SusanSunflower

Was Gabriel even mentioned in the finale? He really deserved -- in unavailable for a cameo -- a call-out as an integral player over the last 6 years of P&E's life and evolution ... like Clauda, for good and for bad ...

My impressions of Stan, just released from high-intensity undercover work as a single-man bad-ass, quite reluctant to put on the harness of husband and father, got completely lost quickly, and I felt he was living large on a rapidly fading reputation in a desk-job (counter intelligence may be sexy but I never thought Gaad liked or trusted Stan much due to his inflated self-regard). Gaad valued team work and painstaking attention to details ... And then after Martha went to Russia (and a series of potentially career-ending bad decisions by Stan) he seemed to fade into the background in favor of Paige as mini-me and Afternoons with Claudia ... (I think the writing has been great in close up and incoherent wrt larger themes and continuity)

I hope someone associated with the production clarifies the intent of the Erica / art / out of control addiction arc .... I hated the details (I won't bore you) but I'd like to know what "deeply meaningful and symbolic" thing they thought that arc represented wrt Elizabeth's story/gestalt/personality ... (seemed sort of bizarre and pointless given Erica's final moments and the meaningless loss of the all-important contact with her husband ... maybe just to me ... that meant that Erica needed to be kept alive and suffering because "The Summit" ... Possible brain-fart on my part admittedly.

I think, like many an intelligent and devoted wife, Renee was well aware (watching the FBI inventory the Jennings' home) how devastated Stan was/would be and just how destroyed her husband and foreseeable future would be .... and how much she would be playing the healing supportive wife for the foreseeable future ... she didn't know the details, she might never know, but she can recognize a "shit storm" when she sees one .... and she knows nothing about Paige and Henry (yet) ...

None of my comments are meant to imply that I think this ending "makes sense" or is "plausible" or even satisfying .... Claudia still breathes.

I think that "spies" and FBI agents do understand -- as Elizabeth and Phillip both truth-bombed Paige with last week (iirc) -- it is a job ... it is an assignment. It is not about setting policy but following orders and completing assignments,. Stan (and the audience) quite rightly recognizes Oleg's patriotism and bravery (and self-sacrifice) .... Stan may not fully "believe" but Phillip makes the case that P&E were also "soliders" and "patriots" -- their personal identity not so important ... if not them, someone else (fallacious and ridiculous and manipulative, I don't say no) This "framiing" gave Stan and "out" to let P&E get away .... "they were only following orders" or as was often said wrt EST "it wasn't personal" a personal affront to Stan (again arguable, but it worked in a pinch. Stan once again couldn't "save" Oleg (whose acts were meant to thwart a coup). Stan likely knew he would be burdened by a sense of guilt and responsibility, again, wrt Oleg forever (unless some miracle). I think (BAD FBI AGENT), Stan opted for a bigger-picture justice .... We can't know how well he will live with that or how successful he will be in protecting Henry and Paige or lobbying for intervention on Oleg's behalf.

The "evidence" she was in the car leads to what? (She is her mother's daughter, she accompanied her mom??? Proving what?) Tell me when they find E's hair .... P&E will likely continue to be "of interest" but not as much as the other active illegals they are chasing ... It will be months before all those DNA tests are finalized (assuming that very expensive needle-in-a-haystack is completed). There isn't much physical evidence and without P&E or Paige's cooperation, it might amount to a small mountain of circumstantial evidence ... but it also (embarassingly) demonstrates their helplessness in connecting the dots ...."The Ones Who Got Away" is not a sought-after headline .... The investigation may smoulder but not burn.

yes, I think Paige will likely evade prosecution. P&E have been operating in the DC area for almost 20 years with only "one thumb print" from Phillip at Clark's faux apartment (iirc) .... Most espionage (and terrorism) prosecutions end in plea bargains and/or trades ... deeds may be confessed to in exchange for carrots (not sticks). Hopefully Paige will sober up before Claudia's apartment/safe house is identified (although there's likely no useful evidence there) and she will either return to her apartment or (better) show up at Stan's. "We" know P&E's kill list ... they (the FBI have no reason to link Elizabeth (much less Paige) with the General's "suicide" ... with P&E out of reach, with Stan in her corner, and maybe an "nervous breakdown" Paige's "issues" will be many but likely not legal jeopardy. The fact that Henry knows nothing .... about P&E or Paige is critical here.

I think P&E show up at The Tims' posing as tourists .... No Henry, who is busy hiking the Appalachian Trail until Stan (using his Mountie skills) tracks him down ... snuggled in his tent and sleeping bag .... oblivious... No Paige, because have doubts that Elizabeth is going to have the patience to explain to Paige why they need to bug-out when Paige objects that there's a party, and all the interns will be there, I am hoping the door closes and she gets left behind on the mean-streets of Washington DC. I do wonder how/when/if Paige will learn of Tatiana's fall from grace. Whether or not, she was even aware of her existence before or cares after "figuring out" (eventually) that this just might be related to that major "Summit" operation her mother said something about .... yawn. If Claudia ends up Queen of the Mountain (temporarily, nobody being around to rat her out), I will be disappointed.

I wonder how many readers of Little Women have had an evolving relationship to the book/characters/stories/lessons as I did. I first read the book young (maybe too young) and, as a child, enjoyed the story of the sisters' hijinks and learning experiences during hard times and then dad comes home, Meg dies and everyone gets married .... happily ever after ... (certainly subtleties are lost on the elementary school readers) . Read again in middle school, againn, it's rather P&P (with everyone again getting married off eventually) but Laurie and Meg ending up together do bother more. I remember re-reading as a young woman (after my first boyfriend, a sensitive soul) and understanding why Jo and Laurie would have been a bad match and the risk Mr. Bhaer took to be honest with Jo and the caring and love that showed. I imagine as a married woman, mother and then grandmother, again, the story changes dramatically even as the text is unaltered. One can see the sisters as peers or foolish young girls maturing into readiness for life's challenges. I didn't care much for Little Women in elementary school, but came to respect it a great deal as I got older. As a child I preferred Little Men, Jo's Boys and Eight Cousins (more activity and adventure). Reminds me a bit of David Copperfield which I read avidly first in high school without a tear; only to re-read it 10 years later with many tears and much Kleenex ... only to find the next time I read it , that I cried at different parts. I think it's an important book (even if Alcott and her dad were renegades) in illustrating "The American Character" in ways often overlooked or unsung ... endurance, thrift, tolerance, charity, etc. PBS "The Great Read" again declared "The Great Gatsby" the great American novel with (too) many young people seeing Gatsby as heroic (maker of his own destiny), rather than conscienceless fraud, the good-looking blond/blue goyim to be the face of Wolfsheim's con game ... who would try to rewrite history by fraud if necessary (unable to the last to see that Daisy would quite willingy sneak out the back door with her loathsome husband). It's a brilliant book, but I'd be reluctant to name it my favorite ... there's such a darkness to it.

Yes, there is a lot of futile running from police, often involving bodies of water .... As an exemplar of episodes I loathe, I half-watched an episode I had forgotten about recently (or I would have avoided it) which involved, ultimately a man in love with his brother's sister wife/now widow.... she didn't love him before or now, but in his besotted/crazed state I think the bodycount ended at 5 ... he went to prison and she rode off into the sunset ... most of the 5 dead were, aside from the murderer's guilt, more loathsome than the murderer, but it was all quite sordid ... leaving a sense of dead people well-rid-off and no justice whatsoever or anyone ... but she never, never, never encouraged him. I didn't spoiler tag this because I think -- vaguely -- it applies to several episodes but was just more thundering overkill than usual. I want to believe that most mortals would have trouble living in the aftermath of a single murder and would learn something/anything from the experience. I do give Midsomer high marks for having avoided temptation so many shows give in to which is get gory and more gory or with nauseating CSI close-up and unseemly "details" ... You can usually count on Midsomer to NOT haunt your dreams.

I only saw part 2 but I also like Gambon's very quiet and elegant playing of the role ... the ballast was needed to offset the young'uns and it had actual "nuance" in his affectionate conversations with Laurie .

Thank you for the correction ...

Agree, I have been waiting for Paige to be asked to do something she doesn't want to do. She still thinks this is all voluntary and volitional .... you honeypot someone to get " information", prefereably important information, not because you need some smuck to deliver a box with a recording device to a meeting room ... I'm not sure if there was a plan B, but so far -- to my memory -- we haven't seen Elizabeth having to bed some Harvey Weinstein monstrosity/satryr/smuck/gamesplayer; most of her marks aside from being "normal" were flattered by E. attentions. (was there rough-stuff with one?) I did think of that back with Claudia -- how to get out of a chokehold when you're on your back in a hotel bed -- sex work can be dangerously unpredictable. The audience may lap it up but it's still degrading, no matter how victorious E usually seems "after" downing her prey. "It's in the job description"

I suspect that "go forth and multiply" made voluntary spinsterhood nothing to be smiled upon -- selfish and unnatural -- and quite suspect for a woman without means (although I'm certain there were cohabitating lesbian couple as there always have been) .... I always have been amused at how she constructed Bhaer to be man no one would be envious of Jo for marrying.

Sorry, I was just realizing that, ... because Cully didn't continue as a character after the switcheroo . I don't mind the new Barnaby in part because I had wearied of Cully and Joyce and dog ... haven't liked a DS in a long time .... but the show is sooooooo easy to criticize, I just (usually) don't bother ...

In fairness to Barnaby, he was aware that this new DS considered Causton simply a temporary assignment (as short-lived as possible) before moving up (as I recall, and it was years ago, he aspires to the London Metropolitan) .... Barbnaby lack of interest reflected fatigue at the parade of similar DS's who had no interest in a Causton career (i.e. someone to eventually replace him when he retired .... a growing frustration for boomers these days) As I recall the "digs" were spartan and nasty as the DS made clear to Cully who offered him a ride (him being car-less)

"Tricking" a minor into being responsible for the apprehension of his parents and sister is pretty serious ... particularly if information is obtained without counsel and child protective services and I think Henry is still a minor ... It would be a lousy thing to do, that I hope would pain Stan for the rest of his life .... "Hey Henry, thanks for the freebie, couldn't have done it without you" ... Henry's belief (that his parents are good-guys) will not go down quickly or without a fight. Denial is powerful. Stavos might believe the Travel Agency moved drugs or people and/or had similar criminal ties. Russians spying for the KGB, prolly not. I'm hoping Henry takes the train to Fanieul Hall in Boston where he meets up with Paige and they both then take a long train ride to the Canadian border to meet up with P&E .... If necessary, in the interim, tell Henry that Loan Sharks are after Phillip (Travel Agency Debt) and they need to flee those evil-doers.

For a son who needs convincing ... it's weak "evidence" ... I don't think there's time to use Henry to wittingly catch P&E and p. The red-alert evacuation siren has already been activated. If P&E can't reach Henry, they will have to leave without him, but as I said before, I think if they could reach Henry they would, as they did with Jared, instruct him to take the train or bus (secretly) to some out of the way location to be picked up there ... not wait in New Hampshire (to be nabbed by the FBI) but to simply vanish NOW.

Yes, I enjoyed Moscow a great deal, even if it felt like a very small, isolated "pond" of story and characters ... It almost could have been its own show. Not as vibrant as the Rezidentura and it's demi-palace intrigue, it had a foreboding "death watch"feel. I was mostly realizing that as the show swung to bring Paige into the center of the story, the ballast provided by the other threads got lighter. I've become obsessed with Elizabeth, suburban mom, and how far she felt compelled to participate in decadent American suburban housewifely duties. PTA, girl/boy scouts, little league -- the full catastrophe. Partly because I find Elizabeth's competitiveness (and near-constant chilliness) off-putting in her marriage and "wonder" if it contributed to why the Jennings seem to have no friends, Paige has no friends, and Henry found friends to take him away from the cul de sac. In middle America, not participating is noticed ... and church going was still fairly common (not now). Depending on where you live, the "Holidays" can be a frenzy of decorations, shopping and parties with a fair share of school and social events as well (particularly for a small business owner). I guess I got curious because of wondering how Paige turned out like she did and what her childhood was like. Mine was eccentric and I was subjected to a lot of nosiness about a lot of things (that I deeply resented when I realized I was being pumped for information). The burden of "the secret" occurred when Paige was older and I do not think can explain her "introversion" ... Note that lots of kids keep bigger secrets from a much younger age, the children of substance abusers and the kids whose parents work "nontraditional" jobs and also latch key kids who learn young to avoid inquiries about "after school".

It was an odd choice to phase out both the Rezidentura AND most of the FBI presence in the story a few years ago ... (wonder if they needed / were they encouraged to cut the budget and so stick to basics*). Bitching about the concurrent dominance Paige Jenning's character and "development" is useless, but there appears in hindsight that clearly "decisions were made" about how and where the show was going to go that (again in hindsight) seem regrettable. *Every additional plot line has additional characters, multitudes of extras, sets and location shooting and scheduling that cost a fortune. It just struck me how relatively "pared down", what had been this very rich drama, eventually became as it focused on Paige and one-off assignments.

A little late to complain about it now but I've thought many times that it is odd that Elizabeth (and Phillip) did not push Paige and "early" Henry harder ... as immigrant parents are inclined to do, not just because of hopes and ambitions for the future, but because of all the resources and programs that weren't available during their own growing-up. Getting into the KGB Academy was an incredible opportunity for both P&E and they both appreciate how different their lives would have been if they had not be "chosen ones." In fairness to Claudia, "American children" also includes Jared (and his dead sister) ... I have to think Claudia really didn't know how bad Paige's KGB internship under mom's mentoring was (probably others wanted to avoid getting of E's "bad side" or being a tattle-tail). Regardless, Paige's superficiality in all things at all times ... it didn't even occur to her to ask if Claudia was joking about eating rats or selling her body for food. Like her mother, the empathy ("oh, that must have beeen awful for you") gene is utterly missing (the "good manners" gene appears damaged to).

The problem with the FBI "trying to turn Henry" is that he doesn't know anything .... so there's nothing going on except traumatizing Henry until the FBI are "convinced" of same. I don't think that gory crime scene photos without other "proof" that links these crimes to P&E are going to convince Henry had his parents are "literally" monsters.

I have to think this: Tatiana's involvement (particularly if Nesterenko caught even a glimpse of E. walking away -- just to realize that he dodged the bullet by the intervention of someone) should set alarm bells ringing (and massively increase security at the summit) raising the question of, "who would want to kill a peace negotiator?" Arkady would know that the plot was in motion, even if momentarily thwarted and Claudia's arsenal against Nesterenko remains moot as long as he's alive to refute it. Tatiana is not some "low level KGB operative" (even if Elizabeth would never consider herself low-level, if in the scheme of things she no mover-and-shaker, knower of names and identities as both Tatiana and Claudia likely were/are) ... again, red alert ... we may see a side of ass-covering Claudia we have never imagined (since she's a regional handler). Tatiana likely has fingerprints on file (visas and such) ... she's probably not without a paper trail.