Mrs peel

So sorry to hear this. Take care of yourself , your daughter and the rest of your family.

And Erika? You are NOT more cosmopolitan just because you ate a food you probably ordered specifically. Some people just don't like raw food, lots don't eat veal, it's not a sign of anything. I'm going out for pizza with Carole Radwizell now. :-)

Don't forget the "culture" tour that started at 2pm! But she clearly researched/ had been informed re the meaning of the Holocaust park, I was a bit surprised she knew/remembered. That dinner? Jeez, who needs to dress up to have dinner in a hotel suite? And Erica, you don't need to wear a hat if you never go outside!

I complained about it two seasons ago they they completely omitted KAL 007. I always thought that had they shown that, Paige could have not ever been turned, because it was such a horrific and unapologetic act. I would have liked to have seen the scenes where P&E talked about it themselves and tried to justify it to each other, but the showrunners decided, I think, that reliving that bit of history would have made everything else a harder sell. Well, on both counts I expect Elizabeth would have denied the USSR involvement and the facts. Footage of people being shot? Fake news faked photos, faked evidence of Soviet involvement, etc. And Paige is primed to believe the US lied, based on her involvement with Pastor Tim. Someone said Elizabeth would respond by talking about redistribution of wealth, the evil of wanting more than others. While that's the "party line," it doesn't explain why the individuals who fled needed to be killed. This also makes me wonder what Paige is studying. I would guess not history.

Renee is the FBI internal affairs officer Phillip claimed to be!

Well, they were in a 24/7/365 program, isolated from others not in the program. Paige is actually in college, living a life. If anything, the show has fudged on how much the parents manage to act like Americans. IIRC, the actual deep cover spies were known to have been born out of the US, they spoke with accents, etc. Well, publically she can’t do it because she’s supposed to be an American. But when they are on missions, she’s totally believed everything she’s been told. The US is doing research on wheat that will kill Soviet crops? Sure, she believed that. I’m blanking on other examples, but they are there.

Well, that was stupid on all levels. I’ve been taping but not watching because this show has become so disappointing, but the episode just reaffirmed the stupid. Can now free up DVR space..... The First Lady went into the -wasn’t it supposed to be a grand jury (but it wasn’t) -during the day, but somehow she’s driving home late at night. On a street that’s been cleared of all other traffic, but somehow a large truck managed to hit her car? Sure.... I see the FBI’s only agent is as stupid as ever. Yeah, let’s have an affair with the “agent” you barely know. Let’s confront him alone, at night, on a bridge (why was that again)? Then let’s shoot him in the chest, to try to kill - except for the inevitable Kevlar vest. No, to kill you could have shot him in the head, or to would you could have taken out a knee so he’d live but be incapacitated.....but that wouldn’t allow for the oh so casual 180 degree turn around, take a bunch of steps and gracefully dive into the water. And then of course she takes no steps to find the “body” but goes to a bar instead. Sure........ Twenty adults want to kill themselves in order to allow a baby to die? Let ‘em. Get the firefighters out of harms way and let Darwin rule. Also seriously doubt the President can force a hospital to allow a doctor, whose license has been taken away, perform a questionable operation on a baby. Feel pretty sure the mother wouldn’t have had religious objections to sueing everyone is the baby died.

I guess I've forgotten where we learned the Centre specifically wanted to target both Paige and Henry. I know they want 2d generation, and there are a limited supply of those children/young adults, but presumably the Centre is bright enough to recognize you can't assume every child born and raised in the US to secret Russian spies will be on board with spying for the USSR. Even blackmail can't last a lifetime....as long as Elizabeth continues to work, what could they really do if, having blackmailed Henry to start, he quits the job with access, or deliberately sabotages his chances of promotion? There's also a huge risk he would go directly to Stan at the first hint of blackmail; he might react by being disgusted his parents are working against "his" country. We've been shown that Henry is a typical American kid, remember in Season 1 when he was so excited about meeting an astronaut who had been to the Moon (and Elizabeth's response defending the USSR program, which was hilarious to me!)? Now he's friends with FBI agent Stan, probably some hero worship there too. And he's made enough friends with $$ that he got himself into an expensive boarding school. I don't see any indication he's dissatisfied with or even questioning American society. As for a teacher at the boarding school recruiting for the USSR, this is USA in the 1980's, not Britain in the 1930's, I doubt there were/are any Russian plants there. In contrast, Paige has shown dissatisfaction with the US; indeed her work with Pastor Tim (probably considered a "useful idiot" by the Centre) was a positive for them to the degree it showed that dissatisfaction. Yeah, there's the religion thing the USSR wouldn't like, but for a 2d generation operative the veneer of religion could be useful (and Paige hasn't kept up with it anyway). This is the era when the religious right starts gaining power, after all. The show has also previously shown Paige to be the serious student, always doing well, which would allow her entrance to a good college, etc. [Did they mention what college Paige is attending? Clearly in the area, so presumably Georgetown or GW, or could she be back home occasionally from UVA?] Phillip and Elizabeth were surprised when Henry's teacher told them he was gifted, so presumably his grades weren't that great. I'm sure the Centre would love to have Henry as a spy, as well as Paige, and are watching him. But I question whether they'd act without some sign it would go for the pitch. I suppose the 1987 internal fight might cause the KGB to take more risks, but Henry's far too young to have them act at the moment.

I have to disagree. She has made multiple statements about Americans being weak, pampered, etc., she told the Nicaraguan woman that her country’s revolution was “beautiful,” etc. Any time Phillip said something good about the US, she disagreed. I always remember the scene when they first arrived in America, Phillip was amazed at the air conditioning in the motel room, she was unimpressed.

I agree, and I wonder whether her meeting in Mexico is the first time she has solid evidence that the USSR doesn't speak with one voice. Sure, we know there were multiple plots within the Politburo, but I suspect Elizabeth never did. Now she's being told there's a faction that seeks to undermine the decisions of the leader of the country.....how will she react to that? I wouldn't expect her to immediately refuse the mission, but now she needs to decide where her loyalty lies WITHIN the USSR. Of course, I suspect Elizabeth will follow the KGB; it's Phillip who would have wondered what the heck is going on back home. The show has always shown Phillip as more nuanced on the question of US v. USSR (except during the time period when he was lied to about what happened in, was it, Afganistan). Elizabeth has always been all in. When that scene was on, I immediately thought of Putin and today's Russia. Technically there's no KGB, but it certainly still exists. And it "won" v. Gorbachev, though Elizabeth wouldn't recognize the "worker's paradise" today.

As a Navy security guard (was he even that?) talking to someone on a public street in Washington DC, he had no authority to question her at all, never mind demand ID. phillip had both a tape deck and carphone. I thought the new expanded office was a sign that he had in fact given up spying and was solely focused on the business, which therefore was far more successful.

Maybe to compare how relaxed he is now that he’s out of spying, v. Elizabeth’s very obvious over-worked and tired look?

I had the same thought about the cowboy boots, he wore them at the mall! so happy the show is back, though things are not looking good. I don’t get what they are doing with Paige, as others said she is supposed to be a deep mole and she could get caught so easily. As to being naive, people believe that they want to believe. They have shown Paige needing to believe in something, it started with church. I just finished watching a Netflix documentary about the cult that bought a ranch in Oregon ( wild Wild West I think it was called). Despite ample evidence near the end that the guru was full of shit, the very experienced attorney was interviewed in the present, still believing all the garbage, that’s Paige. i’d always thought that, no matter what happened, Phillip and Elizabeth would be together at the end. Not so sure now. But I hope Phillip at least ends up with a good life in America.

But most of us laugh at them for these pretensions..... But I agree with liking the entertainment!

Sigh, and I defended her. I feel dirty now :-) Thanks Film Noire! I actually have strep throat at the moment, was out several days doing exactly this.....

Can't believe I'm defending Erika here, but I think the "I have no friends" comment can be seen in the context of RH asking her if she could recommend anyone for the show. She clearly says she wouldn't recommend anyone. So I don't think she's admitting she has ZERO friends, female or male, in life. Whew, glad that's over :-)) Like others, the "I'm a single parent" thing annoys me because, while technically true, generally it's meant to refer to the custodial parent. On her traveling back to NY every 7-10 days, I think she referred to that as part of "going to every school play, etc." So this would have been after she married Tom G, and therefore she wasn't doing this on her dime. Now of course this still conflicts with her previous statements that in the early days she was always at Tom's side, attended every business meeting, etc. I personally believe the latter is bulls@@@, because unless she was an employee of the firm, including her in meetings voided any privilege involved in the conversations; also I would think it would have annoyed the heck out of his partners and staff. But nor am I willing to believe she traveled each and every week during the school year - there is nothing about her that indicates she was that invested in her child. And if she was doing her Erika Jane thing back then, I would bet she was hustling constantly for that. I don't know if I'd ever heard the story that she asked David Foster to promote/manage/whatever her Erika Jane persona. WOW, some balls there, and delusion. Not a huge fan of Foster, but everything I've read indicates he's very prominent in the music industry. Why would he want to work with her? Even if hubby threw money at Foster, I would think he'd pass.

Except you don't get sole custody just because the other parent travels a lot (assuming Jason travels at all). And of course B is in the position of, having already agreed to joint custody, needing a significant change in circumstances that would require the Court to modify that decision. It's not that easy. Change the times they each have Brynn living with them due to parent travel schedules? Sure, but that doesn't mean you can't have joint custody. Courts disfavor changing custody decisions, because it's perceived as harming the child.

I view that "apology" as the person doesn't really think they need to apologize for anything, but for the sake of the friendship/whatever, wants to make the other person feel better. So, I still believe what I said, but I am actually sorry you took it badly. Yeah, not an apology, but the best you can do under those circumstances since at least you're acknowledging the other person feels differently.

White socks only, please!

But she'd already said that. Technically she was apologizing for exploding in anger; she didn't need to repeat about the pretend amnesia. that's what I didn't like about the "apology." Honey, Teddi (and the world) already knew you were serious about the no "pretend amnesia." Though I don't believe she never has pretend amnesia, I think that gets used with her husband many, many times.

so true. She could have (but God forbid) listened to Teddi's apology to Dorit. Which Dorit? Was FINE, nothing wrong with it. Get over yourself.

Thanks for that nugget. So all her "I was there for him because I flew back every 7-10 days" was (if it's true at all, doesn't that conflict with the "I was always at my husband's side" story?) SOLELY because she married money. Wonder how often she saw the child before then? She doesn't mention how old her son was when she moved to CA. My first reaction to the entire story of her devoted single parenthood from 3,000 miles away was "revisionist history." As others have said, it was inappropriate to have a 6 year old determine his visitation schedule (assuming he did). Unless the ex-husband rolled over for whatever she wanted, I'm a bit surprised that a non-custodial parent who voluntarily moved across country suddenly received visitation of ALL summer EVERY summer, and EVERY spring break. That doesn't give the custodial parent much time when the child is out of school. And at some point you'd think the kid would want to do summer sports with his school friends, etc. Oh honey, STOP. You moved across the country because you wanted to, and maybe somewhere in that decision you cared that someone else was available to raise your child. You could have had a "more sustainable existence" on the east coast as a secretary or a factory worker, it's not like there are no jobs on the east coast. Heck, there are even acting/singing jobs there. And you never provided him with a future, because you NEVER moved him out to live with you when he was a child. Seriously, FUCK OFF! Being a single mom was too "stressful?" And how is moving to a new city less stressful? Oh yeah, you dumped off responsibility for your child, right.

My thought exactly!

Shouldn't you have to be really British to use British humour? A fake British accent isn't enough Dorit!

I think Kyle did have a different home in LA during the first season. And there have been 2 homes in Palm Desert too, so it may seem like she moves all the time.