date yet.
2
Yes, I've been following any news of D-83 since it first aired. Finally, they announced its return awhile back, but the first story I read said 2019.
But things change. So dunno the latest.
Also, if you haven't seen them, check out "The Same Sky," "The Weissensee Saga" (Stasi story between 1981 and 1990, so the same time as TA), "The Tower" (2012), and "West" (2013).
Please help me with tradecraft. Oleg gets a message on a piece of paper, takes a different piece of paper and rubs it with a liquid concoction and a message appears? How dat work?
10
The "message" that appears after he applies the liquid concoction is the encryption key, with which he can decipher Philip's message. It's hidden on a blank piece of paper and only visible after using the chemicals so nobody besides them could easily find it and possibly decrypt an intercepted message.
12
The invisible ink paper had the cipher / key for the KGB code that Phil's note is written in.
4
Oleg brought the codes the Illegals use with him from USSR on what appears to be a blank notepad. However, info is written inside in invisible ink. The chemicals mixed together reveal the codes that he then uses to decipher Phillip's message. (Phillip went to the garage storage unit to retrieve a coding device and the tool used to hide the note, I believe.)
One can use onion juice for invisible ink. It reveals itself when heated up.
3
Oh Renee, you are a spy! But are you a Soviet, East German, or White Nationalist spy?
As much as I want the Jennings clan to survive and thrive as Americans, I think:
- That cyanide is going to Erica
- Elizabeth will die saving someone, possibly Henry or a child
- Phillip will get caught trying to save Elizabeth and professing his love as she goes
- Stan will think he's victorious, but he'll still have Renee, Paige, and possibly Henry to deal with
Why does the FBI sees the arms negotiations as black and white? Don't they know that there are factions in the Soviet government working against each other?
All that said, I hope Elizabeth and Phillip live happily ever after.
10
Or will Phillip die protecting Stan from Renee??? So many possibilities!
3
Good guesses, all.
I think Stan could end up with Henry, with all the rest of the Jennings family dead. I don't see how both Elizabeth and Phillip survive--the irony would be if Elizabeth were stuck in the US forever, without him.
3
Elizabeth as Dr. Kevorkian -- brilliant!
1
So many things to ponder in this episode. The Key to the unraveling is to know what Philip sent to Oleg in the message. Did he already betray Elizabeth? Or has he gone back to the “dark side” as his trip to Chicago might mean? I totally didn’t see that coming ( if that is what happened).
Nice to see Henry, instead of Paige, taking a lead role in this episode. A pair of fresh eyes on the situation at home could serve as a catalyst for future events. His “ Why is mom so unhappy?” comment seemed to trigger a reaction in Philip ....surely, he’s noticed ? Maybe not. And boy was she brutal to Philip in her comments. I must admit I am totally confused.
I am also wondering as the episodes dwindle down to a precious few, what was the point of introducing the Sam Nunn aide to the story?
10
The three other films on the program at the "Key" may also foreshadow events in "The Americans."
"Bob le Flambeur" concerns a heist at a casino; but here it is suggested that the protagonist has beaten the system.
The hero of "Key Largo," played by Humphrey Bogart, is a US soldier recently returned from the war. The gangsters he battles are depicted as a corruption which must be expunged in order to restore America's purity.
"High Sierra." also a Humphrey Bogart vehicle, is about a pursuit that ends in a fatal shoot-out.
13
What they all have in common is that they end in gun fights.
11
Also: a poster at the theatre for “The Big Clock” which was remade, 1987, as “No Way Out” about a Russian spy embedded in the U.S., played by Kevin Costner.
10
Rififi and Bob Le Flambuer are both French heist films. Rififi ends badly while Bob has maybe the most joyous surprise ending in cinema. Elizabeth is in the wrong theater.
4
People across the blogosphere think that Philip is caving to the Russians.
I don't think so. Too easy.
15
No way
5
Elizabeth mentions "Three Men and a Baby," which came out in 1987. Wonder if she saw "The Untouchables," which came out in June 1987, where the feds - led by Eliot Ness's "Untouchables" team - bring down Al Capone in Chicago.
Too bad her intern mark liked more highbrow fare, or she could've seen the foreshadowing of Aderholt-as-Ness in Chicago!
6
The episode for me should have been titled, Conflicted. Philip wants out, but he realizes when Elizabeth calls Henry that she is in trouble, and he has neglected his job as a husband and a spy.
Henry returns and discovers his parents’ marriage is in disarray. He is doing what he can to find financial aid, and to help his dad regain his business. He is troubled by his parents, but wants his school funding back.
The FBI, until this episode, has had nothing but failures, now, they are onto something. Stan has failed in most of his FBI cases, but now, may have a chance at success. His girlfriend is surely a Russian mole. Who will she support, we know the answer, don’t we?
And, Elizabeth, she has that necklace with the little pill, will she use it?
3
Renee's actually Stan's second wife now.
1
Philip's first priority is to make sure Elizabeth is not caught by the FBI during her attempt to extract the Chicago informant. If she is caught, it is over for the whole Jennings clan. That is why I cannot imagine he would tell Oleg about Chicago. The only way for Philip to keep his life intact is to either convince Elizabeth she is working on the wrong side or to make sure she is not caught (now or during future jobs.) I do not see a path for Elizabeth to "see" what is truly happening - as Erica asks her to do while sketching. If truth comes to Elizabeth it will be too late. Other paths for Philip involve killing Elizabeth in a way that seems accidental so as not to arouse suspicion. Or to cut a deal with Stan. The love in the marriage is over, if it really ever was love in the first place.
14
I'm not convinced that their love is over, but I do think there's a chance that Philip has told Oleg that Elizabeth has gone too far and he will "take care of" the situation. He may think that it's the only way to save his children, even that he could regain Paige as long as she doesn't discover who kills her mother. And looking over the passports (which would surely include documents for the kids and are probably regularly updated for photos and dates) suggests that he intends to leave the US.
10
I find myself astonished that anyone could believe that Elizabeth and Philip are through with each other. Please, recall, they have been joined together by God in the most solemn way imaginable.
Oh, I know, in the world we live in, love is contingent. But in the world of fiction, the only force that can dissolve their union is its author. (I would only begin to worry if, for instance, Elizabeth declared, "I no longer believe in God." Or if Philip told Elizabeth, "I have become Satan!")
Barring that, though, I am of the firm conviction that, no matter how they may try to break their bond, the union is indissoluble.
2
I love the symbolism where Erica is asking her to “see the dark” in order to sketch.
4
Philip is going to stop Elizabeth, not to help her, but if he can save her he will. The hardening of his eyes at the end of the episode made all that clear.
He loves her but he loves his children more, as any parent ought to. He wants them to have a future in the only place they can.
Last week, he was demonstrating to Paige that it's not all a superhero game and she's not fully-fledged Ninja Girl. She's still bedazzled by the intrigue and, as any kid might be at her age, she's disgusted by the hypocrisies of American society and she so admires her mother. But she's always questioning, always finding her innate moral standards being besmirched by what her mother is teaching her to do. Philip wants to restore her purity.
27
I don't think Phillip is going to stop Elizabeth because if the FBI captures Harvest or Elizabeth gets killed or captured -- that's curtains for him. I really loathe Paige. Hopefully series ends with her taking the fall.
5
Paige is a brilliant character and a great kid. She has a moral center, but as with many people not yet fully mature, she hasn't found the meaningful expression of it yet.
She's a loyal daughter but she can't ignore the troubling things she sees or learns about.
And growing up without any extended family, it's natural she'd be drawn to Claudia; to this simulation of a grandma or a great aunt. But just as Christian ideology wore off for her, she won't be a true believer here either.
5
"loathe Paige"?
Please.
I agree with Mr. or Ms. SCA. The role is a difficult one. Adolescence a mysterious and difficult time for all. The role as written appears to me to be more than plausible. I find the character's clear admiration for her mother strongly positive. The character is still young and bumbling. Not surprising, given her age and experience in life so far. Needless to say, she has none of the visceral experience and seared-in convictions of her mother, not to mention the years of specialized training that her mother has received. The actress does a good job in the role.
3
Did Henry's replies to his parents' inquiries about his social life, ("I'm working on it") strike anyone else as evasive?
The certainly reminded me of my replies to my parents before I came out.
9
Something's up, all right. Henry is good-looking, smart, and personable. Plus, he's a sports star with a following. Why would he NOT have a girl friend?
It true, the question is what, at this late date, the show plans to do with the queering of the all-American boy. Maybe he'll open up to Stan.
Whew, thought I was way off base by interpreting Henry's highly evasive body language and uncomfortable verbal responses when being questioned about "girls."
I wrote it on another forum but nobody else seems to have though it worth mentioning, as I was the only one wondering so far if, perhaps, Henry's love interest is his good friend with whom he wants to spend the summer working and residing for the factory job.
Henry is clearly involved with the young man as at least a special friend, if Henry is spending quality time with the guy's dad. It's clear Henry may have had a lot of time with the family if he is comfortable enough to spill confidences about his dad's business. Ouch.
Phillip did not seem to pick up on that aspect of it. He was too taken aback by the Henry's lack of family confidentiality to ask why Henry was so close to this family that he could talk about his own family this way.
It seems late in the series to introduce this notion of Henry's sexuality for gratuitous reasons, but it does seem quite germane if Philip is wanting to ex-fil himself and the kids with Oleg's help back to the USSR.
It's one thing for Henry to lose his known American life, academic future and his basic familial identity once he learns the truth; but on a personal-life level, taking him to a country that would put him in peril if he tries to live out his sexual orientation doubles down on the tragedy for Henry.
9
If in fact Henry is gay, that wouldn't be thrown into the storyline for no reason at all. I'm thinking about a conversation between Stan and Aderholt. Didn't Aderholt say that the Chicago illegal had been compromised because of a gay hook-up in a bar? If that was Henry, it would mean he’s not working for the Soviets but for the FBI. But that's so bizarre .... particularly if you recall Stan's raised eyebrows when he heard that. If Henry is working for the FBI, which he has shown such a keen interest in, Stan would not allow him to be used in that manner .... especially not at that age. My mind is working overtime lol However, why mention that it was a gay encounter if it doesn’t mean anything. The story would work just as well as if it had been a woman. I just don’t think they’re raising the gay issue simply to be socially progressive.
2
I suspect Elizabeth has AIDS. There is a discoloration on her face in all but the first few scenes of the episode. That would fit with how tired and thin she is. Philip might have contracted it now too with their recent closeness. The honeypot way of gaining information has a new price. Elizabeth is very covered up in this episode but I wonder if in the future we will see a more obvious lesion and know for sure her future.
42
There was an uncharacteristic blemish on Elizabeth's cheekbone. If there enough time for that storyline to unfold, though? How many episodes are left?
11
That was quite noticeable, but who knows what it portends. I suspect that it exists for some twist of plot.
7
Bruise showed up in Chicago. Perhaps it is part of her disguise?
7
Tolstoy had a point. Every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way, but the Jennings are miserable on all cylinders. For the first time, the marriage is down to separate beds. And I have to disagree with you, Mike, on Philip's reasons for flying to Chicago. A line's been crossed, and I think he's gone to stop his wife as much as save her. Then there's the issue of finances. A Voxx blogger asked the show writers how the Centre supported its "illegals" financially. The KGB apparently helped set them up and get their businesses off the ground. Then they were expected to make a go of things on their own, and often spent as much time working as spying. Which brings me to Henry's sudden financial acumen. I'm doubling down on the idea that he was recuited long ago, and that he regularly reports on his parents. Now that Mother Russia knows the Jenning's financial situation, they're trying to step in and help in ways that won't set off any warning bells: scholarships and clients. They need that business to stay afloat, and Henry to stay planted among the rich and powerful. Watch Henry's eyes during Stan's little Thanksgiving toast: he hid them. And his ongoing efforts to stay in with Stan. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. There are no pads in real life. But if this show's taught us nothing, it's that this story never ends.
6
That's a very interesting theory. Of all the plot twists I've envisioned, Henry was the consistent "man out". It never occurred to me that he would ever be recruited primarily, I guess, because Paige was seen as the smarter student, while, who knew, Henry was some sort of math genius. If this is true, and I can't think of any incidents at this point to dispel that theory, my mind will be certifiably blown.
2
I disagree. The cooperation of at least one of the parents would be needed to seduce Henry into spying for the communists. why would he find the KGB assertion that hey are Soviets and he is a Soviet even credible? What motivates Paige to commit Treason (and she is the only major character to commit treason) and work for a totalitarian system, no worse than the Nazis, has been dealt with a long history and complexity. There are a half dozed reasons why henry wont turn out to be a KGB asset, not the least of which is that this would be a cheap deus ex . I know M. Night Shymalan type tropes draw a lot of people into Lost/Westworld type of narratives, where obsessions with decoding among fans substitutes for the more interesting drama we see in Americans, but Americans has not stooped to this.
As far as financial reasons, laundering money in 1980's semi-cash economy was not that difficult, that aspect of the plot, Philips business problems is more about general pressures on Philip, causing him to choose between his loyalty to his wife v his son, than anything else..
6
I have always thought this too. Don't forget season 2.
1
Elizabeth calling Henry set off some red flags. Frankly, it sounded like a goodbye message to her son, whom she completely negllected ever since he went to the boarding school. It's ultimately why Philip called her himself and decided to go to Chicago to help her.
I was worried about Philip as he drove to that "safe house" to go through E.'s stuff. Only a few scenes prior we learned that the FBI is closing in on the illegals by linking car purchases and garages to their operation. Will they find this one?
All things considered, this felt like a setup episode. The pacing was a bit off, the narrative was not ultimately stringent and the resolve is still bound to happen. My guess is: The story elements, which were built up in this season so far, will unfold piece by piece in the next set of episodes. (The episode titles might give away the order of events, I won't spoil them here.) In the next one we will most likely see the Chicago operation and how Philip's involvement changes the outcome of this event.
The FBI will be coming closer to finding out about the Jennings' family. What if Stan and Dennis uncover Philip and E.'s involvement while they are both away in Chicago? With Henry and Paige left at home? Paige's involvement might not be evident but crucial to the eventual outcome.
I'm still wondering what relevance the "French movie kid" side-plot had. Will it be of importance to the summit? Would Paige need to take over this asset if E. were caught prior to the mission?
9
Elizabeth's call to Henry was a cri de coeur, no doubt. Did you see her face reflected in the telephone? Right out of Erica's portfolio.
7
I thought that was a goodbye call to Henry as well
3
Slot car racing was SO later 80s. It was also something you did with your dad, so mom could have the men out of the house.
It’s a period detail that made me giddy.
Our local suburban slot car place is now an Elements Massage and a Physical Therapy Rehab facility. #sad
17
We did it in the 70s.
I think Stavros is going to put a few things together and go to the FBI with something important. He has been around for a long time, is mad and could have observed a few things.
33
Hey, Judy. Any relation to Pastor Tim? I agree something's up with Stavros. The camera's been trained on him all season. I was leaning the other way: that's he's keeping an eye out for the Centre. But in any event, there's something there.
11
Haha! No relation, llnyc. Let's all go out for Tacos al Pastor or just have Mail Robot deliver them via elevator!
You both raise great points. Here's an outlandish theory (yes, I have many): in 1987's "The Untouchables," an accountant from D.C. helped Eliot Ness bust Al Capone in Chicago. Stavos could access bookkeeping & help Standerholt bust the illegals as Judy posits.
Is my wig too tight, or why do so many of the actors in this series have interesting dads? Stavos the actor is Anthony Arkin, the son of Russian-American Alan Arkin, whose first film role was "The Russians are Coming!" Is this what Stavos will tell Standerholt? Or if Stavos Centre-affiliated as llnyc suggests, will he spur Claudia/other Centre types to stop Philip & Oleg?
Also, I'm pretty sure it's Stavos, not Stavros. I could be wrong. I'm not sure why the producers would not use the traditional Greek spelling of Stavros? With a cursory Google search, I couldn't find any Stavos's; only an Israeli named Stav. Some other commenters have theorized that Renee is a Mossad agent -- possible Stavos/Renee teamup? Ok, crawling out of my "Americans" rabbit hole now!
8
Ms. Pastor: perchance related to Pastor Tim, who has recently made an appearance in commentary here? I can understand his appearance here. He is angry that the writers for the show exiled him to a god-forsaken stint in Argentina, never to return to the (fictional) living.
3
Here's my scenario - Philip tries to thwart Elizabeth and still save her, but it's Renee who delivers the coup de grace. I think she's the ultimate sleeper agent, unknown even to Claudia, and she's going to kill both Philip and Elizabeth. Stan will end up taking in Henry and Paige, and remains in the dark about Renee's actions. Philip has to die with Elizabeth - they can't be separated, and he has already seen the dark side of capitalism - his business is failing. It's the most ironic end to a converted westerner.
23
Agree that Philip wants to save Elizabeth but stop her plan at the pivotal moment.
I think his message to Oleg was a warning about Chicago plan re Elizabeth.
We will see if his love for Elizabeth is stronger than his desire for peace .
2
Interesting theory, as I’ve always thought there is more to Renee than we know. I hope Philip survives and Stan, along with the kids. Wishful thinking on my part.
Obviously, I’m not on team Elizabeth.
8
I think you're on to something! Last season, Philip is skeptical of Renee b/c he has given the Center intel that Stan is vulnerable. Indeed, the Center used similar intel to have Philip go after the vulnerable Martha. (Poor Stan?!) 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.
The most striking thing for me was when Renee said "University of Indiana." Stan remarked it was actually Indiana U. With show creator Weisberg a Chicago native - tons of Chicago kids go to I.U. - this seemed a big clue to me. It would be a small detail a KGB agent might slip up on - I.U. versus University of Illinois. Moreover, in the first episode Renee is in, Stan tells Philip she is like "a female version of you."
I've always thought the actress looks East German, which would mirror the real-life Jack Barsky.
27
An appearance by Mail Robot always makes me nostalgic for the Martha and Gaad days.
It was interesting to see how Henry's being brought into the story.
Elizabeth's garage/wig storage facility site may be quickly revealed at the rate the FBI's going...
22
The trailer for next week's episode, coupled with the tantalizing snippet of conversation between Philip and Stan, would seem to support your theory.
What's more, that snippet leads me to believe Philip at least returned from Chicago alive.
3
Yes, it must be that Philip survives whatever happens in Chicago. But I can't believe that the writers would make such an obvious disclosure of a central plot development. That scene with Stan and Philip strikes me a very big smelly red herring. Philip will probably tell Stan that he's having serious financial trouble and that Henry may have to leave his school. In the past two episodes, Stan tells Philip that he's financially secure and tells Dennis that he and Renee are too old to start a family. Will Stan help out?
3
Also, finding a treasure trove of wigs and clothing is a DNA festival for the FBI--which was using DNA by 1987. (Though, if I recall at the time, it was not as sophisticated a process then).
But still.....
4
Stan's Thanksgiving toast was real and heartfelt, a direct result of his most recent experiences with a truly ruthless enemy, and no one felt the impact of Stan's toast more than Philip, the tragic hero of the series.
Henry turns out to be a real person, worthy of surviving a family that's been ripped apart. He may be the only family member left standing, for the family home has caught fire and will soon be a conflagration, consuming all in its path.
31
So, when Aderholt asksStan about having kids...think it's foreshadowing to Stan adopting Henry after the other 3 are dead?
5
I like this theory, Eric!
You may have nailed that one.
I think Philip is going to Chicago to try to get Elizabeth out of the way of being arrested or killed.
I loved how the F.B.I. is getting closer and closer to the Jennings through pedestrian investigation - like who bought a used car with cash after seeing it advertised in The Pennysaver?
Very excited to see the Key movie theater - a Georgetown institution. I first saw "Don't Look Back" at the Key while skipping high school in 1967. The recreation of the shabby little arthouse with it's cheesy red velvet seats and tiny screen was spot on! Kudos to the production people who recreated it so authentically. I was absolutely amazed!
Finally, does that 3 minute opening with Elizabeth and Philip viciously snarling at each other was sublime - can this marriage be saved?
35
Great analysis. Philip has bought unique cars that Stan would surely remember. Ironic if Philip not being a "pennysaver" - instead spending too much on cars, cowboy boots, Paige's expensive baptism dress, etc. - leads to his downfall.
And Kelly AuCoin tweeted he also used to go to the Key Theater in high school! His dad was a Congressman who was an early advocate for arms control with the Soviet Union in the 1980's. Hmm. Bring back that wig!
5
What "unique cars" are you referring to? The white sports car Philip bought was clearly not one of those they used in their spying missions. He bought it for himself (and maybe his son Henry) as a private automobile. Paige's babtism dress, the cowboy boots etc are all part of Philip's all-American persona.
Using flashy cars, clothes and accesories whilst on a secret mission would not be very wise. The center rightfully wouldn't allow that. No trained professional would ever use cars and other devices for anything but their intended use.
1
@ Gregory, Trans am from season one, and several other cars would certainly be remembered by Stan who ahs commented on several.
Philip likes flashy cars, eg the first episode black Trans Am from Season one, episode one -- and which Stan commented on. Are you forgetting Stan snuck in and searched lone of the other cars in that episode as well? What if Phillip's own flashy and memorable cars had been bought by the same method as the cars used on missions.? The cars are indeed a weak point, something Stan has noticed, and clearly part of how they well be caught.
2
Fun for Weisberg to set this in his hometown of Chicago! Wonder if we will see any art/parks his late mother Lois was involved in. Interesting that his mother and Noah Emmerich's father, Andre, both made lasting contributions to the arts. Also a tie-in to Father Andrei /Elizabeth's art?
Will Stan surveil Father Andrei and see Philip going to meet him? Father Andrei asked Elizabeth to bring Philip to see him in episode 3 of this season. Or is Stan going to find Elizabeth's sketches as Philip did?
Since the one of most famous Chicagoans Al Capone was ultimately brought down by tax evasion, not murders, will the feds find Elizabeth's sketches in her hotel room and that will do her in, or something mundane other than the extraction/"heist" of the Chicago illegal?
I wonder what the significance of Walden is. Henry mentions it both in the car ride to Philip and later to his mom, who says she hasn't read it. Perhaps because Thoreau and Elizabeth both insist on self-reliance, and Elizabeth is coming to realize she can't do so.
When Philip and Henry are racing their cars, the overheard speaker says "Car 3 did not slow down," which is Philip's car. Is Philip moving too fast in helping Elizabeth? I wonder if Philip will still help her once he realizes the Chicago illegal is involved with the hardliners. Claudia told E. the illegal is "involved with Mexico" but I don't think Philip knows so yet.
Greatly enjoyed the performances by Henry and Mail Robot this episode!
5
Perhaps because Walden truly is the most boring book ever.
6
Of course, mention of the book now induces me to want to re-read the book, or at least part of.
1
Hated that book. Try Henry Beston's "Outermost House."
How sad was the phone call that Elizabeth made to Henry.
It again shows how disconnected she is, especially from Henry. Henry was like, your calling to talk to ME! Philip’s reaction when he finds out that E called is something also, as he knows it’s so uncharacteristic for E to call her son, it sets off a red flag in Philip’s mind, that E must really be nervous or in trouble.
38
And she never said she loved him. And when they were first at home, reunited, and he caught her smoking, she never hugged or showed any affection towards him. Very strange.
10
But she did ask him, "Have you eaten yet?" and offered to make him food. Another commenter in weeks past wrote eloquently of how Elizabeth expresses her love through making food for her family.
17
When Henry told his father of that out-of-character conversation with Elizabeth, I thought from the look on Philip's face that he interpreted the call to be an indication that she knew this time she really might not survive her mission. Maybe I'm projecting, but as a mother, it was heartbreaking.
5
"I was expecting something that would invoke the film’s famous, nearly silent, half-hour robbery scene."
I was surprised that the author didn't see a connection between the mentioned scene from 'Rififi' and the 12-minute silent scene in the season 5 premiere. This came to my mind immediately when the characters talked about the 28-minute long, silent heist scene in the movie.
16
My impression was that Philip felt guilty over the message he had sent to Oleg. It is significant that he did not speak to Elizabeth and find out how bad her situation was until after he had left the message. He is going to help her, but he has already betrayed her in a larger sense by helping Oleg. I like the complexity of that approach as it reflects Philip's long established internal conflict.
33
I agree. I thought the ending was super complex. I think Philip acted impulsively following Stans speech by reaching out to Oleg. But, after Henry spoke with him, he realized he put her in danger. He is so deeply conflicted. So sad when she said to him "no one is telling you to come." She wants him to so badly but can't admit it. I think she wants his help so deeply. She can't stop herself and needs him to do it for her. She's so American after all ... fiercely independent, to a a fault, only hurting herself.
9
With regard to Phil's guilt over the message: Thought Philip's body language was really important after he sat down to write the message.
He paused quite a while in thought, as though he was about to impart something life changing or at least very critical in the message, and he stopped himself to have a final, good think about it before leaning forward and began to write.
It was a bit subtle---but it did indicate he might be conflicted about what he was going to write. Or that it was SO critical, he just paused to be sure he'd formulated the correct wording to do what he had to do.
Either way, that suspended animation pause, pen in hand, seemed important for us to see he was either conflicted between the current Soviet positions, or doing something so life changing he has to get it JUST right.
12
Oddly enough, when Elizabeth blurted out the words, "No one is telling you to come," I flashed on a young girl pleading for help being released from the cage she has built for herself. . . .
My take: I think that Phillip, in the message, told Oleg about Elizabeth's trip to Chicago--and about the surveillance and grave risk, and what he (Phillip) planned to do next--and his call to Elizabeth was his way of giving her one last chance to come home and walk from her job.
She said no, of course. She was going to try to salvage the situation.
At that point, Phillip saying he was coming to help was in fact his cover story to Elizabeth. He's actually going there to stop her.
I hope I'm wrong!
32
Another take: Elizabeth's Chicago mission is not actually connected to the summit mission Philip's been asked to thwart. He still hopes to thwart her summit mission without killing her, but first he has to save her in Chicago.
5
I came to your same conclusion. Phillip has become an American and has given Oleg what he needs to end the espionage disaster that Elizabeth is attempting on her own. Could he be going to there to kill her rather than help her? They are both flailing without each other, but they are on colliding missions at this point.
5
If I recall this correctly, E picked up the bedside phone when Philip called her in Chicago. Does anyone else wonder how/why Philip was able to reach her? She left the house in a hurry, they didn't talk to each other about her mission. How would he know which hotel to call?
11
I don't think Philip has gone to Elizabeth's side in order to help her. More shall be revealed.
39
@Blue Jay,
I agree with you regarding Philip’s intentions.
1
Yes. Phil has to become the proverbial guy walking behind the elephants in the circus parade who plays clean up. E in her own words is in danger of failing. If that happens and she either dies at the hands of law enforcement or at her own hands with the cyanide pill-- or is captured alive--it's a disaster for Philip and the kids he cannot fix.
Phillip's feelings for her in this case seems secondary. He's got to get to Chicago in time to prevent total annihilation for himself and children--E is a total loose cannon right now. He can worry about the fight for supremacy between the Old Soviets and the New Soviets later! :-))
4
I agree. I think Philip is done with Elizabeth. They are beginning to turn on one another. It's going to be very interesting to see who is left standing.
2