hellmouse

I don't think this is foreshadowing, but I was re-watching some of Season 1 to see when Paige started to question her parents and I noticed a parallel between her and Stan. In Season 1, Philip and Elizabeth are working together but living apart after he moves into the motel. It makes Paige more aware of her parents' behavior, specifically her mother, who she is still living with. Elizabeth is uncharacteristically emotional in front of Paige after listening to the tape from her mother in the laundry room. She doesn't look like "normal mom" - she looks like a woman who is troubled and upset. It worries Paige. She now seems to think that not only are her parents separated, and her mother is sad, but it's somehow related to the laundry room. So she goes there when her parents are away and searches it. She doesn't know what she's looking for, and she doesn't find anything. But she still feels like something isn't right and she pursues that feeling until finally her parents tell her the truth. Of course, learning the truth doesn't work out very well for her. She might have preferred not to know. If Elizabeth and Philip had been together, and if Elizabeth had been able to offer a better explanation for her uncharacteristic emotion, Paige might not have decided there was a bigger secret to investigate. In Season 6, Philip and Elizabeth are living together but leading mostly separate lives, in their work and their relationships with their children. But most people don't know this. Stan only finds out when Elizabeth leaves town on Thanksgiving and Philip leaves abruptly less than 24 hours later. Philip doesn't give a very convincing reason for why Elizabeth had to leave, and an even less convincing one for why he needs to join her. He's not acting normally and Stan asks what's wrong. Philip thinks he's given a satisfactory answer, but Stan doesn't buy it. He goes to their house when they are away and searches it, including the laundry room. He isn't really sure of what he expects to find, and he doesn't find anything. But he still feels like something isn't right and he pursues that feeling until finally in the garage, he learns the truth. And it doesn't work out very well for him either. He needed to know, but he didn't really want to know. Obviously the FBI was closing in on Elizabeth and Philip. But if they'd been working together and if Philip had been able to better explain his uncharacteristic behavior, Stan might not have decided there was a bigger secret to investigate.

She did apologize! Even after he was asking about murders Soviet agents have committed over the past ten years! I wasn't sure if she was apologizing for the murders or apologizing that the murders made Stan feel upset, but either way, it's ridiculous. I was noticing in other episodes when Elizabeth is in fights and is grabbed in a choke hold, she uses her legs to help gain leverage and give herself a chance to get free. Pushing off against a wall, for example. But Paige just kind of crumples when Philip has her in a choke hold. She uses her arms, but not her legs at all. He's not even holding her that hard - if he had wanted to snap her neck he could have. I wish we'd gotten to see them talk about that, but I guess given how Paige didn't think too deeply about her spy training, she was unlikely to bring it up.

But look how they've grown!

Or at least a nomination! He really was remarkable.

I think that while the writers did not give each character a definitive ending, they did indicate their intentions through how they showed the characters at the end. They set a tone. They showed Stan speaking to Henry one-on-one in the stands of the hockey rink while the practice continued. They didn't show a team of FBI agents throwing him to the ice and cuffing him and then Stan talking to him in an interrogation room. The implication is that Henry is going to be physically safe and not alone for the immediate future. They showed Philip and Elizabeth able to cross into the USSR and use a coded message at the border in lieu of documents. They meet Arkady, who apparently feels secure enough to drive alone, without armed guards, and even let them stop to look out on the city. They didn't show Philip and Elizabeth being detained at the border. They didn't show them having to get in the trunk of Arkady's car to hide. They didn't show Arkady wearing a disguise, or accompanied by security vehicles. The implication is that Arkady can provide enough security for Philip and Elizabeth's immediate future, and that their information will provide enough backup for Arkady for the immediate future. They showed Paige alone. She is dressed as herself, back in her hometown. This seems risky and careless. We've never known Paige to be truly independent. So the implication is that Paige is going to do something we can't predict. You're totally right that we don't know what will happen and that is what makes speculation fun - it's what makes fanfiction fun! But for me, in terms of the construct of the show, they were careful to set a tone with an implied future in the final scenes. But of course, OMMV and that is okay!

I hadn't thought of it until I read this post, but I don't think Philip was going to ask Stan to take care of Henry. Philip knows that Henry is independent and self-sufficient for his age. It's Paige who is worried about Henry - IMO because she is envisioning him reacting the way she would. She is afraid of being alone., so she's afraid that her brother is going to feel alone. She blurts out "you have to take care of Henry" to Stan and Philip reacts like a great improviser, immediately building upon that and saying that Henry loves Stan and he should tell him the truth. I think he means that, but he's also using it to further achieve his goal of getting out of the garage alive and not arrested. If she hadn't said that, I don't think Philip would have asked Stan to look after Henry. It's just another emotional straw on the back of the camel that is Stan.

Charming interview with Matthew Rhys in Esquire. I am glad they seem to be doing lots of interviews - I hope it's a full court press to get them and the show maximum Emmy voter attention! The Moment Everything Changed For Matthew Rhys It's always hard to know whether he's being completely serious in print interviews, so I take everything with a grain of salt. But he really does sound like a good guy. From Paste magazine, a review of the finale: The Americans Leaves Nothing on the Table in Its Jaw-Dropping Series Finale From EW, an interview with Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys. I can't remember if it's been posted already. The Americans exit interview: Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys bid farewell to their Cold War spy drama. This part made me laugh:

One thing that occurred to me thinking about the scene in the garage is that once again, Stan is faced with Russians he cares about who need his help. I could see the weight of those memories interfering with his judgment, particularly after Philip says that he doesn't know what will happen to them in Russia. After all, he promised to take care of Nina and she ended up dead in Russia. He did not betray his country, but he had promised her protection and did not deliver it. He failed and she died. Could he have done more? Could he do something now, for these people standing in front of him who he loves even more than he loved Nina? Oleg, someone who had formed a bond with and does respect, is now sitting in a jail cell because of the same thing Philip is talking about. So a little bit of his respect for Oleg is conferred upon Philip once he associates the two with each other. Sofia & Gennadi are the most recent Russians who Stan tried to help, and they were murdered. But he saw Philip's reaction, which didn't appear to be the guilt of someone who had committed the murders but the shock of someone aware of how they might happened. He doesn't seem to consider that Elizabeth murdered them. So it's possible that he might think "Philip and Elizabeth know about these murders but maybe they are not the ones who actually did it". He also is hearing from Philip that Stan was his only friend, which is exactly what Gennadi felt as well. I'm not saying all of this is sufficient to explain his actions. But for me, it helps explain the emotional strain he is under, and how that could contribute to an almost numb, exhausted acceptance that he's going to let this thing happen. The alternative would require an emotional strength that he just doesn't have at the moment. Arresting them would certainly require shooting them. Can he shoot them? Is it worth it? IMO the stakes are higher for Philip & Elizabeth (and Paige) - they must escape or die- than they are for Stan, so it makes sense that he is the one who gives. He can see a way to not arrest them that in the moment is emotionally more tolerable than the alternative.

I also thought the wedding worked because Philip set it up as a surprise. Even though she says "You know I don't like surprises", which I'm sure is true! But he's essentially proposing to her "Do you want to make it official" and she accepts. He apologizes for the religious part of it, but she didn't seem to be upset by that. She seemed more touched and pleased that it was about making this commitment official, and as you say, a commitment in Russian between their Russian selves. It's a secret not only from those in their American life but also from those in their KGB life. This is just between them. It's very romantic. And the fact that she grabs those rings when she leaves the house for the last time, and that she's the one to offer the ring to Philip in the woods, is almost like her proposing back to him. I think he sees it that way. Philip says "he didn't have many options," when he's explaining it to Elizabeth, but IMO If Father Andrei hadn't fallen into their lap, I don't think it would have happened.

Interview with Keri Russell at Marie Claire: The End of The Americans: Keri Russell's Last Stand. Two quotes I found interesting:

He was like a snake charmer. Just the sound of his voice seemed to lull Stan into acquiescence. I think it was @sistermagpie who called this ability Philip's "evil talent" - and here he was using it to fullest extent we've ever seen. It was his best performance because it was (almost) entirely truthful and he was saying it all as himself. He wasn't Clark convincing Martha to trust him, to believe him, to do the thing he wanted her to do - and he was always effective with Martha. He was Philip convincing Stan. And he did it. Amazing.

The Russian video Philip rents in The Summit is called The Garage. Its title recalls the brutal garage scene in Harvest and anticipates the devastating garage scene in START. And its subject matter connects to the idea of truth-telling as the right thing to do, even when it is difficult or dangerous. Also ironic in that Philip is watching a garage for Russians, metaphorically, and in the following episodes Stan is watching a garage for Russians, literally.

I did, but it was still so sad! They are alive, they are together, they are in Russia, and as I thought, they lost their children. But that part was much sadder than I thought it would be. For the second time in their lives they are starting fresh in a new country, but this time they have given up so much more and have fewer years ahead. Overall, phenomenal performances by Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys - they made Philip & Elizabeth feel so real.

I will be interested in hearing more about your thoughts on the immigrant narrative. I'm not a child of immigrants so I don't have that direct experience. But one thing that was hugely different with P&E vs people I've known who are immigrants with American children is that P&E were hiding the very fact that they were immigrants. There were no chances to prepare food from "the old country". No holiday traditions to pass on. No favorite songs or books to share. No phrases said in exasperation or delight in the native tongue. Even without extended family, there are all kinds of ways that children learn about their family heritage without ever realizing it and P&E worked very hard to make sure that their children never knew anything at all. I think that's part of why the Russian culture lessons with Paige didn't really work. It was all too foreign, and too outdated. The Great Patriotic War didn't mean enough to her. If she'd heard about it as a child, it might have seeped into her subconscious without her realizing. Maybe if they'd introduced her to someone from Russia or the greater USSR who was closer to her own age it might have felt more real to her. I suspect Elizabeth also feels she failed her children., but probably in different ways or to different degrees. I hope they would be able to talk about it with each other.

I wish I could remember what episode it was - it was back in season 2 or 3, when Philip and Elizabeth talk about telling Paige the truth. And Philip says something like "It would destroy her" and Elizabeth says"To be like us?", visibly hurt by that idea. There's always been this idea expressed by Gabriel, Claudia, and Elizabeth of "telling Paige who she is," by which they mean telling her that she is Russian and the daughter of dedicated Soviet spies and she herself will be one. But that has never made sense because first of all, spying isn't a hereditary skill; secondly, she is American even if her parents are Russian; and third, as an American, she expects to discover and become who she is without someone telling her. She says to them "I know you control what I do until I'm 18 but you can't control who I am. I'm me." I don't think Elizabeth ever really understood that. Philip did. So to hear Elizabeth saying that she agrees with Philip telling Henry to be himself - that is huge. It is a huge change from where she was five or six years ago. IMO she still hadn't reached that conclusion with Paige. She told her that she needed to commit to this job for life, but Paige just said yes. She never told Paige - be yourself and it will be good enough for me and I will still be your mother and love you. She wasn't prepared to do that yet. Paige forced it upon them by leaving them. I wonder if Philip had said the same things to Paige that he said to Henry, whether Elizabeth would have said "I agree with your father". IDK.

A few more articles I've found: Jezebel: A Tribute to the Best, Sexiest, and Dorkiest Disguises on The Americans. I enjoyed the reminder of all the various characters we've seen them be. I would seriously buy a yearbook type book that showed every single disguise they've each worn. Vulture: The Americans: Every Episode Ranked. You can argue with the placement but it is interesting to see the rationale they use for how they ranked the episodes. I mostly agreed, although I still don't think Amador is lovable, as they describe him. I thought he was annoying. The New Yorker: Translating 'The Americans' And Seeing A Mirror Of My Own American Experience. Short essay by Masha Gessen, who translated the English to Russian for the last three seasons. I hadn't realized how closely the timeline of her own life paralleled the Jenningses. She also has some ideas about what might happen to them in the new Russia. Vox: The Americans series finale’s greatest secrets, explained by its showrunners. Todd VanDerWerff interviews Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields. Also links to a podcast with a longer interview that includes a chat with Matthew Rhys. I haven't listened to the podcast.

I do not want to see a Philip and Martha reunion at all. I think it would be way too painful for Martha. I would rather imagine that she is raising her daughter, and making friends through the parents of her daughter's friends, maybe even meeting a "suitable" man to be involved with. I'd like to think that she learns Russian well enough to get a job and build a life for herself. Even after the end of the Soviet Union, she can't go back to the US, so I want to imagine that she is at least modestly content in Moscow. IMO Philip wasn't in love with Martha and feels tremendous guilt for what he did to her. I think he'd be pleased to know that she is okay and has a daughter, but I don't think Philip is selfish enough to want Martha to absolve him of his guilt. I think he would be careful to never cross paths with her. I think it would also be kind of painful for Elizabeth to think that Philip would have any interest in Martha. She was already jealous of her. It would awaken that insecurity again. But I can see why others would want to see Philip and Martha run into each other and it's entirely possible that they might. Moscow is a big city in the late 80's but two people whose lives are going to be heavily affected by KGB connections might be more likely to cross paths than others.

Totally agree about the ice cream moment. That is what he wanted - a happy family living safely and freely in America. It's sort of what he got for a little while, but not exactly, and not long enough. Putting the rest of my reply in the START thread because I realized my comment was not a callback or foreshadowing at all.

Everything. Mostly? Henry. IMO the trigger was Aderholt telling him about Harvest in Chicago. That brought the whole illegal Russian thing to the forefront of Stan's mind. Second, Elizabeth not being there for Thanksgiving and Philip offering a rather lame excuse as to why. Third, Philip immediately leaving to join Elizabeth (was it the day after Thanksgiving or later the same day? IDK). Fourth, Philip's response to Stan asking him what was wrong. For the first time, Philip didn't read Stan very well and gave an answer that Stan just didn't buy. Fifth, Henry's inadvertent confirmation of Stan's suspicions about their travel being odd. Henry didn't think it was odd because they did it all the time, his whole life. To Stan, that's even stranger. And sixth, to tie it back to the illegals was that the FBI failed to capture Harvest and all of this was while Philip and Elizabeth were out of town. That's what got it started and once it was started, he was just looking for someone to confirm or deny his suspicions. No one could flat out deny them, so the ideas get growing.

First of all, Paige is a horrible liar. So she isn't going to be able to convince anyone that she didn't know what was going on. She was excited to know what was going on! I could see with the warehouse situation that she could say she didn't know anything except that she was supposed to sit in the car and leave after a given signal. But she literally ran up to witness her mother covered in the blood and brain matter of the general who "committed suicide" in the woods. That would be hard to explain. The FBI will be even more dismissive than Philip if Paige says "sometimes bad things happen in the world so he killed himself." Maybe she will come across as having been brainwashed. Like she is this misguided youth who first fell into Christianity and then fell into communism and spying and was not strong enough to withstand the "songs and food and cute boys". But even if the others believe she's been brainwashed, she herself would reject that definition of herself. She's in a lot of trouble.

Because they aren't Nadia and Mischa, or Nadezhda and Mikhail, when theyre at home alone. They're Philip and Elizabeth. They have to be in order to maintain their covers. It's too important for them not to. I agree regarding their past 22 years in the US. They had to maintain their cover. But looking ahead to their future in Russia, I am assuming they will no longer be posing as Americans. I don't see why they'd have to hide their identities, but if they do, they'd certainly stand out more as Philip and Elizabeth Jennings than they would if they went by Russian names. And if they're going with Russian names, why not use their own. Even if they introduce themselves to others as Nadezhda and Mikhail, I think it will be harder for them to call each other by those names, at least at first.

One of the things I've enjoyed about hearing the Russian dialogue is how the names sound different with the addition of the patronymic. I like the way Arkady says Oleg Igorevich - it makes his name sound like Olegigor rather than O-leg. I wonder what Philip's Russian last name is. Back in the end of Season 5, when they were planning to return, Elizabeth had said she'd take his name. They have always been good at maintaining cover names when posing as couples. But it's really hard for me to imagine them calling each other Nadia and Mischa, or Nadezhda and Mikhail, when they're at home alone. I could see Elizabeth wanting to follow the Zhukov directive and never talk about their lives as Philip and Elizabeth Jennings, only about their new lives as Nadezhda and Mikhail Whateverevich. But I don't see Philip letting her do that. I wonder if EST ever came to Russia. Probably not.

Wow. That means they'd lived half their lives in the United States, since they were 22 when they arrived. I wonder where they'll be in another 22 years... 2009. Still in Moscow? Still alive?

Another good interview with Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys. at The Hollywood Reporter. 'The Americans': Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys Talk "Devastating" Ending I particularly liked reading their thoughts on the return to Russia and what it means for Philip and Elizabeth. Also on this page is a short video with snippets of Matthew Rhys talking about The Americans and his role on Girls from an upcoming Drama Actor Roundtable. It's just a few snippets - but one thing that I hadn't heard before was that he wants to make a movie about the man who donated the land to LA that makes up Griffin Park. Hopefully there will be more when the whole video goes live - it says it will be July 8 on SundanceTV.

For most of this season we didn't see those motherly instincts. I agree - that's why I think it's instinctive. She doesn't act nurturing or motherly with either child. She seems utterly cut off from Henry and mostly focused on Paige as a not-very-good spy-in-training. But at this crisis moment, she is reacting to a threat to her children. They are hers. She believes that only she and Philip can adequately protect them. If they had managed to escape with the children, I think she'd soon be back to being a detached, somewhat cold parent. But in that moment, it's not even something she has to think about. When she does think about it, she realizes Philip is right.