hellmouse

I have been lurking on The Americans sub on Reddit and found this essay someone wrote about Philip, focusing in particular on the events in Rififi. In particular, the author does a deep dive on the phone call between Philip and Elizabeth in that episode and what it shows us about his character. Essay: The Americans: Philip Jennings’s Identity: Rififi The main thing I've been thinking about since reading it is the author's perspective on Philip being a husband, a father and a spy, and how those three roles are particularly complicated whenever Kimmy is involved, as she is at in the conversation between Philip and Elizabeth at the very beginning of this episode. The phone call at the end is a very different conversation and it's also made me think about how many episodes in Season 6 have had those kind of bookend conversations between them. It's like an undercurrent of electricity that is never totally gone, even if they're apart the whole episode. Anyway, the essay is a thoughtful perspective on Philip and I think some of the posters here also might enjoy it. I guess I need to register on Reddit so I can give feedback there too! Original Reddit thread with some comments: Philip's Identity: Rififi Conversation (spoilers)

I wish I could give that quote a hundred hearts. I have been rewatching the episodes and there's a scene, I think it's in Season 2, where Elizabeth tells Philip about how she told her mother the KGB had chosen her, and how her mother reacted by telling her to go. It was a nice scene because it was Elizabeth trying to explain to Philip why she felt almost obligated to tell Paige about them. It was what her mother did with her. And for Elizabeth to open up to Philip is nice. But. It would have also been really nice if at some point in time we had heard a sentence or two about how Philip's family reacted to him being selected by the KGB. Was it an honor? A duty? Was he eager to get away, or sad? Was his mother already dead? We see him telling Irina about the leadership program, but that's after he's been in training for a while. As you say above, we can conjecture about it, but we don't know. And that is strange for someone for whom family is so important. I've accepted at this point that we'll never really know, but the Elizabeth flashbacks are more frustrating on rewatch because as a viewer I know we won't get the same level of detail for Philip.

Very interesting. "Urban Transport Planning" indeed. This strengthens my belief that the painting in Erica's bedroom that haunts Elizabeth was meant to represent the disapproving look of young Liz's trainer after she left her comrade to die in the street. Obviously, that connection would've been much clearer if we'd seen the training scenes before most of the stuff with the painting. Just re-read an interview with Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields from Collider (‘The Americans’ EPs Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields on Navigating the Intense, Emotional Final Season) and they talked a little about moving things around this season. It made more sense to me in light of this casting information: I would have loved for the horse/motorcycle collision to be in Urban Transport Planning because it certainly showed a need for it!

At Variety, an interview with Noah Emmerich about Stan. No spoilers. He sounds like he's kind of over the show, IMO, like he's glad to be done with it. Or at least he doesn't sound as fondly reflective as all the other people interviewed have sounded so far. The Americans' Star on Uncovering the Truth At Vulture, an interview with Costa Ronin about Oleg. He also talks about Homeland, which I don't watch so I don't know if it's spoilery for that show. He also says that if Oleg is considered hot, it's because of the writers, lol. Costa Ronin is just as surprised as everyone else that Oleg is still alive on The Americans. At Racked, an interview with Katie Irish (costume designer) about Elizabeth Jennings' disguises. Interesting! Keri Russell’s Spy Disguises Have Been the Best Part of The Americans.

Yes! And if Philip had a brother, why didn't the brother send tapes from home like Elizabeth's mother did? I always assumed he got no tapes because he had no living relatives. But noooo. The brother in the flashback was totally a retcon IMO and it was all so that Gabriel could unite Mischa with a family. But Philip has never once mentioned his brother. Ugh. It annoys me to think about all the things we don't know about Philip. I will crack up if there is another Elizabeth flashback in the finale.

I just wish they would explain why they felt that storyline was meaningful. I've never heard anyone ask them about why they spent so much time on his journey when it had zero impact on the main characters of the show, especially Philip. I could believe that they wanted to show how speaking against the Afghanistan war could get you put in a mental institution. I could believe that they wanted to show the mechanics of getting out of the Soviet Union, across Europe and to America. Those were interesting things to learn and see. But why did it have to be Philip's son doing it, and then end up with Philip utterly unaware of all it? That is the part I don't understand. I can't think of a similar season-long plot that had such little impact on Philip or Elizabeth. I truly wonder if they had some other plot line that they ended up scrapping. Were they satisfied with it, and why? That is what I would ask them, if I could.

So far the preview showed them in a car, an interview said they filmed scenes on a train, and now a vanity walk-on part indicates an airline. Planes, trains and automobiles. I wish we'd get a last minute interview that hints at a boat. Or horses!

What if the only person who dies in the finale is Renee? And it's because of some dumb thing she did, totally unrelated to being a spy or anything. But Stan overreacts to it and gets in trouble at the FBI. Maybe even fired, or just in a fight with Aderholt. So at the end, Stan is truly alone - no job, no wife, no best friend. Even if he still has the job, he'd have lost all the people he cared about. Maybe a shot of him sitting alone in his house.

It was also a good parallel to Marilyn lying on the ground in the parking garage with her wig half off after being shot and killed. I agree - she was not the new Rezident. But it seemed like her opinion was respected by the current Rezident, so she wasn't banished to some unimportant role either.

I like the idea of Stan driving her car. Alternatively, maybe Renee is having an affair and he has seen her with someone through the binoculars. Maybe he pulls her jeep over in order to confront her. While he's spending time being mad at Renee, the Jenningses are making their way North!

I agree that he will want to bring them to justice. But I could imagine Stan choosing not to use deadly force against the Jenningses. Back in the Season 1 finale, he shot at them and wounded Elizabeth, but he didn't know he was shooting at his neighbors. Now, in the same situation? I could see him shooting at the tires but not at the people. But I don't know.

That's why it's a crazy idea. They don't need to get to a garage and also it would be silly to spend any time luring Renee to a garage. But it would get Renee's jeep to a suspicious location! Maybe Elizabeth steals Renee's jeep and drives it somewhere before meeting Philip in a different location. Basically I'm losing my mind, lol.

This is probably too crazy but what if Elizabeth calls Renee and asks her to pick them up at one of those garages. She could say she has car trouble and needs a ride. And then they could observe from a distance to see if the garages are really being watched by the FBI. (Obviously they wouldn't really want to be picked up by Renee; it would be a trap.)

That is such a good movie. So moving. I've been thinking about that one a lot - the last scene in particular - as to how it might compare to the end of The Americans. But the one thing advantage they had in the movie is that it was only the FBI after them. The Jenningses have the KGB too. Yikes.

Right, just like the Thanksgiving thing! I think that's what it is too. Because Stan already has this idea in his head that Philip and Elizabeth aren't real people. So when he talks to somebody about them he wants something that dispels that idea. And nobody can give it to him. Tim is the only person he remembers as a personal friend and yet he gives him nothing. Henry unwittingly gave him the same thing. In his case he knew their habits but couldn't explain them. ... They are a lot like Stan--although Stan also has an ex-wife, people he worked with in Arkansas, an dead ex-partner. Most of Philip and Elizabeth's lives are lived in the shadows so Stan can't even see them having a history. I have been thinking about this conversation since I read it yesterday. As a viewer, I know that Philip & Elizabeth have very full lives. They are running multiple operations, coordinating with intelligence officers from other countries, and raising their children. But the only people who know them as Philip & Elizabeth are really only those who have to. The travel agency employees and customers; the kids' teachers; the parents of the kids' friends. They only are "friends" with the Beemans and Pastor Tim & Alice because of the threat they represent to their family. Even if Philip does become friends with Stan, he never forgets that he's working him. I remember Henry being amazed when Elizabeth said a friend had been teaching her Korean cooking. He didn't think she had friends. And of course, she doesn't. She's too busy to have actual friends as Elizabeth Jennings. When you step back and look at them without knowing their full lives as spies, then they do become kind of strange. Especially with both of their kids out of the house. Their children and the travel agency provided a good cover. Just the travel agency is not enough. There's something missing, and Stan senses it. It's fascinating - I had never considered it that way before!

He knows about the priest. He knows both he and Oleg have been working against a group of high-powered Soviets, well placed in the government, including at center. He'll know as soon as he talks to Elizabeth about Tatiana and Granny. Right, but he was also just in Chicago so he knows that the FBI was on to Harvest who was also an illegal. For all he knows, the FBI is now onto him and Elizabeth - unrelated to what he's doing with Oleg. The priest being questioned could be the first inkling they have that the FBI have learned some of their tradecraft (using priests, for example). Wouldn't he need to report that to the Centre so that other illegals are aware? My thought was that he might have called the Centre before he talks to Elizabeth and learns about Tatiana and Claudia. After talking to her, they may decide they can't trust the Centre. But before talking to her, he might have been thinking that it was his duty to alert them to this huge event of their cover possibly being blown. ETA - in fact, that might be what makes them decide to go get Henry, because they are afraid the KGB will get him first. Although we are all guessing the KGB is against them now, maybe that is the "curve ball" that has been teased.

It annoys me when people who've seen a show finale before the general public make vague references like that. It's a privilege to see the episodes early, one they've been granted out of professional courtesy. So you'd think they'd show professional courtesy back to the show by not dropping little hints. Even if this is a stupid hint, because we're all expecting songs and tears, it is still annoying to have a critic do this. I'd prefer them not to even say they've seen it, but if they have seen it, they should not say anything about it. It really does seem unprofessional.

I woke up thinking about this show - I am definitely going to have some withdrawal problems in a week or so! But what I was thinking is that we see Philip call Elizabeth to relay a coded message - topsy turvy - that sets a plan in motion. What if he also called Joan the operator to pass along the same message? It would make sense that they would need to notify the Centre if they were blown. He doesn't know at that point that Elizabeth has killed Tatiana and told Claudia about it. He has no reason to think that the KGB would be after them. If that has happened, maybe his message of "illegals with blown cover" is received before the Centre realizes Elizabeth disobeyed orders. So maybe they will have some support plans put in motion to aide their escape. I also was thinking about Paige. Maybe circumstances will make it so that the risk of getting Henry becomes too high, and Philip and Elizabeth are faced with the whole family going down together or abandoning one of their children. Maybe Paige will choose to stay in the US with Henry so that he is not alone. That will be her sacrifice, to put her family first in the same way her parents sacrificed to put their country first when they were her age.

Here's a short video interview with Matthew Rhys from PeopleTV. The funniest part is how he cringes watching himself line dance and says he wasn't any good at it. Matthew Rhys on what he'll miss about working with Keri Russell on The Americans

I was thinking the same thing! She probably would have been wearing heels, and she's been smoking a lot, which isn't great for running. I think it would have been harder for her to outrun them.

I like the idea of Stan being the one driving Renee's Jeep! It's funny - I am not particularly invested in who lives or dies either EXCEPT that I want Philip and Elizabeth to have the same fate. Either both live or both die. I am way too invested in them being together.

Having read various interviews with the cast and show runners, I am ever more convinced that I don't know what will happen in the finale. Keri Russell said she was surprised by the finale, and that it got the tone of the show right. She also said that when Matthew Rhys cried when he read the final script. Noah Emmerich said he was surprised by the finale. Matthew Rhys said he was "incredibly impressed with how the producers threw a curveball that I don’t think anyone will see coming. It was a very emotional roller coaster — and then incredibly moving." So what is this surprise? I'm wondering now if Stan's past altercations with the CIA and the Deputy AG will come back to bite him and he'll get pulled off the case. From their perspective, he's always been too emotionally invested in the Russians - from Nina to Vlad to Oleg. I think the CIA will get involved in the case when they find out about the murder of a KGB officer who appears to have been attempting to murder a Soviet government negotiator. They will want to "partner with" the FBI. And some higher up may think it is weird that Stan Beeman, who hasn't been in Counter-Intelligence for three years, in suddenly back in the mix when all this other stuff is happening. And he's trying to get his wife a job at the FBI. So even though Aderholt trusts him, maybe the higher ups don't. That could lead to Stan doing some crazy off-the-books stuff out of frustration and anger. Maybe his actions are what cause the curve ball that surprised peopel?

A short interview at TVLine with Matthew Rhys in which he gives a tiny hint about the finale. I don't know if he's being straightforward or joking, but if t's the former, it's interesting. The Americans' Star Matthew Rhys Gets Nostalgic & Teases the Series Finale

I agree - I've always been amazed at how well they function on very little sleep. Although what your body can handle when you're 20 is different from when you're 40. At least this time Philip is rested - it would be even worse if they were both very sleep deprived. If they are really driving to Canada then she can get a nap in the car. It's a long drive!

Right, but if I were them, I'd assume every single thing has gone wrong and plan based on that. But I am not a trained KGB officer - not even Paige level - so I am just guessing.