S03.E07: Walter Taffet

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Philip and Elizabeth feel the weight of a new family secret while following up on the KGB’s interests in South Africa. Stan faces struggles both at work and at home. Martha confronts a shocking development.

[Mindymoo]

Does anyone have a link to the preview of this episode? I watched the episode on my iphone in the hospital while recovering from surgery, and the nurse came in when the preview started, so I was unable to watch it and couldn't rewind it on the app.

[PinkRibbons]

Does anyone have a link to the preview of this episode? I watched the episode on my iphone in the hospital while recovering from surgery, and the nurse came in when the preview started, so I was unable to watch it and couldn't rewind it on the app.

 

Here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhAjJYNP6iA

 

I hope you recover quickly!

[Umbelina]

Bump!

 

Yum, so far, so good, Martha's usefulness was just lowered again.  First no more files laying around for her to copy, and now, they found the bug!  Yay.  Go FBI!  (ha)

[crgirl412]

Agent Aderholt is very smart!!!  Seems to be smarter than Beeman and Gaad combined! 

 

Poor Martha!  Umbelina is right, her usefulness is lowered again!  I love that she knows something that Clark doesn't!  She's testing him to see if he knows that the bug is gone, I think. Or can he only listen via that thing she had in the bathroom.  Was anyone else getting 9 to 5 flashbacks in that scene??

[Chaos Theory]

This might just be the poor Marthiest episode ever.

Of course the female secretary is the only person not considered a suspect.

Well that kidnapping went swimmingly.

[AimingforYoko]

Wow, it's like the second they found the bug in Gaad's office, Martha's purposeful ignorance just fell away.

[crgirl412]

When they play awesome classic Fleetwood Mac I can't concentrate on the scene!! 

[Primetimer]

While the South African op ramps up, the discovery of a certain pen's secret leads to the very real end of Clark and Martha's sham honeymoon.

Read the story

[benteen]

Good episode.  The storyline with Martha is really heating up and I'm looking forward to seeing how it will play out.

 

Philip with those wigs tonight...the last one made me laugh.

 

I'm tired of Stan's marriage issues but liked that he had a good scene with his son.  Speaking of Noah Emmerich, he directed this episode tonight.

Edited March 12, 2015 by benteen

[crgirl412]

 

Speaking of Noah Emmerich, he directed this episode tonight.

That's cool!  He did a good job!  I would love to see Matthew and/or Keri direct one! 

[RedHawk]

Philip with those wigs tonight...the last one made me laugh.

 

 

Oh, yeah. I'm still trying to figure which Ramone he most looked like. I wonder if Kimmie would go for that guy?

[shura]

Agent Aderholt is very smart!!!  Seems to be smarter than Beeman and Gaad combined!

 

No kidding, that guy is sharp! Question, why did Stan specifically refer to him as "a black guy" when he was talking to Philip? What does that have to do with anything? Casual racism?

 

Philip with those wigs tonight...the last one made me laugh.

 

It worked though, didn't it? I was actually thinking that if Philip ever needed to be in drag, he could totally pull it off.

 

I loved the South African operation. Fast-paced, perfect music (unexpectedly), the way everybody was on the same page, including the ANC guy who shoved the student into the van. The fact that the South African operative was prepared for anything (btw, did the woman Elizabeth shot have an accent? Was she not a random bystander but the South African guy's support?). And Hans! Hans was terrific there, the actor was great, perfectly conveying the feelings of a newbie on his first real operation.

 

Not sure how I feel about the pineapple-anchovies-pickles combo (that didn't actually seem to be on the pizza), I should try that. Loved the "You are not a part of this discourse, Paige" line and everybody's reaction to it.

[Umbelina]

So now it's all about WWMD?

 

I love the more cautious, scared crapless Martha.

 

This show is always so tense.  I missed what the dead woman with the bread had to do with anything too.  Damn distractions.

[TV Anonymous]

I find it hard to believe that Philip and Irina have a 20-year old son, simply because of the actors. Matthew Rhys I may believe, but Marina Squerciati I can not buy it.

[OrientalAmish]

I do love this show for the storylines + characters, but I mainly watch the show to laugh @ the disguises that Philip uses.... Oh my....LOL

[chocolatine]

Finally some progress in the Martha story! And she's not as dumb as everyone thinks!

 

I'm impressed that the KGB had Clark's apartment ready at a moment's notice, complete with fresh bananas on the counter.

 

Did anyone else get the impression that Elizabeth was "in the mood" after she and Philip acted so lovey-dovey at dinner with Lisa, and when Philip said he was going to Martha's she was a little disappointed?

 

The kidnapping scene went very fast and I was also distracted by the Fleetwood Mac music. It looked to me like they got both guys they were after, so why did Hans look upset at the end? Was it because Elizabeth had to kill someone?

 

I loved Henry's "you're not part of this discourse". It's been all Paige, Paige, Paige this season, but Henry, in what little we see of him, seems like a more interesting character.

 

WTF was with the pizza not having any of the toppings Philip talked about? The show is usually so good with details.

 

Favorite exchange of the night: "Why is there an empty Aspirin bottle in the drawer?" "Because you finished it and didn't throw out the bottle."

 

Good job, Noah Emmerich (except for the barren pizza).

Edited March 12, 2015 by chocolatine

[PinkRibbons]

I read something about the (end scene) costumes in this episode a while back, and Matthew Rhys mentioned that the crew has no problem saying something like, "dude, you look like a lady". Elizabeth looked great though.

 

Speaking of Elizabeth, I like how well she took the Philip's son reveal. I guess because it explains more about Philip's recent behavior. I'm just gonna assume he mentioned that he didn't know about the so-called son until fairly recently, and possibly added he didn't know if Irina was lying or not. I would love it if Elizabeth was the one to find out that there was no Mischa Jr., and to struggle between her Gabriel and Philip. I like to think that if there's any part of him she understands, it's how incredibly deeply he loves his children, and perhaps she won't appreciate Gabriel using that specific manipulation technique on  him, since she can see how it's affecting him at an already stressful time. That might be a good moment for her to rethink The Paige Project.

 

Paige seems to be acting distant to Philip on purpose. I hope the next thing Elizabeth tells her is that her Dad did Some Things that make it painful for him to talk about that time in his life. Otherwise she might latch onto this idea of "Mom told me the truth, you didn't." and that's just annoying.

 

The Martha scenes were so tense holy crap.

[Luciano]

WTF was with the pizza not having any of the toppings Philip talked about? The show is usually so good with details.

I think he just jokingly mentioned a deliberately gross topping combo in order to get a reaction from Paige (which failed). Edited March 12, 2015 by Luciano

[chocolatine]

I think he just jokingly mentioned a deliberately gross topping combo in order to get a reaction from Paige (which failed).

 

OK, that makes sense. To me it read like he got a pizza with all her favorite toppings (it sounded gross to me, but I know people with all kinds of weird food preferences) in an effort to bond with her more after she told him about her "excursion" with Elizabeth.

[Dowel Jones]

Philip with those wigs tonight..

 

Eh, it's no worse than Stan's son with that Anton Chigurch (No Country for Old Men) haircut.  Serial killer in training, there.

 

I don't know whether bakery lady was a plant or just a bystander.  If she was on the job for the RSA government, she would have been better prepared, I would think.  Hans got an education on the real world of spycraft (at least the real  world of tv spycraft), and now he's shocked.  And Philip has yet more scars and bruises he has to explain the next day.  What was the point of kidnapping the handler, anyway?  Seems risky to me, as the embassy would notice his absence almost immediately, and they can't turn either of them loose.

[Superpole2000]

It looked to me like they got both guys they were after, so why did Hans look upset at the end? Was it because Elizabeth had to kill someone?

Did Hans miss spotting the circling car? I thought that might have been why he reacted that way.

 

There are so many directions they can take with finding the bug. That is a great storyline, and I love when this show focuses on quiet action like that as opposed to the shootouts and violent interactions that superheroes Philip and Elizabeth always seem to win.

[VCRTracking]

Phillip's distracting Joey Ramone wig notwithstanding that final sequence was fantastic. Noah Emmerich did a great job directing the whole episode, including Martha after the bug was discovered.

[spaceghostess]

When they play awesome classic Fleetwood Mac I can't concentrate on the scene!! 

Yeah, I thought that was a great choice. Did they ever use "Tusk"? I feel like maybe they did, but if not, they should.

 

 

Oh, yeah. I'm still trying to figure which Ramone he most looked like. I wonder if Kimmie would go for that guy?

Ha! I said the exact same thing to my husband. Did you catch the eyeliner?

 

Never thought I'd say this, but it was a great Martha episode. As annoying as Martha can be, I've always thought the actress who plays her does a pretty good job. She knocked it out of the park in this one.

[Caria]

 

Speaking of Noah Emmerich, he directed this episode tonight.

That's cool!  He did a good job!  I would love to see Matthew and/or Keri direct one!

 

Did he really?  I agree he did a really good job.  That whole sequence with Martha in the office/bathroom was heart pounding!  I could feel her terror and anxiety.  Great episode, but can someone tell me why Elizabeth shot that women in the end?  Was she an operative??

 

Question, why did Stan specifically refer to him as "a black guy" when he was talking to Philip? What does that have to do with anything? Casual racism?

I think 40 years ago a black guy in the FBI must of been an anomaly and thus always noted as such.  Maybe it's racism of a kind but not necessarily that Stan is a racist.

[AlliMo]

Elizabeth in the first wig looked a LOT like Paige imo, and in that first glimpse of Philip in the Ramone wig, he looked a lot like Henry. It was kind of freaking me out.

 

This show may be silly with some of the spy stuff, but they sure do get the nuances of marriage down pat. To be fair, the show's creators have always said from the beginning that the show is about the marriage, not the spycraft.

[BW Manilowe]

Yeah, I thought that was a great choice. Did they ever use "Tusk"? I feel like maybe they did, but if not, they should.

Ha! I said the exact same thing to my husband. Did you catch the eyeliner?

Never thought I'd say this, but it was a great Martha episode. As annoying as Martha can be, I've always thought the actress who plays her does a pretty good job. She knocked it out of the park in this one.

With my luck I'm confusing my Fleetwood Mac songs (& Tusk actually isn't 1 of my favorites, sadly), but I'm almost positive Tusk was used in the Pilot.

I'm pretty sure it was over the scene where Philip & Elizabeth--who hadn't actually fallen in "real" love with each other yet--had kinda rough/frantic sex in the car, after the mission they were on basically got screwed all to hell but they were able to get it to some kind of completion even though, among other things, their fellow spy operative sustained what proved to be a fatal stab wound & they weren't able to get the guy we later learned raped Elizabeth, when she was a teenager training at the KGB academy (for lack of its correct name), wherever they were actually supposed to take him, because the other operative was injured & they detoured to dump him at/near a hospital.

They used the "Why don't you ask him what's going on? Why don't you ask him who's on the phone?" section & a little more (sorry if I reversed those lyrics). I remember thinking, at the time, the section they picked was pretty appropriate for a scene in the ep that started as an "undercover spy op" scene, but was still playing when they had car sex after (perhaps having been aroused by the thrill/danger of what they'd just done).

Edited March 12, 2015 by BW Manilowe

[DB in CMH]

Finally! The Martha storyline is about to completely meltdown! This is the only thing I've continued watching for. 

[kikaha]

Good episode.  The storyline with Martha is really heating up and I'm looking forward to seeing how it will play out.

 

 

Unless this is the end of The Americans, I think there's only one way this plays out.  The FBI office is on high alert, Martha knows too much, and I don't believe 'Clark' can weasel his way out with her this time.  Covering his tracks after he silences her will be quite a challenge. 

[Ellaria]

Martha, Martha, Martha! Poor thing - she had to know that this day was coming sooner or later. Her desperation at work and later at home was well played. Unfortunately, she may be on borrowed time. The rapid development of Clark's apartment was impressive work by the KGB.

 

There are so many directions they can take with finding the bug. That is a great storyline, and I love when this show focuses on quiet action like that as opposed to the shootouts and violent interactions that superheroes Philip and Elizabeth always seem to win.

Unless this is the end of The Americans, I think there's only one way this plays out.  The FBI office is on high alert, Martha knows too much, and I don't believe 'Clark' can weasel his way out with her this time.  Covering his tracks after he silences her will be quite a challenge. 

 

I loved the facial expressions as Aderholt was getting the listening device out of the pen. A great scene! Finally, the FBI will be doing actual work instead of having casual conversations. Martha didn't tell Clark about the FBI's discovery so perhaps there is hope for her. Did she ever tell him about the files on the mail robot? This was a much needed advancement in this story line. It will be a true test for Philip and may be what puts him over the edge.

 

I was confused by the last sequence. Maybe it was the Joey Ramone wig. I need to rewatch it. I'm not sure that Hans is the operative that they need him to be.

 

Of course, Stan is still a sad sack and its getting really, really tiresome. I was hoping that the "pen" discovery would focus him on FBI work and not his damn love life. Kudos to Noah Emmerich on a great episode! Too bad he can't step in and write more interesting developments for his character.

 

Thankfully, the Kimmie story line was shelved for an episode.

[shura]

It looked to me like they got both guys they were after, so why did Hans look upset at the end? Was it because Elizabeth had to kill someone?

 

I didn't think he was upset, it looked to me like he was processing his emotions, in a "so that's what it feels like!" kind of way. I don't think he saw Elizabeth kill the lady anyway.

 

Martha, it was nice knowing you.  You would have been the perfect girlfriend for Stan.  Two incompetent sad sacks on the screen at once, is far better than having two sad sacks spread out  through out the series.

 

Ha, now there's an idea! Stan has actually tried (and failed) with pretty much every female character save for Elizabeth, he should totally go for Martha. Maybe he can buy some Milky Ways and get Zinaida for a threesome, too.

[stanleyk]

I think 40 years ago a black guy in the FBI must of been an anomaly and thus always noted as such.  Maybe it's racism of a kind but not necessarily that Stan is a racist.

 

I think also in context, Stan was trying to explain what bugged him about the guy, which was basically Aderholt always probing for more information and kind of generally being a little show-offy, and I think his mentioning his race was meant to imply that the guy has to work harder to make a name for himself and be a little more visible to get advancement. Like he has more to prove because of his race (not validating this view, of course, but that's what I took from the context).

 

I was confused by the last sequence. Maybe it was the Joey Ramone wig. I need to rewatch it. I'm not sure that Hans is the operative that they need him to be.

I think this is right - Elizabeth's instructions to Hans were to watch for patrol cars, and to tap twice on the horn and drive away if he saw one. What he actually did was kind of freak out when shit got real, lay on the horn repeatedly, and NOT drive away. So I think Hans is not quite ready for prime-time.

 

[BW Manilowe]

Martha, Martha, Martha! Poor thing - she had to know that this day was coming sooner or later. Her desperation at work and later at home was well played. Unfortunately, she may be on borrowed time. The rapid development of Clark's apartment was impressive work by the KGB.

I loved the facial expressions as Aderholt was getting the listening device out of the pen. A great scene! Finally, the FBI will be doing actual work instead of having casual conversations. Martha didn't tell Clark about the FBI's discovery so perhaps there is hope for her. Did she ever tell him about the files on the mail robot? This was a much needed advancement in this story line. It will be a true test for Philip and may be what puts him over the edge.

I was confused by the last sequence. Maybe it was the Joey Ramone wig. I need to rewatch it. I'm not sure that Hans is the operative that they need him to be.

Of course, Stan is still a sad sack and its getting really, really tiresome. I was hoping that the "pen" discovery would focus him on FBI work and not his damn love life. Kudos to Noah Emmerich on a great episode! Too bad he can't step in and write more interesting developments for his character.

Thankfully, the Kimmie story line was shelved for an episode.

Maybe it's just 'cause it's so early in the morning & I'm not a morning person, but I'm a teeny bit confused here. Are you saying Noah Emmerich wrote this week's ep, or that he should further expand his creative horizons (hopefully next season if it's renewed) & write an ep? I ask because he directed this week's episode.

ninerfan: Thanks for the correction on the usage of Tusk in the Pilot. It's appreciated. It's been so long since I've seen the Pilot I think I was doing well just remembering the song was actually *in* the Pilot/the series. Plus, I said I was *almost* positive it was in the ep where I said it was used; not that I was *completely* positive it was used in that scene. So I gave myself some "wiggle room". I was most positive it was actually used somewhere in the Pilot.

Edited March 12, 2015 by BW Manilowe

[ninerfan]

Minor quibble :)  "Tusk" was in the pilot but used in the extended opening sequence where they are trying to kidnap Timoshev.  Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight" played over the sex scene in the car after they got rid of Timoshev's body.  I watched the pilot pretty recently :)  Well, the whole series for that matter.  Vacation does wonders for catching up with a show! :)

[terrymct]

Reuben, the ANC operative, is an interestingly complex character.  I kept going back and forth about him.  Against apartheid, good.  Willing to be violent, bad.  Wanting to protect son from being beat up over a motorbike, good.  Beating his kid to protect him from a beating, bad.  And so forth.  That's one of the things I like about this show.  There are few characters that are strictly villains or good guys.  Everyone has motivations, good and bad.  Everyone has a side, but they aren't always supporting it well or at all.   

[attica]

I'm still trying to figure which Ramone he most looked like.

 

He struck me as a poor-man's Steve Perry, but now you mention it, I have to concede his Ramone-osity.  Anyway, good work by the wig staff this week! The blonde bouffant in the restaurant, the Clark wig, Lizzie's hip looks: all good.

 

Can I just say how much I laughed at Tara's recap snapshot of Martha during the bug-sweep? Because AW's face certainly was all "Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck."

 

I could never be a spy. Way too many balls to juggle at once.

[Kierstyn]

Attica - thank you, I came here to say that! It was TOTALLY a Steve Perry wig. That's what the husband and I decided last night.

To answer an earlier question posed by Dowel Jones (I think, and I am too lazy to scroll back and look), the reason for the South African op is actually to prevent violence, believe it or not. This Venter guy is actually pro-Apartheid... but he is going to American college campuses, recruiting moles to join the anti-Apartheid movement, and then getting them to do violent and disruptive terrorist actions in order to discredit the anti-Apartheid movement. So the Center found a way to lure Venter out (by importing Ncgogo to act as bait) so that P&E could capture him. As was earlier pointed out, Venter had his own kidnapping van all set for Ncgogo, staffed by the now-aerated South African lady lugging a shopping bag. Elizabeth neatly foiled that with her Bindi shot. It was all very well paced, kind of complex, and beautifully planned. I adored that scene!

[FormerMod-a1]

If Clark really worked for the FBI he probably would already know about a bug being found.  And Walter Taffet, isn't he working for the organization that Clark said he was in?  So between Clark not knowing something is wrong and Walter not acknowledging Martha in any way even in private her suspicions were raised.  And maybe they can tell it's a foreign bug?

 

Part of me wonders if Stan will end up being suspected, between his screw ups and his involvement with Nina.  

[spaceghostess]

Thanks ninerfan and BW Manilowe for the clarification re: "Tusk". I've watched since the pilot, and I felt like it had been used, but couldn't call back to it!

[Dowel Jones]

I think 40 years ago a black guy in the FBI must of been an anomaly and thus always noted as such.

 

I remember reading on how the FBI was going through a lot of difficulties due to a complete change in their recruiting because Hoover had built a button down organization so much in his own image.  There were jokes like "How do you spot the undercover FBI agent at a protest gathering?  He's the only one wearing black wingtips."  And so on.  I even saw a news article on a hostage situation where the FBI sniper took out one of the bad guys and saved the day.  A photo with the story showed him in his position on the ground, in shirt sleeves.  Hoover sent him a letter of reprimand for taking off his suit jacket.  Sheesh.

[Ellaria]

Maybe it's just 'cause it's so early in the morning & I'm not a morning person, but I'm a teeny bit confused here. Are you saying Noah Emmerich wrote this week's ep, or that he should further expand his creative horizons (hopefully next season if it's renewed) & write an ep? I ask because he directed this week's episode.

 

Sorry if my sarcasm was misunderstood. I know that he directed this episode and he did a great job. I was suggesting - as a joke - that perhaps he should try his hand at writing because maybe then his character might actually have something interesting to do. Again, it was sarcasm.

Edited March 12, 2015 by Ellaria Sand

[shura]

To answer an earlier question posed by Dowel Jones (I think, and I am too lazy to scroll back and look), the reason for the South African op is actually to prevent violence, believe it or not. This Venter guy is actually pro-Apartheid... but he is going to American college campuses, recruiting moles to join the anti-Apartheid movement, and then getting them to do violent and disruptive terrorist actions in order to discredit the anti-Apartheid movement. So the Center found a way to lure Venter out (by importing Ncgogo to act as bait) so that P&E could capture him.

 

This makes sense, however, there is also Gabriel's statement that this will be used to stick it to Reagan somehow. I'm waiting to see how they can do that.

[Chaos Theory]

Martha, it was nice knowing you. You would have been the perfect girlfriend for Stan. Two incompetent sad sacks on the screen at once, is far better than having two sad sacks spread out through out the series. I don't think that will be a problem much longer, because Martha is too stupid to live. If I had any faith in the FBI office at all, I would have fully expected that there would be full surveillance on everyone that worked in that office. Even if there was, they would still find a way to screw that up.

I don't get why people think Martha is stupid or incompetent. She is neither. Maybe she is or at least was a bit naive but she was never stupid. She was the one who complained that the others were leaving top secret files on the office robot a clear violation of policy. Yes Clarke took advantage of her loneliness but that doesn't make her stupid that makes her gullible. Edited March 12, 2015 by Chaos Theory

[5cents-worth]

Eh, it's no worse than Stan's son with that Anton Chigurch (No Country for Old Men) haircut.  Serial killer in training, there.

 

Agreed that his hairstyle is awful. This show seems to be missing out on one of the classic late 70's/early 80's hair trends: feathering.  At least one of the younger characters, the boys in particular, could have easily have some feathered layers going on.  About half the boys in my class still  had that hairstyle around that time, and all of them looked better than Stan's kid.

 

I think this is right - Elizabeth's instructions to Hans were to watch for patrol cars, and to tap twice on the horn and drive away if he saw one. What he actually did was kind of freak out when shit got real, lay on the horn repeatedly, and NOT drive away. So I think Hans is not quite ready for prime-time.

 

Hans definitely looked like he just realized what he has gotten himself into, and he doesn't seem all that crazy about it. 

 

The bread delivery lady also had an accent, but I couldn't tell if it was South African before she was done talking forever. In any case, she was a dead woman from the jump, because Elizabeth wasn't going to leave any potential witnesses hanging around.

[sistermagpie]

No kidding, that guy is sharp! Question, why did Stan specifically refer to him as "a black guy" when he was talking to Philip? What does that have to do with anything? Casual racism?

 

 

I absolutely loved that Stan did that because it felt so believable. I don't know whether I'd describe it as casual racism, exactly--but something like that. More just that in America race is always a factor. Like I don't think Stan felt he was saying "black guy" to mean that this was a negative, but maybe that this would factor into the guy's position at the FBI--he's obviously not some guy who cruised into the bureau as a legacy, so maybe he's extra good and focused because he has to be in order to overcome the racial bias. So the line's ambiguous in that way that any mention of race can be in the US. I'm sure to him it's something he felt like should be known but was awkward about why he thought that.

 

Also love Stan's stale "Who Shot JR" joke. That was great. Of course he'd make that joke in 1982.

 

btw, did the woman Elizabeth shot have an accent? Was she not a random bystander but the South African guy's support?

 

 

I thought she definitely had an accent and was the backup for the assassin/kidnapper. Even on this show, why would Elizabeth be shooting some housewife doing her shopping just for parking next to her van? That woman was backup.

 

WTF was with the pizza not having any of the toppings Philip talked about? The show is usually so good with details.

 

 

Philip was absolutely kidding about the pizza--it's the kind of dad humor that endeared him to the kids in the past, but Paige is now over it. She wants civil rights activist dad or she's not interested. Add Paige to the many people pressuring Philip to move ahead with the KGB's plans. There's something so true and annoying about a teenager kind of lecturing her father on his own civil rights activism because she just realized that black people exist. A lot of Philip's attempts to counteract Elizabeth's work just aren't working.

 

Yeah, I thought that was a great choice. Did they ever use "Tusk"? I feel like maybe they did, but if not, they should.

 

 

Most famous music cue ever on the show--it was the first thing in the pilot.

 

Yeah, they found the bug.  Unfortunately, they were too stupid and didn't go into complete lockdown mode.  No bag, pocketbook, or briefcase should have left that office without being thoroughly searched.

 

 

Maybe it didn't leave the office. Martha didn't have it later possibly for that reason.

 

I don't get why people think Martha is stupid or incompetent. She is neither. Maybe she is or at least was a bit naive but she was never stupid. She was the one who complained that the others were leaving top secret files not he office robot unclear violation of policy. Yes Clarke took advantage of her loneliness but that doesn't make her stupid that makes her gullible.

 

 

People on the outside always say "how could they be that stupid?" and yet people keep being that stupid!

 

The kidnapping scene went very fast and I was also distracted by the Fleetwood Mac music. It looked to me like they got both guys they were after, so why did Hans look upset at the end? Was it because Elizabeth had to kill someone?

 

 

I didn't think he was upset at something he didn't expect--I thought he was overwhelmed at the efficiency of Elizabeth and her people.

 

One of the moments that stood out to me was Rueben talking about tearing up his son's motorcycle pictures. I thought that was a great reflection of the Jennings' attitude, because while I could sympathize with him saying that if his son actually had a motorcycle he'd be killed for it, so it was like protection, all I could think was here was this kid growing up in SA under Apartheid and he can't even find a little joy in liking motorcycles because his dad thinks that's wrong. It's like Elizabeth's judgments about Philip liking things in the US. I feel like that's a becoming a real theme this season, with some personalities being extreme that way and other people not. I think both types are necessary in the world, but right now Philip the "weak one" seems like he's the one who's the serious badass standing up to the pressure from just about everyone for no other reason than that it feels right to him. 

 

I loved Jack and Michelle. I really like it when one of the Jennings has a character and the other one then has to create someone to go along with them. Jack was awesome and looked like he was in the Stray Cats.

 

With all the tension in the Martha plotline I was holding my breath over Philip not repeating past mistakes and telling Elizabeth about Mischa Jr. 

[Dev F]

I thought she definitely had an accent and was the backup for the assassin/kidnapper. Even on this show, why would Elizabeth be shooting some housewife doing her shopping just for parking next to her van? That woman was backup. 

 

I think this is right -- Elizabeth asked her for the time specifically because she wanted to hear her accent, and only killed her once she received confirmation that she was with the South African team.

[maczero]

Wow, it's like the second they found the bug in Gaad's office, Martha's purposeful ignorance just fell away.

Yeah, I was wondering why she was so panicky.  If she believes Clark then I'm assuming she would've expected him or his office to intervene on her behalf if she was caught.  I'm going with the idea that a part of her always knew something was hinky with Clark and now that the bug has been found she's starting to question her entire relationship.

 

She's in such a bad place right now and she knows it.  She fears that Clark may end her if she's no longer of any use to her.  She'll most likely face treason charges if she confesses about the bug and Clark.  Hell, she can't even quit her job and move without looking like a suspect.

 

Oh, yeah. I'm still trying to figure which Ramone he most looked like.

The eyeliner he was wearing made me think of Alice Cooper.

 

No kidding, that guy is sharp! Question, why did Stan specifically refer to him as "a black guy" when he was talking to Philip? What does that have to do with anything? Casual racism?

That caught my attention as well.  I notice people make those kinds of comments under two circumstances.  One is if a person of a different race/ethnicity does something that annoys them or offends them in some way.  For instance, saying some black guy cut me off on the highway.  The other instance is if a person is in a position or environment where he or she stands out because there are few others like them.  I can imagine Aderholt being referred to as "the black guy" by co-workers who don't know him or remember his name. 

[attica]

The vest that Stan's kid was wearing? My brother owned in the 70s. ::shudder::

[SunnyBeBe]

So, is the consensus with Martha's conduct after the bug is found that she now realizes Clark is not who he said he was and that he is a spy who has dooped her OR is she scared that much of her husband's value of her as a wife is based on her usefulness to him and now that she is not useful, he may abandon her?  

 

I thought she was scared the FBI may come to her house ad that's why she wanted to go to Clark's, but after seeing it, she wanted to return to her apt., so was that just a test to see if he really did have an apt as he had said?  So, now that he met that test, who will she believe?  She certainly loves Clarke I can't imagine her betrayal of him unless she's certain of his intentions.

 

There is no way that Philip would not have realized some big happened with Martha at work.  I didn't buy him treating it so casually.  No way, in my mind.  Someone will have to work with Martha and teach her how to pass a polygraph though agents have failed polygraphs and remained in their positions before for unknown reasons.   

[SailorGirl]

The eyeliner he was wearing made me think of Alice Cooper.

 

That caught my attention as well.  I notice people make those kinds of comments under two circumstances.  One is if a person of a different race/ethnicity does something that annoys them or offends them in some way.  For instance, saying some black guy cut me off on the highway.  The other instance is if a person is in a position or environment where he or she stands out because there are few others like them.  I can imagine Aderholt being referred to as "the black guy" by co-workers who don't know him or remember his name. 

 

Heh, my first thought with Philip in the last scene and the guy liner was "ooh, early Cure!" 

Re: the comment about Aderholt being "the black guy" -- keep in mind this was early-mid 80s and women and black men and women in any position other than a very junior/administrative type role were still somewhat of an anomaly. Affirmative action was strongly in play and responsible for many of the few "minorities" in jobs of any sort of responsibility. Thus, a referral to "the black guy" or "the woman" in an office setting would not be out of place -- it was a unique identifier for those individuals at that time. 

I wonder if Stan is going to suggest Aderholt as the one who placed the bug. Stan is already suspicious of him asking a lot of questions, trying to "get in good" with Gaad, make a name for himself. Wouldn't it be convenient if the new guy proved to be just a little TOO ambitious and planted the bug so he could be the hero who finds it. . . 

Also, re: the comment above about how a bag search would have revealed the bug equipment. . . keep in mind this was long before 9/11 and bag searches were cursory at best. For these purposes, the scanner they were using would most likely have been considered the most effective possible tool to find the device that goes with the bug. 

 

Also, loved "fuckity-fuck-fuck" Martha. Interesting that she's starting to doubt "Clark." I was wondering how they were going to pull off the apartment -- man, as organized as the KGB is at pulling this stuff together at the last minute, you'd think they would have fared better in the long run.

 

Edited March 12, 2015 by SailorGirl